Tres Alamos, Arizona facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tres Alamos, Arizona
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 Tres Alamos, Arizona
Location in Arizona
Tres Alamos, Arizona
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Arizona |
| County | Cochise |
| Founded | 1874 |
| Abandoned | 1886 |
| Elevation | 3,445 ft (1,050 m) |
| Population
(2009)
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| • Total | 0 |
| Time zone | UTC-7 (MST (no DST)) |
| Post Office opened | 1874 |
| Post Office closed | 1886 |
Tres Alamos is a ghost town located in Cochise County, Arizona. A ghost town is a place where most people have left, leaving behind empty buildings. This town was first settled in 1874 when Arizona was still a territory.
Contents
The Story of Tres Alamos
Tres Alamos has a long and interesting past. It started as a place for farming and grew into a small community. Over time, things changed, and people moved away.
Early Settlements and Farming
Way back in 1768, Spanish soldiers from the Presidio de Tucson started farming near the San Pedro River. They grew food to feed the soldiers at the Presidio.
Later, around 1830, Mexican farmers also settled here. They set up farms that lasted longer. They would take their crops through the Redington Pass to Tucson. Soldiers from the Presidio helped keep them safe during these trips.
A Growing Community
In 1860, the Soza family moved to the area. They ran a very successful cattle ranch. More Mexican families came from the south, and the community grew.
They built a small adobe chapel called La Capilla de San Antonio de Padua de Lisboa. The community also had a gristmill, which grinds grain into flour. They even built a school for the children.
Challenges and Changes
Around 1865, some English-speaking settlers from Tucson arrived. One of them was Billy Ohnesorgen. He set up a stagecoach stop on what was once the Butterfield Overland Mail route. This was a path for stagecoaches carrying mail and passengers.
Ohnesorgen also built a wooden toll bridge over the San Pedro River. Even though farming was good, the settlers faced many attacks from the Apache people. Many settlers were killed, and they left the area after a few years.
Big changes came in 1880 with the Southern Pacific Railroad. A new town called Benson was built just a couple of miles south. A new road was also built that went around Tres Alamos. Because of these changes, the stagecoach stop was no longer needed and was abandoned.
The Post Office and Its End
A post office was opened in Tres Alamos in 1874. It served the ranchers living along the San Pedro River. However, the post office eventually closed in 1886. All the small towns and farms in the valley soon became known as Redington.
Where is Tres Alamos?
Tres Alamos is located at 32°03′42″N 110°20′40″W / 32.06167°N 110.34444°W. It sits about 3,445 feet (1,050 m) above sea level. You can find it on the eastern side of the Rincon Mountains. It is east of the city of Tucson. It is also at the eastern end of the Redington Pass, which is a path between the Santa Catalina Mountains and the Rincon Mountains.
