Description

Dining Room & Kitchen, Ryland Mine.

The Ryland mine was located nine miles east of Wickenburg, Yavapai County, Arizona Territory, in the Black Rock mining district. Geographically, the mine was southwest of the town of Crown King, off the Senator Highway, in an area called Minnehaha Flats. The mine sat at an elevation of approximately 5,600 feet.

A town arose in the flats below the mine, near the headwaters of Minnehaha Creek. It was developed to support, primarily, the Ryland and the other mines in the surrounding Bradshaw Mountains.

The mine was claimed initially and named by Frank Ryland, owner, of the Ryland Gold Mining Company in the late 1880's. The mine and town emerged in response to Arizona's mining boom and the burgeoning production of gold, silver, lead, zinc, and copper (of course) extraction in the district and statewide. A post office operated there from 1880 to 1910.

The mine passed to different companies during its history. Eventually, the Ryland mine, and its adjoining properties, had several thousand feet of development in tunnels, shafts, drifts and raises, thereby exposing an enormous tonnage of ore.

The following are excerpts about the Ryland Mine that appeared in area newspapers during that mining era, that spoke about the mine's ownership, production, exchanges, triumphs and tragedies:

{Weekly Arizona Journal-Miner, Mar 9, 1892, p. 1) "Frank Ryland, owner, of the Ryland Gold Mining Company."

{Prescott Evening Courier, Jun 12, 1903, p 4} “The Arizona Mining and Development company has taken hold of the old Ryland lead and silver mine. The product will be handled by the Wickenburg smelter, which is to be moved down to the river. The mine has produced about $100,000 and is still considered an excellent property.”

{Prescott Weekly Courier, Jul 19, 1907, p. 1} “The Monarch Mining Company has made the final payment of $5000 to Mrs. Gertrude Ryland for the Ryland group of mines in the southern portion of this county.”

The Ryland mining property had a thirty-five ton plant; the plant/mill was destroyed by fire on the night of May 18, 1907.

New owners, the Monarch company, acquired the mine and rebuilt the mill. The intention of the Monarch company was to operate the property on a larger scale than ever before; during their ownership in the mine's best years, the mill reportedly produced a daily capacity of fifty tons. {Arizona Journal-Miner, Apr 30, 1908, p. 2}

As mineral production waned in the Ryland and surrounding mines, the post office closed in 1910, and businesses in the area closed as well soon thereafter. Remnants of the town and mine have decayed and disappeared over the years. In the present day, the rugged terrain in the area is accessible mainly by four-wheel-drive vehicles.