Description:
Great mineral wealth has been paramount in the development
of Arizona. It has attracted attention since the first Spanish
explorations of the Southwest. The lure of precious metals
brought many of the early American settlers to the Territory,
and mining has been responsible for the establishment of many
Arizona cities and towns. Ajo, Bisbee, Clarkdale, Clifton, Douglas,
Globe, Hayden, Jerome, Miami, Morenci, San Manuel, Superior,
Tombstone, Ray, and numerous other centers of population
have owed their existence to mining, milling, or smelting. Several
agricultural communities were started and grew as a direct
result of the requirements for adequate food supplies of the
booming mining camps.
In addition to the professional prospectors and miners who
are seeking minerals for their commercial value, an increasingly
large number of persons collect minerals solely for their beauty
and rarity.