Seneca, Arizona
An editor has nominated this article for deletion. You are welcome to participate in the deletion discussion, which will decide whether or not to retain it. |
Seneca, Arizona | |
|---|---|
 1988 USGS map excerpt showing Seneca area | |
  Seneca Location within the state of Arizona  Seneca Seneca (the United States) | |
| Coordinates: 33°45′24″N 110°30′46″W / 33.75667°N 110.51278°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Arizona |
| County | Gila |
| Elevation | 4,800 ft (1,463 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-7 (Mountain (MST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (MST) |
| Area code | 928 |
| FIPS code | 04-65625 |
| GNIS feature ID | 34260[1] |
Seneca is a former unincorporated community in Gila County, Arizona, United States.[2] It has an estimated elevation of 4,800 feet (1,500 m) above sea level.[1] It is located between Globe (the county seat of Gila) and Show Low, along U.S. Route 60, and contained within the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation,
History
[edit]In the early 1890s, Major Erasmus Corwin Gilbreath of the United States Army made camp at Seneca.[3]
U.S. 60 was built through the area and completed in 1937.[4] By 1950, Desert Magazine was reporting that Seneca had a service station, restaurant, and cabins, which were for tourists and for miners at nearby asbestos mines.[5][6][7] These facilities were called "Apache Rest" in the 1950s.[8]
By early 1963, the former cafe and other buildings had been taken down, [9] and work was underway on an earthen dam, which was built to create Seneca Lake. The San Carlos Apaches hoped the lake would draw fishers and campers, and to support future plans for a resort.[10][11]
Additional development followed, including a restaurant, trading post, and campground. The "Cienega Park" park recreational facility opened in 1971.[12] There were also plans to add a motel, golf course, riding stables, and more. But the development faced continual hurdles. A 1975 article stated that the complex, including a restaurant, grocery, and fishing supply shop, had shut down the prior year. Because there were no local power lines, diesel generators were being used, which proved to be too costly. Reed and weed growth along the lake shore was also impeding shore fishing. The plan was not to reopen until power lines had been run to the site, which took a few years.[13][14] The facility was re-opened in 1979, and at that point was reported to have 144 campsites, a day-use picnic area, store, restaurant, and service station, and was run by 20 members of the tribe.[15] But, again by 1986, though the lake was still being stocked, the facilities had been shut down.[16]
The tribe invested over $500,000 in the property, but defaulted on its loan led to repossession of the property improvements.
As reported in a 2016 Arizona Republic article, the site today is only some decaying and vandalized buildings.[17][18]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Seneca
- ^ "Seneca (in Gila County, AZ) Populated Place Profile". AZ Hometown Locator. Archived from the original on March 19, 2017. Retrieved March 18, 2017.
- ^ Dignity of Duty : the Journals of Erasmus Corwin Gilbreath, 1861-1898, p. 341 (2015)
- ^ (25 May 1937). Road Meeting Report Made, Arizona Republic (reporting that section of U.S. 60 from Globe to Showlow has "reached a stage of construction where Arizonians probably will prefer to choose it, with its detours", and that it was "open to traffic")
- ^ Henderson, Randall (August 1950). More Profitable Than Gold, Desert Magazine, p. 31
- ^ (31 Dec. 1944). Youths' Death Held Accident, Arizona Republic (report of death of truckers during overnight stop in Seneca)
- ^ (June 2005). Obituary, Muscogee Nation News (obituary for a person who was born in Seneca in 1952; this is consistent with contemporary reports that people were living in Seneca in the 1950s).
- ^ (7 May 1952). Advertisement, Arizona Republic
- ^ Seater, John D., Jr. (1 Feb 1963). Editorial Archived March 14, 2025, at the Wayback Machine, Fort Apache Scout
- ^ (27 June 1963). Apaches dedicate Seneca dam, Arizona Record (Globe, Arizona), p.3
- ^ (1 December 1963). Seneca Basin has many potentials, Apache Drum Beat
- ^ (16 June 1971). Park first stage of Apache complex, Arizona Republic
- ^ (11 May 1975). Many Problems Beset Seneca Lake Archived April 3, 2025, at the Wayback Machine, Arizona Star
- ^ (14 July 1978). Delay in opening stirs complaint, Tucson Citizen
- ^ (17 June 1979). Facilities now open at Seneca Lake, Arizona Star
- ^ (4 July 1986). Crowds skip scenic little Seneca Lake, Tucson Citizen
- ^ Thompson, Clay (3 November 2016). Ask Clay: Seneca? A sad story about a spectacular place in Arizona Archived April 1, 2023, at the Wayback Machine, The Arizona Republic
- ^ (12 July 1979). Improved Facilities at Seneca Are Available Archived March 27, 2025, at the Wayback Machine, Arizona Silver Belt
External links
[edit]
Media related to Seneca, Arizona at Wikimedia Commons
Arizona portal- Seneca – ghosttowns.com
Municipalities and communities of Gila County, Arizona, United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| City |  | |
| Towns | ||
| CDPs |
| |
| Populated places | ||
| Indian reservations | ||
| Ghost towns | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |