Quartz Mountain
Although silver-lead ore was discovered here in 1920, much of the work at Quartz Mountain did not begin until 1925. When news of George Wingfield's interest in the claims got out, there was a rush to the district that included prospectors from Idaho's panhandle, clear down into Mexico. By June 1926, a townsite had been platted by E.S. Giles of the Quartz Mountain Townsite Company, and an airplane landing strip was graded. During Quartz Mountain's first week of existance, six buildings were moved in from Rawhide. That month, the Quartz Mountain Miner began publication, claiming that the district would become a second Coeur d'Alene.
Transportation to and from Quartz Mountain was made simple by the automobile. Trucks were used to shuttle ore and water to and from town, and mail was retrieved from Broken Hills (revived by the Quartz Mountain boom). Quartz Mountain boasted grocery stores, barbershops, general stores and four cafes. On June 7, 1927, it gained its own post office. Between 1926 and 1930, fifteen different companies had operations in the district. The Goldfield Quartz Mountain Mining Company built a small mill in May 1926, but folded that fall.
In August 1927 the San Rafael Consolidated Mines Company was incorporated and took over four companies in the district: the San Rafael Development Co., Calico Quartz Mountain Mining Co., San Felipe Mining Co., and the Exchequer Quartz Mountain Mining Co. In January 1928, the Quartz Mountain Mines and Milling Company was incorporated and gained control of the Quartz Mountain Metals Co. Although both properties looked promising, they proved to be small. In 1929, Quartz Mountain was beginning to fade. The post office closed on January 15, and it didn't take long for the town to be deserted.
