Largest open pit mine | Morenci, AZ | Clifton, AZ

[@MrMikekimball]

Mr. and Mrs. Curly, Thank you for the video. From1990 to 1996, I lived in Solomon, AZ and worked for a contractor at the Morenci Mine. We were building the SXEW plant from the farm where the finished product is harvested, to the pumping stations miles away, pumping Lean Electrolyte in, and Pregnated Electrolyte out. I was Forman over High Voltage construction, so I worked all over the mine, and built nearly a hundred 46KV to 4160V Sub-Stations. You gave an old man a genuine feeling of accomplishment at a time I really needed it. It's been over a year since you and your beautiful family made the video, I wonder how many people have had an experience as positive and rewarding as mine. From my drive to work, to the parking lot at work, to the Bar we would stop by after work for a beer. Keep up the good work.

[@curleyscrewzin5622]

How awesome you worked in Morenci. I, Me Curley worked in the SXEW department in Safford Mine. Now I work in Crush and Convey. Thanks for sharing your story and dedication. We appreciate your support 👍🤙🙏

[@havaniceday3743]

Thank you for sharing this cool video. You have a sweet family. God bless.

[@georgelord7643]

What an incredible video. Thank you so much. In August 1964 I was discharged from the Navy and went to Thatcher to Eastern Arizona Junior College. I soon met my wife to be, Phyllis, who was born and raised in Morenci. I soon made my first trip there to meet my future in-laws. They lived in Stargo and it was before they moved Morenci town because they expanded the pit to swallow up the old city. My in-laws had about a dozen large pictures of old Morenci hanging in their living room after they retired to the Safford area. My Father in law drove a bulldozer and then operated one of the very large shovels that loaded ore into the huge trucks. He worked there from the 1940's till the 1970's. I was last there in the 1990's to attend a wedding in the Catholic church in Clifton. I often go to the Thatcher/Safford area as I am still affiliated with the college and the Eastern Arizona Foundation which is the entity that raises scholarship funds for the college. We established a scholarship in the name of Phyllis Martin Lord when she passed away in 2003. Thank you for the video. I have thought about driving up to Morenci to see what you just showed me in the video. I will tell my 96 year old Mother in law Esther about this video. She will enjoy talking about the things I saw. She told me recently that they moved to Morenci after the war to work for a month or two to get enough money to return to Texas but then they never left till they retired there. Thanks again!!!

[@curleyscrewzin5622]

Wow, thanks for sharing. We enjoy hearing stories about the mine and the people who worked there. Drew works at EAC and has heard of the scholarship. Maybe one day we will cross paths in town.

[@KaciPayne-nj8wb]

My dad used to work there

[@artwdeetoo]

Thanks for the clip, brings back memories from the past. Joe.

[@curleyscrewzin5622]

Your welcome. Thanks for viewing 👍

[@jeanniedodds6191]

I was born in Morenci Arizona that song was playing when I was born and Rosey hold me and my grand parents and my parents knew Rosey

[@curleyscrewzin5622]

How awesome. Thanks for sharing

[@peggyhawkestamburello1651]

Loved your video. I grew up in a Nevada copper mineing town. So will have to check out this town. Also your little son is so adorable. Thanks!

[@vincentrizzi9797]

great video! Thanks for the tour

[@corlissbarnes5931]

Great video. Really enjoyed it. Thank You

[@curleyscrewzin5622]

Awesome 👍 thanks

[@rosalieyazzie4488]

Hello Mr. & Mrs Curley & family. My son and I enjoyed your video. It's been a long time I've been there when we use to live in Leupp Az. It's a really a good history for my son to see your video. He likes to learn about world history. Thank you for sharing your inputs. We appreciated.

[@curleyscrewzin5622]

Hello Rosalie, Thanks to you and your son for viewing. Tell him we say Hello and thank him. I'll keep that and him in mind when we bring future videos. The Mine is huge and I work at the copper mine down the road in Safford, Az. Have a great evening 🙏👍

[@irmatsosie5]

Miss working and living there thanks for sharing

[@curleyscrewzin5622]

Your welcome. Many opportunities in Morenci and Safford at the Mine.

[@semasariyildiz4346]

Very impressive area. Regards from Belgium .

[@curleyscrewzin5622]

Thank you.

[@verdabehner8963]

Thank you for the video. Im a 3 generation Morencian (if thats what we are called). My gr grand parents were immigrants from Italy. I guess there was quite a few Italian families back in the late 1800's in Morenci. My sister and I would tease my mother about how does a family get from Italy to no where Morenci. I My dad grew up in Pima . When he returned after the WW 11 he moved to Morenci. He was a brakeman for PD it the mine . I went to kindergarten there then we moved to Tucson in 1961. I remember trips back up there as all of my mothers family still lived there. I think it was Stargo where we lived. The PD store was at the top of the hill .. My grand mothers house was in "old Morenci". above the "Plaza"I remember at Christmas whe we would go for XMas there was a very big tree in the plaze that was lit up and decorations on the buildings in the plaza. There was a movie theater and a "gentelmans club" there also. From my grandmothers house we would walk to the Catholic church for XMas mass. So many memories.

[@roderichroby6236]

On Chase Creek in Clifton is a beautiful 2 9:51 story bldg. Cascarelli??? Sounds Itallian to me! And the Spezia bldg.!

[@jerrybegay7905]

Just subscribed...I enjoyed ur video..👍👍

[@curleyscrewzin5622]

Thanks for subscribing 👍 glad you enjoyed

[@sallyhooke3868]

Nice I have driven by there never stopped to explore. There is a turnoff that can take you to the apache reservation..rough road. Thanks for sharing I may take a drive there again soon.

[@curleyscrewzin5622]

Try hanks for viewing and commenting. 👍🙏

[@navajourbandeschinii7300]

NIZHONOOO NIZHONI old town back in the day jinii, thanks for letting us tag along on your getaway...looks like the whole family had some fun...

[@curleyscrewzin5622]

We sure did, even if it’s just a small town we enjoy the history and all it has to offer. Thanks again for your support. 👍🏽

[@medaily57]

Such a great video showing the area. I lived in Arizona in the Phoenix area from 1975 to 1984. We used to go camping in the White Mountains in the NE. In 2001 I brought my mother to show her the mountains and we decided to go South to Morenci, got to see the mine. The overlook is so different now. Thank you for showing all that and Clifton. My niece was in AZ for Spring break this year, but ran out of time and didn't get to see the mine. I wanted to share a video with her so she could see what she missed.

[@curleyscrewzin5622]

Awesome! Thanks for viewing and sharing your story. 👍🙏 We enjoy feedback 🤙

[@shirleylujan1593]

I just came upon this channel, I use to live in Stafford many years ago, and I had cousins that lived in morenci to nice vlog.

[@curleyscrewzin5622]

Thank you for your comment. Yeah work brought me and my family to southeast Arizona. Thanks for viewing

[@guillermo3564]

*Safford

[@victorfreeman5066]

@guillermo3564 love safford, it was the big city when I was growing up in morince az, in the 60,70's,

[@veronicashirley3177]

Interesting vlog..New subscriber 👍🏽

[@curleyscrewzin5622]

Thank you for subscribing.

[@ajduker]

Have a buddy that works in Morenci. Always tries to get me to come work with him 😂 thanks for the little sneak peak into what it's like out there!

[@curleyscrewzin5622]

You bet, plenty of opportunities there at the mine in Morenci and Safford. Thanks for viewing.

[@joshuamazon7388]

Andrew I've been working in morenci since 2019. Bro high pay for not alot of work on the haulage side. I get paid almost $25 a hour to drive those trucks. Only work 14 days out of the month and every month you have 7 straight days off you can have a vacation every month. It's 100% worth it.

[@jaeden_T0pia]

@@joshuamazon7388do they pay weekly?

[@johnsmith-qe2fd]

Cool vid....thank you.

[@curleyscrewzin5622]

Your welcome, thanks for viewing 👍

[@markfeagans9679]

I worked at the Morenci mine in 2007. Quite the site seeing rain birds spaying sulphuric acid instead of water. It's used to leach the copper, gold, silver and platinum from the crushed, layered rock. Once dissolved, it collects in the bottom of the mine in log ride like troughs and flows for a distance downward into the anode-cathode building wherein it gets a DC current applied to it to form plates. Since the on site smelter is no longer available, it's trucked to a smelter in Texas. There were miles of large, semi- hard rubberized pipes throughout the mine with several pump houses to circulate all the acid back to the top of the mine and into the troughs. Fascinating experience for me. PS: what you can't see is the immense electric shovel/loader that loads the haul trucks with a single scoop.

[@curleyscrewzin5622]

Very interesting, thanks for sharing.

[@jsmith6368]

I lived in Morenci During the big strike , back in the early 80s, My dad was a a scab that worked at the smelters for the Phelps Dodge Copper Mine. Stargo looks like it got buried. The drilling caves were fun as a kid….look for turquoise!!

[@victorfreeman5066]

Love this area ,lived there back in the 70s have family and friends there

[@curleyscrewzin5622]

Thank you 👍🙏

[@victorfreeman5066]

@@curleyscrewzin5622 Wa-Do

[@rrocketman]

This open pit looks similar to many in Western Australia. I've only spent about 1 week in Arizona and hope to return in the future. Will sub 👍

[@curleyscrewzin5622]

Thank you

[@daviderwin9178]

My uncle took us to eat pizza and showed us the mine in morenci. I believe geronimo was born in thi area as well

[@guillermo3564]

I was born in Clifton in '59 and then we moved up the hill when a house became available in Stargo in '60. My dad worked for Phelps Dodge from 1946 until 1971. I was there when all of the new Morenci was built. We got one of those brand new houses in the summer of '69. 2 years later I was among the first bunch of kids to attend the brand new, state of the art Fairbanks Junior High school as a 7th grader. Morenci was on fire back in the 60's and 70's. All of new Morenci was brand new, shopping center, theater, library and a new hospital even. All of us kids felt like we owned the world. I haven't been there since 1981 but it's on my list when I retire. I know I'm in for a shock.

[@curleyscrewzin5622]

I bet you will be in shock at how large the mine has become. Now there is a mine in Safford that is growing. Thanks for the comments and insights from your experiences. 👍

[@guillermo3564]

@@curleyscrewzin5622 to think it was practically shut down in the 80's. It will be strange to see what Morenci looks like after 50+ years with the memories of it being all brand new when I was a kid. Just a thought, maybe you could do something on Duncan and how it tried to survive after the floods. I haven't been there since they moved the town up to the top of the hill. Thanks for making my day, it was quite a rush to see a video on the places that I was born and raised.

[@victorfreeman5066]

I was new homes, verbena st back then

[@victorfreeman5066]

Yes the area verbena is some of the only part of new homes left ,the Coronado trail is gone from Clifton

[@victorfreeman5066]

@@curleyscrewzin5622 that part from old Phillips Dodge Corp to Safford was a big gold vane

[@victorfreeman5066]

Watt up to the old verbena street crew, ,butch buxton, clinton,poul Gonzales, the McCormacks ,vigils, Rodriguez,

[@hshiram]

I lived in Morenci for quite some time to see the worst of that place. You know what they say “Small town BIG HELL” Lots of alcoholism, lost of stalkers, lots of methamphetamine users. I guess it’s a nice place to pass by.

[@curleyscrewzin5622]

Understandable. It’s everywhere and could be more prominent in a small town because it’s a small community.

[@victorfreeman5066]

All copper mines are gold mines

[@riseabove5739]

I think I might know you. My name is Nicole

[@riseabove5739]

This area is very dear to me

[@curleyscrewzin5622]

Really? How so?

[@riseabove5739]

@@curleyscrewzin5622 im not exactly sure. My name is Nicole Maria Hernandez I live in ehrenberg az. Let me do some more memory recall. Its cool you are great.

[@marilynjones5212]

Looks long....😕

[@marilynjones5212]

Looks too deserty & looks too hot hardly no trees...yah' di' la🧐