| In the 1870s, the McCrackin silver lode, in southern Mohave County, Arizona, was thought "to Rival the Comstock." In 1877, the settlement of Signal boomed to life as the site of stamp mills processing the ore from this famed lode. Signal's population grew to several hundred as it became the most populous settlement in Mohave County, and one of the largest in Arizona Territory. Signal boasted Arizona's largest stamp mill and first foundry, several general stores, restaurants, saloons, hotels, and even a delightful brewery. Yet, in 1878, the mills shut down and the boom had turned to bust. Although the mills operated sporadically through the 1880s, by the early 1890s, Signal was no longer a mill town and had arguably become a "ghost town.".;This study provides the first academic treatment of this significant settlement in Arizona's history. It uses an interdisciplinary, landscape approach that combines perspectives from the disciplines of historical geography, historical archaeology, and western history and uses historical GIS to integrate and analyze spatial data. It provides the first comprehensive history of Signal for the study period, 1874 through 1895, and the first reconstruction of the historic Signal landscape. It concludes by providing recommendations for further study and management. |
