San Manuel - Pinal County

Updated: 12/2/2018

​

Where: Pinal County

 

Operation Dates:  1953 to present

​

Noted Aspects of Town:  The town is a company town established to support the San Manuel Copper Mine.  The San Manuel Copper Mine was closed and shuddered in 2003.  It is a gateway city to the Arizona Trail.

 

History:  The San Manuel Copper Mine was discovered by Frank Schultz in 1879 with the main ore body deposits discovered by Henry W. Nichols in 1942.  The first mine shaft was built in 1948 with the first major production starting in 1955.  The town of San Manuel is a community built by Del Web, to support the mining operation in 1953.  The post office was established in April 1, 1954 and Joe H. Cittadini was the post master.

 

The town consists of shopping facilities, schools and a hospital owned by the Magma Copper Co. to service the company’s’ employees.  The town reached a population of about 5,000 people and included 1,200 homes in the early 1990’s.  The mine closed due to the mineable ore reserves and price of copper in 1999 with final closure and of the mine in 2003.

 

The town has not totally died out and still has some residence living there.  It is a destination for leisure, hunting, backroad travel and off-road dirt bikes and ATV’s.  San Manual is also a gateway city of The Arizona Trail.

 

People:  Frank Schultz and Henry W. Nichols

​

Mine(s) supporting town:  San Manuel Copper Mine owned by the Magma Copper Corporation

​

What you will see today:  This is still an active town and can be visited easily by paved or dirt roads

 

Acknowledgement:  Wikipedia, William Ascarza Special to the Arizona Daily Star (April 14, 2014), Arizona Place Names