Alto, Arizona facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alto, Arizona
|
|
|---|---|
The adobe ruins of the Bond house in Alto. One room was used as a post office between 1907 and 1933.
|
|
 Alto, Arizona
Location in Arizona
Alto, Arizona
Location in the United States
|
|
| Country | United States |
| State | Arizona |
| County | Santa Cruz |
| Time zone | Mountain (MST) |
| Post Office opened | March 6, 1907 |
| Post Office closed | December 30, 1933 |
Alto is a ghost town in Santa Cruz County, Arizona. It was first settled in the early 1900s. It is located in the Santa Rita Mountains, east of Tubac. The town was first called El Plomo. This is Spanish for "lead," like the metal. Later, its name changed to Alto, which means "high." This was probably because the mines were high up on a steep mountainside.
Contents
A Look Back at Alto
The story of Alto began after Spanish Jesuit missionaries arrived in southern Arizona in the late 1600s. Some people say missionaries from Tumacacori found rich silver in the Alto area. This happened while they were exploring the hills east of their village. Even though history books don't fully support this, the Spanish did start mining nearby. They began work on the original Salero Mine just a few miles away.
The Mining Camp Forms
In 1875, a man named Joseph Goldree opened the Gold Tree Mine in the Alto area. This led to a mining camp being set up at the bottom of the mountain. In the early years, attacks by Apache groups were a constant danger. Because of this, a real town did not start to grow until after 1900.
The Bond Family and the Post Office
A post office first opened in Alto in 1907. It was located in the home of a local pioneer named Josiah Bond. Josiah was a very busy man. He was a former mining engineer, the local justice of the peace, a school teacher, and even a poet!
Josiah's wife, Minnie, became the first postmaster of Alto. She was also a schoolteacher. Sadly, in 1922, Minnie was killed instantly by a sudden bolt of lightning. This happened not far from her home. The horse she was riding also died. Her 14-year-old son, Albert, and his baby sister, Catherine, were riding with their mother that day. Luckily, they were not hurt. Albert ran home crying that his mother was hurt. His father, Josiah, grabbed his rifle and rushed to his wife. He thought she had been attacked by bandits.
What Remains Today
The adobe ruins of the Bond home and post office are all that is left of Alto. The post office closed in 1933. Besides the ruins, there is a small family cemetery. There is also mine waste that was dumped over the mountainside.
Alto's population was 25 people in 1940.
Nearby Ghost Towns
Salero is another ghost town located a few miles southeast of Alto. It is on the Salero Ranch. Many people consider Salero to be one of Arizona's best surviving ghost towns. However, it is not open for visitors. Kentucky Camp is on the other side of the mountains. It is northwest of Sonoita. The Forest Service has carefully preserved Kentucky Camp.
Gallery
-
USGS photo of Alto in 1909.
-
Josiah Bond (1858-1938), his wife Minnie, and their children.
-
Minnie Amerman Bond
(1883-1922)
.jpg)
