Sunday, August 2, 2026

Question: What Arizona mining town was often known as the “hell-hole of Arizona”?

Answer: Silverbell. Sometimes also known as “The Toughest Town in Pima County,” the historic mining camp was known for its extreme lawlessness and harsh living conditions with rampant violence, severe water scarcity, poor sanitation, disease, and isolation, thus earning its moniker. There were two towns in Arizona with the same name, one “Silverbell” and one “Silver Bell” and they were situated about 4 miles apart. Both were mining towns, but Silverbell, which was established in 1904 during the territorial days after copper and mineral discoveries of the 1870s, has the most colorful history. It grew to about 1,000 residents by 1905 with a full business district, but was mostly abandoned by the early 1930s.