Twin Buttes is a
populated place
Population typically refers to the number of people in a single area, whether it be a city or town, region, country, continent, or the world. Governments typically quantify the size of the resident population within their jurisdiction using a ...
on the east flank of the
Sierrita Mountains approximately twenty miles south of
Tucson
, "(at the) base of the black ill
, nicknames = "The Old Pueblo", "Optics Valley", "America's biggest small town"
, image_map =
, mapsize = 260px
, map_caption = Interactive map ...
, in
Pima County, Arizona
Pima County ( ) is a county in the south central region of the U.S. state of Arizona. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,043,433, making it Arizona's second-most populous county. The county seat is Tucson, where most of the population ...
, United States. Named after a prominent hill located next to the town, Twin Buttes was founded as a small
mining town
A mining community, also known as a mining town or a mining camp, is a community that houses miners. Mining communities are usually created around a mine or a quarry.
Historic mining communities
Australia
* Ballarat, Victoria
* Bendigo, ...
''circa'' 1903 and abandoned around 1930. Much of the actual town site is now buried underneath mine tailings, and all that remains is the Twin Buttes Cemetery.
History
The discovery of
copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu (from la, cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkis ...
in the Twin Buttes area is accredited to three prospectors known as "The Three Nations" – John G. Baxter, who was from
Wisconsin
Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
, an
Irishman
The Irish ( ga, Muintir na hÉireann or ''Na hÉireannaigh'') are an ethnic group and nation native to the island of Ireland, who share a common history and culture. There have been humans in Ireland for about 33,000 years, and it has been c ...
named Michael Irish, and John Ellis of
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...
. After struggling for years to develop a few small prospects, they convinced
Mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...
David Stuart Rose
David Stuart Rose Democrat (June 30, 1856 – August 8, 1932) was an American lawyer and Democratic politician.
Background
Born in Darlington, Wisconsin, Rose joined his father's law firm in Darlington. He served as mayor of Darlington ...
of Wisconsin and a number of other investors to take over the property, resulting in the establishment of the Twin Buttes Mining & Smelting Company in 1903.
The Twin Buttes Mining & Smelting Company operated several mines in the immediate area, including the Senator Morgan Mine, the Copper Glance Mine, and the Copper Queen and Copper King Mines. The company shipped their ore to the smelter at
Sasco
Sasco is a ghost town located in Pinal County, Arizona, west of Red Rock. Sasco, which is an acronym for the Southern Arizona Smelter Company, was a company town with a large smelter that served several mines. Once an impressive and little-known ...
and elsewhere until 1914. The town of Twin Buttes had a population of about 300 at its height, and consisted of a bunkhouse, an assay office, a company store, a butcher shop, a boarding house, and a school (run by School District No. 21, Pima County
), in addition to houses and tents.
1906 was an important year for the people of Twin Buttes. That year work was completed on the Twin Buttes Railroad, which connected the town with the
Southern Pacific
The Southern Pacific (or Espee from the railroad initials- SP) was an American Class I railroad network that existed from 1865 to 1996 and operated largely in the Western United States. The system was operated by various companies under the ...
's Tucson–
Nogales line at nearby
Sahuarita
Sahuarita is a town in Pima County, Arizona, United States. Sahuarita is located south of the Tohono O'odham Nation and abuts the north end of Green Valley, 15 miles (24 km) south of Tucson. The population was 34,134 at th2020 census
His ...
. The Twin Buttes Railroad Station was officially opened on
July 4
Events Pre-1600
* 362 BC – Battle of Mantinea: The Thebans, led by Epaminondas, defeated the Spartans.
* 414 – Emperor Theodosius II, age 13, yields power to his older sister Aelia Pulcheria, who reigned as regent and proclaim ...
, 1906, and the Twin Buttes Post Office was opened on December 29.
According to James E. Sherman, author of ''Ghost Towns of Arizona'', Twin Buttes became a
ghost town
Ghost Town(s) or Ghosttown may refer to:
* Ghost town, a town that has been abandoned
Film and television
* Ghost Town (1936 film), ''Ghost Town'' (1936 film), an American Western film by Harry L. Fraser
* Ghost Town (1956 film), ''Ghost Town'' ...
after "a series of ups and downs." The railroad operated from 1906 until the late 1920s, when mining in the Pima District declined. The post office was closed on August 15, 1930.
Although the town died, operations at the Twin Buttes Mine continued for the next several decades until 1994, when the mine was closed. In 2009
Freeport McMoRan
Freeport-McMoRan Inc., often called Freeport, is an American mining company based in the Freeport-McMoRan Center, in Phoenix, Arizona. The company is the world's largest producer of molybdenum, is a major copper producer and operates the world's ...
acquired the property and has since recommenced mining operations.
Gallery
File:Twin_Buttes_Miners_Arizona_Circa_1905.jpg, Miners at the Twin Buttes Mine waiting to be transferred underground, 1905.
File:Senator_Morgan_Mine_Pima_County_Arizona_1920.jpg, The Senator Morgan Mine in 1920. White Hill and Helmet Peak can be seen in the background.
File:Twin Buttes Cemetery Gate Pima County Arizona 2013.jpg, The entrance to the Twin Buttes Cemetery.
File:Old_Graves_Twin_Buttes_Cemetery_Arizona_2013.jpg, Old graves at the Twin Buttes Cemetery.
See also
*
San Xavier, Arizona
San Xavier is a populated place in Pima County, Arizona, United States, situated seventeen miles southwest of Tucson, and six miles northwest of Sahuarita. Originally a small silver mining camp from the 1880s, today San Xavier is little more tha ...
*
List of ghost towns in Arizona
This is a partial list of ghost towns in Arizona in the United States. Most ghost towns in Arizona are former mining boomtowns that were abandoned when the mines closed. Those not set up as mining camps often became mills or supply points supporti ...
*
Copper mining in Arizona
Copper mining in Arizona, a state of the United States, has been a major industry since the 19th century. In 2007, Arizona was the leading copper-producing state in the country, producing 750 thousand metric tons of copper, valued at $5.54 billi ...
References
External links
*
* GNIS Data –
Twin Buttes Cemetery, Pima County, Arizonaat ArizonaGravestones.org
*
– ghosttowns.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Twin Buttes, Arizona
Populated places in Pima County, Arizona
Ghost towns in Arizona
1903 establishments in Arizona Territory
Populated places established in 1903
Company towns in Arizona
Mining communities in Arizona
Cemeteries in Arizona