Oro Belle - Arizona Ghost Town

ORO BELLE

NAME: Oro Belle
COUNTY: Yavapai
ROADS: 4WD
LEGAL INFO: T10N, R1W
CLIMATE: Mild winter, warm summer
BEST TIME TO VISIT: Winter, fall, spring

COMMENTS: Fairly easy to find. Look for the safe house. There are many other ghost towns in the area so Oro Belle is a good trip.
REMAINS: Many foundations and the safe house (safe was stolen in the mid 70's). Remnants of the Tram system.

Oro Belle's post office was established May 17, 1904 and was discontinued August 31, 1918. Many mining claims in the area led to the town of Oro Belle. George P. Harrington organized the Oro Belle Mining and Milling company in the late 1890's and the town eventually had a sheriff and Justice of the Peace. Harrington was replaced as mine superintendent by a mining engineer named Schlesinger who was not popular with the employees. In fact he was eventually run off after being threatened to be hanged because he penny pinched too much on the miners food. Harrington was reinstated. Interestingly enough, Oro Belle was owned by the Illinois Grocers Association (IGA). The saloon at Oro Belle, including its bar (which came from nearby Alexandra), was moved in its entirety to Crown King where it can be seen and visited today! Oro Belle Courtesy Chuck Lawsen Oro Belle Courtesy Chuck Lawsen	Safe House Oro Belle Courtesy Tom McCurnin Oro Belle Courtesy Chuck Lawsen Oro Belle Hotel and Bar Courtesy Bill Norvell

Oro Belle's post office was established May 17, 1904 and was discontinued August 31, 1918. Many mining claims in the area led to the town of Oro Belle. George P. Harrington organized the Oro Belle Mining and Milling company in the late 1890's and the town eventually had a sheriff and Justice of the Peace. Harrington was replaced as mine superintendent by a mining engineer named Schlesinger who was not popular with the employees. In fact he was eventually run off after being threatened to be hanged because he penny pinched too much on the miners food. Harrington was reinstated. Interestingly enough, Oro Belle was owned by the Illinois Grocers Association (IGA). The saloon at Oro Belle, including its bar (which came from nearby Alexandra), was moved in its entirety to Crown King where it can be seen and visited today!

Oro Belle
Courtesy Chuck Lawsen

Oro Belle
Courtesy Chuck Lawsen

Safe House

Oro Belle
Courtesy Tom McCurnin

Oro Belle
Courtesy Chuck Lawsen

Oro Belle Hotel and Bar
Courtesy Bill Norvell

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