Signal is a

ghost town A ghost town, deserted city, extinct town, or abandoned city is an abandoned settlement, usually one that contains substantial visible remaining buildings and infrastructure such as roads. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economi ...

located on the banks of the Big Sandy River in southern

Mohave County Mohave County occupies the northwestern corner of the U.S. state of Arizona, one of 15 counties in the state. As of the 2020 census, its population was 213,267. The county seat is Kingman, and the largest city is Lake Havasu City. It is th ...

Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...

, United States. The town was a mining center from the 1870s to 1930s. The peak population was around 800. Remnants of the town can still be seen today along with nearby Virginia City.

History

Signal came into existence because of silver and gold mining in the area. In 1874 the McCracken mines opened up and Signal grew up a couple years later in 1876 to 1877. During its time, the town had mills for local mines and the nearby McCracken mines. A major problem for Signal was getting freight to the isolated location. Shop owners had to make their orders 6 months in advance. At the town's heyday it had 5 stores, 3 restaurants, and 13 saloons and its own brewery. The town was mostly abandoned by 1932, but a few ranches in the area continue to this day.American Pioneer & Cemetery Research Project – Signal Arizona
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Town ruins

Little remains of the original mines and mill still exist. Scattered ruins of mine equipment and adobe ruins of the town mark the site today. The ruins are well-preserved due to the remote location. An intact town cemetery also remains. There is a part-time caretaker of the town. The historical remnants of the town sit on Bureau of Land Management land. The area around Signal is not entirely uninhabited as there are several farms and houses nearby, and the unincorporated area of Signal is still listed as populated.

Geography

The town is located about 16 miles off

U.S. Route 93 U.S. Route 93 (US 93) is a major north–south U.S. Numbered Highway in the western United States, that connects U.S. Route 60 (US 60) in Wickenburg, Arizona, with British Columbia Highway 93 at the Canadian border (north of ...

, approximately south of Kingman. The Big Sandy River runs to the east of the town site. The river runs mostly year-round at a trickle, but is sometimes impassible after a rain. Signal is at the northern end of Signal Wash. The

Arrastra Mountain Wilderness Arrastra Mountain Wilderness is a protected wilderness area centered around the Poachie Range, a northwest–southeast trending mountain range that rises to almost . Established in 1990 under the Arizona Desert Wilderness Act, the area is manag ...

is about three miles south of the town site. The Artillery Mountains run along the western side of the Big Sandy River to Alamo Lake, 12 miles (19 km) to the south.

Notes

External links

Signal
– Ghost Town of the Month at azghosttowns.com * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Signal, Arizona Ghost towns in Arizona Former populated places in Mohave County, Arizona