Detroit Copper Mining Company of Arizona
Encyclopedia
The Detroit Copper Mining Company of Arizona was an American
copper mining and smelting
company based in Morenci, Arizona
. Incorporated in 1874, it existed as an independent company until 1881 when a controlling interest in the company was purchased by the Phelps Dodge Corporation
. It continued to exist as a subsidiary of Phelps Dodge until 1917, when all Phelps Dodge operations in the area were consolidated into the new Phelps Dodge, Morenci Branch.
The company was co-founded in 1874 by Captain E. B. Ward, a wealthy steamboat
owner from Detroit, Michigan
, and William Church, a mine speculator from Denver, Colorado
. Actual mining operations did not begin until 1875, however. The company consisted of 145 mining claims near Morenci. In time, the company owned a large store, a hotel, and considerable amounts of additional property in the town of Morenci. It also established a water pumping plant on the San Francisco River
seven miles away. The quality of the "Detroit lode" yielded about 140 pounds of copper per ton of ore mined. But traditional mechanical concentration methods could not be used to process the ore; a furnace had to be used, increasing the cost of the operation and limiting the company's profitability until such time as it could raise enough capital to expand its smelting operations. Luckily, Detroit Copper Mining was the only company of any size to operate in the area until 1900.
Church founded the town of Morenci to supply housing and services to workers employed by the new mine. The company employed mostly Mexican
miners, who were paid about half what Caucasian miners earned. As mining operations expanded, the town of Clifton
was settled to provide additional housing.
The Phelps Dodge Corporation purchased a controlling interest in the company in 1881.
In May 1882, the company agreed to co-develop the "Detroit lode" with the Longfellow Copper Mining Company (later purchased by the Arizona Copper Company). Although federal and state law provided that the company which accessed the lode at a shallower level had the right to develop the entire deposit, Detroit Copper lacked the capital to do so and agreed to permit Longfellow Copper to mine the lode as well.
As with many mines in Arizona
and New Mexico
at the time, the Detroit Copper Mining Co. saw several waves of labor union
organizing as well as strikes from 1900 onward. Detroit Mining used labor spies
to infiltrate nascent unions and stop organizing campaigns.
Phelps Dodge Corporation bought out all remaining minority partners in 1897.
After a 1917 reorganization, the company ceased to exist. The operation was known as "Phelps Dodge Corporation, Morenci Branch."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
copper mining and smelting
Copper extraction
Copper extraction techniques refers to the methods for obtaining copper from its ores. This conversion consists of a series of chemical, physical, and electrochemical processes. Methods have evolved and vary with country depending on the ore source, local environmental regulations, and other...
company based in Morenci, Arizona
Morenci, Arizona
Morenci is a census-designated place in Greenlee County, Arizona, United States. The population was 1,879 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Safford Micropolitan Statistical Area...
. Incorporated in 1874, it existed as an independent company until 1881 when a controlling interest in the company was purchased by the Phelps Dodge Corporation
Phelps Dodge
Phelps Dodge Corporation was an American mining company founded in 1834 by Anson Greene Phelps and William Earle Dodge, Sr.. On March 19, 2007, it was acquired by Freeport-McMoRan and now operates under the name Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc.-History:...
. It continued to exist as a subsidiary of Phelps Dodge until 1917, when all Phelps Dodge operations in the area were consolidated into the new Phelps Dodge, Morenci Branch.
History
Steamboat
A steamboat or steamship, sometimes called a steamer, is a ship in which the primary method of propulsion is steam power, typically driving propellers or paddlewheels...
owner from Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
, and William Church, a mine speculator from Denver, Colorado
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
. Actual mining operations did not begin until 1875, however. The company consisted of 145 mining claims near Morenci. In time, the company owned a large store, a hotel, and considerable amounts of additional property in the town of Morenci. It also established a water pumping plant on the San Francisco River
San Francisco River
The San Francisco River is a river in the southwest United States, the largest tributary of the Upper Gila River. The river originates in Arizona and flows into New Mexico before it curves around and enters the Gila down stream from Clifton, Arizona....
seven miles away. The quality of the "Detroit lode" yielded about 140 pounds of copper per ton of ore mined. But traditional mechanical concentration methods could not be used to process the ore; a furnace had to be used, increasing the cost of the operation and limiting the company's profitability until such time as it could raise enough capital to expand its smelting operations. Luckily, Detroit Copper Mining was the only company of any size to operate in the area until 1900.
Church founded the town of Morenci to supply housing and services to workers employed by the new mine. The company employed mostly Mexican
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
miners, who were paid about half what Caucasian miners earned. As mining operations expanded, the town of Clifton
Clifton, Arizona
Clifton is a town in and the county seat of Greenlee County, Arizona, United States, along the San Francisco River. The population of the town was 3,311 at the 2010 census. It was a site of the Arizona Copper Mine Strike of 1983....
was settled to provide additional housing.
The Phelps Dodge Corporation purchased a controlling interest in the company in 1881.
In May 1882, the company agreed to co-develop the "Detroit lode" with the Longfellow Copper Mining Company (later purchased by the Arizona Copper Company). Although federal and state law provided that the company which accessed the lode at a shallower level had the right to develop the entire deposit, Detroit Copper lacked the capital to do so and agreed to permit Longfellow Copper to mine the lode as well.
As with many mines in 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...
and New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
at the time, the Detroit Copper Mining Co. saw several waves of labor union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
organizing as well as strikes from 1900 onward. Detroit Mining used labor spies
Labor spies
Labor spies are persons recruited or employed for the purpose of gathering intelligence, committing sabotage, sowing dissent, or engaging in other similar activities, typically within the context of an employer/labor organization relationship....
to infiltrate nascent unions and stop organizing campaigns.
Phelps Dodge Corporation bought out all remaining minority partners in 1897.
After a 1917 reorganization, the company ceased to exist. The operation was known as "Phelps Dodge Corporation, Morenci Branch."