PIMA COUNTY, ARIZONA

Pima County ranks seventh among Arizona's gold producing counties.

Ajo was a major copper center with enormous open pit mine, which produced 990,000 ounces of by product gold, from 1924-59. The New Cornelia Mine, was and open pit, spectacular. If you go south 30 miles via branch from old Sonoita road and about 6 miles west of Dripping Springs in the Puerto Blanco mountains, you will find the Golden Bell Mine.

Arivaca is located in the area of the Las Guijas mountains. The Las Guijas placers, are very productive, they are located along Arivaca Creek, in large channel along southwest slope of mountains and along Las Guijas Creek, along the northeast slope ,much smaller and drier, placers worked intermittently to the present day. In regional pediment slopes, mesas, and watercourse beds, you will find placers, mostly drywash type, In pediment at north foot of mountains, from pediment itself, and from the area arroyos and gulches, there were large scale placers operated in 1933.

West of Continental by 6 miles, along upper course of Amargosa Arroyo, there are numerous dry wash placers. In all tributaries, watercourse beds and banks, dry placers. If you look in sections. 20, 21, 28, and 29, of township 18 south and range 12 east, in thin soil and hillside detritus there is placer gold associated with magnetic sand.

South of Covered Wells by 6 mile, you will find the Morgan Mine which produced lode gold.

In the Greaterville district, 34 air mile southeast of Tucson, producer of 4,140 ounces, from 1903 to 1959. Located in an area of about 8 square miles on the lower slope of the Santa Rita mountains, all watercourses, benches, etc. contain placer gold. The productive gulches of Boston, Kentucky, Harshaw, Sucker, Graham, Louisiana, Hughes, and Ophir (below its jct. with Hughes Gulch) are very placer gold producers. In the upper parts of Los Pozos and Colorado gulches, Chisapa Gulch, on a road from town to Enzenberg camp, and Empire Gulch (below its junction. with Chispa Gulch)there is abundant placer gold. In Hughes Gulch, area lead silver mines produce lode gold.

In Quijotoa which is a Pima village about 70 mile west of Tucson north on Rte. 86, in area of the Quijotoa mountains,15 mile long by 5 mile wide encompassing about 100 square miles, you will find the Quijotoa placers. Many regional unmined and poorly prospected quartz outcrops and hematitic brecciated zones produce lode gold and some exposures have provided spectacular specimens. If you go 3 miles south of Pozo Blanco and 1 mile west of the foot of the Quijotoa mountains, several area placer diggings, with rich coarse gold. If you go 6 miles north of the mountains, area of several ghost mining camps from 1880s boom, there were numerous placer operations.

Southwest of Redington, on the north slope of Alder Canyon in the Santa Catalina mountains, from near USFS south boundary to within a few mile of the San Pedro River, there are placers that produce coarse, flat, ragged gold.

South of Robles, which is located 25 miles west of Tucson north on route 86, if you go southwest, in the Baboquivari mountains, you will find the Gold Bullion Mine lode mine. If you go 5-6 mile southeast of Baboquivari Peak, at east foot of mountains, in benches and bars along a large eastward trending wash, you will find the Baboquivari placers.

In Sells which is located in the South Comobabi mountains on the Papago Indian Reservation, at south base of the mountains and 4 mile west of Hwy. 86, the Akron Mine which consisted of 20 claims and was a large lode gold producer. If you go northwest 1.5 miles from the mine, the Corona Group produced minor lode gold deposits. In other area mines include the Hawkview, Faro Bank Group (4 mile north of town), and minor prospects for lode gold. Southeast 21 miles, on west side of the Baboquivari mountains, the Allison (Chance) Mine, was a major district producer from 1898 to mid-1930s for lode gold.

Southwest of Tucson 30 miles, at Papago, along Ash Creek, the Sunshine-Sunrise Group of claims in Pescola Canyon, had some rich placers. If you go south by southeast; 30 miles, at northwest base of the Santa Rita mountains, in area of Madera Canyon, the Old Baldy placers, which were richest below the road forks in deposits trenched 40-50 feet, rather extensively worked.

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