CONGRESS

NAME: Congress
COUNTY: Yavapai
ROADS: 2WD paved
LEGAL INFO: T10N, R6W
CLIMATE: Mild winter, hot summer
BEST TIME TO VISIT: Anytime
COMMENTS: Congress can be found just northeast of Wickenburg on any state map. Many other nearby ghost towns so you can make a day of it.
REMAINS: Many old and original buildings left. Most currently occupied.

Congress' post office was established January 19, 1889 and discontinued August 31, 1928. The gold mine that boomed this town was discovered by Dennis May on March 25, 1884. There were two sections to Congress, "Mill town", and "Lower town", the later of which contained the residences and general businesses. Congress even had its own electric light plant. But, as with most towns of this age, water was scarce. After the mines petered out the town lived on as a railroad station only to become what today is known as Congress Junction. Many structures are left today including the old cemetary, and Congress Junction can be found on any state map.-GT

Congress is located on the junction between SR 71 and SR 89 and the town was divided in two: "Mill Town" and "Lower Town". "Mill Town" was close to the mines and there were company's offices, one hospital and residences. "Lower Town" was longer to the south and there was shopping area with restaurants, shops and saloon, two churches and one school. The only thing what is left from Lower Town now, is cemetery. Congress become to live after Dennis May found gold on mart 25, 1884. Mine was sold in 1887 and again in 1894, when flourishing period began. Santa Fe, Prescott & Phoenix Railroad passed 3 miles from the town in 1893. The station known as Congress Junction, give this little community live and the town become own post office. In 1899 was Congress Consolidated Railroad finished between the mine and the Congress Junction. Congress was a growing mine town and the rich Congress mine employed more then 400 mend. In the middle of 190. the mine was empty. Post office opened on January 19, 1889 and closed in August 1938. The mail for Congress was in future sent to post office in Congress Jun-ction, starting on November 1, 1938. The Railroad Company build their own Congress, witch exist today. The earlier Con-gress Junction become ghost town and Congress followed the same destiny as many other towns in Arizona. Bobby Zlatevski


Congress
Courtesy Dolores Steele


Weathered wood still stands but the marker is gone
Courtesy Dolores Steele


Cactus gradually taking over the old cemetery
Courtesy Dolores Steele


Congress
Courtesy Kurt Wenner


Congress
Courtesy Kurt Wenner


Congress in 1905
Coutesy Sharlot Hall Museum, Prescott


Mine area
Courtesy Dolores Steele


Old Congress Pioneer Cemetery _ 1887
Courtesy Dolores Steele


Congress
Courtesy Dolores Steele


Congress
Courtesy Kurt Wenner


Congress
Courtesy Kurt Wenner


Congress Cemetery
Courtesy Bobby Krause Zlatevski

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