Helvetia, Arizona
Encyclopedia
Helvetia is a ghost town
in Pima County
in the U.S. state
of Arizona
. The town was settled in 1891 in what was then the Arizona Territory
.
The Rosemont project is a large porphyry copper deposit nearby, which may be developed into a mine as early as 2011.
, which had opened on December 12, 1899, closed on December 31, 1921, marking the end of the town.
, north of Madera Canyon
, at 31°51′28"N 110°47′17"W.
and silver credits. Rosemont is presently (2010) owned by Augusta Resources. Augusta hopes to put the Rosemont into production as early as 2011. The Rosemont Copper plan is to create a 21st century mine in Southern Arizona. Rosemont’s plan will set new higher standards for environmental protection by using new technologies for water conservation and tailings storage. In addition Rosemont Copper will produce more than 2,900 jobs annually for the state of Arizona and will create more than $19 billion dollars in economic activity .
Rosemont Copper’s plan is currently being reviewed by numerous local, state, and federal authorities and will only be issued permits to operate once all environmental protections are in place.
There is significant local opposition to constructing the mine.,
Ghost town
A ghost town is an abandoned town or city. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it has failed, or due to natural or human-caused disasters such as floods, government actions, uncontrolled lawlessness, war, or nuclear disasters...
in Pima County
Pima County, Arizona
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*74.3% White*3.5% Black*3.3% Native American*2.6% Asian*0.2% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*3.7% Two or more races*12.4% Other races*34.6% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
. The town was settled in 1891 in what was then the Arizona Territory
Arizona Territory
The Territory of Arizona was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from February 24, 1863 until February 14, 1912, when it was admitted to the Union as the 48th state....
.
The Rosemont project is a large porphyry copper deposit nearby, which may be developed into a mine as early as 2011.
History
Helvetia was founded in 1891 for the settlement of workers from the surrounding copper mines. At its peak the city had 300 inhabitants, of which most were Mexicans. In 1911, the mines closed, due to low commodity prices. The post officePost office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
, which had opened on December 12, 1899, closed on December 31, 1921, marking the end of the town.
Today
There is not much left of Helvetia to see, simply a pair of foundation walls rising above a floor, as well as traces from the cemetery. In the vicinity there are slag heaps and shafts from the mines.Geography
Helvetia is located at the foot of the Santa Rita MountainsSanta Rita Mountains
The Santa Rita Mountains, located about 65 km southeast of Tucson, Arizona, extend 42 km from north to south, then trending southeast. They merge again southeastwards into the Patagonia Mountains, trending northwest by southeast...
, north of Madera Canyon
Madera Canyon
Madera Canyon is a canyon on the northwestern face of the Santa Rita Mountains, located 25 miles southeast of Tucson, Arizona. As part of the Coronado National Forest, the canyon has campsites, picnic areas, and miles of hiking trails. The canyon is used as a resting place for migrating birds, and...
, at 31°51′28"N 110°47′17"W.
Geology and ore deposits
There is an extensive area of porphyry copper mineralization between Helvetia and Rosemont, Arizona. Four centers of potentially economic copper mineralization are known. The best-delineated deposit is the Rosemont, which has a geological ore reserve of around 550 million tons at about 0.45% copper, with significant molybdenumMolybdenum
Molybdenum , is a Group 6 chemical element with the symbol Mo and atomic number 42. The name is from Neo-Latin Molybdaenum, from Ancient Greek , meaning lead, itself proposed as a loanword from Anatolian Luvian and Lydian languages, since its ores were confused with lead ores...
and silver credits. Rosemont is presently (2010) owned by Augusta Resources. Augusta hopes to put the Rosemont into production as early as 2011. The Rosemont Copper plan is to create a 21st century mine in Southern Arizona. Rosemont’s plan will set new higher standards for environmental protection by using new technologies for water conservation and tailings storage. In addition Rosemont Copper will produce more than 2,900 jobs annually for the state of Arizona and will create more than $19 billion dollars in economic activity .
Rosemont Copper’s plan is currently being reviewed by numerous local, state, and federal authorities and will only be issued permits to operate once all environmental protections are in place.
There is significant local opposition to constructing the mine.,