Like the fighter who keeps getting knocked down but comes back to fight again, Miami has survived for many years the fluctuations of the copper market and a world economy. But with its picturesque cottages clinging to the hillsides and territorial-era buildings in downtown, Miami is seeing what can only be termed a renaissance.

Miami Bridge

Antique shops and art galleries have sprung up and if it’s a thirst you’re trying to quench, they now have everything from an old-fashioned soda fountain to more grown up beverages in an old West setting. Mexican food is a favorite, so there’s never a shortage of eating places. And as for those cottages on the hillside…many have been purchased by newcomers who are enchanted by Miami’s small town charm.

Picturesque Mine Café
Photo Courtesy Globe-Miami Chamber of Commerce

The town, while facing many challenges, has a new wastewater plant designed to carry Miami through the coming decades and the town council is committed to meeting the future needs of residents. Bullion Plaza Museum and Cultural Center, located at the west end of town in a former elementary school, is becoming well known throughout the state as a facility for meetings and conferences. Already this year, they have hosted three major groups. As a museum it is top rate, with displays of memorabilia from former Governor Rose Mofford, an extensive mineral and rock collection, and histories of the various ethnic groups that came to work the copper mines.

Miami Central Building

Miami is a proud reminder of the endurance and courage that early settlers in the mining camps demonstrated. That “we can do it” spirit survives today in Miami.

Kearny Welcome Sign

Uptown Kearny – Photo Courtesy of Sam Hosler

Kearny, named in honor of General Stephen Watts Kearny, and his dragoons, who camped on the Gila River on their way to California in 1846 was officially established in 1959. When the local Kennecott Mining Company decided to change from underground to open pit mining, the towns of Ray and Sonora had to be moved.  At the same time, Kennecott was building a new smelter in Hayden and homes were being demolished to make room for the expansion.  The need for more housing to accommodate these populations marked the beginning of a new town named Kearny, over 55 years ago.

Pinal County Building and Town Police and Fire Station in Kearny

Kearny is nestled at the base of the Pinal Mountain Range. The location provides prime opportunities for some of the best outdoor recreation in Arizona.  For those that enjoy driving all-terrain vehicles the Mescal Mountains off Highway Vehicle Recreation Area has some of Arizona’s Best developed trails. Mescal Mountains has everything from rolling hills to steep mountains, flat washes and riverbed areas. It is perfect for both novices but also challenging for the experienced trailblazer.  Or for those that prefer a more relaxed day there is always golfing at the Kearny Golf Course or a picnic at Kearny Lake.

Newly Restored Porter Rail Locomotive at the Rail and Copper Park

And make sure to stop by uptown’s Rail and Copper Park to see the red caboose, mining cars and the newly restored Porter air locomotive that was used by Kennecott Copper Corporation in the original underground Ray Copper Mine to haul men, ore and supplies from 1925 to 1955.

Copper Cart in the Rail and Copper Park

Written by Gloria Ruiz

The Town of Winkelman is at an elevation of 2,034 and is located in the southern end of Gila County, at the confluence of the San Pedro and Gila Rivers.  The history of Winkelman dates back to 1877 and 1878 when a large number of farmers migrated to the region.  With the coming of the railroad, a post office was established in 1903 near the ranch of Peter Winkelman.  Winkelman was incorporated in 1914.  However, a few years later the Town dis-incorporated and reincorporated on June 6, 1949.

Much like other cities and towns in the corridor, most of Winkelman’s economic activity is still based on copper.  The community serves primarily as a service center and residential area for families of employees associated with the mining and processing activities.  The principal employer within the Town is the Hayden-Winkelman Unified School District.

Winkelman Luten Arch Bridge

Arizona State Route Highways 77 and 177 provide excellent access to different parts of the state.  Both highways route through Winkelman.

The San Carlos Apache Tribe has approved a second gaming site near the Aravaipa area of Arizona.  The location is approximately seven miles southeast of Winkelman.  This project will bring much needed economic benefits to the tribe and surrounding communities, including Winkelman, by providing 400 plus permanent jobs and millions of dollars of new revenue to the region.

Ore Cart at Roadside Park
Photo Courtesy of Town of Winkelman

The scenery around Winkelman is some of the most spectacular in the state and is part of the Old West Highway route.  The mountain ranges provide the backdrop for the meandering Gila River and such landmarks as Saddleback and Mescal Mountain ranges.

At the gateway to Winkelman stands a roadside park featuring a 115 foot-long adobe wall.  You can walk around, through or meet within it.  The Wall tells the history of the Town by using bits of ranching and mining implements, as well as local geological samples.  The Winkelman Historic Bridge was constructed in 1916 and is one of only two left in the country and is in the National Historic Registry.

Giorsetti Superior Grocery Store

Winkelman is also home to the Giorsetti Superior Grocery Store.  The Giorsetti family has always operated this store since 1911.  While shopping, you can see the old architecture style and meet the two generations of the family members who work there on a daily basis.

An added attraction to Winkelman is the Winkelman Flats Public Park, located adjacent to the Gila River. This park provides RV camping with all utility hook-ups, flushable restrooms with hot and cold showers, dry camping areas, swimming, tubing, canoeing and fishing.  This park has a playground area for children, a softball field and a rodeo arena.  A basketball court, designed by the Phoenix Suns, was obtained through grant funding.

Ribbon Cutting at Roadside Park
Photo Courtesy of Town of Winkelman

Winkelman is a beautiful area to visit if you want to retreat from the city.  You can meet many friendly residents and enjoy the infinite number of starts at night.

Gila River Valley from Luten Arch Bridge

Photo courtesy of usbr.gov

The Parker Dam may not seem like much to the average onlooker, but the dam is greater than it seems. While most of the dam is not visible to those on the ground, it is said to be the deepest in the world. The majority of it just happens to sit below water.

The dam is located on the border between Arizona and California. The dam was build between 1938 and 1938 by the Bureau of Reclamation. It was created to bring both power and drinking water to Southern California. It is 320 feet (98 meters) high and 856 feet (261 meters) long. It separates Lake Havasu from the Colorado River.

Visitors can camp near the dam at one of the two public campground that are located along the Colorado River.

Read more about the dam’s history here at the nps.gov webiste.

(Courtesy photo)

The Stinson Pioneer Museum, located in the town of Snowflake, houses artifacts and pictures from the early days of Snowflake, from prehistoric Indians to 19th century pioneers. Included on display is the loom used by Lucy Hannah Flake to weave cloth and rag rugs. Two rooms have been restored to depict the living conditions of the early pioneer families.

Additionally, the town has more than 100 historical buildings, most restored to their original condition, which can be seen in this walking tour. Spinning, weaving, blacksmithing, and quilting demonstrations are also available, as well as a horse drawn wagon for groups by appointment.

Come visit historic Snowflake and admire the dedication and hard work of the pioneers who built the foundation of what the beautiful and peaceful town is today.

(Courtesy photo National Geographic)

Walking around the Petrified Forest, it’s hard to imagine that the fossilized stones once used to be gigantic trees. It’s just another unique aspect of nature and unique site in Arizona.

The Petrified Forest attracts visitors from all over the world, from paleontologists and geologists to archaeologists and historians. While many travel thousands of miles to see this rare and beautiful place, for us, we only have to take a short road trip.

The forest is located near the city of Holbrook that boasts an abundance of history stemming from prehistoric times and early frontier days when cowboys and cattlemen made the city their ranching community. The city also was a stop along Route 66 and in the 1950s, which boosted the city’s business with travelers coming from across the nation. Today, Holbrook is the embarking ground for travelers and explorers looking to discover the natural beauty of the area in the nearby Petrified Forest, Painted Desert and Monument Valley.

The Petrified Forest National Park is open year-round and travelers can explore and participate in many recreational opportunities, including backpacking, hiking, and horseback riding.

Photo Courtesy AZ Central

Hayden Flour Mill is a relic of our agricultural past, when Tempe was a small town surrounded by miles of farmland and anchored, economically, by the processing and marketing of grain, cotton, fruit, vegetable, and dairy products.

The Hayden Flour Mill is the oldest cast-in-place reinforced concrete building in Tempe. The mill that currently exists is the third building erected on that site; the two previous mills burned. The original mill started operations in 1874.

The ground of the Hayden Flour Mill, is now open for picnics and casual recreation. A small grove of trees allows for shady picnics. The north lawn is also open as a special event venue.  The new Flour Mill site includes the opportunity for people to look through the ground floor windows of the Mill and see some of the equipment that was used to grind flour.

Photo Courtesy of Arizona Preservation Foundation

When we can’t understand our past in its entirety, a sense of wonder takes the place of facts. Casa Grande Ruins is one such place that offers such feelings of mystery. While the ruins may have appeared around 130 C.E., its purpose remains a mystery.

Every year, we learn a little more, though. Archeologists have discovered evidence that the ancient Sonoran Desert people who built the Casa Grande also developed wide-scale irrigation farming and extensive trade connections which lasted over a thousand years until about 1450 C.E. It is believed that the Casa Grande functioned partly as an astronomical observatory since the four walls face the points of the compass. There are various smaller ruins in the complex and remains of a Hohokam farming village.

Visitors of the ruins will see the curious appearance of the structure. Visitors are not allowed into the building, due to it being very delicate, but much can be seen from the outside. Visitors will be able to see details of the construction with wooden beams supporting the clay walls and various internal features such as stairways and windows. The interior contains items such as re-enforcing beams, metal ladders and measuring devices on the walls.

Photo Courtesy of Superstition Mountain Museum

Nestled in the east valley of the city of Apache Junction the Superstition Mountain Historical Society was formed on December 27, 1979.  As a non-profit corporation under Section 501 (c) 3, funding goes to organizing, collecting, and preserving the history and legends of Arizona’s Superstition Mountains, as well as the research, education and publications necessary to preserve history.

Perhaps nowhere in the entire United States is there an area full of legend, history and intrigue as the rugged 160,000 acre Superstition Mountain range in the Tonto National Forest in Central Arizona.

Archeological evidence indicates that people were here some 9000 years ago. Later inhabitants included the Salado, Hohokam and Apache Indians, followed by Spanish explorers and Mexican Gold Miners. Early American trappers and adventurers migrated to the area and were soon followed by cattlemen and farmers. Eventually, the U.S. Cavalry was sent in to establish forts to protect this rapidly growing population.

As modern times approached, men and women began searching for what they believed was the richest gold mine in the world. This mine was made famous by Jacob Waltz, known as “the Dutchman”, who took the secret of “his mine” to the grave in 1891.

Even today, treasure hunters scour the mountains searching for the Lost Dutchman Mine, but now they share the region with campers, hikers, horseback riders and conservationists in what has officially become the Superstition Wilderness Area.

http://superstitionmountainmuseum.org/