Early Copper Mining in Arizona

Abstract

Our present civilization is based upon the use of metals, of which copper is one of the more important, owing to its employment in the numerous applications of electricity. America produces one-fourth of the world's supply, and Arizona yields two-fifths of the American stock of copper. It is the object of this paper to describe the beginnings of copper mining by Americans in this important area. The earliest report of metallic wealth in the land of Arizona was made by Antonio de Espejo. Writing of the mines found by his party of five in the year I583, this Spanish soldier said, with my own hands I extracted ore from them, said by those who know, to be very rich and to contain much silver . . . where the mines are located the country is good, having rivers, marshes and forests; on the banks of the river are many Castilian grapes, walnuts, flax, blackberries, maguey plants and prickly pears. The Indians of the region plant fields of maize and have good houses. The area thus described was probably on the eastern slope of the Aquarius mountains, not far west of the site of Prescott.1