Crown King, Arizona facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Crown King, Arizona
|
|
|---|---|
|
Unincorporated community
|
|
Crown King Saloon
|
|
 Crown King, Arizona
Location in Arizona
Crown King, Arizona
Location in the United States
|
|
| Country | United States |
| State | Arizona |
| County | Yavapai |
| Founded | 1875 |
| Named for | Crowned King Mine |
| Elevation | 5,771 ft (1,759 m) |
| Population
(2000)
|
|
| • Total | 133 |
| Time zone | UTC-7 (MST (no DST)) |
| Post Office opened | July 29, 1888 |
| Post Office closed | May 15, 1954 |
| GNIS feature ID | 28197 |
Crown King is a small, quiet community in Yavapai County, Arizona, United States. It sits high up in the Bradshaw Mountains, about 5,771 feet (1,759 meters) above sea level. It's called an unincorporated community because it doesn't have its own local government.
Crown King was once a busy gold mining town. Today, only about 133 people live there. The community got its name from a mine called the "Crowned King mine." But the name was shortened to Crown King in 1888. You can find Horsethief Basin Lake a few miles southeast of Crown King.
Contents
A Look Back: Crown King's History
Crown King was founded in 1875. The first gold claim, named "Buckeye," was made on July 1, 1875. Over the next 40 years, many more mines opened in the area. A lot of gold was found in the Crowned King Mine alone.
At its busiest, Crown King had about 500 buildings. These included stores, places for miners to stay, two Chinese restaurants, and a post office. The town even had electricity by 1897 and one telephone!
The "Impossible Railroad"
From 1904 to 1926, a special train helped Crown King. It was called the Bradshaw Mountain Railroad. People also called it "Murphy's Impossible Railroad." This was because it had many zig-zag turns and bridges to climb the steep mountains.
The railroad started in Mayer, Arizona, and went for 28 miles through rocky land. It brought supplies to the mines and took gold out. But the mines didn't produce as much gold as hoped. So, the railroad stopped running in 1926. Today, parts of the road to Crown King follow the old railroad path.
Surviving Buildings
Many of the old buildings in Crown King are gone. But the Crown King Saloon is still standing and is a busy spot. It was first built in another mining town called Oro Belle. In 1910, it was taken apart and moved piece by piece to Crown King.
The town also has a cemetery nearby. A red one-room schoolhouse was built in 1917. It still teaches a small number of students from kindergarten to 8th grade. Older students usually travel to Mayer for high school.
The post office first opened in 1888. It closed in 1954 but later reopened inside the Crown King General Store.
Crown King's Climate
Crown King has a special kind of weather called a Mediterranean climate. This means it usually has dry summers and wet winters. However, Crown King is a bit different. Its dry season is only in early summer. Then, it gets heavy monsoon thunderstorms in July and August.
Because of where it's located, Crown King gets a lot of rain. It holds the record for the most rain in Arizona in one month! In August 1951, it received 16.95 inches (431 mm) of rain. It has also had very snowy winters. For example, in January 1949, it got 116.2 inches (2.95 meters) of snow. Even with heavy snow, the days are often warm enough that the snow doesn't stay on the ground for too long.
Images for kids
-
The Crown King Saloon, a historic building in town.
-
Horsethief Lake, a beautiful spot near Crown King.
