Ajo Townsite in Pima County, Arizona — The American Mountains (Southwest)

A Company Town Designed in Style

Photographed by Flexible Fotography, April 10, 2024

1. A Company Town Designed in Style Marker

Inscription. Click to hear the inscription.

In contrast to the haphazard construction of early mining towns across the American West, Ajo was built from a formal master-planned vision. The plan created elegant public spaces where the community could come together, but at the same time enforced the physical segregation of people in the community.

En contraste con la construcción fortuita de las primeras ciudades mineras en todo el oeste americano, Ajo se construyó desde una visión formal y planificada. El plan creó elegantes espacios públicos donde la comunidad podia unirse, pero al mismo tiempo impuso la segregación física de las personas en la comunidad.

A Place of Pride, Comfort and Care
Ajo is preserved as the only fully realized City Beautiful town center in Arizona. The vision came from New Cornella Mine founder John Greenway, who wanted to design a community that would attract workers and investment. Purposeful design and urban beauty were at the core of the City Beautiful movement. Proponents believed that towns should be places for physical and spiritual health rather than simply business and industry Harmony

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and symmetry were hallmarks of the town's 1917 master plan, with boulevards that radiate from the plaza evoking the image of a bird opening its wings. The plaza was meant to bring people together and instill pride among mine workers who chose to make Ajo their home. In recognition of its significance, the Ajo historic town center is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Separate and Unequal
Not everyone benefited equally from Ajo's grand design. Housing was segregated by ethnicity and status. Anglos who oversaw mine operations were offered numerous styles and locations of homes, while Mexican laborers were offered a single choice within the "Mexican Townsite.” Native American mine workers were left to find their own housing outside the town center. In spite of this separation, the plaza served as Ajo's "front yard" where all residents could come together to relax, socialize, and celebrate.

Erected by Pima County.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Indigenous Peoples and Communities • Industry & Commerce • Settlements & Settlers.

Location. 32° 22.406′ N, 112° 51.703′ W. Marker is in Ajo, Arizona, in Pima County. It is in Ajo Townsite. It is on Plaza, on the right when

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traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 24 Plaza, Ajo AZ 85321, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Arizona’s Sky Islands,

in the Sonoran Desert,

in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area,

in the Tucson Metro Metropolitan Area,

and in the Tohono O’odham Nation.

It is also in the American Southwest.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain

and also the Gadsden Purchase.

Other nearby markers. At least 6 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Ajo Train Depot (a few steps from this marker); The City of Ajo (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Ajo Mining District (about 500 feet away); Curley School (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Mine Manager's House (approx. 0.6 miles away); Old Clarkston Cemetery (approx. 1.4 miles away).

Credits. This page was last revised on March 18, 2026. It was originally submitted on April 30, 2024, by Flexible Fotography of San Diego, California. This page has been viewed 292 times since then and 17 times this year. Photo 1. submitted on April 30, 2024, by Flexible Fotography of San Diego, California. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.

Editor’s want-list for this marker. A wide view photo of the marker and the surrounding area together in context. • Can you help?