There are actually three ghost towns on this loop, but only two
have any real ruins left. Sasco (Southern Arizona
Smelting Company) is the first town coming in from Red Rock
(mostly graded dirt; exit 226 off
I-10). It was built in 1907 and served as the smelter town
for Silverbell and Picacho Peak mining. The most visible set of
ruins are in Sasco, particularly the walls of the Rockland Hotel
(N:32 32.182, W:111 25.906) and the
smelter ruins themselves (N:32 31.997, W:111
26.328).
The original Silverbell (one word) was located between
two towns, with 3,000 residents from the 1860s to the 1920s. The
town included a post office (1904) and a Wells Fargo station
(1906). A shaft fire in 1911 and falling copper prices forced the
closure of the mine in 1921. A reminder of the many people and hard
life that was here can be found near the cache site (.6 mi),
including the name of this cache. No other ruins remain here of the
this town.
The newer town of Silver Bell is located at the point
where the road begins heading east towards Rillito and becomes Avra
Valley Rd (mostly paved; exit 242 off
I-10). This town was populated from 1948 until as recently
as the 1980s when the copper mine was again in production. A few
signs remain, although most buildings were sold off and moved.
One final note: much of this road is former right-of-way for the
Arizona Southern Railroad, particularly the 13 mile stretch between
Sasco and Silverbell. It was built in 1904 to shuttle ore from the
mine to Sasco for smelting. The rails were taken up in 1934, but
the nice wide low grade road remains in its place. In fact, there
are a few very unusual spots where you'll note this remote desert
road cutting through instead of over some low lying hills,
revealing its railroad past to observant cachers.
Enjoy the drive and Arizona History!