Banner image by StellarD, via Wikimedia Commons
Charleston was established as a settlement for people who worked in Millville refining the silver ore that came from Tombstone’s mines. Population peaked at about 400 at the height of the silver boom in the early 1880s. The community began to decline in 1886, after the silver mines in Tombstone flooded. By 1889, both sites were “ghost towns.” The townsites are now managed by the Burea of Land Management as part of the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area.
Charleston and Millville are not accessible by car and may only be reached by hiking up the San Pedro River. Charleston is on the west bank of the river, and Millville is directly across on the east bank.
Details
Charleston and Millville Sites
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Type of place:
Historic mining townsites
Ownership:
Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
Contact:
BLM, San Pedro Riparian NCA, 4070 S. Avenida Saracino, Hereford AZ 85615
Telephone:
(520) 439-6400
Website:
Hours:
Daylight
Guided tours:
No
Entrance fee:
No
Nearby heritage sites:
Fairbank Historic Townsite, Tombstone Courthouse SHP