Sasco, Arizona facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sasco, Arizona
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The Sasco Power House with the town in the background
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 Sasco, Arizona
Location in Arizona
Sasco, Arizona
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Arizona |
| County | Pinal |
| Founded | 1907 |
| Abandoned | c.1921 |
| Elevation | 1,837 ft (560 m) |
| Population | |
| • Total | ~500 |
| Time zone | UTC-7 (MST (no DST)) |
| Post Office opened | July 10, 1907 |
| Post Office closed | September 15, 1919 |
Sasco is a fascinating ghost town in Pinal County, Arizona. It's west of a place called Red Rock. The name "Sasco" comes from "Southern Arizona Smelter Company." This town was built by a company and had a huge smelter. A smelter is a factory that takes metal out of rocks. It processed metals from several mines nearby.
Sasco was once a busy and important place. Today, it's mostly ruins. People visit it for outdoor activities. You might find old shotgun shells or paintball splatters there.
Contents
Sasco's Mining History
Sasco exists because of a company called the Development Company of America (DCA). This company was led by Frank M. Murphy. He was the brother of Governor Oakes Murphy. Frank Murphy had a big idea. He wanted to bring many mines, railroads, and processing companies together. He believed this would make mining much more efficient. His plan was very advanced for its time. He wanted one large mine with hundreds of workers. Most mines back then were small, with only a few miners.
Building the Imperial Copper Company
In 1903, Murphy and his main engineer, William Field Staunton, bought two mines. These were the Union Mine and the Mammoth Mine. They were in the Silver Bell Mountains. They combined these mines to create the Imperial Copper Company. This company also owned the Silver Bell Mine.
A year later, the DCA built the Arizona Southern Railroad. This railroad connected the Silver Bell Mine to the Southern Pacific Railroad. This main railroad was in the town of Red Rock.
Creating the Smelter and Town
Murphy's next step was to build a large smelter complex. He also planned a new town to support it. The Southern Arizona Smelting Company, or Sasco, was officially formed on August 10, 1906.
There were some money problems at first. So, work on the new smelter didn't start until the summer of 1907. It was finally finished in February 1908.
Life in Sasco
Once the smelter was ready, work began on the town itself. People were encouraged to move there. Soon, Sasco had about 600 residents. It also had stores and saloons.
Mead Goodloe, who managed the smelter's construction, built a large brick house. People called it "the big house." It became the unofficial center of the town. A power house was also built. It supplied electricity to Sasco, the nearby town of Silverbell, and the Silver Bell Mine.
At its busiest, the Sasco smelter employed 175 men. By 1910, it had already processed 245,000 tons of copper ore. This shows how important it was.
Why Sasco Became a Ghost Town
Sasco was expected to become a major smelting town. However, its life was very short.
Financial Troubles and Closure
Between 1909 and 1911, the DCA company faced big problems. Their mining operations in the Tombstone area struggled. This forced Murphy to declare bankruptcy. As a result, the Sasco smelter closed for the first time.
A Brief Revival and a New Disaster
Asarco took over the Silver Bell Mine in 1915. They reopened the Sasco smelter. This brought the town back to life for a short time. But then, another disaster struck.
During the winter of 1918 and 1919, a terrible sickness spread. It was called the Spanish flu. This illness reached Sasco and caused a lot of harm. Many people in the Sasco Cemetery died from this sickness. You can see their graves marked with simple concrete headstones.
The Final End of Sasco
Asarco closed the Silver Bell Mine in 1921. They decided to focus on other mining locations. By late 1933, most of Sasco's buildings were torn down. The railroad that served the town was also removed.
Today, you can still visit the remains of some structures. These include the Hotel Rockland, the Sasco Jail, and parts of the smelter complex. If you look closely, you might find old broken glass and rusty cans. The Sasco Cemetery is located northeast of the town site. It's next to the La Osa Ranch house.
Gallery
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The smelter complex at Sasco in 1910.
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The Hotel Rockland sometime before 1921.
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The Hotel Rockland in 2014.
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The Sasco Jail was built of concrete to stop prisoners from escaping.
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The ruins of the smelter at Sasco.
