Questions and Answers

QUESTION: Does it snow in Ajo?

ANSWER: Yes, but not often. Since the author has lived here, a period of thirty-seven years, snow has fallen and remained for several hours only once or twice. However, during the 1960's, this occurred three or four times. The most dramatic instance occurred about a decade ago when Ajo received a blanket of snow that lasted all morning. Television helicopters from Phoenix beamed dramatic scenes across Arizona. Ajo was the only place in southwest Arizona that day that had snow stick. Gila Bend, Why, Organ Pipe National Monument, and Lukeville were without snow. A number of times snow has fallen but melted immediately. (The photograph illustrating this question was taken near Tucson, which is higher in elevation than Ajo and receives more snow, but the scenes of snow on cholla cactus were similar in Ajo.) At an elevation of 1700 feet above sea level, Ajo gets some snow, but not much.

Note:  This will be a continuing feature.  Please use the contact tab in the menu to e-mail your questions to Raymond Spitzer.

QUESTION: Who is the most infamous Ajo resident in history? (Submitted by Evelyn Spitzer-Abbott)

ANSWER: I had two thoughts immediately - A.J. Shotwell and Fred L. McGahan. Shotwell was a con man, but he advertised Ajo widely. His purpose was to make money selling stock in a non-existent mine in a remote area that the investors couldn't check without superhuman effort. This was in the 1880's and he operated out of St. Louis. He lied about Ajo and made money off his lies, but he didn't do anything to develop the mine.

The second man was Fred L. McGahan. He was a crazy inventor who also conned investors out of their money. In this case he "invented" the vacuum smelter to process the Ajo ore. The only vacuum he really invented was in the pockets of the investors as he violated the laws of physics and did nothing to process the ore.

Upon further reflection, the most infamous Ajo resident in history has to be Marge Hagen. She was involved in murder plots in Minnesota and Nebraska, but not convicted. She posed as a church-going grandmother in Ajo, but in reality she was a serial arsonist. She was convicted (finally) of arson, but she got away with the death of her husband. Many suspected her of murder, but there wasn't enough evidence to charge her with it.

In reality, most Ajo residents, prominent and otherwise, have been good rather than evil. That's why it is such a charming town. But then, that describes most towns, doesn't it?

QUESTION:  Who is the most famous Ajo resident in history?

ANSWER:  John C. Greenway, no question about it.  Greenway was the right-hand man of Theodore Roosevelt in the Spanish American War and remained his confidante when TR was president.  Greenway was the driving force behind open pit copper mining.  He personally prospected for water, making Ajo possible.  He created the Plaza as an area to unite the community.  He had the railroad built.  He attracted the scientists and gave them the tools to figure out how to make copper mining from low grade ore profitable.  Along with Eusebio Francisco Kino, he is honored in Washington D.C. with a statue representing Arizona.  As a memorial to Greenway the above cross was erected on "A" Mountain.  It bears his name.