Swansea Road

If you like old ghost towns and stories of the boom and bust mining cycles in the Southwest, Swansea is for you. Mining began in the area of Swansea around 1862, but the site was so remote that getting ore to a smelter was extremely difficult. In 1904 the Arizona & California Railroad connected the nearby hamlet of Bouse to the rest of the world. Investors began building the Arizona & Swansea Railroad to connect to Bouse and constructing infrastructure in Swansea. By 1909 Swansea had 500 residents. The mines operated under differing owners until 1937. The Great Depression signaled the end of Swansea. Today, primarily foundations remain. Some of the worker's quarters still stand. BLM has done an admirable job marking each of the sites with the purpose of the original building. It is easy to trace the railroad bed as it winds through the ghost town. Few visitors venture past the Swansea ghost town, but Swansea Road continues through a remote and rugged landscape to the banks of the Bill Williams River.