This exciting presentation explores mining in the American Southwest, focusing on the Cave Creek area. Beginning with the California Gold Rush, it traces mining’s expansion into Arizona Territory. After conflicts with Indigenous peoples were resolved, Cave Creek mining flourished until the early 1900s, leaving traces still visible today.
We will look into the history of mining in the American Southwest, with particular emphasis on the Cave Creek area. It begins with the California Gold Rush and explores how the pursuit of mineral wealth extended into the newly established Arizona Territory. Although Cave Creek was among Arizona’s earliest mining districts, significant development did not occur until the resolution of conflicts with Indigenous peoples. Mining activity in the Cave Creek region flourished until the early twentieth century, attracting both independent prospectors and prominent members of Phoenix society. While much physical evidence of this period has been lost, remnants of this mining legacy remain visible in the surrounding hills.
