Salero, Arizona facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Salero, Arizona
Ghost town
Salero in 1909.
Salero, Arizona Location in Arizona Show map of Arizona Salero, Arizona Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	Arizona
County	Santa Cruz
Elevation	4,606 ft (1,404 m)
Time zone	Mountain (MST)
Post Office opened	August 13, 1884
Post Office closed	April 17, 1890

Salero is a fascinating ghost town located in the Santa Rita Mountains of Santa Cruz County, Arizona. A ghost town is a place where people used to live and work, but now it's mostly empty. Salero is special because it's one of the best-preserved ghost towns in Arizona. It sits on private land, the Salero Ranch, so visitors are not allowed to explore it.

What's in a Name? The Story of Salero

The name "Salero" comes from the Spanish word for "salt cellar". This name was given to the mine around which the town grew. Local stories say that Spanish Jesuit priests first worked the original Salero Mine in the 1700s. This was after they arrived in what is now southern Arizona in the late 1600s.

How Salero Got Its Name

One day, the priests at the nearby Tumacacori mission were expecting an important visit. The Bishop of Sonora was coming! To honor him, they prepared a big feast. They also made a special salt cellar from silver found in their mine. Because of this special event, the mine that provided the silver was named "Salero."

Salero's Mining History

The story of Salero began with mining. People were looking for valuable minerals like silver.

Early Mining Efforts

In 1857, a group of six men started the Salero Mining Company. They were from Cincinnati, Ohio. This group included William Wrightson, Gilbert Hopkins, Samuel Robinson, Raphael Pumpelly, and Horace C. Grosvenor. They set up their main office in Tubac. The company built a new mine right over the old Spanish workings. They hired local Mexican settlers to do the hard work.

Challenges from Apache Raids

The Salero Mine started producing a lot of minerals. However, attacks from Apache groups made it hard for the company to mine as much as they wanted. Several miners lost their lives in these raids. William Wrightson and Gilbert Hopkins were among them. The two tallest peaks in the Santa Rita Mountains are named after them today.

The Town's Later Years

The Salero Mine and the ghost town we see today were established in the 1870s. This happened when George Clark moved the mine a few miles east, higher up in the mountains. A post office opened at this new spot on August 13, 1884. It stayed open for a short time, closing on April 17, 1890. The Salero Mine continued to operate into the early 1900s. It finally stopped working sometime after 1920. Later, the old mine buildings were used as a ranch house. This helped save them from falling apart.

Visiting Salero Today

What is left of Salero is on private land that belongs to the Salero Ranch. People have worked to make sure the old adobe buildings don't fall apart. The town is closed to the public to protect it from damage. Signs are posted to warn people not to trespass. Other ghost towns nearby include Alto, which is about two miles northwest of Salero, and Kentucky Camp, to the northeast.

Images for kids

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  Horace C. Grosvenor
  (1820–1861), killed by Apaches and buried in the local cemetery.

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  Raphael Pumpelly
  (1837–1923)

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  Raphael Pumpelly visiting the grave of Horace C. Grosvenor in 1915.

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  Another view of Grosvenor's grave.

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  Samuel Robinson
  (1825–1907)

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  USGS photo of the Salero Mine in 1909.

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  The historic Salero Ranch House just northwest of the townsite.

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  The bunkhouse in Salero, part of which is believed to have been used as a post office in the 1880s.

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  Assay office

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  Another one of the old adobe buildings.

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  The ruin of a small stone building.

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  Adobe ruins, slowly melting away.