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Many settlements emerged across the American West in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The lure was the mining industry; more specifically, miners were enticed by the promise of financial reward for their efforts. Bisbee, Globe, and Wickenburg, three now-thriving cities in Arizona, all began as optimistic risks pioneers took. However, many other communities were found unsustainable economically and subsequently abandoned.
As a result, it's easy to track down deserted locations in Arizona. Anywhere one looks in the vast, arid desert are abandoned settlements, crumbling structures, and long-forgotten mining tunnels. Some are well-known ghost towns, while others have been lost to time and history. Swansea, one of the creepiest towns in the American Southwest, is one such place.
A Glance Back At The Beginning Of Swansea And Its Explosive Growth
Swansea, Arizona, United States, is a ghost town in La Paz. It was the first permanent settlement in the territory of Arizona in about the year 1909. It was a mining town that also served as a hub for processing and smelting copper ore from the surrounding areas.
Around 1862, prospecting and mining began in the area, but it was so far out that only a few people bothered to get there. By 1904, two local miners regarded the arrival of the train in Parker as a chance to expand the town's infrastructure.
Following some advancements in town, the Clara Gold and Copper Mining Company established its headquarters in the mining village that would later become Swansea in 1908, solidifying the region's claims.
In the same year, a connection was made from Signal to Bouse along what would become the Arizona and Swansea Railroad.
Because of these two circumstances, the town flourished rapidly to a population of around 300. The Swansea Post Office first opened on March 25, 1909.
In its heyday, Swansea was home to a saloon, theaters, restaurants, barbershops, an insurance agent, a doctor, and several mining and smelting companies.
From Overnight Sensation To Utter Collapse: Swansea's Fall
These rapid triumphs were only harbingers of impending doom. This town didn't last long at all. The Clara Consolidated Gold and Copper Mining Company faced financial difficulties in 1911.
George Mitchell, the company's promoter in Swansea, spent a lot of money on flashy additions to attract investors rather than investing in more efficient ways to mine, transport, and process ore.
Due to the high cost of renovations and the high cost of production, the mines could not generate a profit because the cost to produce a pound of copper was higher than the price of copper by three cents.
In 1912, the company went bankrupt, and the mines had to close. The mine's gates would open and shut intermittently throughout the following few years.
Later that same year, under new ownership, there was an earlier attempt that failed. Only a little happened in the mines or the town in 1914 when the American Smelting and Refining Company bought them.
The new proprietors resumed mining and urban development. Swansea continued existing until just after World War I when a slump in copper prices led to the city's rapid demise.
On June 28, 1924, the Swansea post office closed, and the town's residents eventually spread out across the country. After the mines closed in 1937, Swansea had already become a deserted town.
According to US Census data, the town's population peaked at about 400 in 1910, not long after its establishment, and then dropped to 337 in 1920, just before its fall.
Some estimates put the town's highest population at around 750 people, though the town's meteoric growth and collapse, combined with the time of demographic data gathering, make this number hard to verify.
Where Does The Town Stand Now?
Swansea is now part of a protected area known as the Swansea Town Site Special Management Area, administered by the Bureau of Land Management. The decaying remnants of Swansea are a victim of vandalism and weather.
There are a few concrete buildings, the ruins of the train terminal, two cemeteries, and a few mine shafts still visible. Visitors can find the rusted remains of various vehicles around the area.
The Bureau of Land Management has been hard at work repairing and restoring different buildings in Swansea, including re-roofing rows of single miner's quarters and creating an informative route for tourists. In addition, there are a lot of stone foundations in the places where there were once buildings.
Throughout the years, the city has made cameo appearances in various works of fiction and film. In the Chris Ryan novel Blackout, Swansea is the setting for Luke's hiding place. Swansea served as the location for filming the training scenes in The Day of the Wolves (1971), and folk singer Joanna Newsom has referred to the city in her music.
Swansea is situated roughly 25 miles (40 km) to the northeast of both Bouse and the town of Parker, making it accessible to curious travelers who are interested in paying a visit.
Keep in mind that the place is remote and is only accessible via rough, dirt roads.