Washington Camp Cemetery is a Historic Arizona Cemetery maintained by the Arizona Memory Project. The cemetery was created in the mining community of Santa Cruz. (State of Arizona, Historic Property #593).



Washington Camp was once the biggest supply community south of Patagonia for the town's of Duquesne, Mowry and Harshaw. The area was investigated in the beginning of the 1860s and was quickly left because of Apache attacks in the area. Progress in the area began in the late 1880s when "Duquesne Mining & Reduction Company of Pittsburgh '' surveyed out lots and started mining in the place that became the town of Duquesne. Besides the mine, the town of Duquesne had a company office and about 1000 residents. The Duquesne post office started on May 13, 1880 and closed on February 14, 1920. Washington Camp had residents for the miners, general store and school. Each camp had about 1000 residents. The town had once in 1905 about 5200 miners and their families. A school house was built and placed between those two towns.Today Washington Camp is in ruins.



Of the nearly two hundred graves, only three were legibly marked in November 1974. Recorded burial dates range from 1910 to1918. but probably the bulk of the burials were made earlier. as the importance of this area as a mining center came between 1880 and 1920. At one time sixty graves were identified with an additional 10 being identified in February 1975.



Ownership:

Earliest Known Burial: George M Sawyer (1863-1897)

Last Burial: 1950

In Use: No

Contact Information:

Number of graves: approximately 200



Directions

The cemetery is on a side road to the qhost town of Duquesne, to the west of the road from Patagonia to Lochiel. lf travelling south toward Lochiel, pass the first turn-off to Duquesne and turn right toward Duquesne about a mile farther on. The cemetery lies to the south of this side road, 10 yards from the turnoff, it is easily seen from the edge of Duquesne wash, at the foot of a wooded slope, slightly above the level of the wash.