Arizona has many places with odd names. A few of them are Show Low, Two Guns, Bumble Bee, Happy Jack, Tuba City, Ak-Chin, Wikieup, Carefree, Santa Claus, Nothing, and Why. (Yes, Why.)
Taking a place among them is Bagdad.
While on the subject of strange names, when travelling to Bagdad from Sedona, you have to pass through Skull Valley.
On the way to Bagdad, there is wonderful scenery. At one spot, you can look out over the high desert terrain of Prescott Valley.
Another nice view is the San Francisco Peaks fifty miles away in Flagstaff. They are the remnants of huge volcanoes.
West of Prescott, you are in granite country. Huge granite boulders litter the landscape.
Sometimes boulders as big as cars rest in huge mounds.
Grace got this nice shot of a few of the millions of huge saguaro cacti. They grow in a narrow range of annual rainfall and altitude. They can reach a height of forty feet.
Coming into Bagdad, the first thing you notice is an unusual pair of statues. If you’re guessing, they are miners. That’s what Bagdad is all about.
If my research is accurate, there are only two “company towns” remaining in the USA. Both are in Arizona and both are owned by the same mining company.
In company towns, all property, housing, utilities, and amenities are owned and managed by the company. Here at Copper Plaza are several businesses including a supermarket. I presume businesses operate under a company license.
The history of Bagdad goes way back to 1882 when the first mining claim was filed.
This plaque at the town entrance, has some amusing items on it. If you click on the image, you may be able to read the last three lines:
CLAMPER YEAR 5996
LOST DUTCHMAN CHAPTER 5917
E CLAMPUS VITUS
The Ancient and Honorable Order of E Clampus Vitus (ECV) is a fraternal organization dedicated to the study and preservation of the heritage of the American West, especially the history of the Mother Lode and gold mining regions of the area. Some very famous people were and are members of the fraternity. Members are called Clampers. Aparently, they have their own rather odd calendar, thus the year 5996.
Near the Copper Plaza is The Diner. It’s an American classic design. The original “diners” were converted railroad dining cars.
There is another restaurant up the road toward the mine entrance. It is the Copper City Bar and Grill. This stuffed javelina unhappily decorates the entry hall.
When I planned (or didn’t) the trip, my intention was to visit the mine. I at least wanted to get to a place where we could look out over the 5 mile wide pit to see the giant trucks hauling ore. Here is a Google Earth image of the mine.
Sadly, that was not to be. Mine visits are on Saturdays only. I should have researched more intensely. There is also a museum, but it too was closed for some reason. We drove up a dirt road beside the mine, but all we could see was a huge pile of tailings.
So, if you want to go to Bagdad, plan ahead.
