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The town of Bisbee was left out of the initial railroad laid by the Arizona and Southeastern that ran from Benson to Fairbank to Nogales. The route from Bisbee to Fairbank was completed ca 1890 or late 1889. This route ran east from Bisbee and then turned south around Mule Mountain past Deer Point and then turned north, northwest through Lewis Springs and into Fairbank. The exact route of this railroad is based largely on an old railroad bed recorded on the USGS 7.5' maps, the references in Myrick, research by Jane Childress of BLM Sierra Vista Field Office and Rick Karl of the Arizona State Museum. Some areas could not clearly be discerned and are marked on the USGS maps at the Arizona State Museum Archaeological Records Office. Most of these questionable areas are near the town of Fairbank where the Bisbee to Fairbank line joined with the existing Benson to Fairbank to Nogales line. There is also some question on the exact route south of Boquillas Ranch.
Consolidation of: AZ EE:3:74(ASM), AZ EE:3:43(ASM), AZ EE:3:58(ASM), AZ EE:4:17(BLM), AZ EE:3:62(ASM)
The route from Fairbank to Mescal is well documented and plottable. The Tucson Extension however is difficult to discern. There have been several other RR across this same area and the exact route for the Extension has not been plotted yet. The EP&SW 66 mile Tucson Extension crossed over the SP tracks near Mescal and again near Irene while crossing Cienega Creek. As the route from Mescal to Tucson is clearly defined from field research, it will be updated.
Consolidation of: AZ EE:4:43(ASM), AZ EE:8:14(BLM), AZ EE:7:136(ASM), AZ EE:5:23(ASM)
On July 1881 the NM&ARR began is work from Benson to Fairbank to Nogales. The railway was to connect up with a line in Mexico coming from Guaymas which began in May of 1880. The route from Guaymas ran through Hermosillo, Magdalena and into Nogales. On the American side the route went from Benson through Lands Crossing to Fairbank to Sonoita south to Fort Buchanan on to Patagonia, turning west to Calabasas and then south into Nogales. The connection with the Sonora Railway was completed on October 25, 1882. The first 5 miles from Benson adopted the roadbed prepared the Arizona and Mexico Railroad and Telegraph Company which was formally transferred to NM&AZR on January 22, 1882. Given the number of competing Railways at the time, there may still be some errors in its exact route. &ARR was later, ca 1909-1910, used for the Tucson & Nogales Railroad line from Tucson - Nogales
AZ P:8:79(ASM), AZ V:10:65(ASM), AZ BB:2:78(ASM), AZ BB:5:84(ASM), AZ BB:6:163(ASM), AZ BB:6:164(ASM)
Begins at the Miralce Mile exit of I10 in Tucson, follows Oracle Road north, along the same path as US89 & US80, to Oracle Junction then branches off to the east through Oracle. Does not include the business loop through Oracle proper. It continues north through Mammoth, Winkleman, into Globe. North to ShowLow and terminates at Holbrook. This route is coincident with US80/SR80 AZ FF:9:17(ASM) & SR79/US89 AZ I:3:10(ASM) between the corner of Miracle Mile and Oracle Road and Oracle Junction. All updates to SR77 within this section are noted on FF:9:17 & I:3:10. It is believed that SR77 was here before either of them, but subject to correction as construction dates are verified.
Consolidation of: AZ AA:2:120(ASM), AZ BB:13:639(ASM), AZ BB:13:674(ASM), AZ BB:13:676(ASM), AZ BB:14:677(ASM), AZ CC:10:76(ASM), AZ EE:2:328(ASM), AZ EE:3:53(ASM), AZ X:6:84(ASM), AZ Z:2:16(ASM)
What has been plotted in AZSITE are the segments recorded during CRM surveys. The entire original route will be plotted when it has been determined.
The SPRR was initially granted permission to enter Arizona at Yuma under a contract with the Common Council of the Village of Yuma; Ordinance 7 in early 1870s and to cross Arizona by House Bill #3 – Territorial Act of February 7, 1877. On May 31, 1877 Chinese Railroad Workers began grading in AZ for the south end of the bridge across the Colorado River near Madison Avenue in Yuma, Arizona. Despite an earlier agreement to cross Fort Yuma, the Army decided congressional approval was required and halted construction. After these initial restrictions from the military at Fort Yuma and intervention by President Hayes, the bridge was completed and the first locomotive (locomotive engine 31) arrived in Arizona from Los Angeles on September 30, 1877.
The Maricopa & Phoenix RR was apparently constructed between 1986-1887 by Mexican immigrants, completed in 1887, to connect the town of Phoenix to the Southern Pacific RR, which passed some 28 miles or so to the south at Phoenix Junction (now called Maricopa). However, there are some short histories stating that the connector actually went from present day Tempe to current town of Maricopa.(not to be confused with the original town of Maricopa, about 5 miles west, now called Heaton).
Most of the short histories, primarily on the internet with none in the Myrick book, say this subsidiary of the Southern Pacific started at the now town of Maricopa. If we presume this correct, there is a road/trail from Maricopa to Tempe It leaves Maricopa - and is designated as T:16:130(ASM) as the Maricopa to Phoenix Highway. It becomes very faint and shows as a foot path and definitely not marked as a RR, but it follows the generic path and near West Chandler where picks up on a marked spur of the Southern Pacific RR - which has been recorded as the Tempe to West Chandler SPRR Spur - AZ U:9:235(ASM) dating supposedly to 1920s - that heads into downtown Tempe, at Tempe Junction, near the intersection of 13th and Ash Street. In 1887, Tempe didn't exist per-se, it wasn't established until 1894, but Charles Hayden established the Milling & Farming Ditch Company near the Salt River and just southeast of the then settlement of Phoenix
Presuming the RR connector from the original Southern Pacific Railroad (AZ Z:2:40(ASM), went from the now present town of Maricopa in 1887 (then called Phoenix Junction) and ended up in South Tempe at Tempe Junction; close enough to Phoenix to say it terminated at Phoenix and that the road now designated as the Maricopa to Phoenix Highway simply followed this route, the railroad did follow this vague route on the USGS maps and that the Tempe to West Chandler SPRR Spur is likely a reuse of the original Maricopa to Phoenix RR route. A 1886 & a 1902 map with railroads both show, though in very small scale, the Maricopa & Phoenix takes off from Maricopa and terminates in Tempe, most likely at the Tempe Depot on West 3rd Street - where the Southern Pacific Railroad Wellton to Phoenix to Eloy Branch came through ca 1926.
Until evidence of the contrary, AZ U:9:235(ASM) will designated as the Maricopa & Phoenix Railroad.
The Twin Buttes Railroad was originally from Tucson to the Twin Buttes Mine. Built near the end of 1904 it went from Tucson, south to Sahuarita, then west to Twin Buttes Mine. The northern portion of this line was later, ca 1909-1910, used for the Tucson & Nogales Railroad, AZ BB:13:679(ASM).
The T&NRR, a sub-railroad of the Southern Pacific, used the portion of the Twin Buttes Railroad from Tucson to Sahuarita, and headed south toward Nogales. It connected at Calabases with the New Mexico & Arizona Railroad there completing a route from Tucson to Nogales, ca 1909-1910.
* These Railroads and their designations have been compiled from previous recordings by contract archaeologists and their research. It has not been confirmed and will be updated as needed based on research of the literature.
Consolidation of: AZ T:10:84(ASM), AZ U:13:233(ASM)
The following Railroads have not been researched as extensively above. The railroad number is referenced to were recorded by the field archaeologists. Some agency numbers have been consolidated and routes plotted, but are subject to change as new reseach is made available.
AZ Q:9:74(ASM), AZ Q:12:18(ASM)
AZ FF:9:60(ASM), AZ FF:9:61(ASM), AZ FF:9:65(ASM)
AZ EE:9:73(ASM)
AZ N:7:161(ASM)
AZ N:7:44(ASM), AZ N:8:29(ASM), AZ N:12:41(ASM)
AZ H:9:34(ASM)
AZ L:7:25(ASM)
AZ FF:9:64(ASM)
Myrick, David F. 1975 Railroads of Arizona, Volumn 1: The Southern Roads. Howell-North books, Berkely, CA
