Geology and History of the Globe-Miami Mining Region

The Arizona Geological Survey has just published a new paper by David Briggs:

Geology and History of the Globe-Miami Mining Region

Copper mining in the Globe-Miami Mining Region of Arizona’s Copper Triangle spans more than 150 years. In the Arizona Territory, the Globe-Miami Mining Region evolved from a small, insignificant silver camp into one of America’s largest copper producers. The first reported copper production in Globe-Miami Mining Region occurred at the Hoosier mine in 1878 only nine years after silver was discovered. Globe-Miami’s largest early copper producer, the Old Dominion mine, commenced operations during the spring of 1882. Prior to 1911, most of the copper production was derived from high-grade copper veins located in the southern portion of the Globe Hills. During these early years, the major challenges to the development of the area’s vast copper resources were related to its location in a remote mountainous region that made access to eastern markets difficult. High shipping costs to a distant railhead by wagon limited production to only the highest grade ores, making these early operations marginally profitable and vulnerable to minor fluctuations in the price of copper. These impediments were largely resolved with the arrival of the Gila Valley, Globe and Northern Railroad at Globe in December 1898.

Paper citation: Geology and History of the Globe-Miami Mining Region, Gila and Pinal Counties, Arizona. Arizona Geological Survey Contributed Report CR-22-B, 243 p.

Link to full paper: http://repository.azgs.az.gov/sites/default/files/dlio/files/nid2010/cr-22-bglobe-miami.pdf

Other papers by David Briggs:

Helvetia-Rosemont Arizona’s Hardscrabble Mining Camp

History of the Christmas Mine, Gila County, AZ

History of the Ajo Mining District, Pima County, Arizona

History of the Warren (Bisbee) Mining District

History of the San Manuel-Kalamazoo Mine, Pinal County, Arizona

Recovery of Copper by Solution Mining Techniques

Superior, Arizona – An Old Mining Camp with Many Lives

History of the Copper Mountain (Morenci) Mining District

History of Helvetia-Rosemont Mining District, Pima County, Arizona

History of the Silver bell mining district