Metcalf, Arizona, (in the hills, 177 miles northeast of Tucson), was a boom town of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. After several renewed efforts to reopen the mine as technology changed, the townsite was finally subsumed by the expansion of the open pit mine in nearby Morenci in 1984. Today only a few photos, stereoviews, and postcards exist to help us explore the phantom community.
Metcalf was named for James and Robert Metcalf who discovered copper ore in Chase Creek in southeastern Arizona about 1870. Rich ore was also found on a ridge high above the creek.
Mining operators included the Arizona Copper Company, Detroit Copper Mining Company, and Shannon Copper Mining. Each company invested to build large‑scale industrial copper production facilities in the area.
Metcalf, Arizona
The companies built the incline railroads to carry miners to the Longfellow site and bring ore down from the hill to wagons. Eventually the Shannon Copper Mining built the “Little Emma” narrow gauge railroad along Chase Creek to carry ore from the inclines to nearby smelters.
The 1,600-foot Longfellow incline was built in 1879 and later expanded by 600 feet. The Coronado incline was 3,200 feet long. A 68 percent incline was needed to reach the mine 1200 feet above the creek. The Shannon was one of the other seven inclines eventually built around Metcalf. These inclines were dangerous ways to transport men and ore. Nine miners lost their lives when a cable car detached and fell down the mountain in August 2013.
The steep hills made mules and horses the preferred method of travel. In the early twentieth century, the population of Metcalf eventually reached about five thousand residents. The town’s amenities included: the State Bank of Metcalf; a photography studio; numerous merchants; a school; hospital; dairy; several pool halls; and “Airdome” and “Arizona” movie theaters.
The heyday of Metcalf was associated with the emerging control of the Phelps Dodge Company between 1900 and World War I. After the war, Phelps Dodge gained almost complete control of the town and mines and began consolidating Metcalf with operations in nearby Morenci.
The mining operations lay fallow and population decreased. The post office closed in 1936. Eventually open pit mining in the area was expanded to first encroach, then eventually absorb the entire old townsite.
the “Little Emma” narrow gauge railroad.]
Studio, offering “Views and Kodak Finishing”] Metcalf, Arizona
