Category: Destination4x4

John Percival Jones

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John Percival Jones (January 27, 1829 – November 27, 1912) was a prominent Anglo-American mining entrepreneur, capitalist, and long-serving politician whose career epitomized the intersection of Western mining booms, corporate investment, and national politics in the late 19th century. Known as one of the “Silver Senators,” Jones amassed significant wealth through silver mining in Nevada’s Comstock Lode before expanding his investments into California. His political influence as a U.S. Senator from Nevada for 30 years (1873–1903) amplified his role in promoting mining interests, free silver policies, and regional development.

Senator John Percival Jones
Senator John Percival Jones

Early Life and Arrival in the West

Born at “The Hay” in Herefordshire, England, Jones immigrated to the United States as an infant in 1829 with his family. He grew up in New York before heading west during the California Gold Rush. In 1849, at age 20, he arrived in California and settled in Trinity County in the northern part of the state. There, he engaged in placer mining, farming, and local affairs, serving as sheriff and justice of the peace in Weaverville. These early experiences in the Mother Lode region honed his skills in mining operations and frontier governance, though he did not achieve major wealth in California gold mining at this stage.

Rise in Nevada: The Comstock Lode and Crown Point Mine

Jones moved to Nevada in the mid-1860s amid the excitement of the Comstock Lode, the legendary silver discovery near Virginia City (then part of Utah Territory, later Nevada). In 1868, he became superintendent of the Crown Point Mine in Gold Hill, a key producer on the Comstock Lode. Under his management, the mine struck a rich ore body, propelling Jones to millionaire status and earning him the reputation as the Comstock’s first millionaire mine superintendent.

His heroism during a deadly 1869 fire on the Comstock further enhanced his stature. Jones was credited with brave actions that saved lives and property. This success, combined with his operational expertise, positioned him as a leading figure in Nevada’s mining industry. The Comstock’s deep, hardrock silver mining required substantial capital, corporate organization, and technological innovation—areas where Jones excelled as both manager and investor.

Political Career and the “Silver Senator” Era

In 1873, Jones was elected as a Republican U.S. Senator from the new state of Nevada, serving continuously until 1903—a remarkable 30-year tenure. He joined fellow mining magnate William Morris Stewart (another Comstock lawyer-turned-senator) in representing Nevada’s interests in Washington. Both became staunch advocates for free silver (bimetallism), opposing the gold standard and pushing policies favorable to Western mining states. Jones’s wealth and influence made him a powerful voice for silver producers nationwide.

Mining Investments in Nevada and California

Jones’s mining career extended beyond the Comstock. In Nevada, his Crown Point success provided the capital for further ventures. He invested in various Comstock properties and remained active as a capitalist even after entering the Senate.

Panamint City Stamp Mill
Panamint City Stamp Mill

His most notable California investment came in the mid-1870s with the Panamint silver district in the Panamint Range (now part of Death Valley National Park). In 1873–1874, rich silver outcrops were discovered in Surprise Canyon by prospectors (including former outlaws). Hearing of the excitement, Jones—fresh from Comstock riches—partnered with Senator Stewart to form the Panamint Mining Company. They invested heavily (reports vary from $250,000–$350,000 personally, plus millions raised from investors) to acquire controlling interests in key claims like the Wyoming and Wonder mines. They organized the district, built infrastructure (including a 20-stamp mill), and promoted the camp aggressively.

Panamint City boomed briefly to 1,500–2,000 residents in 1874–1875, becoming infamous for lawlessness (dozens of murders reported). Jones and Stewart floated stocks on the San Francisco Mining Exchange and cast bullion into heavy cubes to deter theft. However, the high-grade ore depleted quickly, and a devastating flash flood in 1876 destroyed much of the town. By 1877, operations collapsed amid a market panic, yielding little return despite massive investment. This bust highlighted the speculative risks of remote desert mining.

Jones also pursued broader California ventures tied to his mining interests. In 1874, he partnered with Colonel Robert S. Baker to develop Santa Monica as a seaside resort and potential port. He purchased a three-fourths interest in Baker’s Rancho Boca de Santa Monica ranch for $162,500 and built the Los Angeles and Independence Railroad (a narrow-gauge line from Los Angeles to Santa Monica, completed in 1875 without subsidies). Originally intended to connect to Inyo County silver mines (including Panamint) via Independence, financial strains from failing mines forced Jones to sell the railroad to Collis P. Huntington’s Southern Pacific in 1877. Santa Monica’s founding and early growth remain his most enduring California legacy.

Later Life and Legacy

After retiring from the Senate in 1903, Jones lived in comfort, dividing time between Washington, D.C., New York (where he owned a hotel), San Francisco (with a Turkish bath investment), and California properties. He pursued other interests, including early water reclamation ideas linked to what became Hoover Dam. He died in Santa Monica on November 27, 1912.

John P. Jones embodied the transition from individual prospecting to corporate mining capitalism in the American West. His Comstock fortune funded ambitious but often risky ventures like Panamint, while his Senate role shaped national mining and monetary policy. Though some investments (notably Panamint) ended in disappointment, his role in founding Santa Monica and promoting Western resource development left a lasting mark on California and Nevada history.

William Morris Stewart

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William Morris Stewart (August 9, 1827 – April 23, 1909), often called the “Silver Senator,” was a prominent American lawyer, politician, and mining investor whose career intertwined deeply with the mining booms of California and Nevada. Known for his aggressive legal tactics, advocacy for free silver and mining rights, and involvement in high-profile (and sometimes controversial) ventures, Stewart amassed significant wealth through prospecting, litigation, and speculation before and during his long political tenure.

William M. Stewart. Photo by Matthew Brady
William M. Stewart. Photo by Matthew Brady

Early Life and Arrival in the West

Born in Galen, near Lyons, Wayne County, New York, Stewart was the oldest son of Frederick A. and Miranda Morris Stewart. His family moved to a farm in Trumbull County, Ohio, during his childhood, but he returned to Lyons for high school. In 1848, he entered Yale University but left after three semesters to join the California Gold Rush. Traveling via the Isthmus of Panama, he arrived in San Francisco in spring 1850 and headed to the gold fields near Nevada City, California. There, he prospected successfully, discovering the famed Eureka diggings and profiting enough to sell his interests at a substantial gain. This early success funded his shift from mining to law.

Legal Career and California Mining Ties (1850s)

Stewart studied law under John R. McConnell in Nevada City and was admitted to the bar in 1852. He served as district attorney of Nevada County in 1853 and briefly as acting attorney general of California in 1854. In 1855, he married Annie Elizabeth Foote (daughter of former Mississippi Senator Henry S. Foote) and moved to Downieville, California, in 1856, continuing his legal practice amid the region’s placer and quartz mining operations. His expertise in mining law—gained through litigation over claims, water rights, and ore disputes—laid the foundation for his later prominence.

Move to Nevada and the Comstock Lode (1859–1875)

The 1859 discovery of the Comstock Lode—one of the richest silver deposits in history—in what was then Utah Territory (soon Nevada) drew Stewart to Virginia City in 1860. He became the most prominent lawyer on the Comstock, specializing in mining litigation. He championed the “single ledge” theory (arguing the Comstock was one continuous vein), which influenced massive stakes in control of the lode. Stewart estimated earning $500,000 from four years of such cases, amid litigation costing up to $10 million overall. His aggressive style—sometimes described as not always strictly ethical—earned him a fearsome reputation.

Politically, Stewart helped shape Nevada: he served on the territorial council (1861), attended the 1863 constitutional convention, and became one of Nevada’s first U.S. Senators upon statehood in 1864 (serving until 1875). He drafted key national mining laws (1866 and 1872) formalizing Western practices like claim location and free access to public lands. He also contributed to the Fifteenth Amendment and supported railroad interests.

Investments and Controversies in Mining

Beyond law and politics, Stewart invested directly in mining:

  • Comstock Lode: He participated as a capitalist after his legal work, profiting from the silver boom.
  • Emma Mine (Utah, 1870s): Stewart promoted this silver mine in Little Cottonwood Canyon to British investors, raising millions. Accusations of fraud arose when the mine proved depleted or overvalued; he and partners sold shares profitably, tarnishing his reputation.
  • Panamint City (California, 1873–1877): In late 1872/early 1873, prospectors (including outlaws) discovered rich silver in Surprise Canyon, Panamint Range (near Death Valley), while searching for the legendary Lost Gunsight Mine. Stewart partnered with fellow Nevada Senator John P. Jones (both dubbed “Silver Senators” for their mining ties) to form the Panamint Mining Company (capitalized at $2 million). They invested heavily—over $250,000–$350,000—buying claims (e.g., Wyoming, Wonder, Challenge), arranging amnesty for bandit discoverers (with restitution to Wells Fargo), and promoting the boom. Panamint City swelled to 1,500–2,000 residents with mills and infrastructure, but ore depleted quickly, and a 1876 flash flood devastated the town. The venture collapsed by 1877, adding to Stewart’s controversial legacy.

Stewart’s mining pursuits often blended speculation, promotion, and politics, drawing criticism for prioritizing profit and development over restraint.

Later Career and Legacy

After leaving the Senate in 1875 (due to financial pressures against rival William Sharon), Stewart practiced law in San Francisco and pursued unsuccessful mining schemes. He represented clients in scandals (e.g., William Sharon’s divorce) and briefly joined the Silver Party (1892–1899) to advocate remonetizing silver, editing the Silver Knight newspaper. Rejoining Republicans in 1900, he returned to the Senate (1887–1905), championing Western irrigation, mining safety, and opposing figures like John Wesley Powell on land policy.

In 1905, at nearly 80, Stewart moved to the Bullfrog mining district in southern Nevada, opening a law firm and dabbling in ventures. He died in Washington, D.C., in 1909, leaving a fortune from mining and law (estimated at millions earlier). Inducted into the Hall of Great Westerners (1964), Stewart embodied the rugged, opportunistic spirit of the mining West—shaping laws that enabled its development while embodying its excesses and controversies. His investments in California (early gold fields, Panamint) and Nevada (Comstock, later camps) helped fuel booms that transformed the region, for better and worse.

The Comstock Lode – Nevada State Historic Monument

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The Comstock Lode stands as one of the most significant mining discoveries in American history: the first major silver deposit found in the United States. Located beneath the eastern slope of Mount Davidson in the Virginia Range, near what became Virginia City, Nevada (then part of western Utah Territory), it transformed the region from a sparsely populated frontier into a booming industrial center. The lode’s riches fueled the development of Nevada as a state, bankrolled much of San Francisco’s growth, influenced national monetary policy debates, and advanced deep-level mining technology.

"Mining on the Comstock", depicting the headframes and mills of the various mines, and mining technology used at Comstock, most prominently the method of square-set timbering developed there to work the veins. -T.L. Dawes (drawing); Le Count Bros., San Fransisco (lithographers)
“Mining on the Comstock”, depicting the headframes and mills of the various mines, and mining technology used at Comstock, most prominently the method of square-set timbering developed there to work the veins. -T.L. Dawes (drawing); Le Count Bros., San Fransisco (lithographers)

Early Discoveries and the Path to 1859

Placer gold mining began in the area as early as 1850, when Mormon emigrants led by Abner Blackburn found gold in Gold Canyon (near present-day Dayton, Nevada). Small-scale placer operations continued through the 1850s, with miners washing gold from streams flowing down from the Virginia Range. These efforts were modest and overshadowed by the California Gold Rush.

In 1857, brothers Ethan Allen Grosh and Hosea Ballou Grosh (experienced prospectors from Pennsylvania) reportedly discovered rich silver-gold veins while searching the area. They documented promising samples but tragically died before recording formal claims—Ethan from a mining accident and Hosea from frostbite after a winter trek. Their knowledge passed to others indirectly.

By early 1859, prospectors including Peter O’Riley and Patrick McLaughlin were working claims in Six-Mile Canyon and Gold Canyon. On June 12, 1859 (the generally accepted date of the major “rediscovery”), they uncovered a rich vein of gold mixed with heavy blue-gray clay while digging for water to process placer gold. The clay proved frustrating until assayed and revealed as rich silver sulfide ore—marking the true start of the Comstock Lode.

Henry Tompkins Paige Comstock (“Old Pancake”), a talkative Canadian prospector and sheepherder, quickly inserted himself into the discovery. He claimed the ground for “grazing” and pressured the finders into giving him and partner Emanuel “Manny” Penrod shares. Though Comstock contributed little technically and sold his interests cheaply soon after (dying poor later), the lode bore his name.

News of the strike spread rapidly, sparking the “Rush to Washoe” (named for the Washoe Valley region). Thousands poured in from California, creating instant camps.

Boom Period and Development (1859–1870s)

The Comstock Lode stretched about 2.5–3 miles along the base of Mount Davidson, with ore bodies in narrow, steeply dipping veins that required deep underground mining. Initial placer and shallow diggings gave way to hardrock operations.

  • Towns and Infrastructure: Virginia City (founded 1859) and Gold Hill exploded in population, reaching peaks of 20,000–25,000 by the mid-1870s. Virginia City became the most important city between San Francisco and Denver, with saloons, theaters, newspapers (including the Territorial Enterprise), churches, schools, and an opera house. Other settlements included Silver City and Dayton.
  • Mining Challenges and Innovations: Early miners faced flooding, cave-ins, and unstable ground. German engineer Philipp Deidesheimer invented the square-set timbering system in 1860, allowing safe excavation of large ore bodies. Deep shafts reached over 3,000 feet by the 1880s. Adolph Sutro engineered the Sutro Tunnel (completed 1878), a 4-mile drainage and transport tunnel that relieved flooding and cut costs dramatically.
  • Economic Control: The Bank Crowd (led by William Sharon of the Bank of California and William Ralston in San Francisco) dominated early financing, mills, and stock manipulation on the San Francisco Mining Exchange. They controlled much of the early production but faced competition.
  • Key Bonanzas:
    • Ophir (early producer until ~1864).
    • Crown Point (major strike in 1871).
    • The Big Bonanza (1873) in the Consolidated Virginia and California mines—discovered by the Bonanza Firm (or “Bonanza Kings”/”Silver Kings”): Irish immigrants John William Mackay, James Graham Fair, James Clair Flood, and William S. O’Brien. This massive ore body (54 feet wide at points) produced over $100 million (hundreds of millions today) and made them among the richest men in the world.

Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) worked briefly as a miner before becoming a reporter for the Territorial Enterprise, drawing on Comstock experiences for Roughing It.

Peak Production and Decline (1870s–1880s)

Peak output came in 1877–1878, with annual production exceeding $35 million ($14–21 million gold and silver combined, equivalent to over $1 billion today). From 1859 to the early 1880s, the district yielded roughly $400–500 million in metals (at then-current prices), including estimates of ~192–200 million ounces of silver and ~8–8.3 million ounces of gold. About 7 million tons of ore were extracted by 1880, with 57% silver value and 43% gold.

The lode’s riches helped finance the Union during the Civil War (prompting Nevada’s rushed statehood in 1864 for electoral votes and senators like William Morris Stewart and John P. Jones). Wealth flowed to San Francisco, building infrastructure and mansions.

By the late 1870s, rich bonanzas depleted, flooding worsened, and costs soared. Production declined sharply after 1880, though small-scale mining continued into the 20th century (sporadic until the 1940s, with minor revivals).

Nevada State History Marker #13

Nevada State Historical Markers identify significant places of interest in Nevada’s history. The Nevada State Legislature started the program in 1967 to bring the state’s heritage to the public’s attention with on-site markers. Budget cuts to the program caused the program to become dormant in 2009. Many of the markers are lost of damaged.

Near this spot was the heart of the Comstock Lode, the fabulous 2 ½ mile deposit of high-grade ore that produced nearly $400,000.00 in silver and gold.  After the discovery in 1859, Virginia City boomed for 20 years, helped bring Nevada into the union in 1864 and to build San Francisco.

Several major mines operated during the boom.  Their sites are today marked by large yellow dumps, several of which are visible from here – the Sierra Nevada a mile to your left, the Union, Ophir, Con Virginia and, on the high hill to the southeast, the combination.  The Lode was worked from both ends, north up Gold Canyon and south from the Sierra Nevada Utah mines.

NEVADA CENTENNIAL MARKER NO. 13
STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE

The Comstock Lode – Nevada State History Marker Summary

Nevada State History Marker13
NameThe Comstock Load
LocationVirginia City, Storey County, Nevada
Latitude, Longitude39.31668, -119.64736

References

Marta Becket

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Marta Becket, 87, performed her final show at the Amargosa Opera House at Death Valley Junction on February 12th, 2012. She happened upon the abandoned headquarters for the Pacific Coast Borax Works in 1967 and, as a professional dancer, adopted the community hall and has been residing on the property and giving performances since. A real Death Valley original. Rick Cooper, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Marta Becket, 87, performed her final show at the Amargosa Opera House at Death Valley Junction on February 12th, 2012. She happened upon the abandoned headquarters for the Pacific Coast Borax Works in 1967 and, as a professional dancer, adopted the community hall and has been residing on the property and giving performances since. A real Death Valley original. Rick Cooper, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

Marta Becket (August 9, 1924 – January 30, 2017) was an extraordinary American dancer, choreographer, painter, and performer whose life took a legendary turn in the remote desert of California. Best known for transforming an abandoned building in Death Valley Junction into the iconic Amargosa Opera House, she created a unique artistic oasis in one of the most isolated places in the United States, performing there for over four decades.

Here are some glimpses of the stunning Amargosa Opera House interior, where Becket hand-painted elaborate murals of a colorful, eternal audience—including Renaissance figures, clowns, monks, and even a nod to theater critics—watching her performances forever:

Early Life and Artistic Beginnings

Born Martha Becket in New York City’s Greenwich Village on August 9, 1924, she showed creative talent from a young age. She began studying ballet at 14—a relatively late start—encouraged by her supportive yet demanding mother. Despite the delay, her natural ability shone through. By her early twenties, she was dancing professionally with the corps de ballet at Radio City Music Hall and later appeared on Broadway in productions such as Showboat. Beyond dance, she excelled in painting, drawing, and piano, laying the foundation for her multifaceted career.

She later changed her name to Marta Becket and, in the early 1960s, began performing her own one-woman shows on regional tours. In 1962, she married her manager, Tom Williams, and the couple continued traveling across the western U.S., where she first fell in love with the vast desert landscapes.

The Fateful Flat Tire: Birth of the Amargosa Opera House

The Arargosa Opera House is located in Death Valley Junction, California.
The Arargosa Opera House is located in Death Valley Junction, California.

In March 1967, while on tour and heading to an engagement, Becket and her husband experienced a flat tire in the tiny, nearly abandoned town of Death Valley Junction (originally called Amargosa), near the eastern edge of Death Valley National Park. While the tire was repaired at the local gas station, Becket wandered across the street and peered through a hole in the door of Corkhill Hall, a dilapidated former community social hall built in the 1920s by the Pacific Coast Borax Company.

She later described the moment as mystical—the empty, rundown building seemed to speak to her: “Take me. Do something with me. I offer you life!” Enchanted by the potential, she rented the space for $45 a month (with a dollar down) and took full responsibility for repairs. The couple returned in August 1967 to begin renovations. She renamed it the Amargosa Opera House in homage to the town’s original name.

Here’s the iconic exterior of the Amargosa Opera House and Hotel complex in the remote desert landscape:

A Life of Dedication in the Desert

Becket staged her first performance on February 10, 1968, to an audience of just 12 people. Early years were challenging—she often performed for empty seats—but she persisted, creating her own choreography blending ballet, mime, and vaudeville. Over seven years, she painstakingly painted the theater’s walls and ceiling with vibrant murals depicting a permanent, whimsical audience.

In 1970, a National Geographic article brought national attention, and audiences began arriving from around the world. By 1974, she established the nonprofit Amargosa Opera House, Inc. to preserve the property. She continued performing weekly (later on Saturdays) until her final show in February 2012, at age 87.

Becket also expanded to own and restore the adjacent hotel, infusing it with her artistic vision.

Legacy and Final Years

Marta Becket passed away on January 30, 2017, at her home in Death Valley Junction at the age of 92, from natural causes. Her story of following her heart—leaving the bright lights of New York for a solitary desert stage—has inspired countless artists and dreamers.

The Amargosa Opera House remains a living tribute to her vision, hosting performances, tours, and events to this day. Her legacy endures as a testament to the power of art, determination, and the magic that can bloom even in the most unexpected places.

Here are a few beautiful portraits and moments of Marta Becket herself, capturing her grace and enduring spirit:

Lippincott Mine

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The Lippincott Mine (also known as the Lead King Mine) is a historic lead-silver mine located in the remote southwestern corner of Racetrack Valley within Death Valley National Park, California. Situated in the Ubehebe Mining District on the ridge separating Racetrack Valley from Saline Valley, the site represents one of the area’s more productive small-scale mining operations in the early-to-mid 20th century. Today, it features scattered ruins, adits (horizontal mine entrances), tailings piles, and remnants of mining infrastructure, though much has deteriorated over time. Visitors often access it via rough off-road routes, including the infamous Lippincott Mine Road.

The remains of the Lippencott Mine at the southern end of Race Track Valley.
The remains of the Lippencott Mine at the southern end of Race Track Valley.

Discovery and Early Development (1906–1910s)

The Lippincott Mine was discovered in 1906, with significant development work beginning around 1908. Located in a harsh, water-scarce desert environment, the mine targeted rich lead-silver deposits (primarily galena ore). Early ore samples showed impressive grades, often yielding around 42% lead and 8 ounces of silver per ton, making extraction economically viable despite the remote location.

The mine saw its most productive period during World War I, when demand for lead (used in ammunition and other wartime materials) surged. Miners reportedly used the flat, dry surface of the nearby Racetrack Playa as an improvised landing strip for small aircraft, aiding in supply transport and oversight.

World War II Era and Post-War Operations (1940s–1950s)

Operations ramped up again during World War II, with development of the Lead King Mine (under the Lippincott family) beginning in May 1942. A small crew of about eight miners extracted high-grade silver-lead ore, which was trucked out to Goldfield, Nevada, then railed to smelters in Utah. Only the richest ore was shipped due to challenging logistics — the silver was particularly valuable for wartime storage batteries.

Despite high ore quality (some reports cite up to 63% lead and 35 ounces of silver), federal restrictions shut down operations during the later war years as part of resource conservation efforts. The Lippincott family resumed work from 1946 to 1951, constructing additional infrastructure like a mine camp with wood and tarpaper cabins, an ore tipple, and possibly a tramway system.

Water scarcity remained a major challenge — supplies had to be trucked in over long distances — and this likely contributed to the eventual closure. Limited activity may have continued sporadically into the 1970s under later owners like George Lippincott Jr.’s Polaris Battery Company, which considered further exploration in 1974.

Looking down at the Lippencott Mine Road from the Lippencott Mine, with Saline Valley in the distance.
Looking down at the Lippencott Mine Road from the Lippencott Mine, with Saline Valley in the distance.

Legacy and Modern Significance

The Lippincott Mine is now part of Death Valley National Park, where all mining claims are inactive, and the site is protected as a historic resource. Ruins include adits (some gated for bat protection), scattered timbers, old vehicle parts, and tailings piles — visitors should avoid disturbing soil or inhaling dust due to potential residual lead contamination.

The mine’s access road — the steep, narrow, and extremely challenging Lippincott Mine Road (also called Lippincott Pass) — was originally built in 1906 to reach the site. This 7-mile route from Saline Valley to Racetrack Valley features sheer drop-offs, tight switchbacks, and rough terrain, making it one of Death Valley’s most notorious 4WD trails (high-clearance 4WD with experienced drivers only; uphill traffic has right-of-way).

The Lippincott Mine stands as a testament to the tenacity of early 20th-century prospectors in one of the harshest environments on Earth, contributing to the broader mining history of Death Valley that includes gold, silver, borax, and other metals. While not as famous as sites like Rhyolite or the Keane Wonder Mine, it remains a fascinating, off-the-beaten-path destination for adventurous visitors exploring Racetrack Valley’s moving rocks and remote wilderness. Always check current road conditions with the National Park Service before attempting access!