Book Synopsis
The story of Ajo—a small copper mining town near the Mexican border in the desert of southern Arizona—is about the men and women who were drawn there by the lure of copper; but also of the indigenous peoples who have lived there for millennia. The earliest explorers faced overwhelming obstacles. To the pessimist, this was a forbidding and alien land where the heat was suffocating and water was a rare and precious commodity. To the optimist, this arid land offered fantastic riches (or to the Spanish missionaries, souls to be saved). Hardy pioneers—including the Tohono O'odham, Tom Childs, and John Greenway—braved difficult, harsh conditions in their quest to "awaken the Copper Giant". Over time, the community developed and, eventually, flourished. This book is a collection of short stories of some of the colorful characters and events that played a role in the history of Ajo. [3rd Edition, 2016]