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Posted by Allan Hall on March 25th, 2010In Part Two of this series, “Preserving Abandoned Mines – Protective Closures,” I explored some of the methods used to preserve abandoned mines that support wildlife habitats, including fences, gates and cupolas. While simple fences are easily constructed with inexpensive materials, they do not prevent a determined individual from entering an abandoned mine. When it is appropriate to preserve the underground habitats, it becomes necessary to use materials and construction methods that are far more robust.
About fourteen miles south of Wickenburg there is an abandoned mine shaft popularly known as the “Whispering Ranch” Mine. Its real name is …
Continue reading “Abandoned Mines Part III: Preserving the "Whispering Ranch" Mine“
Posted by Allan Hall on March 10th, 2010Footnotes and References: [1] Access to BLM Abandoned Mine Lands policies and manuals can be reached via these web sites: Abandoned Mine Land Program Policy Manual Section (MS-3720) http://www.blm.gov/nhp/efoia/wo/manual/manuals.html AML National Strategic Plan http://www.blm.gov/nhp/efoia/wo/fy06/im2006-145attach1.pdf AML Website http://www.blm.gov/aml BLM Manual Sections http://www.blm.gov/nhp/efoia/wo/manual/manuals.html [2] Bureau of Land Management H-3720-1 Abandoned Mine Lands Policy Handbook. …
Continue reading “Abandoned Mines Part II: Protective Closures“
Posted by Allan Hall on March 4th, 2010Many stories about abandoned mines in Arizona don’t have happy endings. For example, the Tonopah-Belmont Mine, located about 24 miles southwest of Wickenburg, operated intermittently from the 1860′s until 1942 with a record of no fatalities. This, in spite of having a 500 foot deep shaft with working levels at 100, 250, 400 and 500 feet.
Responsible collectors of mineral specimens regularly (and safely) visited this popular site for 48 years until, in 1990, a young man set out to explore the underground workings on his own. About 100 feet into the McNeil Tunnel, in darkness, he stepped into a winze …
Continue reading “Abandoned Mines Part I: Preserve or Destroy?“
Posted by Allan Hall on January 24th, 2010John Wayne is famously credited for having said “Life is tough, but it’s tougher when you’re stupid.” I was reminded of this quotation while doing some research on mining fatalities in Arizona’s Territorial days and the years following Statehood. As many folks know, the Vulture Mine was the richest gold strike in the state’s history, and it put Wickenburg on the map in 1863. Mining is a dangerous business of course, and it remained so in spite of continued efforts to impose tougher mining codes. Two accidents at the Vulture Mine illustrate why the combination of “stupid” and …
Continue reading “A Fatal Combination“
Posted by Allan Hall on November 28th, 2009Man’s quest for mineral wealth is ancient and predates historical records by thousands of years. Indeed, the paramount reason why pioneer explorers and miners came into Arizona in the 1800′s was the hope of finding riches.
The area east of Wickenburg, bounded by Constellation Road on the north and Buckhorn Road to the south, was the virtual center of the Black Rock Mining District and saw some intense mining activity between 1870 and 1940. This article describes a hiking route that will take you on an historic stage coach road past several old mines and settlements, ending at the …
Continue reading “Hiking to the Roy Rogers Mine“
Posted by Allan Hall on October 27th, 2009The F-16 has been moved from between the runway and taxiway to the run-up area on the east end of the taxiway.
The first photo shows the jet sitting on a flatbed trailer. The second photo is a closer shot from a different location. You can see that the canopy has been closed and secured with a strap. Shortly after this shot they rotated the F-16 180 degrees so that the tail is near the truck cab.
I talked with Gus Haussler for a few minutes at the Master Aircraft hangar. He said there was discussion that the jet would …
Continue reading “F-16 Update: Air Force Moves Plane“
Posted by Allan Hall on October 26th, 2009An F-16D jet from Luke Air Force Base made an emergency landing at the Wickenburg Municipal Airport on Thursday, October 22nd. The jet, with a two-pilot crew, lost power at about 10:30 a.m. while on a training exercise and made a “dead stick” landing. As shown in the photo, the F-16 came to rest between the runway and taxi strip near the east end of the airport. The crew was not injured. Two other F-16s, that were part of the training mission, circled overhead for several minutes to assure that the pilots landed and had safely exited …
Continue reading “Emergency Landing at Wickenburg Airport“
Posted by Allan Hall on October 5th, 2009The Wickenburg Bypass and Roundabouts became fully operational this past September 14th. A brief progress update includes the fact that lane striping was completed on schedule and no accidents have been reported through October 2nd in either the south or north Roundabout. That’s good news, of course. This is not to say that a few drivers seem to be a bit disoriented, but the traffic is flowing well and everyone seems to be observing the Yield Right of Way signs.
The best news is that traffic congestion has been eliminated on Tegner Street at the junction of US-60 and …
Continue reading “The Roundabout: Getting What You Wished For“
Posted by Allan Hall on September 14th, 2009If you have not been in Wickenburg since last winter, you will experience a major change in traffic flow when you return to the area this fall. The new bridge over the Hassayampa River is completed and full operation of the bypass, with its two roundabouts, will begin on or about September 14th. The schematic below shows the new bridge and the lower (southern) roundabout.
Figure 1, New Bridge and lower roundabout. Courtesy Arizona Dept. of Transportation.
The old bridges have been decommissioned for traffic use and the lower roundabout provides access to the traditional routes west on U.S. 60 …
Continue reading “Getting 'Round the Roundabout Out Wickenburg Way“
Posted by Allan Hall on July 15th, 2009Part 1 of this two-part series, introduced readers to this depression era mine and provided details and many photos of what could be found there. This second part completes the series by providing observations on what living conditions were like, some history, and directions for finding the site for exploration.
Living Conditions
Finally, let’s examine the small settlement area near the mine. Figure 10 shows the only wall at this site. It is not a dry stack and, importantly, it is not adobe. Instead, this wall was built using a combination of mortar and local rock. The coloration on …
Continue reading “Researching a Depression Era Mine – Part II: Living Conditions, Historical Context, and Location“
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