Once a Boom Town, Now a Ghost Town. Always a Hometown.

10/2/2020

Now a ghost town, Harshaw was one of nine mining camps in the area that saw waves of prospectors come and go in the 19th century. It held some of the Arizona Territory’s highest-grade silver, lead and gold ore, so when the U.S. government passed the General Mining Act in 1872, giving prospectors the right to claim mineral deposits on public land for no more than $5 per acre, investors poured in. A patchwork of mining claims soon covered the region, with 40 operations in Harshaw alone. Within three decades, the Patagonia Mountains had produced 79% of all the ore processed in the territory, with a total value exceeding $2.5 trillion yearly in today’s currency. - HCN

steven quintana

10/3/2020 09:40:29 am

it’s amazing how this place was a huge mining area in where each acre was around 5$ per acre, in which today each acre can be worth hundreds of thousands.

Prof Jeff

10/3/2020 01:41:34 pm

You might be surprised how cheaply public lands can be acquired, sometimes by mining companies, sometimes by developers who pose as mining companies.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Mining_Act_of_1872#Hardrock_Mining_and_Reclamation_Act_of_2017

Maddi Melia

10/3/2020 04:04:55 pm

This article describes how Harshaw has a fruitful history for those who grew up in it. Even though it isn't populated now, it still holds lots of memories. The article relates to geology because of how prominent mining for resources is, and sometimes it can be all the land is good for in some people's eyes. However, there are priceless memories made!

Clark Johnson

10/3/2020 05:49:17 pm

its crazy that there was 2.5 trillion dollars in just mining. This article connnects because with a massive rock slide or land slide there could be millions of dollars with of precious that could have just been uncovered. who know maybe the next big movement in the earth could have a massive money right under it.

Alina Robertson

10/4/2020 06:03:44 pm

I'm surprised that it became a ghost town with 155 million dollars of materials still in there. This connects with module 5 because the shift of all the mining that happened could have easily cause a slide of any sort. It also could have uncovered a lot of new material.

Daniella Hinojos

10/5/2020 02:05:21 am

The small town of Harshaw used to be a very populated town due its mining business. That is until the General Mining Act of 1872 passed letting investors put their money towards the land. Thus, leading to mines taking over the town. I think this relates to our module because all of the mining can cause land wasting if not done properly. In my small mining town, we have a huge hole in the ground and there have been stories of landslides happening after a storm or a water line busting.

Austin McAvoy

10/7/2020 04:42:53 pm

Harshaw, Arizona is an abandon mining town from the early 1870's. It quickly became popular after the passing of the general mining act and miners flooded the town. After all the gold, silver, and lead were mined, everyone left. This relates to the module by showing what an abundance and absence of resources can do to a town. The gold rush brought a lot of people west and left a lot of towns abandoned.

Amanda Stohn

10/8/2020 02:21:25 pm

A family is interviewed and reminisces on their family's history of a mining town in Southwest AZ that has been a ghost town for many years after it's initial boom , but still is rich in history and memories. This article reminded me of our current module because of how after a natural disaster decimates an area, many people leave due to the destruction of their home, but some people stay. The natural world around us directly influences the population in that area in more ways than typically imagined. I always find it interesting that a property investor or two doesn't start buying the land out there for future properties, even if it is in an undesirable location because of future economic opportunities.

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Once a Boom Town, Now a Ghost Town. Always a Hometown.

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