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The Black Mountains of Arizona run north to south, just east of the Colorado River. They extend from Interstate 40 in the south, to Lake Mead to the north. Many old mining towns and hundreds of mines both active and inactive dot the hillsides.
| The Black Mountains looking NW. The Colorado River is on the other side. |  |
Statistics show that the Black Mountains of Mohave county, Arizona were number one in gold production until 1940 in all of Arizona. The major mining districts in the Black Mountains were the Weaver district with its Cottonwood mines and the San Francisco district which included Goldroad, Oatman, and Union Pass. The Weaver district covered the bulk of the Black Mountains from Union Pass north to Eldorado Canyon roughly 40 miles. The San Francisco district was first organized on March 28, 1863 and mining has been going on ever since. It encompasses the southern section from Interstate 40 north to Union Pass (State route 68).
The first recorded record of the Black Mountains by a white man was made by Fr. Francisco Garces in 1775. He called the range the Sierra de Santiago. In 1854, Lt. Amiel Whipple named the range the Blue Ridge Mountains while passing through the area. Lt. Joseph Ives made his way up the Colorado River gorge passing through a black canyon on the S.S. Explorer. The mountains eventually took the name of the Black Mountains because of their proximity to the black canyon on the river.
The first mine in the area that was any size was the Moss mine discovered in 1863. This was the mine that the Indian chief, Iretaba showed to a white man named Johnny Moss. Moss proceeded to remove approximately $250,000 worth of gold from a very small hole in the ground. Although more money was poured into the claim, virtually no more gold was found. As was the case in many of the mines in this section of the mountains, the gold was in small pockets and once it was cleaned out that was the end of it. More substantial finds would be made at Goldroad, Oatman, and Union Pass to name a few. Goldroad today is essentially gone as a large mining concern has been reworking the area. The original discovery was made by a grub-staked prospector named Jose Jerez. Jerez had been prospecting for many years but had failed to make a strike. Henry Lovin, a merchant in Kingman, AZ just to the east of the Black mountains, staked Jerez so that he could continue to search for the wealth that had so far eluded him. On May 14, 1900 while chasing his burro, Jerez picked up a rock and noticed that it contained gold. The ore assayed at some 40 ounces of gold per ton and the rush was on. The two sold their interest in the mine for $50,000 and split it. Luvin returned to being a merchant and became a prominent figure in early Kingman life. Jerez, like many prospectors, spent his cut early on and depressed, committed suicide by taking poison in 1906. The Goldroad group of mines returned some $7 million dollars by 1919. Several years ago, my wife and I were able to stroll through the many rock walls and foundations of the town. The only inhabitants at that time were some lizards and a very active rattlesnake. Returning in 1998 found the area taken over by modern mining and the remnants of the town buried under rubble.
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The Black Mountains can be extremely rough. In this area live a few Bighorn Sheep. |
Today, visiting the Black Mountains can provide adventure and history for anyone. The old mining town of Oatman is famous for its wild burros that come into town for free handouts provided by the town's people as well as tourists. Each morning a herd or two will enter the small town and start its daily routine of mooching food that the store owners both sell and provide themselves to the animals. The town is home for a small population of people some of whom own and operate small businesses located there. The mines in the area are mostly posted to stay out with a few being reworked at any given time. Not far away off of Silver Creek Rd. (a graded gravel road) lies the remnants of mining camps and the famous Moss discovery. There are many roads in the area that can be used to reach the more inaccessible mines and camps but 4WD is recommended as the roads can be very rough.
The map above gives a general representation of where the major mining areas were located and what type of mineral was located there. Holding your mouse over locations will cause a pop-up description to appear or a link to a descriptive page.
REFERENCES: Arizona Place Names, by Byrd H. Granger Ghost Towns of Arizona, by James E. and Barbara H. Sherman and The History of Mohave County to 1912 by Dan W. Messersmith
