Ghost Towns of Santa Cruz County

Ghost towns are a long-time favorite attraction in Arizona. Visitors to the Ghost Towns listed below should pay careful attention to personal safety and the preservation of the ghost towns. Entering old ghost town buildings is both dangerous and illegal.

Harshaw
Harshaw was founded in 1880, and at its peak was home to 2,000 individuals. The Hermosa Mining Company erected a twenty-stamp mill, and for two years, Harshaw prospered. The town boasted a variety of stores, lodging houses, saloons, hotels, and a newspaper, the Arizona Bullion. But in 1882, just two years after its inception, Harshaw was nearly dead. Rocked by storms, a fire, and the closing of the mine, Harshaw went into hybernation until 1887, when the town was reborn on a much smaller scale. Approximately 100 residents lived there and limited mining continued until 1909, when Harshaw once again became a ghost town. A second rebirth, brought about by mining in the area by ASARCO, lasted from 1937 to 1956.

Duquesne and Washington Camp
Duquesne and Washington Camp are closely tied together. The area known as Washington Camp was first settled in the 1870's. By 1890, the Duquesne Mining and Reduction Company of Pittsburgh purchased the mining property, established the town of Duquesne to be the company headquarters and built a reduction plant in Washington Camp. Both towns prospered for a few years, reaching their peak populations of around 1000 by 1900. By 1920, however, the two towns had begun to recede. Today, a few people still live in the area, and visitors to Dusquene and Washington Camp should be mindful of the residents. Several abandoned buildings remain, including the ruins of a school and what was once a boarding house.

Mowry
Only foundations, decaying walls, scattered metal and a large mine waste pile remain at the site of Mowry. Mowry dates to 1858, when the Patagonia mine was established. The town originally bore the name of Patagonia, but that changed when Sylvester Mowry bought the mine in 1860. The town had as many as five hundred residents. The post office was discontinued in 1913.

Ruby
Ruby was originally known as Montana Camp, and was established in the 1870's. In 1909, Julius Andrews made an application for a post office, and the town oficially received the name of Ruby on April 11, 1912. At one time more than 300 people called Ruby home, and it operated a school and store. The town's mines drew Lead and Gold until 1941.

Ruby is not an open access town. There is a caretaker. There are a dozen buildings in Ruby, including homes, the school and a warehouse. Tours cost $12. For more information, call (520) 744-4471.

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