Superior is on U.S. 60 at the junction of state Highway 177. The town, in a mountainous setting, is surrounded by peaks such as 6,056-foot Iron Mountain. In 1900, George Lobb laid out the town, naming it Hastings. Mines dotted the hills around the prosperous Pinal County community. Stockholders in one of the successful silver mines lived in Michigan and named their mine Lake Superior. This mine fed the area economy and the community changed its name to Superior after this mine. The Magma Copper Company was established in 1910 and ran the Silver Queen Mine which became a great copper producer after its silver ran out. A smelter was built in 1924 and remained in operation for 47 years.