www.cochisecountyrock.org
“Finding and Grinding Rocks in Cochise County, Arizona since 1967”
July 2009
This issue edited by Paul McKnight
_______________________________________________________________
July Field Trip Saturday July 18th
We will be going to the “W” Mountain area north of Willcox. Meet at 8 am in the Safeway Parking lot in Willcox. We will depart at 8:15 heading into an area of Native American rock art. The area is state land, so we can’t pick up anything. High clearance vehicles, and about a ½ mile walk with some elevation change.
Mines in the Middlemarch area (the location of our picnic)
Middlemarch is located midway on the military route between Fort Bowie and Fort Huachuca.
After 1895 a wagon road was graded from Pearce to the summit to supply developing mines.
The first mining operation in this area was by a Chinese syndicate out of California before 1900.
Then "The Middlemarch Copper Company" was formed to take over the property. This company operated here for several years. The property included 68 claims located in the Middlemarch section of the Dragoon district within the Dragoon Mountains. The primary mine was the Missouri which had 100,000 ton ore reserve. The ore showed 2% copper (plus some zinc, silver and gold) at about the 40 and 50 foot levels.
The mill was operating well until a severe water shortage in 1920 forced the closure of the mill and essentially the mine.
In the area was a town of several hundred people, with a hotel, general store, and post office, which was established May 10, 1898.
Something should be said about the cordwood trade, too.
Middle Pass and Slavin Gulch, to the north, were harvest points for oak and juniper fuel. A number of woodcutters were killed in the pass in the 1880s.
Lastly, the western portion of the pass was not improved until World War II. In May 1944, in response to small mine operators, the Forest Service graded a two and a half mile road up the western flank of the mountains. Middlemarch Pass road was further improved in 1955.
Club Officers for 2009
President: Paul McKnight 520-824-4054
V.President:Henri Van den Bos 520 384-0288
Secretary: Jim Brower 520 826-4672
Treasurer: Walter Sigel 520-826-1009
Delegate at Large: Larry Strout520-826-3991
Hospitality Coord: Zoe Schnabel 520-826-0100
Past President: Don Hammer 520 384-3105