Black Canyon Mines

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Black Canyon Mines

Post by count »

I saw this interesting website put up by the Bumble Bee Trading Post: <br> <br>http://www.geocities.com/Baja/Ravine/8418/index.html <br> <br>If you click on 'local history', they have 6 pages of clippings from the Arizona Miner that relate to the area, from 1869 to 1894. <br> <br>What I thought was interesting was several articles talk about Jack Swilling working the Valenciana mine. This is the mine that Blair said was originally claimed by the Peraltas in 1864, isn't it? I've just never heard his name associated with this mine, seems like an interesting link between Peralta mines and someone who was around in the earliest days of Phoenix.
count
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Post by count »

I believe the Peralta's worked the Valencia Mine but the Valenciana was closer to Swilling's Ranch. Blair had several of his book photos as well as mine locations mixed up. <br> <br>Could you recheck your website address? I tried it but yahoo would not recognize the address. It really sounds interesting. <br> <br>azmula
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Post by count »

This webite address works on my Netscape browser: <br> <br>http://www.geocities.com/Baja/Ravine/8418/index.html <br> <br>If that doesn't work, type in "Bumble Bee Trading Post" in the Yahoo search engine, complete with quote marks. Its the second item in the match list, titled: <br> <br>2. Home <br>... and the Bradshaw Mountains. Bumble Bee Trading Post <br>HC 34-5050 Bumble Bee, AZ 86333. ... (623) 374-5426. ... <br>http://www.geocities.com/Baja/Ravine/8418/ <br>More Results From: <a href="http://www.geocities.com">www.geocities.com</a> <br> <br>I double-checked the info in Blair's book, and he definitely spells the Peralta mine as Valenciana, same as the articles on this web site. So did Blair confuse the two names, or the Miner's newspaper editor who wrote these articles?
count
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Post by count »

Good find, Senor! <br>I just looked through the Miner articles, and it looks to me like it says Swilling was renting out his arrastras, there were Mexicans bringing in a lot of gold, and Swilling was arrastra-ing gold from the Valenciana. It doesn't actually say he was working the mine. I don't have my dates memorized, but I wonder if maybe Swilling was doing contract work for the Peralta's?
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Post by count »

The la Valencia mine was claimed by a group of Mexican miners in 1864. It appears in the 1864 Mining Records of Yavapai Co. (Prescott). It is one of the earliest claims on record. Several names appear : Ortero, Salcido, Arvizu, Gonzales and Peralta. These Mexicans were mining as a group when members of the A.H.Peeples expedition, prospected down Turkey Creek and ran into them. Swilling, Bradshaw and Henry Wickenberg were with the Peeples group. The interesting thing about all the first Mining Districts in that area is ; they didn't allow Mexicans to own mines , and the Mexicans early claims were invalid. Swilling probably claimed the mine for himself or worked with the Mexicans as the anglo owner. Later when the laws were changed, Miguel L. Peralta of Wickenberg is listed as the owner of the mine. Swilling established a ranch where the old Prescott to McDowell road crossed the Agua Fria River in today's Black Canyon City. He ran a stage station there and was involved in many mining ventures in the Black Canyon area.
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Post by count »

I agree, it doesn't actually say Swilling is the owner of the Valenciana. Although there is a reference to him renting his mine and arrastra to a party of Mexicans. <br> <br>On the topo map near Bumblebee, there are two side-by-side canyons, one called American Gulch, the other Mexican Gulch. Maybe because of the restrictions on where the Mexicans were allowed to mine? <br> <br>Does anyone know where a some of the places mentioned in the articles are? For example, Johnstown or Swillings camp. Blair said that Swilling had a ranch near the present day town of Rock Springs.
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