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(200 BC - 1450 AD) The Hohokam, or prehistoric people of the southwest, mined many different materials such as coal and turquoise. They did not mine underground, instead choosing to mine the surface of the ground.
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A Spanish explorer named Antonio de Espejo discovered the first major silver mine near present day Jerome, Arizona.
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The Tohono O’odham (Papago) Indians mined Hematite in the Ajo area. Turquoise ornaments were found at the excavation of Snaketown.
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Spanish prospectors began mining focusing on the mountains near the Santa Cruz river. They discovered large sheets of silver in these mines. One sheet was believed to weigh 2700 pounds.
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First gold mining in Arizona took place, to date Arizona has produced more than 498 tons of gold.
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Charles D Poston (Father of Arizona) formed a party to search for abandoned mines Spanish mines in Sonora.
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Major discoveries were made by pioneering scouts and prospectors Weaver and Captain Joseph R. Walker. Rich Hill is considered to be the richest single placer strike in Arizona History, yielding more than 110,000 ounces of gold.
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First Arizona attempt to organize or join a natural labor organization occured in Tombstone in 1884.
- Grand Central and Toughnut mines announced a pay cut from $4 to $3 per day.
- The miners protested, organized, and joined the Knights of Labor.
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1918, started in the carrizo mountains by product of vanadium mining. Then from 1968-1969 all uranium mines closed.
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A Navajo discovered Uranium in Monument Valley on the Navajo reservation that produced 8.7 million pounds of uranium oxide.
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Navajo prospector Hosteen Nez found uranium near Cameron in Coconino County in 1950.
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The town loses over 25% of its population. The population decrease continues into the late 1990’s
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The last mine at Oatman to operate in the state was shut down.
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Act frees up land for authorities to buy. In 2018, the land on Oak Flat is available for purchase. The land will destroy (swallow) sacred land of The San Carlos Apache people.
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The land bought by Foreign interest is San Carlos Apache sacred land. The last apache warriors jumped of the cliffs of this site to avoid being colonized. The type of mining that BHP Billion would create a creator 2 miles wide and almost 1000 feet deep, leaving toxic mining waste.
