The Huachuca Mountains, christened from the Apache language meaning “thunder mountain” several miles north of the Mexico border, experienced a mining surge shortly after the establishment of Fort Huachuca in 1877.
Sunnyside, 15 miles southwest of Fort Huachuca, was supported by the operations of the Copper Glance Mine. The mining camp was unique in that it was more of a religious colony than a rowdy town. Its founder, preacher Samuel Donnelly, was its head, and his followers were known as Donnellites.
Although the community remained intact after the passing of Donnelly in 1901, the mine soon closed and the community dispersed leaving only remnants of buildings — some still standing today.
Hereford, 14 miles southeast, became the nearest rail access (El Paso & Southwestern Railroad) with ore transported by wagon or truck.
The Huachuca Mountains are divided into the Hartford, Reef and Parker Canyon mining districts. While production from the Parker Canyon District is recorded as negligible, the Hartford district produced quantities of copper, silver and gold from the late 1800s through the 1960s.
The Reef district was renowned for its significant scheelite deposits discovered during World War I. Scheelite, a primary ore of the strategic metal tungsten, has the highest melting point of all metals at 3,410 degrees Celsius (6,170 F).
Development of gold placers on the east flank of the Huachuca Mountains occurred after the 1911 discovery of a gold nugget weighing 22 ounces, probably originating from auriferous quartz veins found in the granite beds upstream. Miners flocked to the area recovering an average of $4 of gold per day. Another large nugget, weighing over 8 ounces, was discovered from the Old Timer placer in Ash Canyon.
Lutz Mines Co., a Pennsylvania-based company, operated seven claims known as the Independence Group on the north fork of Ash Canyon in the Hartford District. The Lutz Tunnel was developed at 1,086 feet of workings. Anton Lutz, along with consulting engineer C.R. Brinton and A. L. Schultz, superintendent, oversaw the operation in 1909 that included equipment remaining onsite today, such as a 17-horsepower gasoline engine and a six-drill Ingersoll air compressor.
James Kelly owned a series of mines known as the James group, comprising several hundred feet including a main adit, drifts and stopes along with open cuts in limestone; 450 short tons of tungsten ore were reportedly mined here in 1918 with stockpiles of scheelite and lead-zinc ore recorded in 1949.
The Pomona Mining Co. acquired the property from Harvey James, improving the road and adding an aerial-tram for ore transport. The property was later owned by the Huachuca Mining and Milling Co.
The Tungsten Reef Mine at 7,500 feet included a quartz-crushing plant and scheelite mill, and supplied water from local springs. The mine, composed of multiple claims, was first operated around 1900 for gold and silver.
Because the veins were exposed, it was named the Exposed Reef. Ore was transported down the steep and rocky Carr Canyon Road. A 100-ton cyanide plan was built in 1906; however, because of low-grade ore it was closed the following year.
Activity resumed in 1916 to meet the demand for tungsten. A former miner at the site by the name of Steel reported favorable feedback to O.T. Smith about a potential tungsten reserve at the mine. Smith optioned the property for $40,000, subsequently milling 12,000 tons of ore, averaging 72 percent tungsten oxide (WO3). At the time, tungsten was averaging between 75 cents to $1.50 per pound.
The Tungsten Reef Mines Co. acquired the mine in May 1918. However, its operation was short-lived, closing soon thereafter due to the declining price of tungsten.
Properties in the Huachuca Mountains have since been mined intermittently.
A study conducted in 1992 by the U.S. Bureau of Mines noted a lack of economically profitable mineralized deposits in the Huachuca Mountains, with the exception of a marginally economic resource of gold-bearing silica flux.
Future large-scale mining is limited, as most of the mineralization occurs in the Miller Peak Wilderness Area, part of the Coronado National Forest.
Mineral collectors and mine examiners have long collected scheelite samples, distinguished from quartz by their ability to fluoresce under ultraviolet light.
