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Twin Buttes is a
populated place In geography, statistics and archaeology, a settlement, locality or populated place is a community of people living in a particular place. The complexity of a settlement can range from a minuscule number of dwellings grouped together to t ...
on the east flank of the Sierrita Mountains approximately twenty miles south of
Tucson Tucson (; ; ) is a city in Pima County, Arizona, United States, and its county seat. It is the second-most populous city in Arizona, behind Phoenix, Arizona, Phoenix, with a population of 542,630 in the 2020 United States census. The Tucson ...
, in
Pima County, Arizona Pima County ( ) is a County (United States), county in the south central region of the U.S. state of Arizona, one of 15 List of counties in Arizona, counties in the state. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 1 ...
, 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. Historical mining communities Australia * Ballarat, Victoria * Bendig ...
''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; it has symbol Cu (from Latin ) 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 pinkish-orang ...
in the Twin Buttes area is credited to three prospectors known as "The Three Nations" – John G. Baxter, who was from
Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...
, an
Irishman The Irish ( or ''Na hÉireannaigh'') are an ethnic group and nation native to the island of Ireland, who share a common ancestry, history and culture. There have been humans in Ireland for about 33,000 years, and it has been continually inhab ...
named Michael Irish, and John Ellis of
Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
. 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 corporation, 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 responsibilitie ...
David Stuart Rose David Stuart Rose (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 in 1883 an ...
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 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) 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 names ...
's Tucson– Nogales line at nearby Sahuarita. 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 procla ...
, 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 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 ...
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 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 suppor ...
*
Copper mining in Arizona In Arizona, copper mining 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 billion. Arizona's copper pro ...


References


External links

* * GNIS Data –
Twin Buttes Cemetery, Pima County, Arizona
at 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