Tag: Death Valley National Park

Death Valley National Park, located in eastern California and stretching into Nevada, is a land of extremes. It is the hottest, driest, and lowest national park in the United States, featuring the famously scorching Badwater Basin, which lies 282 feet below sea level. The park’s vast and varied landscape includes towering sand dunes, rugged mountains, and colorful badlands. Despite its harsh conditions, Death Valley is home to a surprising diversity of life, with unique plant and animal species adapted to the extreme environment. The park also boasts stunning geological features such as the salt flats, volcanic craters, and canyons, offering visitors a breathtaking glimpse into the power of nature. Starry night skies and striking sunrises and sunsets add to the park’s otherworldly beauty, making it a unique destination for adventure seekers and nature enthusiasts alike.

Asa Merton Russell “Panamint Russ” 

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Asa Russell, also known as “Panamint Russ”, was a prospector and mine owner is the Butte Valley Area of Death Valley National Park, California.

Asa Merton Russell "Panamint Russ" in front of the Geologist cabin - Courtesy of Desert Magazine April 1955
Asa Russell “Panamint Russ” in front of the Geologist cabin – Courtesy of Desert Magazine April 1955

Russell started his mining career in the 1930 working in the Butte Valley area of the Panamint Mountains. The miner found gold high up the side of old Manly and began mining operation. Asa Merton Russell first established a camp, known as “Russell’s Camp” for his mining operations and registered several claims in the area from 1933 to 1947. Russell developed the springs nearby into a water source to supply the camp with drinking water, irrigation for trees and even vines of Concord Grapes. A five hundred gallon water tank is added to the system in the late 1950’s or 1960’s

The concord grapes are doing well, too. Twenty-five years ago coming through Riverside, California, I stopped at a nursery and bought a half dozen bare-root size, wrapped them in a newspaper, laid them on the running board with a wet gunny sack and today they are 20 feet of beauty.

Life on the Desert – by Panamint Russ – Desert Magazine, April, 1955

Asa Merton Russell retired from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power in May of 1960. This event probably coincided with the previously mentioned 500-gallon water tank and water system expansion. Upon his retirement, Russ moved full time to his “Russell’s Camp” located on the site of the Ten Spot Mill. The miner operated his “Lucky Strike” mine from 1930 to 1974.

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Courtney Chauncey Julian

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Courtney Chauncey Julian
C. C. Julian

Courtney Chauncey Julian, C. C. Julian, was a businessman and shameless promoter who’s business dealings forced him to flee to California for China. He is noteworthy in his dealing in Death Valley National Park for his promotion of the town of Leadfield. After numerous court battles, he fled to Shanghai, China where he is poisoned or committed suicide.

C.C. Julian launched a newspaper blitz promoting his Julian Petroleum Corporation in 1923. The promotional blitz formed the basis for a ponzi scheme for investment into the JPC. The scandal became known as the “Julian Pete Scandal”. By 1927, it is estimated that Julian sold four million dollars in stock, which was stolen from his investors. Others estimate the value of the scheme at over eight million.

Drama followed the man, as he received death threats, however the nature of this threat is never resolved. It was reported by the United Press on Jan 4, 1924, that gun shots are fired threw the windows of his $100,000.00 house in Hollywood.

Perhaps one of his wierdest altercations came with famed film star Charles Chaplin. Just weeks after the shooting, Julian literally bumped into a table where Chaplin was eating at Club Petrouschka in Hollywood. A fight ensured and Chaplin got the better of Julian and knocked him out.

As one would expect from a thief, Julian had assets seized, by Collector of Internal Revenue, of $250,000.00 in cash and securities for failure to file is earnings from 1919-1923. He is able to maintain his house because it is deeded by his wife.

Julian at the Western Lead Mine located in Leadfield, California - Photo Los Angeles Times
Julian at the Western Lead Mine located in Leadfield, California – Photo Los Angeles Times

The end of Julian Petroleum Corporation stated in 1925. Julian sold his interest in the company to Sheridan C. (S.C.) Lewis and Jacob Berman for the sum on $500,000.00. The following year the company merged with California-Eastern Oil Company. An internal audit revealed the company had issued 4,200,000 unauthorized shares of stock. On May 5, 1927, the Los Angeles Stock Exchange halted trading in Julian Petroleum.

In 1931, Julian was charged with conspiracy to commit fraud in Oklahoma. He jumped bail and fled to country for Shanghai, China. Courtney Chauncey Julian is found dead of suicide in March, 1934.

"The Last Days of C. C. Julian," Los Angeles Times, 29 Sept. 1935
“The Last Days of C. C. Julian,” Los Angeles Times, 29 Sept. 1935

This town was the brain child of C. C. Julian, who could have sold ice to an Eskimo. He wandered into Titus Canyon with money on his mind. He blasted some tunnels and liberally salted them with lead ore he had brought from Tonopah. Then he sat down and drew up some enticing, maps of the area. He moved the usually dry and never deep Amargosa River miles from its normal bed.

He drew pictures of ships steaming up the river hauling out the bountiful ore from his mines. Then he distributed handbills and lured Eastern promoters into investing money. Miners flocked in at the scent of a big strike and dug their hopeful holes. They built a few shacks. Julian was such a promoter he even conned the U. S. Government into building a post office here. 

Desert Magazine – 1971 – Betty J. Tucker

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Carl Mengel – Panamint Valley Miner

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Carl Mengel was a prospector and miner in Panamint Valley, located in Death Valley National Park, California. He lost a leg in a mining accident, and continued to mine. He is the namesake for Mengel Pass in the Panamint Range. His ashes and prosthetic leg are buried on top of Mengel Pass in Death Valley National Park.

Carl Mengel with dog "Whitey at his home in Butte Valley, April 1940. Photo courtesy of DEVA NM.
Carl Mengel with dog “Whitey at his home in Butte Valley, April 1940. Photo courtesy of DEVA NM.

Carl Mengel was born in San Bernardino, California, in 1868. After various attempts at mining, farming, and fishing for a living, Mengel moved the Butte Valley region of Death Valley in the early 1900s. He is said to have purchased the Oro Fino Claim in Goler Wash in 1912, and later found even richer deposits there

Mengel was an early prospector in the Butte Valley area and contemporary and friend of such well-known Death Valley personalities as Shorty Harris and Pete Aguereberry. The site is located about one-half mile south of Anvil Spring and commands a grand view over Butte Valley toward the Amargosa Range on the east side of the salt pan.

.In October 1924 Mengel filed on several claims south and west of Anvil Spring: Topah Numbers. 1-4, Topah Extension, and Mah Jongg Numbers. 1-6. He died in 1944 and his ashes were put in a stone cairn atop Mengel Pass approximately fifty feet outside the boundary of Death Valley National Monument.

After his death the claims located by Mengel in Butte Valley underwent numerous resales through the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. The Topaz (Topah) Extension, Topaz (Topah) No. 1, and part of the Topaz (Topah) Extension claims were later amended and located as the Greater View Springs, Greater View Springs No. 1, and Greater View Springs Millsite, respectively.

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 Albert Mussey Johnson – Death Valley Ranch Owner

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Albert Mussey Johnson
Albert Mussey Johnson

Albert Mussey Johnson (1872 – 1948) was a businessman and investor who received notoriety as the millionaire, who built “Scotty’s Castle” in Death Valley, California. He was born into a Quaker family n Oberlin Ohio and attended Cornell University to study engineering.

Johnson borrowed a sum of $40,000 from his father and invested in some mining operations in Joplin, Missouri. This initial investment returned five hundred percent dur to a zinc boom. Albert travelled across Utah and Colorado, in December if 1899, with his father looking for investment opportunities in power production or mining ventures. While on this trip, the father and son team are involved in a rail accident which kills his fater and leaves Albert bedridden with a broken back.

Johnson eventually recovered from his broken back but he suffered with chronic medical issues and walked with a noticeable limp. This injury caused Johnson to focus his professional efforts in economic investment pursuits. He pursue relationships with his fathers partners and soon built up a career as a vice president of the Arkansas Midland Railroad and later the president of the North American Cold Storage Company.

In 1904, Walter Scott AKA Death Valley Scotty ran into Johnson while Scotty is looking for new investors for his gold mines in Death Valley, California. Scott was a conman who would defraud investors of this infamous gold mines. Despite no return on is investment, Johnson continued to send Scott’s ventures.

Death Valley Scotty and the Johnsons
Death Valley Scotty and the Johnsons

Johnson first visited Death Valley in 1906 to tour Scott’s Gold Mines. The two became embroiled in the Battle of Wingate Pass, where Scott’s brother is shot in the groin. This injury forced a retreat from Death Valley. Johnson did not return to Death Valley for another three years. In 1909, he returned to the valley seeking to visit the mines in which he invested. It is said the dry air was a benefit to Johnson’s health. For whatever the reason, Johnson began purchasing land. Johnson purchased about 1500 acres of land. The Steininger Ranch was the most important parcel. Nestled in a spring-fed verdant valley, this was soon to be the site of the Death Valley Ranch.

Scotty's Castle located in Grapevine Canyon in Death Valley.
Scotty’s Castle located in Grapevine Canyon in Death Valley.

In 1922, Johnson started building Scotty’s castle as a vacation home.  When the size and scope of the property was realized, people assumed Scotty used the proceeds for his gold mine to pay for the Ranch.  Scotty, ever the promoter did nothing to correct the record and soon The Johnson’ vacation home.

Due to its remote location, the Death Valley Ranch needed to maintain its own power station and water supply and evaporation cooling system. Despite the conditions, Scotty’s Castle boasts a 1,121 pipe theater organ, fountains, clock tower and a massive unfinished swimming pool.

The stock market crash impacted Johnson’s fortune. He was not able to complete the Death Valley Ranch.

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Walter Edward Perry Scott – “Death Valley Scotty”

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Walter Edward Perry Scott  (September 20, 1872 – January 5, 1954), also known as “Death Valley Scotty”, was a miner, prospector and conman who operated around Death Valley, California. Later in life, he was befriended by Albert Johnson, who built the Death Valley Ranch in Grapevine Canyon in Death Valley, which is commonly known as “Scotty’s Castle“.

Walter Scott (1872 - 1954)
Walter Scott (1872 – 1954)

Early Life and Beginnings

Walter Edward Perry Scott, better known as “Death Valley Scotty,” was born on September 20, 1872, in Cynthiana, Kentucky, the youngest of six children in a family immersed in the harness racing circuit. His early years were spent traveling with his family, fostering a love for adventure and performance. At age 11, Scott left home to join his older brothers, Warner and Bill, on a ranch near Wells, Nevada. His first job in the West was as a water boy for a survey party along the California-Nevada border in 1884, which introduced him to the stark beauty of Death Valley. This early exposure to the desert marked the beginning of a lifelong connection to the region. By 16, his horsemanship skills earned him a spot as a stunt rider in Buffalo Bill Cody’s Wild West Show, where he toured the United States and Europe for 12 years, honing his flair for showmanship and self-promotion.

The Conman’s Rise to Fame

After a falling out with Buffalo Bill in 1900, Scott turned to gold prospecting, leveraging his charisma to convince wealthy investors to fund his ventures. He claimed to have discovered a lucrative gold mine in Death Valley, a story that was entirely fabricated. In 1902, he began soliciting funds from wealthy backers, including a New Yorker who invested over $5,000 without seeing any returns. Scott’s schemes escalated in 1904 when he claimed to be transporting $12,000 in gold dust on an eastbound train, only for the bag to be “stolen” before reaching Philadelphia, a story that captivated newspapers and launched his reputation as a flamboyant hustler. His most audacious stunt came in 1905, when he chartered the “Coyote Special,” a three-car train, to break the rail speed record from Los Angeles to Chicago in just 44 hours and 54 minutes. The press dubbed him “Death Valley Scotty,” a moniker that stuck for life.

The Battle of Wingate Pass

One of Scott’s most infamous cons was the 1906 “Battle” of Wingate Pass, designed to convince a mining engineer, A.Y. Pearl, and his investors of the existence of his gold mine. When Pearl insisted on seeing the mine, Scott staged an elaborate hoax, leading the group into Death Valley. The expedition turned chaotic when gunfire erupted—likely orchestrated by Scott—creating the illusion of a dangerous ambush. The stunt backfired when investors grew suspicious, but it added to Scott’s growing legend as a roguish figure. Despite the fraud, Scott’s charm and storytelling kept him in the public eye.

Friendship with Albert Johnson and Scotty’s Castle

Scott’s most significant relationship was with Albert Mussey Johnson, a Chicago insurance executive he met in 1904. Johnson, intrigued by Scott’s tales, invested in his fictitious mines. In 1906, Johnson visited Death Valley to inspect the claims, enduring the Wingate Pass fiasco. Surprisingly, Johnson was not deterred by the deception. The desert’s dry air benefited his health, and he developed a genuine fondness for Scott’s eccentric personality. The two formed an unlikely lifelong friendship. In 1922, Johnson and his wife, Bessie, began constructing a lavish Spanish-style mansion in Grapevine Canyon, known as Death Valley Ranch but popularly called Scotty’s Castle. Scott falsely claimed he funded the $1.5–$2.5 million estate with his mining wealth, a myth he perpetuated by entertaining guests with tales of his secret mines. In reality, Johnson built the castle as a vacation home, incorporating luxurious features like a pipe organ, custom furniture, and a Chimes Tower with 25 carillon chimes. Scott lived primarily in a nearby five-room cabin at Lower Vine Ranch, making appearances at the castle to maintain his persona.

Death Valley Scotty and the Johnsons
Death Valley Scotty and the Johnsons

Dubious Reputation and Legal Troubles

Scott’s reputation as a conman was well-earned. He faced lawsuits from creditors in 1912 after falsely claiming to have sold a mine for $12 million, landing him in jail briefly. His schemes often involved fencing stolen high-grade ore, using leased mines as a front. Despite these misdeeds, Scott’s charisma and media savvy kept him a beloved figure. Newspapers called him the “Sphinx of the American Desert” and “King of the Desert Mine,” romanticizing his exploits. His friendship with Johnson shielded him from severe consequences, as Johnson continued to support him financially, even paying him a $30 monthly stipend.

Later Years and Legacy

Construction on Scotty’s Castle halted in the 1930s due to a surveying error revealing the land was federal property and Johnson’s financial troubles during the Great Depression. Johnson willed the estate to the Gospel Foundation, with the condition that Scott could live there until his death. Scott remained a fixture at the castle, regaling tourists with exaggerated stories of his adventures. He died on January 5, 1954, at age 82, and was buried on a hill overlooking the castle beside his dog, Windy. The National Park Service purchased the property in 1970 for $850,000, and it became a major attraction in Death Valley National Park, though it closed in 2015 due to flood damage and a 2021 fire.

Scott’s legacy is a blend of fact and fiction. His grave marker, dedicated by the Death Valley ’49ers Inc., bears his quote: “I got four things to live by. Don’t say anything that will hurt anybody. Don’t give advice—nobody will take it anyway. Don’t complain. Don’t explain.” This encapsulates his philosophy of living large without apology. While his scams and self-promotion earned him a dubious reputation, his friendship with Johnson and the enduring allure of Scotty’s Castle cemented his status as a colorful figure in American frontier history.

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