One of the key elements to “honor the mining history while preparing for the future” is establishing an operation that has the capability to provide some revenue to assist in offsetting overhead costs. As we all know, personnel, utilities, office equipment, supplies, and marketing are only a few costs that factor into daily operations.
Personally, I do not believe that very many out-of-state travelers or Arizona residents will make a trek to the town of Superior to visit its suggested mining museum, see the works of art or pay homage to a mining memorial – no offense intended, please. I have worked at museums for more than 20 years and know that visitors want to come away with an “experience” not merely sightseeing. May I suggest to the powers that be, please visit the New Mexico Mining Museum website of Grants, NM, particularly Yelp. www.go-newmexico.com/New-Mexico-Mining-Museum and https://www.yelp.com/biz/new-mexico-mining-museum
If you want to draw visitors and share an immense part of Arizona history, consider opening a museum near the actual mining site so visitors can get a first-hand experience and be blown away by the way it truly was. You will have visitors all year long who will bring business to the town of Superior. I do not know of any mining town in Arizona who offers anything close to what NM Mining Museum offers in the way of an actual experience. Parents will bring their children, grandparents will share their knowledge, tourism will draw attention to an area that is overflowing with history from the time of Geronimo to the days when copper was king in the great Southwest.
As it is stated everyday, now is the time to “think outside the box.”
From a former Superiorite of 1960-70,
/s/ Isaac Curley