San Manuel Memories

San Manuel is not my hometown. I have visited it several times and know quite a bit of the history. It has been the hometown of several folks though. Children have gone to school, grown up there, and raised children of their own. Families have also lost loved ones there. There is the Mammoth Miner Memorial nearby that is dedicated to those who lost their lives in the mine. Some folks departed only to return for a burger at Mel’s, A La Casita fix in Mammoth, or to re-live memories of days gone by. Memories were made there and are still cherished by many. It is not like other places and yet is very similar to other small towns all across America. Here are the specifics of San Manuel, AZ.

San Manuel is a census-designated place (CDP) in Pinal County, Arizona, United States. The population was 4,375 at the 2000 census. San Manuel was built in 1953 as a company town to serve the then-new San Manuel copper mine, mill and smelter complex. The mine and smelter shut down in 1999 and were permanently closed in 2003.

Nearby towns are Oracle, Arizona and Mammoth, Arizona. Both are within ten miles of San Manuel and make up the tri-community area. As of the census of 2000, there were 4,375 people, 1,458 households, and 1,204 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 209.5 people per square mile (80.9/km²). There were 1,832 housing units at an average density of 87.7/sq mi (33.9/km²). The racial makeup of the CDP was 69.05% White, 0.39% Black or African American, 1.37% Native American, 0.34% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 24.78% from other races, and 4.00% from two or more races. 46.22% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 1,458 households out of which 43.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.3% were married couples living together, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.4% were non-families. 15.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.00 and the average family size was 3.31.

In the CDP the population was spread out with 32.6% under the age of 18, 8.8% from 18 to 24, 27.0% from 25 to 44, 21.1% from 45 to 64, and 10.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 102.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.1 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $40,019, and the median income for a family was $42,563. Males had a median income of $36,463 versus $21,304 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $16,534. About 10.3% of families and 12.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.4% of those under age 18 and 5.6% of those age 65 or over.

When it shut down in 1999, this was the largest operating underground copper mine in the country. 2,200 people worked in the 356 miles of tunnels and at the massive smelter, the largest of its type in the industry, producing 325,000 tons of refined copper per year, for use in wires and cable. Australia's Broken Hill Proprietary Co. Ltd (BHP) took over operations of the mine, smelter, and rod plant from Magma Metals in the late 1990's. BHP subsequently closed the mine and smelter. The stacks were demolished in January 17, 2007, ending an era of this fine mining mecca. No one is sure where it goes from here.

Perhaps the views and words will evoke memories of your own memories of where you grew up. Maybe some folks will even be drawn to write their own comments. Either way, I hope you enjoy your tour of this special little town. And if you find yourself near there, make sure to stop by for a burger at Mel’s. It is now a bright yellow and hard to miss right next to the Dollar General store.

More information on the Tri-Community area can be found at:
http://www.smorchamber.org/index.html

Other comments and memories can be found at:
http://theclosetentrepreneur.com/remembering-my-hometown-of-san-manuel-arizona