Chloride, Arizona is a small settlement in the heart of Mohave County. It is a rather inconspicuous desert town if you visit now today, but at one time it was a booming mining camp.
The Town is Founded… But Mining is Yet to Come
That was the time when gold and silver was being discovered all over the West, including several strikes in Mohave Desert. This barren desert, which travelers once tried to get through as quickly as possible, was now a place to stay and explore.
It was the 1840s when silver was found in the Cerbat Mountain Range. Early discoveries were small, but miners continued searching and they were not disappointed. In a place, called Silver Hill, an major strike of silver veins was found.
In most cases, the scenario is the following: veins are found, claims are made as fast as possible and in a year or two there are a couple thousands of miners combing the mountains. However, that was not the case with Chloride.
Indian Fightning and a Delayed Mining Boom
As we have already determined, silver was found in the 1840s but the mining started 30 years later, in 1870. Why is that? Perhaps tne thing one thing that will separate man from gold is death. And the Mojave Desert during the mid-1800’s most certainly offered death.
Northern Arizona was populated by the Hualapai tribe in those days. At first contact with the settlers everything seemed to be peaceful. Treaties were made, there was enough place for everyone and there were no conflicts. However, as precious minerals were found in the area, settlers ventured further and further into Indian territory. Naturally, Hualapai wanted to have none of it, and with a death of a tribe chief in 1865 a full-scale war broke out.
Both sides raided the others’ settlements and killed people. Violent raids continued for years. You can see now why people were not that eager to settle in the Cerbat Mountains.
After decades of violence, by 1870 the Indians were inevitably driven back and surrendered, and the treaty signed made Mohave a safe place to conduct business. The miners arrived.
The Prosperity of Chloride
The Cerbat Mountains were open and ready for serious prospecting. Miners already knew that there was gold and silver hiding in these mountains, but with Indian troubles out of the way, prospectors were free to start searching in earnest. And they certainly took advantage of the opportunity.
The town of Chloride was founded just a year after the treaty was signed, and Chloride became the county seat with 5000 citizens. Silver wasn’t the only precious mineral in the Silver Hills. People processed gold, zinc and turquoise there too.
Such a big town couldn’t do without a Post Office and such one was opened there in 1873 and works up to this day. In 1898 a rail road was constructed. It led from the town of Kingman and serviced the many mines which were well developed in Chloride by that time.
The Decline of Silver in Chloride
Despite our sincerest of wished, prosperity cannot continue forever. Everything declines eventually. For Chloride first signs of it showed in 1917. Population dropped to 2000 when the prices for silver dropped low and lots of veins were depleted, however Chloride was still safe because it had other minerals to rely upon and so the population stayed at that level for a while.
The Second World War was the event that brought real end to Chloride. People enrolled into the army and the prices were ever lower for precious metals. Production of base metals for the war effort outpaced the need for precious metal mining. Chloride literally became a ghost town.
Chloride – A Ghost Town Lives Once More
Right now Chloride is a rural town with a population of 150-250 people. Most of the people that live there now aren’t miners; they are artists, retirees and people working in nearby Kingman. Quite a few “snowbirds” visit Chloride because of the nice climate in the winter.
For those of us interested in the history of this town, there is still plenty sign that mining took place. Looking up on the hills surrounding Chloride you will see lots of old “diggin’s.”
Driving around the backroads of town you will also see lots of old mining relics. Even in people front yards there are neat things like old ore carts and such.
I should also mention that some leftover mining is still carried in Chloride but it is mostly small enterprises. Casual prospecting in the desert washes in this area will still produce placer gold from time to time.
Chloride is a neat little mining town that isn’t too hard to get to. If you find yourself in northwest Arizona you should definitely pay it a visit.
Next: This Arizona Gold Mine was the Richest in the State