Alexandra, Arizona

History

Alexandra was founded by E.G. Peck, the owner of the Peck Mine, a famous mining company at the time, T.M. Alexander, William Cole and a man named Curtis Coe Bean. One day in June 1875, while walking through the Bradshaw Mountains, Peck noticed a peculiar rock partly underground. After examination, the rock proved to be pure silver and the first of Alexandra was founded. The town is located in Peck Canyon and was named Alexandra after Mrs. T.M. Alexander, a founder and the first lady to be at the town. A long mountain road separated the town from Mayer. The silver ore produced from the mine was taken via pack train through Bradshaws to Aztlan Mill, 30 mi away.

This became troublesome, so eventually, Peck built his own mill at Alexandra, in 1877. A year later a post office was established. The town boomed and grew to seventy-five to 100 buildings. General stores, saloons, boarding houses, livery stables, a blacksmith and a brewery all existed there. Alexandra was lively, until litigation problems began and, by 1879, the town was mostly uninhabited and remained so for years. The post office closed in 1896, but in 1903, a new mine shaft was founded at Peck Mine. This did not save the town though, apparently Alexandra never thrived again and became a ghost.

Alexandra's population was 190 in 1890.

References

References

1. {{gnis. 479. Adamana
2. Sherman, James E. (1969). "Ghost Towns of Arizona". University of Oklahoma Press.
3. Cram, George Franklin. (1890). "Cram's Universal Atlas: Geographical, Astronomical and Historical, Containing a Complete Series of Maps of Modern Geography, Illustrated by Numerous Views and Charts; the Whole Supplemented with Valuable Statistics, Diagrams, and a Complete Gazetteer of the United States". G.F. Cram.