A New Economy in Copper Corridor: Ore Cart Trail Aims to Draw Tourists

By Andrea Rivera, The Arizona Daily Star, Tucson

Jul. 14–By paying tribute to their rich mining history, nine communities in Pinal and Gila counties hope to attract tourists to a region in need of some economic attention.

The Ore Cart Trail is a project initiated by the Copper Corridor Economic Development Coalition — an organization dedicated to creating a sustainable economy from Oracle to Superior — to increase tourism by placing a custom-made ore cart at a spot in each of the nine communities to act as a landmark for tourists.

The communities involved in the coalition, which was formed in late 2003, are Oracle, San Manuel, Mammoth, Aravaipa, Dudleyville, Winkelman, Hayden, Kearny and Superior.

Winkelman and Hayden are in Gila County, and the rest of the communities are in Pinal County.

“By acting regionally on behalf of so many small towns, we can leverage our voice,” coalition member and Oracle resident Lynn Perez-Hewitt said. “Our little towns just all by themselves would have struggled.”

Mammoth was the first community to unveil its ore cart — “The Skeleton Crew.” The town of 1,800 is about 50 miles northeast of Tucson.

A public art competition was held for Arizona artists, and 18 ore-cart models were selected. Each town will host a public viewing to determine which ore cart will represent its community.

The Copper Corridor group received $240,000 in federal transportation money through U.S. Rep. Rick Renzi’s office to fund the art project, and the coalition has to pitch in $60,000.

The towns will pay for the ore carts and then be reimbursed. Mammoth received a $46,875 rural-tourism grant to cover the cost of its ore cart.

Once all the towns erect their ore carts, members say it will bind the communities and create an alternative to using Interstate 10 for Tucsonans traveling to and from Phoenix.

Instead, Tucsonans could travel up Arizona 77 through Mammoth, follow Arizona 177 through Winkelman and Hayden and end at Arizona 60 in Superior. Once tourists hit Superior, the distance to Phoenix is about another 60 miles.

Pinal County Supervisor Lionel Ruiz said the Copper Corridor region needs to shift from a mining economy to one driven by tourism dollars.

Right now, Boyce Thompson Arboretum near Superior and Biosphere 2 near Oracle are the two biggest tourist draws in the region.

The arboretum, which includes 3,200 different plants, attracts nearly 65,000 visitors each year, Director Mark Bierner said.

With a $2 million budget, Bierner said he wishes he could spend more of it in Superior, which has a population of about 3,200, and other surrounding areas.

“I would spend all of our money on products and supplies if they had more vendors,” Bierner said.

The arboretum, Bierner said, is part of the economic engine in the area. “If we attract tourists to the arboretum, there is a good chance they will go into Superior,” he said.

For decades, mines in Pinal County produced billions of pounds of copper and employed most of the townspeople, but few of those mines remain in production today.

Tucson-based Asarco has a smelter and concentrator in Hayden, which has a population of less than 900.

An open-pit mine about 18 miles west of the town is in operation today and together with the smelter and concentrator employs about 1,300 people.

“The mines aren’t like they used to be,” Ruiz said. “The quickest and best thing to do is work on tourism.”

In the past three years, only one of the nine communities has attracted a large employer, Republic Plastics, Ruiz said.

The tableware manufacturer is in San Manuel and employs about 200 people.

San Manuel is the largest of the nine Copper Corridor communities with a population close to 4,600. Winkelman is the smallest with a population of less than 500.

In 1999, BHP Copper Inc. curtailed production at its underground mine in San Manuel, which was first established in the 1940s by Magma Copper Co., because of plummeting copper prices.

In a 1999 Arizona mining update, the state Department of Mines and Mineral Resources wrote, “Copper prices fell three cents more to 72 cents per pound, the lowest annual average price (in constant dollars) in the century.” Copper closed at $3.593 a pound Friday on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

The halt in production resulted in the loss of 2,200 jobs, thus signaling an end to an economy driven by the copper industry.

By 2002, BHP ceased all operations in San Manuel and employed less than 50 people, responsible for environmental remediation and security.

If you go

–What: Boyce Thompson Arboretum.

–Where: 37615 U.S. Highway 60, Superior.

–When: July and August hours are 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.

–Cost: $7.50 for adults and $3 for ages 5 to 12.

–For more information: Visit the Web site http://arboretum.ag.arizona.edu/

–What: San Manuel Mining and Historical Museum.

–Where: 130 N. Reddington Road, San Manuel.

–When: Open 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday or by appointment.

–Cost: Free.

–For more information: Call (520) 385-4223.

A version of this story was originally published July 12 in the weekly Northwest Star. Contact reporter Andrea Rivera at 806-7737 or arivera@azstarnet.com.

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