Weaver, Arizona

Weaver, or Weaverville, is a former gold mining town, now a deserted ghost town, in Yavapai County, Arizona, United States. All that remains are some rusting mining machinery, a partially restored cemetery, and the ruins of a stone house.

Weaver
Ghost town
The town of Weaver in 1888. Rich Hill is in the background.
The town of Weaver in 1888. Rich Hill is in the background.
Weaver is located in Arizona
Weaver
Weaver
Location in the state of Arizona
Coordinates: 34°09′18″N 112°42′25″W
CountryUnited States
StateArizona
CountyYavapai
Foundedcirca 1863
Abandonedcirca 1898
Founded byPauline Weaver
Named forPauline Weaver
Time zoneUTC-7 (MST (no DST))
[1]

History
A ruin in Weaver.

The town of Weaverville was established shortly after the discovery of placer gold deposits on nearby Rich Hill in May 1863. The town was named after mountain man Pauline Weaver, who worked as a guide for the group of prospectors who made the discovery. The gold was discovered by a member of the party while chasing a stray donkey.[2] After the placer deposits were exhausted, mining turned to the lode deposits that were the source of the placer gold.

Weaverville, soon shortened to Weaver, came under the control of Francisco Vega and his band of outlaws. Travelers and businesses avoided Weaver and its outlaw element in favor of the nearby towns of Stanton and Octave.[1][3]

A post office was established at Weaver on 26 May 1899, but remained less than a year before it moved to nearby Octave on 19 April 1900.

Geography

Weaver is along an unimproved road on the east side of Weaver Creek, at the southeast base of Rich Hill at 34°09′18″N 112°42′25″W, at an altitude of 3430 ft.

See also

References
  1. Varney, Philip (2005). "Vulture Ghosts". In Stieve, Robert (ed.). Arizona Ghost Towns and Mining Camps: A Travel Guide to History (10th ed.). Phoenix: Arizona Highways Books. pp. 27–30. ISBN 1-932082-46-8.
  2. H. Mason Coggin, "A history of placer mining in Arizona", in History of Mining in Arizona, Tucson: Mining Club of the Southwest Foundation, 1987, p.178.
  3. Erik Melchiorre, Dante Lauretta, Katherine Crombie, and Chris Gholson, "Rich Hill, Arizona: historic gold district, modern gold rush", Mining Engineering, Nov. 2003, pp. 23–28.
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