Castle Dome Mine Museum and Ghost Town, Yuma, Arizona

I first rode out from Yuma 40 miles on my street Harley only to stop after fishtailing and thumping over the lose gravel and corrugating of the last 8 miles of gravel road before the Museum.  I turned around and returned with my Ford truck and dog, Madigan.  The last stretch of gravel road would be fine for cars and enduro motorcycles.  I would have liked the glory of riding into the old town on a motorcycle considering it began as a horse and stage place in 1871   Since cowboys and miners had trucks in later years my Ford was fine.  I had my black leather cowboy hat from Mexico and the black bart leather vest and riding boots.

The ladies at the entrance were beautiful and endearing sharing all manner of information about the history of the town. I bought a piece of galena, the silver lead rock and suggested I’d buy sparkling galina jewelry for my girlfriend if they had it.

“Not if you liked her. The mine was known for the silver but during the wars it was the lead in the galena silver that kept it going.” 

“It’s a pretty metal but of course lead wouldn’t be healthy for earrings.”  I laughed and settled for a local fridge magnet. This bright and vivacious lady told me about the Spanish searching for Gold in the south west in early 1700 but the silver here only being found in the early 1850.  She talked of extraction and transportation.  A stage line would come through the town linking with other mines. 

They have guided tours but I’d just missed the last one.  Given the story telling and knowledge of the guide I’d go again with my girlfriend. I took the self guided tour and was told the dog was welcome on that. He loved it.  An excellent walk for the two of us because beyond the town there was a series of mines and outlying buildings that made for a good hike. I think I was there for over 2 hours enjoying everything but only seeing a fraction of what was displayed. 

I loved how there was the stage and saloon display from the earliest years and how each building represented an era with the later ones having vintage sports cars from the 60’s.  I enjoyed seeing the ‘ringer washing’ machine that I remember my homemaker mom getting and how it reduced her weekly laundry day from all day to a half day.  I couldn’t help think of my engineer father who would have loved to see the progress of machinery. The early mines were literally holes dug in the ground with advancing years bringing more and more elaborate pullets and lifting machines for the extraction.  

I loved the ‘3:10 to Yuma’ sign at the stage coach depot. Laura and I had watched the famous western movie when she was here on the holidays. I couldn’t help but think how she’d enjoy it, the milliner exhibit and the 19th century hats.  The church was lovely and a vintage organ that church organist Barry would have been fascinated by.  My geologist nephew would have loved the assayer’s office had samples of ore, weights  and the chemicals used for testing.  I couldn’t help but think of my childhood friend Kirk who loves natural wonder and would have enjoyed this quintessential western setting with  surreal mountains and extraordinary cacti.  In someways the distinctive Castle Dome mountain looked like something left by space ship.  I imagined it having a mystery interior yet to be explored.  

The whole town which once had 3000 people is on the outside of the Proving Grounds for the American Army. This is where they test all the new artillery and have the longest range in the US. There’s a stationary blimp high in the sky looking over the area and en route from Yuma I passed a turn off with a couple of mobile howitzers at the entrance.  I loved the trip with the south west scenery, the spectacular skies,views and fauna.  

I took countless pictures and would go again.  I’d read comments and worried about rattle snakes as one expressed worry but neither Madigan, my cockapoo, or I encountered any and I expect there’s no greater fear of them here that any where else in the south. Certainly if one stayed on the well marked trails there’d be no fear. I kept Madigan on my leash and was ready to clean up after him if he chose to poop rather than pee on every stone.  We were respectful in the buildings though something about the smells of the bunk house had him starting to lift his leg in a corner.  I liked the cabin on the first site where the early miner had encountered native marauders.  Then to come across vintage sports cars at far of the trail  from where the stage coach had been at the beginning.   Just an amazing exhibit and so well presented.  I really did feel I was walking through time and got a sense of early miners and the work entailed in extracting the silver. Man and his love of shiny things.  

It was all a different era and yet here it was once alive with people and industry now a ghost town.  The rusting old cars from the turn of the century and some of the rusting machinery speak to how little an impression we make in the reality of the earth time. I like that people have done the work to ensure that the era is not forgotten.  This was truly the west even though it was a brief period, in which the change in a hundred years,  was still amazing.  It speaks so highly of man’s ingenuity. Progress and industry.  I loved Caste Dome Mine and Ghost town. I look forward to coming back again. .

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