Metals and Minerals and Mines

The chief metals and minerals in Arizona happen to be copper, silver and gold. In 2006 Arizona was impacted with 4.7 billion U.S. dollars from copper industry production. 62% of the copper produced in the United States came from Arizona.

Copper is our most prevalent metal resource. So you could not say that Arizona is penniless. We are the makers of that lucky penny you just found!

Arizona ranks, in the mineral production in the United States, very high. It is expected that production of copper equalled $7.58 billion in 2007.

We are ranked in the top five of States who produce molybdenum, sand and gravel, gemstones, perlite, silver, zeolites, and pumice.

Arizona also produces, zinc, lead, beryllium, vanadium, uranium, tungsten, rare earths, manganese, coal, and many more variant minerals.

To give a little perspective to the numbers here; 19.3 billion dollars was achieved with 35 million visitors from the tourism trade to Arizona in 2007.

So as much as copper production and other mineral extraction and sales go they are dwarfed by tourism. Metals and minerals are gathered accross the state. We do not have large ore depostits of gold and silver as once thought at the time of Cochise.

If we do have them, they are undiscovered.

Settlers convinced Washington D.C. to break the treaty with the Chiracauha Apache tribe because they wanted their lands to mine for silver. Cochise . There have been those who would search for oil in Arizona. It is highly unlikely that we have any significant oil volume in the State. But new technologies and science always want to explore.

Arizona does have some gold and silver production. It is so expensive to extract and prep for sale that it has hardly been worth it. However, there are newly acquired interests in the state because of the soaring prices of gold in 2001 through 2008.

Lost Dutchman Now you can't speak of Arizona Gold without revisiting the story of the legendary Lost Dutchman who found a mine filled with gold. He was so confident that no one would ever find his precious metal, especially if he didn't write down the way to get to it, that he just left it to sit and look shiny. He thought he would live forever.

He lived out in the desert environment of the old Superstition Mountains outside of Apache Junction. Jacob Waltz was his actual name, he was actually of German decent. The "deutch" man converted more easily to the Dutchman.

Without a map or having told anyone exactly where his gold was Mr. Waltz guarded his incredible secret. Some think it was out of fear and paranoia. One account says he may have killed a partner over his greed and lack of wanting to share.

The intrigue world wide is so strong that stories surface with new theories every now and again about the Dutchman. Treasure hunters from around the world have sought thei location of the Lost Dutchman mine for over 120 years.

The Dutchman died from pneumonia after having tried to fix a hole in his roof in a wet storm. He got soaked. He died in the care of a woman who tried to keep him alive and well.

A very grateful Waltz, it is said, was promised his fortune if he lived or she would become the sole beneficiary of the legendary gold if he died.

Mr. Waltz died without any disclosure. He had lived alone back in the 1870s, as a hermit type, isolated from people. Making him even more secretively interesting to those who knew of him.

His reclusive nature kept people stalking him... He seemed to have so much to hide and all the hidden treasure of a pirate.

Mr. Waltz is the inspiration for metals and minerals and mines for the non-commercial miners in the world.

Why do people still look for the Lost Dutchman' Mine? Because, his tale was more than that. He truly produced gold whenever he needed supplies.

Still, no one knows why he didn't choose to live more comfortably.

There are some researchers who say his treasure trove has been found and the gold has been spread across the country and into Mexico. We will never know for sure.

Come and have a look. We'll help you spend any tresure you find. And we hope you'll live more comfortably than you do now here in Arizona.

Metals and minerals are not what is sought after in today's Arizona. It is rather, lifestyle and Arizona freedom filled with sunhine that has the greatest worth. Its easy pickin's. Come and get yours! All metals and minerals are worth something!

Metals and Minerals take me back
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