![]() The last homecoming bonfire occurred in 1985, and actually happened twice. Later, they switched to wood to avoid the acrid pollution of the burning rubber. “They put up a chainlink fence at (the smokestack’s) opening to prevent anyone from being pulled in from the draft of the heat of the fire burning.” (*2) Originally, old tires were used as fuel. The afore mentioned homecoming bonfires were no small thing. The walls were made to taper in thickness with the inside diameter 16 feet at the foot and ten feet at the top.” (*6)īut, “the end of World War I and its effect on demand and prices curtailed the life of the…mine.” It finally shut down in 1918, never to reopen. "Men worked for 36 cents an hour on the structure, pouring reinforced concrete in five-foot sections. They guaranteed that it would withstand 100 mile-per-hour winds and 1300 degree heat. One must offer props to the chimney company for the quality of their work it having lasted this long. And when promoters sought to end construction of the stack, the Weber Chimney Company of Kansas City (refused to cancel it, saying) 'a contract was a contract and a deal is a deal.' They continued (construction.)” (*6) ![]() Construction began in 1917 after the Mayer ore began to pinch out. “In fact, the birth of the structure itself was a surprise to some. With the World War winding down, demand for these metals was decreasing, causing downward pressure on the prices. When the stock price hit $6 a share, Many in the know sold their stock short and the minority stock holders were left holding the bag. “A railroad spur…of the Prescott and Eastern Railway ended at buildings near the stack." (*5) Foundations of those buildings can still be found.īack east, speculation on the stock of the company soared so much that there was enough capital to buy 3 producing mines. "Additional stock was sold and…financed the construction of the stack and several buildings.” (*4) “However, finances were tricky then.and (as prices for metals dipped,) Great Western found itself in the position of either enlarging its plant to handle more ore at a cheaper rate, or closing its doors. In 1916, the Big Ledge Mining Company bought both area mines as well as the Great Western Smelters Corporation plant. Its production was considered "spotty." (*2) Three miles NW of Mayer was a copper mine called the Buttercup. This gold mine was eventually named after Henrietta Crosman, an attractive actress at the time. It all started with the finding of the Henrietta Mine by the Walker Party, 8 miles west of Mayer. ![]() It's only other use ended in 1985, and that involved local teen-agers building annual bonfires in it to celebrate homecoming. It was used to separate metals, but just for several months. It was meant to carry smoke into the sky from the smelting of precious metals mined around Mayer. But the 129.5 foot-high tower which sits as a silent sentry over the town of Mayer, has an interesting history. ![]() Whatever one wants to call it, the old smokestack becomes an official "antique" in 2017, celebrating its 100th anniversary then.įor commuters it marks that one is 17 miles away from Prescott Valley. In an unwitting way, it's also a memorial to the end of World War I. Locals say it's a memorial to Mayer's mining history. Cynics say it's a memorial to a boondoggle. ![]()
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