The Chronicles Of Grant County:
Gold, Silver, And Copper
October 1, 2019
Eighteen roadways in Grant County have names related to three of the metals that have been mined in Grant County – Gold, Silver, and Copper. The mining of these metals goes back generations in the area.
On October 7, 1915, the Albuquerque Morning Journal reported that “the ores of Pinos Altos district are complex and carry copper, zinc, lead, silver, and gold.”
The New Mexican, a newspaper based in Santa Fe, reported on October 20, 1865, about quartz gold mining in Pinos Altos (“Tall Pines” in Spanish): “Thirty lodes were discovered, paying from $40 to $200 per ton.”
The image above shows gold in the form of gold bars; the image is provided courtesy of Mr. Steve Bidmead from Pixabay.
There are five roadways with names related to “Gold” in Grant County:Gold Street in Silver City and Gold Street in Arenas Valley as well as Golden Avenue in Pinos Altos, Gold Gulch Road in Tyrone, and Gold Rush Road in Mimbres.
Silver City developed “in the 1870s, after the discovery of silver in and around the Town,” according to the website of the Town of Silver City. “Silver City quickly became a boom town.”
Silver is utilized for a wide variety of products, including coins for the United States of America. The photo above, provided courtesy of Mr. Matthew Heinrichs from Pixabay, showcases the one ounce silver dollar coins minted by the Federal Government.
Globally, more than 855 million ounces of silver were mined throughout the world in 2018, according to the World Silver Supply published by The Silver Institute.
This metal is recognized in the names of seven roadways in Grant County:Silver Streets in Silver City, Pinos Altos, and Arenas Valley;Silver Spur, Silver Spirit Trail, and Silver Heights Boulevard in Silver City;and Silver Creek Road in the area between Bayard and Santa Rita.
Copper, mined for decades in Grant County, is used to manufacture a number of products. One of those products, copper wire, is seen in the photo above provided by Mr. Łukasz Klepaczewski from Pixabay.
“The United States of America is the second largest producer of copper in the world,” according to the Copper Development Association. “The largest copper mine is found in Utah (Bingham Canyon). Other major mines are found in Arizona, Michigan, New Mexico, and Montana. In South America, Chile, the world's largest producer, and Peru are both major producers of copper.”
Six roadways in Grant County trace their names to this metal: Cooper Court and Cooper Drive, both in Tyrone; Cooper Loop and Copper Vista in Arenas Valley; Cooper Street in Bayard; and Copper Ridge Drive in Silver City.
Do you have questions about communities in Grant County?
A street name? A building?
Your questions may be used in a future news column.
Contact Richard McDonough at chroniclesofgrantcounty@gmail.com.
© 2019 Richard McDonough