White Hills is an unincorporated community in Mohave County

Mohave County, Arizona

Mohave County is located in the northwestern corner of the U.S. state of Arizona. As of the 2010 census, its population was 200,186, an increase of 45,154 people since the 2000 census count of 155,032. The county seat is Kingman...

, 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...

, United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. White Hills is 12.5 miles (20.1 km) northwest of Dolan Springs

Dolan Springs, Arizona

Dolan Springs is a census-designated place in Mohave County, Arizona, United States. The population was 1,867 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Dolan Springs is located at ....

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History

In 1892, Henry Shaffer discovered silver deposits in the area, with the help of local American Indians. The resulting mining efforts led to the creation of the town of White Hills, which reportedly grew to a population of 1,500. The mines consisted of 27 miles (43.5 km) of tunnels, and a full fifteen mines were being worked within one mile (1.6 km) of the town. In 1894, the White Hills Mining Company was formed to run the operations, but they sold out in 1895 for a price of $1,500,000. The new owners, part of an English company, constructed a 40-stamp mill in the town. However, water had to be piped in from 7 miles (11.3 km) away, and the supply was never able to meet the mine and mill's demands. Production peaked in 1898, and soon after the mill began operating only half of the time. The town went into decline, and eventually became a ghost town

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...

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External links

• Mohave Museum of Arts and History entry for White Hills.
• Ghosttowns.com entry for White Hills.
• Historical Marker Database entry for White Hills.