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Off SR-77, near Hayden, Az & 8 miles North of Winkelman and 22 miles South of Globe.

It was back in the 1880’s, a man named Dennis O’Brien and William Tweed located the mine and sold their claims to Phelps Dodge afterward.The land belonged to the San Carlos Indian reservation back in 1902, so it could not be exploited.

Then the claim was staked by Christmas Day, that year by G.B. Chittenden and N.H.Mellor, who gave the mine its name “Christmas.” This mine had up to 1,000 by 1932, the post office lasted from 1905-1935 and it was sought after due to it’s name after people would send letters and postcards there over the holidays! Here is an old newspaper article discussing the tone of the mine camp.

The Christmas mine received its electricity from the San Carlos Irrigation project via 66,000 volt trapped mission line nearby the main shaft.

The mine is known to have a high lime fluxing ore sold by the same mining lease inc. ThAt leased the property back in 1939. It’s main customer was the Hayden Smelter that used it to treat the Copper concentrate that was received by the nearby Ray mine.

Prior to the “panic of 1907” this was a financial crisis that took place here in the U.S during a three week period, when the New York stock exchange dropped 50% from the previous year, if it weren’t for J.P. Morgan putting his own money and telling other bankers to do so as well, this situation may have been much worse!Anyways, prior to this, the mine was operated by Saddle Mt. mining Co. Two years after the panic, it reopened by the Gila Copper Sulphide Co. Unfortanately the mine closed back in 1921.

Today, the property is owned by Freeport Mac Moran.

Thank you for reading this article, please like, comment and share! Happy holidays and have a great Christmas!!!