“Pursuant to judgement rendered in the Superior Court of the
state of Arizona, in and for the county of Pima. Case no. 30813”
.... this road side marker commemorates the moving of the Clarkston
cemetery.
Clarkston, which was once a thriving town with a population of
1500, is now just another Arizona ghost town. The town was located
at +32° 22' 7.20", -112° 50' 43.20" and was named after its
founder, Sam Clark. Sam owned all of the property, which he rented
to the settlers. Despite its proximity to both Ajo and New
Cornelia, Clarkston was more populated than its rival towns.
The lack of a sufficient water supply turned out to be a major
obstacle for the town and its residents. Neighboring New Cornelia
refused to sell water to its competitor. Until a deeper well was
drilled to find a natural water source, water had to be shipped in
from various locations. At its peak, Clarkston could boast of many
big city luxuries; it had a movie theater, pool hall, two
bathhouses, a weekly paper called Copper News, and even a music
shop. The Clarkston's continued shortage of water plagued the town
until the very end. In 1931, a fiery blaze destroyed the town and
led to its ghost town status.
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The book Backcountry Adventures Arizona: The Ultimate Guide to
the Arizona Backcountry for Anyone With a Sport Utility Vehicle by
Peter Massey, Jeanne Wilson was used to research the history of
Clarkston (Ronwood).