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GILA
COUNTY
Gila
County was
created in
1881 from
portions of
Maricopa and
Pinal
counties, and
later included
part of
Yavapai
County.
The county
covers 4,796
square miles
and is a
source of
great mineral
wealth. The
Globe Mining
District,
originally
located on the
San Carlos
Indian
Reservation,
was
reallocated to
Gila County.
Silver
first
attracted
people to this
area in were
depleted,
copper emerged
and has
seat.
Gila
County is
the home of
the legendary
Graham-Tewksbury
feud,
which began in
the 1870s and
lasted 15
years. It
claimed dozens
of lives and
ignited
tempers
between cattle
ranchers and
sheep ranchers
for years to
come.
Some
of the
attractions in
Gila County
include the
Salt River
Canyon, Tonto
National
Monument, the
Mogollon Rim,
Tonto Natural
Bridge State
Park,
Coolidge Dam,
Roosevelt Dam
and Roosevelt
Lake. Both
desert terrain
and
mountain
ranges spread
across the
county s
landscape.
Elevations
range
from 2,000 to
7,000 feet
above sea
level. This
stark
difference of
5,000 feet
enables the
county to
support
ranching as
well as
tourism
and
recreation.
These three
areas of
commerce, in
addition to
copper
production,
comprise the
county's major
industries.
Portions of
Gila
County
including
parts of
Payson, Hayden
and Winkelman
have been
designated as
an Enterprise
Zone.
The
U.S. Forest
Service owns
56 percent of
the
land in Gila
County.
Approximately
38 percent
belongs to the
Apache
Tribe.
Individuals
and
corporations
own 2 percent
of the land;
the U.S.
Bureau of Land
Management, 2
percent; and
the state of
Arizona, 1
percent of the
land; and
other public
lands comprise
the remaining
1
percent.
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