Vulture City, Arizona facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Vulture City
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Vulture Mine-Assay office, built in 1884
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 Vulture City
Location in Arizona
Vulture City
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Arizona |
| County | Maricopa |
Vulture City is a ghost town situated at the site of the defunct Vulture Mine in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States.
Vulture Mine
Vulture Mine was a gold mine which was discovered in 1863. It was the most productive gold mine in Arizona history. From 1863 to 1942, the mine produced 340,000 ounces of gold and 260,000 ounces of silver. The Vulture mine was discovered when Henry Wickenburg, a prospector from California's gold rush, stumbled upon a quartz deposit containing gold while traveling in Arizona. Wickenburg began mining the outcrop himself.
There are two types of ghost towns. The first type is the town that continues to maintain a human population with the ruins or historical buildings within its limits, such as Tombstone. The second type is the town whose former residents have left and its ruins were left to the ravages of time. Vulture City falls into the second type of ghost town.
In 1863, after Henry Wickenburg discovered the Vulture mine, Vulture City, a small mining town, was established in the area. Vulture City’s post office was established on October 4, 1880, and Henry Wickenburg was the town’s first Post Master. The town had more than five boarding houses and several buildings. The huge Vulture Mine-Assay Office building, built in 1884, still stands today. The town also had cookhouse and mess hall plus stores, saloons and even a school. The town once had a population of 5,000 citizens. The town was marked by violence. Eighteen men were hanged on an ironwood tree located by the ruins of Henry Wickenburg’s house.
Abandoned Vulture City
After the mine closed, the city was abandoned and its building decayed, becoming a "ghost town". The Vulture Mine and surroundings buildings are privately owned. The deposit was later sold to Benjamin Phelps, who represented a group of investors that eventually organized under the name of Vulture Mining Company. The mine continued to produce at a decreased level until World War II, when it was permanently closed.
Vulture City gallery
The following are images of some of the structures which are still present in what once was known as Vulture City. Also included are some images of Vulture Mine.
- Historic Vulture City (Ghost town)
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Some of the mining equipment once used.
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Vulture City Gate House.
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Vulture City Ghost town houses.
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Vulture City Dynamite House where dynamite and ammo was stored.
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Vulture City Gas Station.
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The Vulture City Workshop.
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Side view of the Vulture Mine-Assay office
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Full view of the Vulture_Mine-Assay office.
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Vulture City Chow House where the miners ate.
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The kitchen of the Vulture City Chow House.
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Vulture City Hanging Tree.
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The ruins of Henry Wickenburg's Settlers Home in Vulture City.
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One of the Miners Living Quarters in Vulture City.
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The ruins of the Vulture City Saloon.
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The ruins of the Vulture City Post Office which opened in 1880 and whose postmaster was Henry Wickenburg.
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Vulture Mine , Vulture Mountain and caves.
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Nickel Shaft.
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Entrance to the Vulture Mine gold mine shaft.
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Inside of the entrance of the gold mine shaft.
- "Arizona's Haunted History"; by: Jill Pascoe; Publisher: Irongate Press; ASIN: B004478ELW.
- "Ghost Towns and Historical Haunts in Arizona"; Publisher: Golden West Publishers; ASIN: B003HF06YA.
