Duquesne, Arizona facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Duquesne, Arizona
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Adobe ruins in Duquesne.
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 Duquesne, Arizona
Location in Arizona
Duquesne, Arizona
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Arizona |
| County | Santa Cruz |
| Time zone | Mountain (MST) |
| Post Office opened | June 6, 1890 |
| Post Office closed | February 14, 1920 |
Duquesne is a ghost town in Arizona. It's located in the Patagonia Mountains. This area is in Santa Cruz County, Arizona, very close to the border with Mexico. Today, Duquesne is on private land. It's not open to the public. This town was once important for mining. It was the main office for the Duquesne Mining and Reduction Company. The famous Bonanza Mine was also here. A nearby town, Washington Camp, was where the mine's processing plant was located.
Contents
The Story of Duquesne
Early Mining Days
People started looking for valuable minerals in the Patagonia Mountains way back in the 1860s. These early explorers were called prospectors. They found places to dig for ore. But attacks from the Apache people made it hard to build towns. So, the area didn't fully grow until the 1890s.
Washington Camp was an older town nearby. It had a post office starting in 1880. Duquesne was founded ten years later, in 1890.
A New Mining Company
In 1889, a famous inventor named George Westinghouse bought most of the mining claims. He was known for starting the Westinghouse Electric Company. Westinghouse then created the Duquesne Mining & Reduction Company. This company aimed to start large-scale mining.
On June 6, 1890, the post office moved from Washington Camp to Duquesne. Duquesne also became the company's main office. The Bonanza Mine was located here too. Major mining began in 1912. It continued until 1918. During this time, over 450,000 tons of ore were produced. This included zinc, lead, and copper. Silver was also found as a side product.
Life in Duquesne
When Duquesne was at its busiest, about 1,000 people lived there. The town had many businesses and homes. One large home belonged to George Westinghouse. It was a beautiful Victorian style house. This house still stands today, but it is in disrepair.
Other buildings still remaining include a smaller house and a boarding house. A boarding house was like a hotel where people could rent a room. There's also an old commercial building made of adobe. An old cemetery is also part of the town's history.
The schoolhouse for both Duquesne and Washington Camp was located between the two towns. It has since been torn down. Today, a modern cabin stands where the school used to be. You can also see the ruins of old mining operations in the hills around the town.
Duquesne Today
A few homes are still in Duquesne and Washington Camp. However, the post office closed on February 14, 1920. Signs are posted to warn people not to trespass.
Duquesne is not the only ghost town in this area. Other ghost towns nearby include Harshaw and Mowry to the north. Lochiel is just to the southeast, right along the border with Mexico.
Gallery
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George Westinghouse (1846–1914), the inventor who bought the mines.
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The large house that belonged to George Westinghouse.
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A view from inside the Westinghouse Estate.
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An old commercial building in Duquesne.
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The ruins of what might have been the assay office, where minerals were tested.
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The boarding house, where miners and workers might have stayed.
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A small frame house, one of the remaining homes.
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The remains of an old car found near a small house.
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A large adobe building that was part of the Bonanza Mine.
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An ore chute at the Bonanza Mine, used to move mined materials.
