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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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