. ▁ ▁Pro spect ers ▁and ▁min ers ▁r ushed ▁to ▁the ▁area ▁of ▁the ▁great ▁silver ▁discovery ▁of ▁October , ▁ 1 7 3 6 . ▁It ▁was ▁given ▁the ▁name ▁San ▁Antonio ▁de ▁Pad ua ▁by ▁Just icia ▁Mayor ▁Juan ▁B aut ista ▁de ▁An za ▁when ▁he ▁arrived ▁on ▁the ▁scene ▁in ▁November ▁and ▁ordered ▁that ▁all ▁the ▁silver ▁that ▁had ▁been ▁taken ▁from ▁the ▁site ▁be ▁imp ounded ▁and ▁brought ▁to ▁Ur rea ' s ▁Arizona ▁R anch , ▁some ▁fifteen ▁miles ▁down ▁the ▁can y on . ▁▁ ▁Because ▁the ▁large ▁pieces ▁of ▁silver ▁were ▁found ▁in ▁a ▁pla cer ▁depos it ▁( un us ual ▁for ▁silver , ▁and ▁unique ▁for ▁such ▁large ▁masses ) ▁the ▁Spanish ▁colonial ▁government ▁maintained ▁that ▁the ▁silver ▁was ▁an ▁artificial ▁tre asure ▁tro ve ▁and ▁so ▁belonged ▁to ▁the ▁crown . ▁ ▁The ▁min ers ▁maintained ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁a ▁natural ▁pla cer ▁depos it ▁that ▁belonged ▁to ▁the ▁discover ers ▁under ▁Spanish ▁law . ▁ ▁The ▁court ▁case ▁drag ged ▁on ▁for ▁years , ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁meant ime , ▁Spanish ▁soldiers ▁e ject ed ▁the ▁min ers . ▁ ▁Because ▁his ▁escri b ano ▁( scribe ), ▁Manuel ▁José ▁de ▁S osa , ▁dated ▁all ▁the ▁imp ounding ▁documents ▁at ▁Arizona , ▁people ▁in ▁far away ▁places ▁like ▁Gu adal aj ara ▁and ▁Mexico ▁City ▁were ▁soon ▁referring ▁to ▁the ▁silver ▁as ▁the ▁" sil ver ▁of ▁Arizona ." ▁Arizona ▁became ▁a ▁household ▁word ▁in ▁early ▁ 1 8