Dr. Robert M. T. Hunter
A celebration of life for Robert M. T. Hunter will be held on Wednesday, March 12, 2025, at 1:30pm at the Bridge Christian Church. 8150 N. Sandy Desert Trail, Tucson, AZ 85741. Family and friends are invited to join us as we remember and honor Robert.
In lieu of flowers, the family has requested a donation to The Silver Bell Historical Society. The Society is a 501c3 organization that is building a museum in the Red Rock area. The museum will preserve the rich history of the Silver Bell Mining District, including silver and copper mining as well as the Arizona Southern Railroad, along with recognizing the town of Silver Bell where Bob Grew up. We strive to build a strong sense of community by providing opportunities for social connection and personal growth.
A Museum You Can Support
The Silver Bell Historical Society (SBHS) has worked tirelessly to accomplish the quite amazing feat of establishing a museum which, as of March 2019, seemed an impossible task. It's probably safe to say that the word "impossible" really means "challenge" for the Board of Directors of SBHS.
We've established a relationship with the Red Rock Elementary School District to utilize the old Red Rock Elementary School campus. The school district is very supportive of our efforts, and we are being well-received by the fast-growing community of the older and newer sections of Red Rock. Did you know that Red Rock had its beginnings as early as the 1870s? Red Rock supported Silver Bell mining efforts through mule-drawn ore wagons as well as the railroad, beginning in 1880. Red Rock supported dairy farming as well as vast acreages of cattle ranch land.
ASARCO, of course, is a very good friend of SBHS. Our museum will receive many artifacts from ASARCO, some being as large as ore trucks. Did you know that ASARCO began mining operations in the Silver Bell Mountains in the 1920s? We who lived in Silver Bell remember the great relationship ASARCO maintained with the residents of Silver Bell (1952-1984).
Did you know that your Silver Bell Historical Society has done much research on the entire area from Red Rock to the modern-day Silver Bell? We've discovered the location of the mining village of Pelton which had its heyday in the early 1880s. BS&K is well-known by most of us who lived in Silver Bell. Until 1964, BS&K had a small population of mining families. Before it became BS&K, this was the Atlas Mine, starting in the 1870s. Sasco, a village of nearly 700 people, supported a smelter and power house for the Silver Bell mines.
Red Rock held a depot (pictured here) for the railroads. A 21-mile rail road was built in the early 1900s and continued operations until the early 1930s. The rail line ran from Red Rock to Sasco to Silver Bell. Certainly, the railroad provided the necessities of thriving communities back in the day. The depot building was moved from its place on the railroad when Interstate 10 paved its way from Tucson to Phoenix. The depot, fondly known as the haunted house to Red Rock residents, still stands on Aguirre Lane.
You are invited to have a crucial part in the building of our museum. We have yet to give the museum a formal name, but we are well aware that this museum must have buy-in from the people. This means all of the people who lived and/or worked at Silver Bell and any and all of their descendents. This means the residents of Red Rock. This means people who love the rich history of Arizona and its old mining towns. This could mean YOU.
Please click on "DONATE NOW" below. Any amount you can give is appreciated, whether it's $10 or $10,000. We need the support of everyone!
Your support and contributions will enable us to meet our goals:
- Scholarships for Silver Bell descendents
- Future Social Events and Reunions
- Our Red Rock/Silver Bell Museum
The Silver Bell Historical Society is a 501(c)(3) Nonprofit, which means your donation today is tax-deductible.
Our Mission
The Silver Bell Historical Society offers unique resources to researchers, scholars, and the public. History records four communities: Pelton (1881 - 1900), the Atlas Camp -- also named BS&K (1880 - 1964), the first Silver Bell (1902 - 1935), and the second Silver Bell (1952 - 1984). All of these towns of the Silver Bell Mountains have been deserted, although many who lived here share fond memories of a unique and fraternal place -- in the middle of nowhere in Pima County, Arizona. Located near Marana and Tucson. The photo above is the plaque which adorns our Monument, located at the entrance to the Silver Bell Mine at the very end of Avra Valley Road.
You Can Help Preserve Our History.
A society can be defined as
the aggregate of people living together in a more or less ordered community, and as an organization or club formed for a particular purpose or activity. You are invited to share in the development of the Silver Bell Historical Society. The photo above shows the Monument to the Silver Bell communities, dedicated on March 10, 2019.