Ruby, ghost town in Santa Cruz County, Arizona
Ruby is a ghost town in the mountains of Santa Cruz County, Arizona, with about 25 remaining buildings including a jail, schoolhouse, houses, and old mining equipment from former lead and zinc operations. The structures and mine workings tell the story of a past mining community built on the slopes near Montana Peak.
Ruby began around 1877 as Montana Camp, a mining settlement extracting lead, zinc, silver, and gold from the Montana mine, which became the town's economic core. The post office opened in 1910 under the name Ruby, the town peaked in the 1930s with around 1,200 residents, then declined after mining ceased in 1940.
The town took its name from the wife of postmaster Julius Andrews, whose maiden name was given to the post office in 1910. The place reflects how mining communities organized around a general store and public buildings that served as centers of daily life for workers and their families.
Access to Ruby is limited since it is private property; visitors must obtain a permit online before entering the site. The gate opens Thursday through Sunday for those who wish to explore the remaining buildings and grounds on their own.
Each evening at sunset, thousands of Mexican free-tailed bats emerge from an old mine shaft and sweep over the town in waves; this natural display draws many visitors. The phenomenon makes Ruby a rare place where mining history and active wildlife converge in one location.
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