China Camp in Arizona

[Ghostdancer]

Some years back someone told me about a place known as China Camp and I believe the location to be in Cochise County. Is anyone familiar with it?


Tom

[Helena of the Gila]

.

Aside from the intriguing Google Map result,
http://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF-8...l=en&q=&tab=wl (insert: "China Camp" "Cochise County" AZ USA )
I know of one person, who lives west of the Dragoon Mts., near Wilcox, AZ, Kansas Settlement area, that might be.

I can give you her contact info, if you would like? She is very well informed of the early history of that very region, having explored most of those mountains aboard, "the horse, that the Conquistadors road in on".

(Like myself, she's a real stickler, for authentic, period transportation.)

.

[Froggy]

You are probably referring to the mining locality on China Peak on the west side of the Dragoon Mountains between Slavin Gulch and Sorin Canyon. About 1901 or ’02 Joseph Trappman, a Tombstone prospector, staked six claims there. These claims and others were purchased by Yee Shang, a Tombstone shopkeeper, and incorporated into the Dragoon Mountain Mining Company. The outfit was financed by San Francisco Chinese merchants to the tune of $300,000. The company, supervised by W. W. Dunbar, ran for a few years. It used only “American labor.” You can find the story of this enterprise in a book called “The Mines, Camps, Ranches, and Characters of the Dragoon Mountains” by some guy named Lynn R. Bailey.

[Joel]

I heard about that guy. Nuts and a famous local!!

[fluffysanjuan]

To get ALL the info on China camp and many other great ghost towns around the Tombstone area, I HIGHLY recommend booking a jeep tour with Into The West Tours out of Tombstone. The guide is a wealth of history, knowledge and takes you to places that are packed with ghosts and tales from the 1800's. We went last year and plan on going back again!

[toefurr]

Was one of the first places I found when I was in AZ. Lived in Sierra Vista for 12 years so I spent just about every weekend in the Dragoons. It has some awesome views of the San Pedro River Valley from up there but there's not much else. There are a couple of concrete slabs left and a ton of ammo casings, but nothing that would be considered artifact. Unless there has been something major happened to it the road up to the main camp can be (carefully) traversed in a 2wd. Did it in an '84 cavalier twice. If you intend to follow any of the roads up further to the actual mines you are definitely going to want a 4wd and something short wheelbased to boot. I had a pretty well modified Samurai with lift, lockers and articulated suspension and there are three specific switchbacks that I had to back up and take a second shot at to make the turn. Full and mid size trucks won't make them on stock steering setups. Small trucks and most of the smaller suv's (4-runners, cherokees, etc.) have to back up and pull forward several times to get around them. Pretty much if you have anything longer than an s-10 or ranger longbed you're probably not going to see the upper levels of the area unless you walk. If you do make it up to the mines and want to go further the road goes up to the top of the mountain but be very carefull the last 1/2 mile or so is a straight shot, it is very steep and covered with loose rock every inch of the way. There's nothing up there but again the views are outstanding! Good luck and if you have any other questions I can answer feel free to ask.

[kimmie4476]

I agree with the short wheel base vehicle needed...several years ago we went up to the top in a Bronco II, on the way down we had to make several back-up and reposition turns..at one point we even had one tire over the edge which was a really bad spot to be in in a standard. The guy from the backseat had to work the clutch while my husband did the gas and brake (I froze needless to say) anyways, we have been there several times since and always run into people on the road now using it for a 4-wheel drive run.

[Joel]

Does anyone know the history of the Gordon Camp above Black Diamond?

[Sgt Vital]

[QUOTE=Ghostdancer;42566]Some years back someone told me about a place known as China Camp and I believe the location to be in Cochise County. Is anyone familiar with it?

Yes I am I have been there twice and to the top of China Peak as well. you go left on a dirt road off the main road leading to Tombstone from the west so you are heading east on this main road then turn left going north about a mil from tombstone. the dirt road will will wind around and you will be heading to Sheepshead mountan the road will turn into a donkey cart path you want to veer to the left going west and when you get to the end of the road in the south side of China Peak you will have arrived at your destination and there will be concrete slabs where tents used to be.
Sgt.Vital
Well Padre, If they try to follow ya "Baptise them"