Vulture Mine - History

History

The Vulture Mine began when a prospector from California's gold rush, Henry Wickenburg, discovered a quartz deposit containing gold and began mining the outcrop himself. In 1863, after Henry Wickenburg discovered the Vulture Mine, Vulture City a small mining town was established in the area. The town once had a population of 5,000 citizens After the mine closed the city was deserted and became a "ghost town". The deposit was later sold to Benjamin Phelps, who represented a group of investors that eventually organized under the name of Vulture Mining Company.

The desert surrounding the Vulture Mine did not give much in the way of produce, so an enterprising individual by the name of Jack Swilling went into the Phoenix valley and reopened the irrigation canals left by the native peoples. Agriculture was brought back to the valley and a grain route was established. This grain route still exists today under the name of Grand Avenue. Phoenix grew up around the agricultural center spawned by the needs of the Vulture Mine.

In 1942, the Vulture Mine was shut down by a regulatory agency for processing gold. This was a violation at the time because all resources were to be focused on the war effort. The mine appealed the shut down order and reopened, but with less vigor. A few years later the mine closed permanently.

Today the mine and ghost town are privately owned, but tours are offered. Two-hour, dirt path, guided walking tours at the historic Vulture Mine offers a glimpse of the olden days through a tour of some of the remaining buildings of Vulture City, a booming mining town.

The mine was a Lock-down site on Ghost Adventures on the Travel Channel on October 29, 2010.