Gila County

Regal Mine

Located on the rim of Salt River Canyon, this asbestos operation was most profitable in the 1960s.

The Regal Mine is a former asbestos operation located thirty miles northeast of Globe on the rim of Salt River Canyon. One of several asbestos mines in the area, the Regal was moderately successful throughout the 1940s and later in the 1960s. While several structures remain in good shape today, the property is privately owned and access is restricted. 

The area around the Regal Mine was first prospected as early as 1916. The success and boom of the nearby town of Chrysotile (named for the asbestos bearing mineral) likely contributed to the Regal’s prosperity. The local geology was also crucial. The Mescal Limestone that makes up many of the walls of Salt River Canyon proved to be an abundant source of naturally occurring asbestos. Central Arizona contained around 150 asbestos mines in total, however, most were concentrated in this area along the Salt River.

The largest tailing pile sits perched along the rim. Another pile sits just to the northeast (out of view).

Operation began at the Regal in the late 1930s. Initially worked by the Regal Group, the company eventually redeveloped to form the Arizona Chrysotile Asbestos Company. Work done to the mine up to this point was relatively small scale. Diesel generators in combination with compressors were used to drill tunnels into the asbestos rich areas. A local water source was secured from a nearby spring, which was then pumped and stored two hundred feet above the mine property. About 15 people on average worked at the property and by mid-1942, they had extracted about $50,000 worth of ore.

 Later in 1942, the company upped production numbers. The biggest problem they faced was trying to utilize all of the asbestos that was produced. The long fibers found in naturally occurring serpentine and chrysotile were in high demand and considered high quality. The shorter fibers that were created via the mining process were less valuable and more dangerous. The company believed the short asbestos fibers could be used in some kind of mixture that could be turned into paper pulp. Doing this would allow the mine to operate at a higher capacity with reduced losses. 

The Regal continued to operate through the 1940s, producing modest amounts of ore. With slight upgrades and expansion work completed, the remote & rugged terrain proved to be difficult. The mine closed down sometime around 1947. The property sat idle for some time as the demand for asbestos temporarily leveled out.

Just northeast of the main ruins sits another adit in the canyon walls with ore cart tracks and tailings pile.

Aerial view of the numerous buildings left at Regal today. (Private Property - photo taken via drone in 2019).

By the mid-1950s, the mine was reopened under new ownership. It was now operated by the Jaquays Mining & Milling Company based in Globe. The company was awarded a $23,000 grant through the Defense Minerals Explorations Administration (DMEA) in 1954. By September 1957, the Regal was back in full fledged operation. There were 30 men working the mine, and older tunnels were widened and drilled deeper. However, the quality of the ore slowly tapered off. Once rich veins of asbestos slowly became full of shorter fibers which were less desirable. The ore quality remained quite low, but briefly picked back up in 1962 when the vein was encountered again in a series of faults in the hillside. 

By 1964, production was about 15 mine cars per day. Ore was shipped nine miles back out to the highway, and then 30 miles south to a mill in Globe where it was further refined and sent off to market. However, this seemed to be the last period of productivity for the Regal. By the later 1960s, the mine had shut down once again. The ore just wasn’t high enough grade to be sold for profit. By 1970, the mine was abandoned and doesn’t appear to have been worked since.

Interestingly enough, the Regal property was listed for sale in 2018 with an asking price of $280,000. As of 2020, the property has not sold. Today, the mine remains gated and posted with no trespassing signs. Unfortunately, there is no way to currently access the numerous interesting structures that remain. A 2014 visit of the area revealed numerous buildings and structures at the end of the road. This included several small buildings and houses that were likely used to hold workers and serve other basic functions at the mine. A 2019 overflight of the area (following gate closure) revealed that some of these buildings have collapsed. Further north from the buildings, along the eastern edge of the canyon walls, sit numerous mine adits, waste rock piles, and several sets of structures with haulage tracks. It is certainly an impressive looking mine in a really unique location on the rim of Salt River Canyon.

Asbestos mines are fairly rare here in Arizona, and a nice contrast to the typical gold, silver, and copper mines spread around the state. The asbestos that was mined at the Regal was found in naturally occurring serpentine and chrysotile, which is really abundant in this area. The longer fibers, while still dangerous, were used in the construction industry for things like insulation, plaster, and gas mask filters. As part of the mining process, these rocks and fibers were inevitably broken down into smaller, more dangerous pieces. At the time of production, the dangers of asbestos weren’t really well known or understood. The smaller fibers, which contain small hooks, can get trapped in your lungs and pose a serious threat that is linked to lung cancer and mesothelioma. While these shorter fibers weren’t as naturally abundant, they were certainly produced as a byproduct of breaking down and removing the ore. While more regulated after 1970, asbestos usage is still allowed in some industries in the United States but ultimately led to the closure of many of the asbestos mines around the Salt River.

While the Regal Mine remains on private property today, it can be accessed via Seneca Lake off Highway 60. Follow F.R. 473 for nine miles, past the lake and past the gated Phillips Mine. The trail ends at a gate about a quarter of a mile from the mine. 4-wheel drive and high clearance is recommended for the drive. Some buildings can be seen from certain viewpoints along the road, however not much is accessible currently.

 
 
 

Sources:

  1. Arizona Department of Mining & Mineral Resources. “Regal Mine File” - RegalmineGila284b.PDF. Tucson, AZ: Arizona Geological Survey (AZGS). PDF. http://docs.azgs.az.gov/OnlineAccessMineFiles/M-R/RegalmineGila284b.pdf

  2. "Regal Mine (Regal Group), Salt River Mining District, Gila Co., Arizona, USA." Mindat.org. Hudson Institute of Mineralogy. Web. https://www.mindat.org/loc-53236.html

  3. "Regal Group Near Cibecue, Arizona." The Diggings™. Web. 11 Sept. 2020. <https://thediggings.com/mines/25801>. 

  4. "Regal Mine Rd, Globe,AZ 85501." Realtor.com. Web. 11 Sept. 2020. <https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/Regal-Mine-Rd_Globe_AZ_85501_M10484-77705>. 

  5. Lahav, Esq., Joe. "Banning Asbestos in the US: History, Facts & the Murray Bill." Mesothelioma Center - Vital Services for Cancer Patients & Families. 2 Sept. 2020. Web. 11 Sept. 2020. <https://www.asbestos.com/mesothelioma-lawyer/legislation/ban/>. 

  6. Gross, Linda. "Chrysotile, Arizona: First Hand Accounts of Life at an Asbestos Mine." Globe Miami Times. 9 Jan. 2018. Web. 11 Sept. 2020. <https://www.globemiamitimes.com/chrysotile-arizona-first-hand-accounts-life-asbestos-mine/>.