LOCAL HISTORY

The Crown King Depot is​ a new replica being built on the site of the original​ historic train depot.  The Crown King Mining District boasted 32 mines within a 5-mile radius of the town of Crown King, including the Del Pasco, Gladiator, OroBelle, Peck, War Eagle, and Tiger.   Gold and Silver were the main ores extracted from the mines of the District.  

 

 The Crown King branch of the Bradshaw Mountain Railway reached Crown King on May 12, 1904, and featured 10 switchbacks within 7 miles of track with grades of up to 4% at an elevation of 6,000 feet.  Soon after the arrival of the railroad, the town sprung up and boasted a Wells Fargo, Western Union, and Post Office, and by 1907 the town had four saloons, three freight companies, two general stores, two restaurants, a laundry, a hospital, seven mining companies, bunkhouses, and one cemetery.  The population of Crown King fluctuated between 50-600 people depending on the season. ​

 

Although the Santa Fe Railway abandoned and removed the tracks by 1927, the community continued to prosper over the past century... and in 2023 visitors can once again toast Frank Murphy's "Impossible Railroad" at the old, 'new' train station.

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