Spenazuma, Arizona facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Spenazuma, Arizona
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 Spenazuma, Arizona
Location in Arizona
Spenazuma, Arizona
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Arizona |
| County | Graham |
| Founded: | 1898 |
| Abandoned: | 1899 |
| Time zone | UTC-7 (MST (no DST)) |
Spenazuma was a mining town that didn't last very long. It is now a ghost town in Graham County, Arizona, United States. Today, the land where the town once stood is privately owned. It is used as a working ranch.
Contents
The Story of Spenazuma
The town of Spenazuma was part of a big trick. A man from the east coast, Richard C. Flower, planned this trick. He wanted to sell shares in a company called the Spenazuma Mining Company.
A Clever Plan
In 1898, Flower bought some mining claims nearby. Then, he designed the town of Spenazuma. He started selling shares to people in eastern states. He told them that his company owned gold mines that were worth a huge amount of money.
To make his story seem real, he brought many investors to Spenazuma by train. These visitors believed they were seeing a real, busy mining town. This helped him keep the trick going.
What the Town Was Like
We don't know exactly how big Spenazuma was during its short life. Some newspapers at the time wrote good things about it. They said it had several stores and businesses. It even had regular stagecoach service. This service connected the town to the train station in Geronimo, Arizona.
The Trick Is Discovered
The whole trick fell apart in 1899. A reporter named George Smalley from the Arizona Republic newspaper investigated the company. He found out the truth.
After the truth came out, the town quickly became empty. Richard C. Flower seemed to leave the company. However, the people who stayed in charge quickly started another mining trick. This new trick was in a place called Aura, Arizona, which is also a ghost town now.
Where Spenazuma Was
The old town site is located at 32°57′17″N 110°11′44″W / 32.95472°N 110.19556°W. It is about 3,840 feet above sea level. This means it was quite high up in the mountains.
