| Show REMOTE REGION GRAHAM COUNTY ARIZ STUDIED BY MEMBER geological SURVEY in the pioneer days of arizona west central graham county in the vicinity of aravaipa arivaipa Arav aipa and stanley was one of the wildest parts of a wild country apache war parties often passed through its valleys on their way to and from southern arizona and mexico the rocky elaborately carved mountains of the region were havens of refuge to rustlers and outlaws of every kind even as late as the early nineties there were sporadic indian troubles and settlements tle ments were ivere few and scattered the old dangers have now become history but the wild beauty of the mountains remains the region lies between two railroad lines but can be reached only by hours of travel on mountain roads from either line the isolation of the region has helped to preserve its frontier characteristics the people who are enz enera abed ered largely in stock raising and mining have a quiet outlook on life and their wholehearted whole hearted hospitality is delightful to one who comes from the turmoil of the cities he who would catch a glimpse of the old west will be well repaid by a visit to this country although it is still comparatively undeveloped the region has rich possibilities so much of it is mountainous and cut cubby by an intricate network of canyons that only a small part is suitable for farming but as the patches of fertile bottom lands become more thoroughly developed their product will supplement that gained by grazing in the mountains and will aid in stock raising and mining indications of are abundant everywhere in the mountains there are numerous prospects but as yet none of them have yielded large returns promising possibilities for mining prospecting t commenced over fifty years ago and deposits of silver copper lead and gold are known but a total of only about tons of ore has been mined development has been so hindered by inaccessibility and lack of capital that the possibilities of producing metal have even yet not been adequately tested A number of the deposits are decidedly promising and with modern motor truck transportation sufficient ore might be developed in several several of them to justify a branch railroad line the ore and indications of ore already discovered warrant careful investigation by anyone interested in opening new mines in the northern part of the region and especially to the northwest in pinal county prospecting for coal has been undertaken and small amounts have been shipped according in to the available information when other industries in 0 the region are developed this coal may be used locally but it is is somewhat doubtful whether commercially valuable deposits df coal will be found here bere report by Gov government emment geologist the mines and prospects and the geology of the region are hii e described in a report by clyde P ross recently issued as geological survey bulletin this report also contains geologic and topographic maps and a claim map of the ara gaipa mining district the topographic map although prepared by reconnaissance methods should be of value not only to mining men but to ranchers and anyone who visits the region either for business or pleasure the oldest rocks of the region consist of very ancient metamorphosed igneous and sedimentary material upon these rocks lie quartzite shale and limestone of marine origin which differ somewhat from the beds deposited in in neighboring regions above these marine deposits come shallow water marine deposits coal beds and volcanic strata that were laid down near the western border of an ail ancient inland sea granite was later forced up into these rocks and above them lie beds of lava volcanic rocks corn coln posed of fragmental material and old alluvium above all ai these older rocks lies conglomerate that includes beds of 0 tuff and recent alluvium the geologic history has been tumultuous the oldest rocks record intense crusta 1 disturbances in very ancient times for long periods the region was covered by the g sea the rocks laid down under the water were new and tip V lifted several times volcanic activity was prominent long ago and may have persisted with interruptions to geo ini cally recent time great masses of molten mitter matter were t ejected into the crust and hardened as granite and sheilar siw of result rocks most of the ore deposits were formed as a aresu this intrusion but some are related to later lava I 1 the phe in the r were accompanied by doming and fracturing of 0 con surrounding rocks movement along the fractures t recen linued with diminishing intensity until comparatively r time |
