Miami’s local history can be read in its buildings and routes, which are connected to its mining past. The Keystone Stairs tell the story of access to the mines; bridges show how transportation routes and the town’s architectural history intersect. There are also exhibits at the Bullion Plaza Museum and Cultural Center, as well as historic community buildings. These different perspectives can help you choose the topics that interest you most during your trip.
Keystone Stairs and Bridges
The Keystone Stairs were built between 1910 and 1915. Over time, thousands of miners used the stairs to reach shafts at the Van Dyke Mine to the west and the Miami Copper Mine to the east. The original structure consisted of 155 steps and 12 ramps. Visitors can safely use the restored Keystone Stairs; as you climb, they offer panoramic views of Miami and the surrounding copper mining operations.
One bridge is directly connected to these stairs: the Keystone Avenue Bridge was built in 1918 as a direct route to the Keystone Stairs. It was the first concrete arch bridge built in Miami. Another group of bridges connects Live Oak Street (Highway 60) with Sullivan Street in the historic downtown: five identical Luten arch bridges are still in use there today. The Luten arch is a patented concrete arch design created by Daniel B. Luten of Indianapolis, Indiana. Considered together, these details offer two perspectives: the Keystone Avenue Bridge as a route to the stairs, and the five Luten arch bridges as still-used connections in the downtown area.
Mining and Community History
The mining exhibits at the Bullion Plaza Museum and Cultural Center illustrate various processes through which ore passes to extract copper. This adds another dimension to the history of the Keystone Stairs: the stairs focus on former access to the mine shafts, while the exhibits address ore processing. If you are interested in the technical side of copper mining, these two topics offer different points of entry.
Bullion Plaza opened in 1923 as an elementary school for the community’s Mexican and Apache students during segregation. Its former role as a school is a different aspect of local history from the mining routes and ore processing: it turns the focus to education and the community in Miami. This makes it possible to consider industrial and social history as distinct, but equally tangible, topics in the town.
Church and YMCA
The Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church was solemnly dedicated at 10 a.m. on July 1, 1917. In 2008, the church was added to the National Register of Historic Places. The exact date and time of the dedication provide a clear point of reference for local church history; its later addition to the register marks a separate milestone in the building’s history.
The Miami YMCA connects architectural history with its former role in the growing copper mining community. It was built in 1917 and completed in February 1918. It is also one of only two surviving buildings in Miami built in the neoclassical style. Historically, the YMCA served the community as a place to stay, socialize, and enjoy recreation. These functions describe its importance at the time and add the perspective of community life in the mining town to its architectural history.
You can therefore explore local history from different angles: through mining routes and bridges, the processes of copper extraction, the history of education and community, or the architecture of religious and public buildings. As you climb, the Keystone Stairs offer panoramic views of Miami and the surrounding copper mining operations; the other topics each reveal their own historical context.
Discover more destinations: Young, Payson, Tonto Basin, Globe.
Return to the main travel overview: Gila County.
