Mining started here under the name Montana Camp in the 1870's. Copper, lead, silver, gold, and zinc were mined. In April of 1912, a post office was established. A store owner and new postmaster Julius Andrews name the town after his wife. In 1913, Phillip Clarke purchased the Andrews store. It was VERY dangerous being a store owner in Ruby. They were so close to the Mexican border (about 5 miles), that raids often occured by Mexican revolutionaries. Clarke had firearms in every room of the store. In 1920, Clarke leased the store to Alex and John Frasier, and told them to keep well armed. Two months later the were both dead after a robbery. One of the bandits was killed (after killing a deptuy) and the other got away. Soon after, Frank Phearson bought the store from Clarke. On August 26, 1921, he and his wife were killed by 7 bandits robbing the store.
Ruby prospered from 1926 to 1937, when its mins produced alot of lead, zinc, and silver. In 1940, the ore was gone and by 1941, Ruby was a ghost town. Today, it is only open on weekends.
Take I-19 south out of Tucson to exit 12. Take Ruby-Nogales Road west past Pena Blanca Lake. This 10 miles is paved. Watch for a sign telling you to turn onto a gravel road (left turn). Continue on this road (still Ruby Road) for about 15 more miles. This part can be very rough at times. You will do best in a high clearance vehicle on this part of the drive.
