Crown King, Arizona
Encyclopedia
Crown King is an unincorporated community
in Yavapai County
, Arizona
, United States
, located at an elevation of 5,771 feet (1,759 m). Crown King has a ZIP Code
of 86343; in 2000, the population of the 86343 ZCTA
was 133. The site of a former gold mining
town, Crown King is 28 miles west of Interstate 17
on Senator Highway, high in the Bradshaw Mountains
. The community is named after the Crowned King mine, but the name was shortened to Crown King in 1888. Horsethief Basin Lake
resides 6.5 miles southeast of Crown King on Crown King Rd/Forest 259 Rd.
An estimated US$2,000,000 in gold was taken from the Crowned King Mine alone; the mines have been closed since the 1950s and for the past half-century tourism has been the only reliable source of income in the area.
At its height, the town had 500 buildings, including several company stores and boarding houses, two Chinese restaurants and a post office. The town was electrified by 1897 and had one telephone at that time.
While an active mining town, Crown King was served by the Bradshaw Mountain Railroad
. Rail service to the area began in 1904 upon completion of "Murphy's Impossible Railroad
" — a series of switchbacks and trestles that ascended the mountain terrain between Cleator
and Crown King.
Crown King was the terminus (1904–1926) of the railroad, built by Frank M. Murphy to serve the mines of the southern Bradshaw Mountains
. However, these mines were never very productive, and the BMRR was a financial failure. The line was abandoned in 1926. Much of the road to Crown King uses the old railbed.
Of the buildings still standing and in use in Crown King, the Crown King Restaurant and Saloon has become the center of activity in the town. The building itself has an interesting history. It was originally constructed in the nearby mining town of Oro Belle (now also a ghost town) and having been brought to Crown King in 1910 in pieces, on the backs of mules, when Oro Belle closed. The building was home to a brothel and bar in both towns.
The red one-room schoolhouse was built in 1917 and still serves seven K-8 students today.
The post office was established on July 29, 1888, and was discontinued on May 15, 1954. It has since reopened inside the Crown King General Store.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
in Yavapai County
Yavapai County, Arizona
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*89.3% White*0.6% Black*1.7% Native American*0.8% Asian*0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*2.5% Two or more races*5.0% Other races*13.6% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, located at an elevation of 5,771 feet (1,759 m). Crown King has a ZIP Code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
of 86343; in 2000, the population of the 86343 ZCTA
ZIP Code Tabulation Area
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas are statistical entities developed by the United States Census Bureau for tabulating summary statistics from Census 2000. This new entity was developed to overcome the difficulties in precisely defining the land area covered by each ZIP code...
was 133. The site of a former gold mining
Gold mining
Gold mining is the removal of gold from the ground. There are several techniques and processes by which gold may be extracted from the earth.-History:...
town, Crown King is 28 miles west of Interstate 17
Interstate 17
Interstate 17 , also known as the Black Canyon Freeway, is an intrastate Interstate Highway located entirely within the state of Arizona, United States. I-17's southern terminus lies within Phoenix, at Interstate 10, and its northern terminus is in Flagstaff, at Interstate 40...
on Senator Highway, high in the Bradshaw Mountains
Bradshaw Mountains
The Bradshaw Mountains are a mountain range in the Sonoran Desert of central Arizona, USA, named for brothers Isaac and William Bradshaw after their death, having been formerly known in English as the Silver Mountain Range.-History:...
. The community is named after the Crowned King mine, but the name was shortened to Crown King in 1888. Horsethief Basin Lake
Horsethief Basin Lake
Horsethief Basin Lake is located near Crown King in central Arizona. The lake features a dam which is open to pedestrians and anglers.-Fish species:* Largemouth Bass* Sunfish* Catfish -External links:**...
resides 6.5 miles southeast of Crown King on Crown King Rd/Forest 259 Rd.
An estimated US$2,000,000 in gold was taken from the Crowned King Mine alone; the mines have been closed since the 1950s and for the past half-century tourism has been the only reliable source of income in the area.
History
The first recorded gold claim in Crown King was "Buckeye" and was filed by Rod McKinnon on July 1, 1875. Over the next 40 years, more than 15 mines or claims were made in the area.At its height, the town had 500 buildings, including several company stores and boarding houses, two Chinese restaurants and a post office. The town was electrified by 1897 and had one telephone at that time.
While an active mining town, Crown King was served by the Bradshaw Mountain Railroad
Bradshaw Mountain Railroad
The Bradshaw Mountain Railroad was a subsidiary of the Santa Fe, Prescott and Phoenix Railway in Arizona. The 35.65 mile railroad was built to serve the mines in the Bradshaw Mountains. The railroad built from a connection at Poland Junction and at Mayer with the Prescott and Eastern Railroad...
. Rail service to the area began in 1904 upon completion of "Murphy's Impossible Railroad
Murphy's Impossible Railroad
Completed in 1904, the Crown King Branch of the Bradshaw Mountain Railroad, also known as Murphy's Impossible Railroad, linked the town of Crown King with the end of the Prescott and Eastern Railroad at Mayer, Arizona....
" — a series of switchbacks and trestles that ascended the mountain terrain between Cleator
Cleator, Arizona
Cleator is a ghost town in Yavapai County, Arizona, United States. It lies along the road that has replaced Murphy's Impossible Railroad between Cordes and Crown King....
and Crown King.
Crown King was the terminus (1904–1926) of the railroad, built by Frank M. Murphy to serve the mines of the southern Bradshaw Mountains
Bradshaw Mountains
The Bradshaw Mountains are a mountain range in the Sonoran Desert of central Arizona, USA, named for brothers Isaac and William Bradshaw after their death, having been formerly known in English as the Silver Mountain Range.-History:...
. However, these mines were never very productive, and the BMRR was a financial failure. The line was abandoned in 1926. Much of the road to Crown King uses the old railbed.
Of the buildings still standing and in use in Crown King, the Crown King Restaurant and Saloon has become the center of activity in the town. The building itself has an interesting history. It was originally constructed in the nearby mining town of Oro Belle (now also a ghost town) and having been brought to Crown King in 1910 in pieces, on the backs of mules, when Oro Belle closed. The building was home to a brothel and bar in both towns.
The red one-room schoolhouse was built in 1917 and still serves seven K-8 students today.
The post office was established on July 29, 1888, and was discontinued on May 15, 1954. It has since reopened inside the Crown King General Store.
Further reading
- Bruce M. Wilson, Crown King and the Southern Bradshaws: A Complete History, Mesa, Crown King Press, 1990, 104 pages. ISBN 0-0927573-0-6
External links