2/20 Ajo Historical Museum, AZ

I had quite a bit of trouble finding this museum because when I did a search on my iPhone, it said it was permanently closed and did not include an address.  Luckily the very helpful ladies at the visitor center had told me it was open Thursday through Sunday, and drew me a map to get to the place.

It is located in an old catholic church, next to the open pit mine, but west of the village itself.  I found a very knowledgeable volunteer there who welcomed visitors and gave us a lot of history of the place.  

The church also had at one time included living spaces and offices for the priest and other church personnel, but they all left when the mine closed because so many of the town's residents had also left.

Outside the museum was a collection of old mining equipment, including this ore carrier.

 

 

I assume they brought this from Ohio via rail.  

 

 

 

A lot of previous residents of the village have donated belongings from the early part of the 1900s, when the town was booming. 

I have been trying to remember what they called those all-in-one very early kitchen cabinets.  I remember my dad had an old one in our garage when I was growing up, but I never asked him who owned it.  I am guessing it belonged to his mother. 

And some of the items found in the area from indigenous, pre-Spanish times. 

An old photos of the pit mine and some of the nearby buildings. I believe this was before it expanded, however.  

There is a dirt parking area on the road that goes to the museum where you can pull over and view the pit as it is now. 

 Impressive!!!