The Vulture Gold Mine was discovered in 1863 by Henry Wickenburg; it was one of the richest gold mines in Arizona, possibly yielding as much as $40 million in gold. Active mining continued off and on for nearly 80 years, before being shut down in 1942.

By 1880, the Vulture had 60-80 stamps crushing its ore, an assay office, blacksmith shop, a half dozen boarding houses, carpenter shop, cookhouse/mess hall, laundry, offices, saloons, stores, and warehouses. A school was added to educate the children of the 300 or more miners. Over 40 cabins housed the families, and Vulture City was a self-contained small town. Population estimates of the mining town range from 500 to 5000.

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