b'ANOTHER ARIZONA SMALL TOWN WITH UNIQUE LANDMARKS, AJO IS A DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH. THERE ARE A HANDFUL OF NATIONAL SITES GREAT FOR NATURE-LOVERS ON A GORGEOUS STRETCH OF LAND, AND FOR THOSE WHO LIKE ARCHITECTURE THE TOWN ITSELF IS SURE TO PLEASE. A jo is located on State Route 85 just 43 milesorigin of the towns name, for the red paint pigmentWHAT TO DOfrom the Mexican border. It is the closestfound there and used by the Papago Indians. Ajo Historical Museumcommunity to Organ Pipe Cactus NationalHoused in what used to be St. Catherines Indian Monument. Home to 4,000 people and only oneThe first to develop the Ajo area was John CampbellMission church, this museum displays some of Ajos stoplight, Ajo is a place to slow down and enjoy life.Greenway, a Rough Rider, and a star Yale athlete.most historic art pieces, such as Native American You could say its a small town with a huge backyard.He became general manager of the Calumet and thepottery and jewelry, as well as other significant Ajo has been named a Certified Wildlife HabitatArizona Mining Company. Dr. L.D. Ricketts andhistorical copper mining artifacts. A dentists office, a Community by the National Wildlife Federation andGreenway developed a leaching method to processblacksmith shop, and even an early print shop areis the second community in Arizona and the 65th inthe carbonate ore overburden. Greenway also locateda few of the most popular exhibits. Open noon tothe nation to earn this certification. the well that still provides water to Ajo and directed4 daily. Gluseum.com/US/Ajo/118909544785843/ the construction of the Plaza, the communitys focalAjo-Historical-Society-MuseumSpaniards mined in the area in the 1750s, and the Ajopoint. Calumet and Phelps Dodge merged in 1931 and Copper Company (1854) was the first incorporatedthe mine became the new Cornelia Branch of PhelpsCabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refugemining concern in the Arizona Territory. CopperDodge, managed by Michael Curley.The mission of this refuge is to help preserve and and silver were the most valuable minerals mined inprotect wildlife, fish, plants, and habitats. The name the area. The mines remained dormant from aboutAjo continued as the quintessential southwesternCabeza Prieta means dark head or dirty head in 1860 to the 1900s when a town site was laid outmining town, with occasional strikes and shutdowns,Spanish, and refers to a lava-topped, granite peak in a and a railroad built to Gila Bend. The communityuntil 1983. The strike that began in July that yearremote mountain range in the western corner of the was originally named Muy Vavi which is Papagocrippled the community with acrimony on both sides.refuge. They have many activities available for visitors, for warm water and was renamed Ajo which isThough the mine struggled on with non-union labor,including educational programs about the Sonoran Spanish for garlic for the wild garlic found in thecopper prices plummeted and so did Ajo. MiningDesert, wildlife observation and photography, biking, surrounding hills. An alternative derivation claimsstopped in 1985. PD remained a presence in the the Papago word auauho, meaning paint, as thecommunity but sold much of its holdings, including the Plaza and the company housing. The remaining mines property is now owned by Freeport-McMoran Gold and Silver, Inc., which merged withPhelps Dodge in 2007.Ajo has some incredible Spanish Colonial Revival style architecture. Popular buildings and sites to see include the Plaza and old Train Depot, the Curley School, the Federated Church, the Greenway Mansion built by John Greenway for his wife Isabella, and the Cross on the mountain, which Isabella had made for her husbands funeral. The Plaza contains the visitors center, retail shops, restaurants, and an art gallery.28 December 2019'