On the back-country desert Highway 86 between Tucson and Ajo we drove through more than a couple of poor, almost desolate, small communities in the Indian reservation - so we did not expect to find much when we reached Ajo.
We got a surprise. Ajo was once a very prosperous town built for the families of the miners who dug copper out of the nearby hills. The copper mine is now closed but the town is still alive. Above you see the colorful Federated Church.
Downtown Ajo has this large shopping plaza with small shops, a restaurant, and the town library. The houses in this small city have a strange combination of Orange Trees, Cacti, and Palm Trees in their yards.
This magnificent building is the Curley School built in 1919 for the then growing population of copper miners' children. It is now an Arts Center with living and work space for 30 artisans and their families. We saw in the local paper that it has apartments for rent.
More on this interesting town tomorrow........
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