Prior posts on this blog have detailed how
significant pieces of Arizona’s unique mining heritage are being erased. The
historic statue of an early Arizona mining engineer is being removed from the
National Statuary Hall Collection in Washington DC, and the Arizona Mining and
Mineral Museum has been eliminated.
Perhaps these actions are driven by a currently
popular bias against mining. Public opposition is currently blocking a number
of major mining projects in Arizona. This is a self-inflicted wound damaging to
the economy, but the foolishness will probably persist until a future
generation finally recognizes the essential role of minerals in a successful
modern economy.
In the meantime, a small group of dedicated volunteers
has been and is tirelessly working to preserve some fragment of Arizona’s mining
heritage for future generations. Over a period of 20 years, with tens of
thousands of volunteer hours, they relocated, preserved, and restored
significant mining artifacts. Those included the head frame and stamp mill at
the former mineral museum at 1502 W. Washington St. in Phoenix. Arizona thanked them by having the capitol
police lock them out of the building in 2011.
Unbelievably, this small group of volunteers is
continuing to preserve something of Arizona’s mining heritage for future
generations. They are currently restoring another stamp mill in Cave Creek, AZ.
Examples of this groups incredible historical preservation efforts can be seen
at: www.stampmillman.blogspot.com
Will any of their work survive
the destructive forces of those trying to rewrite Arizona history?
