Dome, Arizona facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dome, Arizona
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 Dome, Arizona
Location in Arizona
Dome, Arizona
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Arizona |
| County | Yuma |
| Founded | 1858 |
| Abandoned | 1940 |
| Elevation | 194 ft (59 m) |
| Population
(2011)
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| • Total | 0 |
| Time zone | UTC-7 (MST (no DST)) |
| Post Office opened | December 24, 1858 |
| Post Office closed | July 14, 1863 |
Dome (O'odham: Hi:lo) is a ghost town located in Yuma County, in southwestern Arizona, United States. A ghost town is a place that was once a busy community but is now mostly empty. Dome is found in the Dome Valley, south of the Gila River. It started as a stop for mail coaches and later became a mining area.
Contents
The Early Days of Dome
Dome was first known as Swiveler's Station. This was a stop on the Butterfield Overland Mail route. This route was a famous stagecoach service that delivered mail and passengers across the country. Swiveler's Station was about 20 miles east of Fort Yuma.
A Post Office and a Flood
In 1858, a post office opened here. It was first named after Gila City, a nearby boomtown. Gila City was a very busy place for a short time. However, a huge event changed everything. The Great Flood of 1862 swept away most of Gila City. Because of this, the post office closed on July 14, 1863. Many people then left the area to join the gold rush in La Paz, along the Colorado River.
The Town of Dome Appears
Later, a railroad line called the Union Pacific's Sunset Route was built near the old site. People also tried to start large-scale placer mining for gold. Because of these new activities, a new post office opened in 1892. This time, it was named Dome. However, the mining efforts did not last, and the post office closed again.
Post Office Openings and Closings
The post office in Dome opened and closed several times over the years. This shows how the town's fortunes changed. It finally closed for good in 1940.
What Remains Today
Today, Dome is a quiet place. The Union Pacific's Sunset Route still runs by the site. There is also a road that follows the old stagecoach route. You can find a large adobe building and a small adobe remnant there. Adobe is a type of brick made from earth and straw. There are also some old foundations left. A cemetery is located nearby to the west.
