Vulture City, Arizona

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Vulture City, Arizona
Wickenburg Vulture Mine-Assay office-1884-1.jpg
Vulture Mine-Assay office, built in 1884
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Vulture
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Vulture
Coordinates: 33°49′02″N112°49′59″W / 33.81722°N 112.83306°W / 33.81722; -112.83306
CountryUnited States
State Arizona
County Maricopa

Vulture City is a ghost town situated at the site of the defunct Vulture Mine in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States.

Contents

Vulture Mine

Vulture Mine was a gold mine which was discovered in 1863. It was the most productive gold mine in the history of Arizona. From 1863 to 1942, the mine produced 340,000 ounces (9,638.8 kgs) of gold and 260,000 ounces (7,370.9 kgs) of silver. [1] [2] The mine was discovered when Henry Wickenburg, a prospector from California's gold rush, stumbled upon a quartz deposit containing gold while traveling in Arizona. Wickenburg began mining the outcrop himself.

In 1863, after Henry Wickenburg discovered the mine, Vulture City, a small mining town, was established in the area. Vulture City's post office was established on October 4, 1880, and Henry Wickenburg was the town's first postmaster. The town had more than five boarding houses and several buildings. The huge Vulture Mine-Assay Office building, built in 1884, still stands today. The town also had a cookhouse and mess hall plus stores, saloons and even a school. [3] The town once had a population of 5,000 citizens. It was marked by violence. Eighteen men were hanged on an ironwood tree located by the ruins of Henry Wickenburg's house. [4]

Abandonment

After the mine closed, the city was abandoned and its buildings decayed, becoming a ghost town. The deposit was later sold to Benjamin Phelps, who represented a group of investors that eventually organized under the name of Vulture Mining Company. The mine continued to produce at a decreased level until World War II, when it was permanently closed. More recently, the owner has offered a two-hour, dirt path guided walking tour of the mine. [1] [2] [3] [4]

The following is a list, which includes a photographic gallery, of some of the remaining structures of historic significance in what once was known as Vulture City. Some of these structures are just mere ruins while others are still standing in fairly good condition. Also included in the gallery are some images of the Vulture Mine. [1] [2] [3] [4]

Images of Vulture City and Mine
NameImageNameImage
1Vulture City main gate house Wickenburg Vulture Mine-Gate House.jpg 2Houses Wickenburg Vulture Mine-Ghost town houses.jpg
3Dynamite House where dynamite and ammo was stored. Wickenburg Vulture Mine -Ammo House.jpg 4Gas station Wickenburg Vulture Mine-Gas Station.jpg
5Workshop Wickenburg Vulture Mine-Workshop.jpg 6The Vulture_Mine-Assay office. Wickenburg Vulture Mine-Assay House-2.jpg
7Side view of the Vulture Mine-Assay office Wickenburg Vulture Mine-Assay office-1884-3.jpg 8Vulture City Chow House where the miners ate. Wickenburg Vulture Mine-Chow House.jpg
9The Vulture City Chow House kitchen. Wickenburg Vulture Mine-Inside Chow House.jpg 10 Hanging Tree. Wickenburg Vulture Mine-Hanging Tree.jpg
11The ruins of Henry Wickenburg's Settlers Home in Vulture City. Wickenburg Vulture Mine-Wickenburg's Settler home-2.jpg 12One of the Miners Living Quarters Wickenburg Vulture Mine-Miners living quarters.jpg
13Rita's Brothel Wickenburg Vulture Mine-Rita's Brothel.jpg 14The ruins of the Vulture City Saloon Wickenburg Vulture Mine-Saloon ruins.jpg
15The ruins of the Vulture City Post Office which opened in 1880 and whose postmaster was Henry Wickenburg Wickenburg Vulture Mine-Post Office-1880 ruins.jpg 16Original equipment used in the Vulture Mine Wickenburg Vulture Mine-Mine equipment.jpg
17Vulture Mine and Vulture Mountain and caves. Wickenbug Vulture Mine-Vulture Mounatin and caves.jpg 18Nickel Shaft Wickenbug Vulture Mine-Nickel Shaft.jpg
19Entrance to the Vulture Mine gold mine shaft. Wickenbug Vulture Mine-Entrance to Vulture Mine Shaft.jpg 20Inside of the entrance of the gold mine shaft. Wickenburg Vulture Mine-Vulture Mine Shaft.jpg
21The Texas Hotel was built in 1895 in Vulture City. In 1904, the hotel was moved to Wickenburg. The hotel had a restaurant on the street floor and eight rental units upstairs. Wickenburg-Texas Hotel-1895.jpg

Further reading

See also

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