Clifton Arizona

Clifton is in Eastern Arizona . It is in Greenlee County and is the county seat. There are canyon walls stretching up around the town with the San Francisco River meandering down its middle. Clifton is located on U.S. Highway 191. The town of Morenci looms on the hill above, just six miles away. Clifton is approximately 30 miles from the New Mexico border and 169 miles northeast of Tucson.
Overview:
The town is sometimes referred to as the “Gateway to the Coronado Trail.” The famous trail leads from Clifton north to the town of Springerville and is noted as one of the most scenic drives in Arizona . Clifton began as a mining town. Today Clifton has a population of 3,100. The town sits at an elevation of 3,464 feet. The climate is mild all year round with a winter low temperature of 31 degrees and a summer high temperature of 100 degrees. Clifton is a center of government, trade, tourism and mining. Its people enjoy a good life in Arizona ’s eastern borderland.
Community Features:
There are several attractions that reveal the history of the area. The Greenlee County Historical Museum is located at the west end of Chase Creek in Clifton. The museum is packed full of interesting memorabilia from the surrounding area. Visitors will discover Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, Apache warrior Geronimo and Ted De Grazia were all born nearby. The museum has artifacts that make the west come alive. It is a stop worth taking. Clifton has approximately 45 buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The town is brimming with history. Many of the buildings are located on historic Chase Creek and can be seen by taking a walking tour of the town. Visitors can get a map of the tour by stopping in at the Greenlee County Historical Museum. The Morenci Open Mine Pit Tour gives visitors an up close look at the mining process. The equipment is monstrous and the sheer size of the operation is hard to comprehend. The tour takes about three and a half hours. Make sure you call ahead to find out the days and times. The tour is located north of town in Morenci.
Clifton has a number of outdoor activities. The Coronado Trail Scenic Byway travels between the towns of Clifton and Springerville, along U.S. Highway 180 or 191. Francisco Vasques de Coronado first used the trail in 1540, during his search for the Seven Cities of Cibola. The drive passes by gorgeous landscapes and through dangerous switchbacks. Another scenic drive that is located just outside of town is the Black Hills Back Country Byway. This rough 21-mile road between Clifton and Safford begins just south of Clifton and passes over the Old Safford Bridge. The road was once a wagon trail and it travels through spectacular scenery and sweeping views. It is a must see, as long as you are prepared for the bumpy path. The Black Hills Rockhounding Area is about 15 miles south of Clifton off of U.S. Highway 191. The road off the highway is not regularly maintained. Therefore, visitors should come prepared. Many rockhounds have found fire agates in this area. It is an adventure.

History:
Clifton was founded in 1865 by some Mexican placer miners. However the town did not take off until 1872, when Jim and Bob Metcalf discovered copper deposits near Clifton. The men created the Longfellow and Metcalf mines. It was during this same year, that a peace treaty was signed with the Apache Indians. This treaty allowed access to the area.
Soon other mines began popping up like the Montezuma, Copper Mountain, Yankie and the Arizona Central. These mines along with the Longfellow and Metcalf mines organized the Copper Mountain Mining District. Later, the Metcalf’s sold their portion of the mine to the Lesinsky brothers.
The origin of the town’s name is difficult to say. One story says that the town was named after Henry Clifton, who was a leading a prospecting group through the area in 1864. Apaches later chased Clifton out of the area. Another story says that Charlie Shannon noticed that steep canyon walls and hillsides surrounding the town and smelter. He called the town “Cliff Town”. Later, the name was shortened to Clifton.
When mining first began, the copper ore was shipped to Swansea, Wales for smelting. Unfortunately, this proved to be very expensive and cut into the profits. The Lesinsky brothers came up with a new plan. They constructed an adobe smelter along Chase Creek in Clifton. The process began by hauling the ore by burro from the mine down to the smelter at Chase Creek. The burros would pull the empty ore carts up to the mine. Then when the carts were full, the burros would be loaded on top of the ore and the carts would be sent down the hill powered by gravity. Oxen train next took the smelted ore over to Kansas City.
Not only did Chase Creek Street have a smelter, it was also became the center of Clifton. Chase Creek Street was the main business thoroughfare. Its narrow crooked street had board sidewalks and buildings jammed together on both sides.
Clifton’s first town jail was built in 1878. The Clifton Cliff Jail located along the Chase Creek Street and can still be seen today. The jail was blasted out of the side of the granite cliff. Though bad men in the old days were often as ingenious as ruthless, it is claimed that none ever left Clifton Cliff Jail except under escort. The jail does have a story behind it. The Lesinsky brothers, owners of the mines, enlisted Margartio Verala to build the jail. The story goes on to say that upon the completion of the jail, Verala went out to celebrate. He got too carried away and shot up the dance hall. Verala ended up becoming the jail’s first guest.
Also in 1878, the Lesinsky brothers improved upon the transportation of ore. They built a narrow gauge railroad and the first steam locomotive was used. The “Little Emma” was the name of the mini locomotive that hauled the ore to Colorado. In 1880, the Lesinsky brothers decided to sell the operation for several million.
The mine sold to Frank Underwood, who created the Arizona Copper Company. The company’s headquarters was in Edinburgh, Scotland. The operation grew again. This time a 71-mile railroad was built to New Mexico to link with the Southern Pacific Railroad. The Arizona Copper smelter remained in the same location as the first one built by the Lesinsky brothers near Chase Creek.
Throughout the late 1890’s and the early 1900’s, the mine experienced drops in copper prices and several strikes. Clifton was incorporated in 1909 and the town was recognized as the county seat. Clifton continues to hold that distinction today.
In 1921, Arizona Copper sold to Phelps-Dodge. Clifton went through more strikes and several terrible floods.
Today mining and mineral processing are dominant factors in Clifton’s economy, which employs about two-thirds of the workforce.