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This second photo from Ron is in color and taken from pretty much the same location as the first. At the very top of the photo is the site of the tunnel, which was sunk into a large copper ore ledge. The prize wasn’t the copper, though, but the rarer metals such as gold, platinum and gallium. Ron’s grandfather had patented a chemical procedure for gallium so that it could be used by the AT&SF Railway for welding sections of track together.

Before his grandfather and grandmother moved to the Silver Bell Mine,they were caretakers for the famous Silver Cliff Mine, whose scattered remains can still be found about a mile or so away.

One of Ron’s fondest memories is of the small pond, about 500 yards south of the lower house, that attracted hundreds of quail every evening as well as the occasional bighorn sheep, mountain lion and coyote.

Today, the Silver Bell is at rest. However, the magic of the desert often seems to blur the lines between the past and the present. If you ever visit here, take time to admire the hard work as well as the simple joy of life experienced by Ron’s grandparents!

Clicking on the following page will take you back in time to 2004 and you can follow along as we explore a bit of the remains of the Silver Bell before we move on.

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