Sundad, Arizona

Sundad is an unincorporated area in the far west of Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, along the border of Yuma County.[2] It has an estimated elevation of 965 feet (294 m) above sea level.[1] It is located north of Agua Caliente and east of Sacation Flats.[3]

Sundad, Arizona
Populated place
Sundad is located in Arizona
Sundad
Sundad
Sundad is located in the United States
Sundad
Sundad
Coordinates: 33°10′53″N 113°14′10″W
CountryUnited States
StateArizona
CountyMaricopa
Elevation
[1]
965 ft (294 m)
Time zoneUTC-7 (Mountain (MST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-7 (MST)
Area code928
FIPS code04-70380
GNIS feature ID11956

The Bureau of Land Management considers Sundad a historic site.[4]

History

Sundad was initially a mining town, and in the 1920s[5] was the proposed site of a sanatorium.[3] By the 1950s, Sundad was referred to in the local press as a ghost town, with several reports noting this in September 1953, when nine U.S. Air Force crewmen were forced to parachute into the location following the collision of their airplanes during a refueling exercise.[6][7][8] A 1966 report noted that following the death of resident Lee R. Bailey, his wife Velma "was now left alone in this remote, small ghost town", living in their one-room mining shack with no telephone and no neighbors.[9]

In 1970, R. Agin owned the Sundad Copper Mine, located on Bureau of Land Management land at GPS 33.1819, -113.23190. The mine produced both silver and copper from surface and underground mining activities.[10][11] A 1991 piece in The Arizona Republic on area hiking noted that "the hilly areas near the old Sundad Mine are particularly lovely, especially where the ocotillos and saguaro cactuses are mixed on the hillsides", but cautioned that "the old mine site is difficult to find", marked by rocks laid out to spell Sundad.[12]

A 500 feet deep wildcat oil well was once drilled near Sundad.[13]

References
  1. "Feature Detail Report for: Sundad". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  2. "Sundad (in Maricopa County, AZ) Populated Place Profile". AZ Hometown Locator. Retrieved May 2, 2017.
  3. Titus, A., Wilson, J., Massey, P. (2006). Arizona Trails Central Region. United States: Adler Publishing Company.
  4. Lower Sonoran And Sonoran Desert National Monument Resource Management Plan, Maricopa, Pinal, Pima, Gila, And Yuma Counties, Arizona. [part 107 of 138]. (2011). ( No. 107). ProQuest 896175195.
  5. Thompson, Clay (October 17, 2009). "Sundad failed as facility for TB patients". Arizona Republic. p. E.3. ProQuest 239211827.
  6. "Helicopter Rescues 9 Stranded Airmen", Tucson Citizen (September 10, 1953), p. 1.
  7. "9 Airmen Sighted On Desert", Arizona Republic (September 10, 1953), p. 1.
  8. "Nine Airmen Leap to Safety as Davis-Monthan B-47, Tanker Collide", Arizona Daily Star (September 10, 1953), p. 1.
  9. "Wife Stands 6-Day Vigil Over Body", Arizona Daily Sun (December 8, 1966), p. 1.
  10. "Sundad". Western Mining History. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
  11. Sundad Copper Mine, The Diggings.
  12. "Beauty of desert makes now an ideal time for hikes", Arizona Republic (April 19, 1991), p. E9.
  13. Wildlife Views. (1966). Arizona Game and Fish Commission, United States. p. 68.
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