There were actually two towns in Arizona with the same name, one “Silverbell” and one “Silver Bell”, situated about four miles apart. Both were mining towns, but “Silverbell” has the most colorful history.
According to the Arizona State Museum, the first time any mining operations were recorded in the area was in the early 1870’s when Charles O. Brown from Tucson began prospecting. Throughout the 1870’s Brown and his partners staked several claims, opened mines and built a smelter. At the time Arizona was still a territory, and it would be several years before that part of the west was tamed enough to become a full-fledged state. In that era without strong territorial authority, mining districts were established.
Miners elected a leader and recorder and committees set boundaries and enforced rules. Brown’s operations fizzled and in 1890 two English companies came to the so-called Silver Bell Mining District, but their tenure was short-lived and there was little to show for the investment.
At the turn of the century, new mining interests bought up a substantial number of claims in the district. By 1901 there was enough activity in the area to warrant the establishment of a public school, with an enrollment of seventy-five students the first year. The two communities, Pelton and Atlas Camp, although small in numbers, were enumerated for the 1900 census.
Claims were sold in 1903 to the Imperial Copper Company, and soon afterwards the town of Silverbell was established. By 1905 the population of Silverbell had reached around one thousand. In 1904 a post office was opened. Silverbell, like many towns throughout the west, including a company store and the company’s offices. The town also had a school, saloons, a Chinese bakery, barber, doctor, justice of the peace and a deputy sheriff.
Silverbell continued to expand and other businesses, including a company-owned hotel were added. There were some challenges for Silverbell, however. Good drinking water was hard to come by and had to be brought in by wagon or train. The water, stored in tanks, was piped to the town’s residents.
Another challenge for the town was its penchant for violence. Despite the presence of a lawman, the area was plagued with murders and other acts of lawlessness. Before Deputy Sheriff Joe McEven arrived three murders had already occurred. James and Barbara Sherman, authors of Ghost Towns of Arizona, wrote that Silverbell was known as the “hell-hole of Arizona.”
The lawlessness and drinking water issues bring up an interesting observation I made while researching the town’s cemetery at Find-A-Grave. At the web site there are eighty-five interments listed, and someone has taken the time to find and post each and every person’s death record. The cemetery has several young children buried there, some who died of enteritis, which I’m guessing might have been due to the lack of potable water.
There were a few people who died of illnesses such as typhoid fever, dysentery and tuberculosis. There were miners who died in mine accidents and there were some who were killed by violence. The majority of those buried (at least those listed at Find-A-Grave who probably had grave markers) in the Silverbell cemetery were originally from Mexico it appears, although the Arizona State Museum said other ethnic groups such as Papago, Chinese and Japanese made their home in Silverbell.
In 1910 the population of Silverbell was 1,118 persons living in 327 households. There were grocers, butchers, restaurant owners, musicians, teachers, carpenters, and more – and of course, as seen in most mining towns, prostitutes. The company operated a hospital and in 1910 there was also a movie house. The town’s fortunes changed the following year, however.
By 1911 many businesses began to depart when Imperial overextended itself and declared bankruptcy. Its holdings were leased to American Smelting & Refining Company (ASARCO) and by 1919 ASARCO had acquired all of the assets of Imperial, including the railroad and smelter. The post office had closed in 1911 but was reopened in 1916.
The population of Silverbell temporarily rebounded after ASARCO assumed ownership, but by 1920 the price of copper fell and ASARCO turned their attention to other mining operations. Between 1920 and 1930 about five hundred people populated Silverbell, but by 1930 all copper mining had been shut down. In 1931 there were only about forty-five people and the post office closed for the last time in 1934. By 1954, Silverbell was totally abandoned.
ASARCO, although abandoning mining operations in Silverbell, continued to work other mines in the area. In 1954, just four miles southeast of Silverbell, they established the town of “Silver Bell”. Mining operations at the new site actually seemed to have faired better until 1984 when copper prices again plummeted. The availability of potable water and a viable sewage system again added to the challenges. Houses fell into disrepair and in the late 1980’s only a few homes and company buildings remained.
ASARCO purchased an old mine near the original Silverbell town site in 1989. It was noted in 2007, however, that the town is now abandoned with only a few company buildings, mine shafts and some junked vehicles remaining.
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My Father was born in Silverbell, Az. on April 24th, 1908. I wonder if Sasco has any records in their archives about the miners? My Grandfather worked the mines and smelter there in Silverbell..1908-1910
Rudy, we’ve collected federal census information listing residents of Sasco and Old Silver Bell. They are in files you can download at https://silverbellaz.com/historical-files — We would love to learn about your family! Email us at [email protected].
Grandfather and his family lived and worked in Silverbell Arizona in the mines with his family my father was born in Silverbell Arizona in 1919 also his brothers and sisters were born in That town i am a living descendant of the Cocio’s that is buried in that cemetery how can I get permission to visit the graves
Frances, you just have to call the mine at 520-682-2420 ext 4803 ask for Brad Stonehouse. He is the General Manager. Good luck!
Frances, we at the Silver Bell Historical Society would love to learn about your family who lived at Old Silver Bell. The cemetery is on National Forest land and you don’t need permission to go there. You just need directions to get there. We hope at some time to work with the forest service to create a memorial to the Silver Bell residents buried there.
The cemetery is open to the public
I grew up in Silver Bell. I am a member of a group of former residents who are planning a reunion. If anyone knows of someone not on Facebook or who has not heard of the reunion, please tell them to contact me for information at [email protected].
Have you any stories to share about Silver Bell and living there? I’ll probably be featuring this article (with updated information) in the December issue of Digging History Magazine. The web site (Digging History) where you found this article is now a digital monthly publication, available by single issue purchase or subscriptions of varying lengths — affordable, easy to purchase to make sure you get your history (and genealogy) fix every month.
https://www.digginghistorymag.com/the-magazine/
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Of course, I have many stories. I’m actually compiling a word document with some of my memories for our reunion. It would be amazing if we could come up with some good ones for you. We are planning a memory book with stories from everyone. Let me know exactly what you’re looking for (essay size, one sentence, etc.) and I will happily supply it for you. Silver Bell was a wonderful place to grow up. Safe, adventurous and relationships were very close. Thank you for responding.
When is the reunion? Should I wait until the reunion so you can gather other stories? I was thinking the December issue but it could be delayed until you get stories together. These are the types of articles I look to share with readers and subscribers — makes it more meaningful than just a bunch of facts about what the town once was. I’d rather hear/read the REAL stories, wouldn’t you? Let me know. Why don’t you go ahead and email me at [email protected] to continue our conversation. I appreciate your offer to share!
Karen: As I was photographing what was left of the area, I came across some concrete steps in which someone had scrawled “The Tinsley family” while the cement was wet — and I think the date was 1964. I would have to look up the pic. It got me wondering about them and where they might be now. Do you know anything about them?
Yes, I know the Tinsleys. They are in Tucson at this time, as far as I know. That’s amazing. I would love to see the picture and pass it on to them. Thank you so much for responding.
Our reunion is March 8-10.
My husband Lawrence (Larry) worked at Silverbell Mine from 1974 to 1980! We are interested in the reunion. Would you please email him: [email protected] with any updated information. Thank you!
Thanks for stopping by, Sandy. I’ve connected with Karen Holton and we are hoping to put together some stories for the new and improved article about Silverbell in a 2019 issue (date yet to be determined) issue of Digging History Magazine. This blog has been converted to a monthly digital (PDF) publication available only by single issue purchase or subscription. If you love history (and maybe have a passion for genealogy as well), you should check us out:
https://www.digginghistorymag.com/.
Sharon Hall
Publisher and Editor
Digging History Magazine
https://www.digginghistorymag.com/
The Silver Bell Historical Society has a website: http://www.silverbellaz.com — We had a very successful reunion in March 2019 which brought nearly 400 Silver Bell people together. We continue to research the history of the Silver Bell Mining District. We are interested in both towns of Silver Bell, Pelton, Atlas Camp (which later became BS&K), the Silver Bell Cemetery, the old railroad which ran from Red Rock to Sasco and on to Silver Bell. We plan to offer college scholarships to descendants of Silver Bell residents.