County: Graham
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude: 32° 50′ 7 N, 110° 19′ 56 W
Elevation:
Time Zone: Mountain (NO DST) (UTC-7)
Established: 1907
Disestablished: 1955
Comments: Klondyke is a populated place in Graham County, Arizona, that was founded around 1900 by some miners who had recently returned from Alaska after participating in the Klondike Gold Rush. The town is located west of Safford in the Aravaipa Valley. The Galiuro Mountains lie to the southeast and the Santa Teresa Mountains to the north.
Remains: The mainstay of the town was the lead and silver mines, as well as the nearby cattle ranches. Klondyke’s population peaked at 500, but today there are only about a dozen residents.
Current Status: The first general store in town was started by a Mr. Bedoya inside a tent, but in 1904 he built a saloon, a wooden store, and a post office that was opened in 1907. The store burned down at one point, but Bedoya immediately built a new one. The town also had a school and a church.
Remarks: During the Great Depression, half of the town’s residents left and the post office closed in 1955. The site today may be classified as barren, although the Klondyke General Store and the Power’s Cabin, located south of the town, have been preserved and are now open to tourists.
