The History Surrounding Picketpost Mountain and the Copper Corridor Trail Runs
There are a few races on the Aravaipa Running race calendar that come to mind when thinking about courses that run through areas containing a lot of interesting history. Copper Corridor is certainly one of those races.
Copper Corridor starts and finishes in the Town of Superior, AZ, which is a quiet town about an hour drive from Phoenix. While a one hour drive doesn’t seem like much, there is a stark contrast between the Phoenix Valley and the Town of Superior.
Driving into Superior from Phoenix takes you directly east as you skirt just south of the towering Superstition Ridgeline along Highway 60 before going up and over Gonzalez Pass and driving straight downhill past Picketpost Mountain and finally entering the town.
Picketpost Mountain is the prominent remains of a once much larger volcanic feature, which has eroded away over millions of years. Originally called the “Tordillo” (Grey Spotted) Mountain, the mountain was renamed Picketpost after the military camp which existed at the base of the mountain starting in 1870. The name Picketpost came from the tall spires around the mountain which acted as a natural barrier for its defenders and because mountain was used as a look-out point to guard the surrounding settlements during the Apache Wars.
Picketpost overlooking the outskirts of Superior, AZ – Image source: Cat Brown
In 1875 Silver was discovered near Picketpost mountain, which lead to the opening of the Silver King Mine (The richest silver mine in Arizona’s history), and subsequently lead to the Boom Town that was to be known as Pinal City.
Located at the base of Picketpost Mountain, near the Silver King Mine, Pinal City was a major destination for miners and for some of the Wild West’s most notorious characters, including Wyatt Earp, and Doc Holiday.
The Silver King Mine operated from 1875 until 1888 when a combination of deteriorating ore quality and a drop in the price of silver forced the mine too close. Without the mine in operation, the town of Pinal City was completely abandoned and focus was shifted to newer mines located closer to the Queen Creek Canyon.
Although not much remains today, the Copper Corridor races will pass along the old town limits before dropping into Arnett Canyon.
Mule Wagon hauling silver ore from the Silver King Mine to the refinery in Pinal City – 1885 (westernmininghistory.com)
In 1910 William Boyce Thompson purchased the Silver King Mine for $130,000, Incorporated the Magma Copper Company, and named his new mine “Magma”. The Magma mine expanded its operations closer to Superior when large Copper Deposits were found near the Queen Creek, thus bringing new life to the Town of Superior.
With rock temperatures exceeding 126 degrees at lower levels and multiple instances of fatal fires within the mine, calling it hard work would be an understatement. The Magma Mine would remain in operation until 1982 when it was forced to cease operations due to the high cost of operations and the falling price of copper.
Early days of Superior facing East towards Picketpost (box8ranch.com)
Some predicted that when the Magma mine shut down in 1982, it would also mean that Superior would begin to turn into another Arizona ghost town, just as Pinal City did 100 years before, but this was not to be. Superior has sense developed a much loved and sustainable community in their beautiful high desert setting and its population has continually risen in recent years.
We are thrilled to share this piece of the wild west with all runners in the 2023 Copper Corridor. With a race start & finish right in downtown Superior this is an Aravaipa race you won’t soon forget.
Be sure to stick around for an afternoon of exploring Main Street, taking in the sights and sharing some well earned post race refreshments around town. Several bars will have live music Saturday evening.
