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Rare (Unrecorded?) Wickenburg, Arizona / Oro Grande Mine Broadside
Fine promotional broadside, advertising the discovery of gold in the Oro Grande Mine, approximately 5 miles north of Wickenburg, Arizona.
This promotional view appears to be an extremely rare printed artifact of this seemingly successful mining venture.
The map consists of a birdseye view centered on the Oro Grande Mine, with the successful mines, including Vulture Mine, Octave Mine, Rich Hill, Congress Mine and Harquahala Mine arrayed around the site. The location of the Oro Grande Pumping Plant and Box Canyon of the Hassayampa River are also shown, as is Wickenberg and the Santa Fe Railway.
The earliest newspaper reports referencing the Oro Grande Mine appear in both the Arizona Republic and the San Francisco Examiner of March 26, 1901, referencing the source of the mining group as Clinton, Iowa, which included George Upton and GE. Lamb, as well as B.O. Hatfield of Montana. Articles in the Los Angelies Times, El Paso Herald and several other newspapers followed in late March and April, 1901. Within a year, another partner, Al Wiesling, won a lawsuit establishing an interest in the mine, with Hatfield selling out his 1/6th interest in the Mine by March of 1902, according to the Arizona Republic. The project seems to have been successful overall,as by June 1, 1904, the El Paso Herald was reporting the opening of the Oro Grande Mill.
Wickenburg is an old mining town, about 60 miles northwest of Phoenix. The first survey of the region undertaken by Gila Rangers, who were then investigating raids on the Butterfield Overland Mail route and miners at Gila City. In 1862, the discovery of gold near Yuma on the Colorado River resulted in a concentrated search for gold throughout central Arizona. Henry Wickenburg, a German prospector, located gold in what would become the Vulture Mine, 20 miles south of Wickenburg. The discovery of gold brought settlers and farmer to the Hassayampa River Valley. Wickenburg became the primary trade hub of the region, receiving supplies by steamboat via the Colorado River, and wagon train over the La Paz–Wikenburg Road. Wickenburg was nearly made the territorial capital of Arizona, losing by 2 votes in 1866.
The Oro Grande Mine has been associated with the Box Canyon Mining District which is now part of the Hassayampa River Canyon Wilderness. The site was first discovered in 1900, possibly George Upton. Initial production took place in 1904 and overall output was considered to be small size.
Rarity
The present broadside is extremely rare.
OCLC does not locate any other examples. OCLC locates no material promoting the "Oro Grande Mine."
