by 
Our location on the junction of the San Pedro and Gila Rivers is very consequential in Arizona’s history. Any place in Arizona with water was a favored place, and this area was (and is) especially rich. The Kearny Expedition followed the Gila in large part, and noticed how it meets with the San Pedro. Moving on a little further, they discovered Mineral Creek and named it for the tint in the waters from the copper ores
In later years, the bridges at Winkelman and Kelvin connected the sides of the rivers and made transportation possible. The Florence/Kelvin road has a long history, and only recently has any paving become part of the story.
The discovery of Mineral Creek was also the incidental discovery of copper. The blue-tinted waters revealed the mineral content. Gold and silver attracted the prospectors, but the real payoff has been copper. Some of the techniques for mining lower-grade ores were pioneered here, making this area important to the rest of the world. To this day, the Ray Mine and other area mines supply much of the national and world-wide demand for copper.
It is appropriate that Pioneer Days, the annual festival on Thursday through Sunday, March 15-18 sponsored by the Copper Basin Chamber of Commerce, is celebrating the role of copper mining in this area. Copper is one of the keys to Arizona’s economy.
The Pioneer Days will be greatly expanded this year. There will be the mainstays such as the carnival and the Pioneers Day Queen contest. But there will be additional activities and music in the uptown area, as well as expanded activities at the carnival. The twang of country music, the beat of popular music, and the rich, full sound of mariachis will fill the air. The horseshoe tournament will be given fuller prominence. There will be a shuttle train between the carnival and Alden Road.
And, if we want it, we can have a Pioneer Days parade on a larger and grander scale. I think it would be wonderful if Hayden, Kearny, Winkelman and Mammoth would each have a great float connecting the towns to mining history. You may know that, when Kearny was planned, it was the first town in Arizona with the intentional purpose of bring Hispanic and Anglo cultures together. The Ray Mine and the smelter operation were part of this intentionality, for even into the 1950s there was a disparate pay scale, one for Hispanic workers and one for Anglos, and the decision was to change all that before Kearny came into being. We are strongly bi-cultural to this day.
Maybe Norm’s IGA could have a float featuring wheat flower and masa harina, pork ribs and nopalitos, mustard and salsa – all of these are available from the store. Maybe one float could feature country music and another some rousing Mexican music.
I really would like to see groups and organizations plan and carry out larger and more sophisticated floats without discouraging the simpler “family fun floats” which are a part of it all. It would be great to see the floats and other entries tell the story of the Copper Basin for all to see. This is a wonderful opportunity for our local businesses, as well as ASARCO. The parade can be the standout feature, with all the new planned features adding the spice to make Pioneer Days a full and satisfying celebration. Let’s see what we can accomplish.
by by