Swansea, Arizona
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Swansea-arizona-street.jpg
Swansea is a ghost town located in La Paz County, Arizona, USA.
Its climate is generally desert like, being mild in winter and extremely hot in summer.
Remains
There are a number of buildings remaining, including most of the main street, a railroad station and remains of the copper mine.
History
The area was first investigated in 1886 by 3 prospectors who were disappointed when the ore show only copper and silver.
However ten or so years later when copper had become a more marketable product, one of the men returned with a new partner and mining began.
Swansea became the headquarters for the Clara Consolidated Gold and Copper Mining company. Taking its name from Swansea, South Wales, United Kingdom, where most of its copper was shipped. It got there via a combination of local railroad, the Colorado River and then shipped from the Gulf of California around Cape Horn to the United Kingdom.
A railroad connected Swansea to nearby Bouse in 1908 and the camps population grew to a total of 750.
Swansea's post office was established March 25, 1909 and was discontinued June 28, 1924.
During its time Swansea had an electric light company, an auto dealer, a lumber company, two cemeteries, a bar, an insurance agent and of course the local mining and smelting plant.
The short existence of Swansea ended after WW1 when copper prices dropped down. In the year of 1937, Swansea was already a ghost town although periodic mining did continue until 1949.
Directions
To reach Swansea, start from Bouse (SR 72) by taking Plomosa Road in direction northwest over the railroad tracks. Plomosa Road change from pawed road to dirt road and become Swansea Road, which cross Central Arizona Project Canal. 13 miles from Bouse is the destroyed town Midway, which was a "water stop place" on the short railroad line that connected Bouse and Swansea. Take the left fork and continue until the crossing 18,5 miles from Bouse. Take the right fork to the northeast for another 7 miles to Swansea.