Senator Highway
Prescott, AZ 86303

The Senator gold mine is an inactive gold mine located in the picturesque hilly and wooded area at the end of Senator Highway reached by traveling about 10 miles south from Prescott. It was first opened around 1871 and was primarily operated between 1883 and 1899. Although it was initially opened for the mining of gold, it also produced significant amounts of lead, zinc, copper and silver.

A mining town was established adjacent to the mine along the Hassayampa River to support the mining effort including a saloon, a store, and a boarding house. During the 1890's, Phelps Dodge purchased the mine and the settlement became a small town. The town grew and included hotels, restaurants, more saloons, a church, and a school.

A dam was constructed on the Hassayampa River to hold water for mining operations and provide the town’s drinking water. Later the town spread along the Senator Highway and the river and was referred to as "Senator" or "Maxton". In 1901, an official US post office was added to the expanding community. Although the town has long been abandoned, remnants of the community can still be found as is typical of the many Arizona ghost towns.

The scenic area in which the mine is located can be accessed by driving south on Senator Highway for about 10 miles out of Prescott. Much of the drive is paved with the last several miles being a graded dirt road that is mostly two lane. Four wheel drive is not necessary and the road is reasonably accessible in non-winter months. It would make an excellent day trip for residents wishing to explore the gorgeous surrounding areas surrounding Prescott.

The area surrounding the mine is in a moderate to heavily wooded area with hilly topography which lends itself to extremely scenic landscapes with the Hassayampa River basin as the focal point. It is lush with vegetation, hilly, mostly accessible and provides an environment which reaches out to people.

There has been some controversy in recent years as to the legacy of the remains of the mining operations. As with many other Arizona mining operations, various petitions and written communications have been made by environmentally

conscious and local resident groups concerned with the environmental impact that the abandoned mine has on the local ecosystem with no resolution to date.

The area surrounding the mine but not including the mine has been recently listed for sale. 221 acres of the incredibly gorgeous surroundings can be purchased. The property is residentially zoned and can be utilized as single family housing with lots of at least two acres. With rezoning the land could also be used as a public park, a summer camp, a nature preserve or any other number of public uses to allow everyone to enjoy the one of a kind property just minutes from Prescott.