History - Superior Chamber of Commerce

The History of superior arizona

The hub mine claim
of 1875

Superior began as a mining town with the Hub Mine claim in 1875 filed by W. Tuttle and the Irene Mine claim filed by P. Swain in 1876. These claims, together, became known as the Silver Queen Mine and by 1910 were owned by Colonel Boyce Thompson and renamed the Magma Copper Company. They had followed the opening, in 1875, of the famous, nearby, Silver King Mine founded by Mason, Long, Copeland and Regan that brought prospecting to the area.

The History of superior arizona

The magma smelter In 1914

Superior narrowly avoided becoming a ghost town when the Silver Queen and Silver King Mines were impacted by the change in the U.S. monetary standard in 1893 with the devaluation of silver from $1.50 to $.20 per ounce. This change from silver to gold killed many of the West’s silver mines. Fortunately, the miners looking for silver and gold also found copper, and with the founding of the Magma Copper Company, Superior continued to thrive. For 86 years, the Magma pulled copper and silver out of Superior’s mountains.

The History of superior arizona

The Boyce Thompson arboretum

Superior grew as more businesses evolved to serve the townspeople and ranching families. Nearby water from Queen Creek, water piped up from nearby Florence and a commerce base created by the ranchers and merchants that served the miners, kept Superior alive. This growth encouraged community involvement and activities that bonded people to Superior. Clubs and associations were formed, friendships forged, and more businesses built, including the Magma Hotel. Superior’s tourism boomed when Boyce Thompson, who was a self-made millionaire and mining magnate, established the Boyce Thompson Arboretum in 1923 to exhibit and study plants from all over the world.

The History of superior arizona

Main street & Magma Blvd

Superior is home to many resilient and self-reliant residents, many of whom are third generation descendants of the early settlers of the town. They are fiercely proud of their town, as are the newer arrivals. The artist community has brought the downtown area back to life, while revitalizing the historic buildings on Main Street and Magma Blvd with quaint new businesses. Hollywood has discovered this historic wild west town’s charm, as they have filmed a number of commercials and movies in the area including How The West Was Won, The Prophecy, U-Turn, The Fugitive and the PBS special Skin Walkers by Tony Hillerman.

The History of superior arizona

1982 The mine shut down

Some predicted that in 1982 when the town’s largest mine shut down it would mean the end of Superior and it, too, would become another Arizona ghost town. The following decade proved them wrong. The town had developed a much loved sustainable community in their beautiful high desert setting. The Magma Mine reopened in the 1990’s as the Resolution Copper Company. A copper dome was found 7,000 feet underground that is projected to be the largest copper vein in the United States, fourth-largest undeveloped copper deposit in the world, and is expected to revitalize Superior with employment and businesses.

The History of superior arizona

100+ year history & charm

Historic pictures of Superior show that the area has grown over its 100+ year history, but still retains its small town cultural and historic charm. Visitors who travel to Superior can see reminders of the glory days of mining and ranching in the town while enjoying the local shops, food, arts, and town activities such as Apache Leap Days and the Historic Home Tours that make Superior a great day trip and a walk back in time.

visit superior

learn more about the history of superior by visiting us today

To learn more about the history of Superior, visit the Bob Jones Museum or pick up a copy of the books When Silver was King by Jack San Felice and Superior and Queen Valley by Carol Schumacher and Danielle Tomerlin at local gift stores or from the authors through the QV Historical Society. To experience a mining themed Escape Room activity based on the history of the area, visit the Lost Dutchman Room at Escape Rooms Mesa owned by the Superior and Queen Valley book authors.

THE AMAZING BUSINESSES OF OUR COMMUNITY

SUPERIOR CHAMBER Businesses

Southwest Exploration Services

Effective hydro or mineral production solutions require access to relevant, timely and accurate data. If you need to make important decisions based on geophysical data and require assistance analyzing or identifying information, the wireline logging and well logging technology of Southwest Exploration Services LLC is the best choice.

Southwest Exploration Services has the required experience and leading-edge technology that will assist you in arriving at the proper decisions. Owner, Kevin Mitchell, began his geophysical career searching for man-made infiltration tunnels in South Korea. For the past two decades, he and his team have successfully served commercial interests in the Southwestern United States employing the latest wireline logging and well logging technologies in the field

Chandler, AZ

Mining & Mining Related Services

Box 8 Ranch

These footprints represent the Matriarch of the Smith Family, Elizabeth Mitchell Smith. Born in 1889 in Yuma, Arizona. She arrived in Superior by covered wagon with her Mother, Eloisa Amavisca Mitchell and Father, Harry Mitchell, a miner, in July of 1904. Approximately 15 years after the death of Mattie Earp in the town of Pinal, just West of Superior. Also, in the wagon were her younger sisters: Rachel and Francis. Imagine if you will the heat of summer and the dust from the dry dirt road, now known as Highway 60. Lizzie, as she was known to friends, recounted the family had been followed for a distance by "bad men" and her Father had given them a spare horse to dissuade them from harming any of the family. The Smith Family was welcomed by George Lobb of the Lobb Family. George was the original US Postmaster of Superior. It was not long before Lizzie met a gentleman, Charles Hamilton Smith, a Michigan native. He had, by most accounts, run away as a teenager to join the Spanish-American War. He then wandered as a prospector and when he located a gold nugget in a wash surrounding Superior, he became a lifelong mine enthusiast and developer. After marrying, the couple finally settled outside of Superior on a ranch that Elizabeth homesteaded. It was known as the Smith Ranch and the brand was registered with the State of Arizona as the Box 8. Always a business woman, and aided by her seven children, Elizabeth planted orchards, put in the first private swimming pool in the area and had plans to develop a tavern. Many octogenarians, school kids in the 1920's and 1930's, have recounted days of "playing hooky" eating hamburgers and swimming at the ranch. Lizzie's plans were circumvented by fate and after losing three of her children, she sold the original ranch and moved to "town" around the time of World War II. She tried her hand at boarding houses, finally building her own house on Heiner drive. Her love of planting finally outweighed the convenience of living "in town" and with her son, Fred, in 1956, she built a new house and developed some of the property where the footprints are currently located. She planted fruit trees, evergreens, palm trees, rose bushes and flowers which she sold for extra money on church holidays. The first of several chicken houses was constructed and a barn for a couple of cows, Lizzie had her ranch again. The chickens and cows are gone as are many of the trees, but this remains the Box 8 Ranch. The footprints have been relocated and a new dream has begun.

Services
• Overnight camping
• Horse corrals
• Events (weddings, reunions, etc)
• Swimming pool
• Restrooms
• Personal and RV storage
• Bulk Propane (we can fill your RV or BBQ tanks)
• RV Sewage Dump Station ($5)
• Access to forest trails
• Bicycle Shuttle Services to some of the local trailheads
• Guided hikes and Mountain Bike Rides

602-625-6567

Superior, AZ

Attractions, Recreation & Sports

Superior UTV Rentals

Superior, a historic mining town tucked up against the base of Apache Leap Mountains and surrounded by the Tonto National Forest. Home to some of Arizona's most beautiful trail systems and mountain ranges. Superior is an easy day trip located 50 minutes east of Phoenix.

Your unforgettable adventure awaits! All our UTV's are street legal which means you ride straight from our shop to the trails, just minutes away. We'll teach you step by step how to use the vehicles and provide all the necessary safety gear. Your RZR will come equipped with a trail map for easy travel.

Let the adventure begin!

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