Tag: Ghost town

A ghost town, once a thriving settlement bustling with activity, now stands eerily silent and abandoned. Its streets, once filled with the sounds of daily life, are now overgrown with weeds and lined with crumbling buildings. Windows are shattered, doors hang askew on rusty hinges, and the once-vibrant facades are faded and weather-beaten. The air is thick with a haunting stillness, broken only by the occasional whisper of wind through the desolate alleys. Remnants of its former inhabitants’ lives are scattered throughout—rusted vehicles, tattered curtains, and forgotten toys, all hinting at a sudden, unplanned departure. Nature slowly reclaims the area, with ivy crawling up walls and trees sprouting from cracked pavements, adding an eerie, yet strangely beautiful, touch to the decaying landscape.

Darwin California – Inyo County Ghost Town

Posted on November 21, 2024 by Destination4x4

Darwin is a unincorporated community, gold mining town and ghost town located in Inyo County, California about 22 miles from Keeler. The town was named for Darwin French, who lead a party of prospectors into Death Valley in 1860 looking for the mythical gunsight lode. This prospecting eventually lead to the wash, canyon and town named in his honor.

The site which became Darwin was formed in 1874 following a discovery of lead and silver. The overall grwoth of the town was limited by its water supply which is piped from over eight miles away. This discovery coincided with near by Panamint, although the rush to Darwin was more muted. Darwin has a population of about 700 at this time.

The Coso Mining News published weekly from 1875 – 1878 by T.S. Harris. The newspaper closed in September 1878 and the publisher moved up north to Bodie. The moved of the newspaper is symptomatic and followed by many others including miners seeker greener pastures. The town of Darwin had a remaining population of about 250 people. Despite the plunging population the town still supported six saloons, four stores, three restaurants and a drug store. Between the years of 1874 and 1877 newspapers reported at least 80 murders.

Darwin is a rarity and survived its original boom. The town remained viable until World Was I, when larger mining operations could profit of lower yielding ores. A post office opened in 1875 and closed in 1902. Eventually, the post office reopened and remains open today.

The Darwin Store run by Reynolds and Etcharren Partners, 1906. | Photo: Courtesy of the Eastern California Museum.

Darwin Today

In 2011, a documentary called Darwin is available on Amazon Prime. The documentary is described, “Propelled from society by tragic turns, the isolated community of Darwin, Death Valley (population 35) must now find ways to coexist in a place without a government, a church, jobs, or children.” I did watch the documentary and found it interesting. However, its focus was on the people living there now and not much on the history.

Recently, Brent Underwood, owner of Cerro Gordo featured Darwin on his youtube channel. He was scrounging old boards from buildings in Darwin to help rebuild Cerro Gordo. I am not sure how I feel about damaging one old town to rebuild another…

Darwin Town Summary

Name	Darwin, California
Location	Inyo County, California
Latitude, Longitude	36.268056 -117.591667
Elvation	4,790 ft ( 1460 m )
GNIS	241269
Population	3500
Post Office	Open
Newspaper	Coso Mining News ( Nov. 6, 1875 – Sept. 4, 1878 )

Darwin Town Map

Resources

Silver Peak Nevada

Posted on November 19, 2024 by Destination4x4

Silver Peak Nevada is an unincorporated town located along State Route 265, 20 miles south of U.S. Route 6 and 30 miles west of Goldfield, in Esmeralda County, Nevada.

Silver Peak is a small unincorporated community located in the southwestern part of Nevada, in Esmeralda County. The town was founded in the late 1800s, during the height of the silver mining boom in Nevada.

Silver Peak’s history is tied to the mining industry, as it was initially established as a mining camp. In 1863, prospectors discovered silver in the area, and soon after, the town began to grow. The silver deposits were located in the Silver Peak Range, and the area quickly became known for its rich ore deposits.

Photograph of Silver Peak, Nevada; Title taken from image; postcard - University of Nevada, Reno — Photograph of Silver Peak, Nevada; Title taken from image; postcard – University of Nevada, Reno

The town’s name comes from the nearby Silver Peak Mountain, which was named for the silver deposits found in the area. In the early days of the town, mining was the main industry, and the population grew rapidly as people came to work in the mines.

The town’s fortunes rose and fell with the fortunes of the mining industry. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, the town experienced a boom as new silver deposits were discovered. During this time, the town had a population of over 2,000 people and boasted a variety of businesses, including saloons, stores, and hotels. In 1939, boxer Max Baer defeated “Big Ed” Murphy of Silver Peak in a one round fight at Silver Peak.

However, as the silver deposits began to run out, the town’s population began to decline. By the mid-1900s, the town had become a ghost town, with only a few people remaining. In the 1950s, a new industry emerged in Silver Peak – lithium mining. Lithium is a valuable mineral used in batteries, and Silver Peak had large deposits of it. The town experienced a small revival as a result, and a new processing plant was built to extract the lithium from the ore.

Today, Silver Peak is still a small town, with a population of around 100 people. The lithium mining industry is still the main industry in the area, and the town remains an important hub for the industry. Silver Peak’s history is one of boom and bust, tied closely to the fortunes of the mining industry. While the town has had its ups and downs, it has managed to survive for over a century and remains an important part of Nevada’s mining history.

Nevada State Historic Marker 155

SILVER PEAK
Discovered 1863

Silver Peak is one of the oldest mining areas in Nevada. A 10 stamp mill was built in 1865 and by 1867 a 20 stamp mill was built. Mining camp lawlessness prevailed during the late sixties, and over the next 38 years, Silver Peak had its ups and downs. In 1906 the Pittsburg Silver Peak Gold Mining Company bought a group of properties, constructed the Silver Peak Railroad and built a 100 stamp mill at Blair the following year.

The town, at times, was one of the leading camps in Nevada, but by 1917 it had all but disappeared. The town burned in 1948 and little happened until the Foote Mineral Company began its extraction of lithium from under the floor of Clayton Valley.

Silver Peak Map

Town Summary

Name	Silver Peak, Nevada
Location	Esmeralda County, Nevada
Latitude, Longitude	37.755, -117.635
GNIS	845661
Elevation	1317 meters / 4321 feet
Current Population	@100

Resources

Harrisburg California – Inyo County Ghost Town

Posted on November 18, 2024 by Destination4x4

Harrisburg California is a ghost town is located at 4987 feet above sea level in Inyo County and currently part of Death Valley National Park. Originally, the town was to be know as Harrisberry combining the names of Frank Harris and Pete Aguereberry after the two men discovered gold at the location in 1905.

"Shorty" Harris founder of Harrisburg Ghost Town, photographed in Ballarat. — “Shorty” Harris founder of Harrisburg, photographed in Ballarat.

It is reported that “Shorty” Harris met Pete Aguereberry in Furnace Creek in July 1905. During the scorching hot summer months, the two men pared up and set off to do some prospecting in the cooler temperatures of the higher elevations of the Panamint Mountains. Upon reaching a plateau, now Harrisberg Flats, the two men began searching a rock outcropping.

A piece of rock which was chipped off the north side of a long low ledge, upon inspection by the seasoned prospector, was found to contain free gold. There is some question as to which of two men, actually found the initial claim. The two man continued on the Wildrose spring for water, and upon their return divided up the out croppings between them and each staked their claim.

The camp was named “Harrisberry”, which was a combination of their two names. Shorty Harris was emphasized to exploit his notarity and promote the camp for investors. The two men split up and headed down to Ballarat. In Ballarat, Shorty spred the news of his new find. Upon returning to their claim, the newest gold rush in Death Valley was on. Aguereberry had to reclaim his sites by persuasion and force.

Cashier Mill ruin and Pete Aguereberry, 1916. From Dane Coolidge Collection,

By August 1905, Harrisberry was boasting 20 different outfits within 3 miles of the initial strike. The mining ledge found supporting the Wildrose mining district, Emigrant Springs and the the future town of Skidoo.

As was common with gold strikes, growth in Harrisberry was fast. The population of the camp was 300 strong in September and 200 claims. The cooler temperatures further expected to drain the populations of Ballarat, Darwin and nearby Rhyolite and triple the population of Harrisberry. Both Harris and Arguereberry sought outside investors and soon the Cashier Mining Company was formed with capital investment.

A prolific story teller and colorful character, Shorty Harris started referring to his new town has “Harrisburg” while on a trip to Rhyolite. Each retelling of the story further cemented the towns name as Harrisburg. Eventually the mines production faltered and the venture failed. Aguereberry continued to work the area until his death in 1945.

There are no remains of the Harrisburg California town. The site was essentially a tent city.

Harrisburg Summary

Town	Harrisburg
Location	Death Valley National Park, California
Also Known as	Harrisberry
Latitude, Longitude	36.363889, -117.111389
Elevation	4,987
Post Office
Population	300

Harrisburg Trail Map

Harrisburg Personalities

Frank “Shorty” Harris

Frank Harris was a prospector, desert rat and perhaps the best known character in western mining history. He looked the part, often travelling the desert…

Pete Aguereberry – A Panamint Valley Miner

Pete Aguereberry was a prospector and miner who operated around Death Valley National Park, for whom Aguereberry is named. Born in the Basque Region of…

Leadfield California – A Death Valley Ghost Town

Posted on October 24, 2024 by Destination4x4

Leadfield California is a ghost town located in Inyo County and Death Valley National Park and found on the Titus Canyon Trail. The town boom in 1925 and 1926, however, Leadfield is a town that was started on fraud and deceit.

Leadfield Gost Town, Death Valley, California

According to Legend and an article in Desert Magazine, and shameless promoter C. C. Julian wandered into Titus Canyon and started blasting tunnels. He then discovered lead ore which he purchased and brought down from Tonopah, Nevada. Julian then produced maps and other promotional materials and found investors from the East coast. The town of Leadfield was born and died on the imagination of this one man.

Photograph of an exterior view of the Leadfield Hotel in Death Valley's Titus Canyon, [s.d.]. The hotel is a simple wooden structure with a slanted roof and a rectangular façade. The upper left corner of the façade is missing, revealing the interior of the building. Three large rectangular windows and two doors alternate across the front of the building. There are three people standing on a caved-in porch in front of the hotel. A large rocky mountain rises up behind the hotel. The hotel was part of C. C. Julian's Leadfield boomtown, the hey day of which was in 1925. Photo Credit “University of Southern California. Libraries” and “California Historical Society” as the source. Digitally reproduced by the USC Digital Library. — Photograph of an exterior view of the Leadfield Hotel in Death Valley’s Titus Canyon, [s.d.]. The hotel is a simple wooden structure with a slanted roof and a rectangular façade. The upper left corner of the façade is missing, revealing the interior of the building. Three large rectangular windows and two doors alternate across the front of the building. There are three people standing on a caved-in porch in front of the hotel. A large rocky mountain rises up behind the hotel. The hotel was part of C. C. Julian’s Leadfield boomtown, the hey day of which was in 1925. Photo Credit “University of Southern California. Libraries” and “California Historical Society” as the source. Digitally reproduced by the USC Digital Library.

The truth of the tale is not quite as interesting or spectacular. According the the National Park Service, Leadfield ore was first worked in 1905. During the Bullfrog boom, which took place outside of Beatty, prospectors worked the land looking for the next big hit. In the fall of 1905, nine mine sights were identified and claimed by W. H. Seaman and Curtis Durnford. The ore from these sites was assayed in Rhyolite at $40 per ton. The men bought out a local consortium and the Death Valley Consolidated Mining Company was incorporated which released promotional material and sold shares for 2.5 cents each.

The mine and its ore did produce, however the Death Valley Consolidated Mining Company soon discovered that the expense of hauling the ore to Rhyolite and then the frieght costs to ship the material to smelters further off caused the ore to be not profitable. After six months of operation the Death Valley Colisidated Mining Company disappeared.

Despite early failures, in March of 1924 three prospectors wandered into the canyon and staked several claims. Ben Chambers, L. Christensen and Frank Metts worked their claims of lead ore for over one year before selling the claims to John Salsberry. Mr. Salsberry saw enough promise to form the Western Lead Mines Company and started to raise capital via stock sales at $0.10 per share. By the end of 1925, the Western Lead Mines Company was working 50 claims in the valley and soon began in invest in infastructure in the form of a compressor plant. A long steep road was constructed for LeadField to the Beatty Highway.

In early 1926, the Western Lead Mines Company build a boarding house and piped in water from a nearby spring. The town of Leadfield was named officially January 30th, 1926. Stock from the Western Lead Mines Company went on sale in January and within a 24 hour period, 40,000 share of stock were sold at $1.57 per share.

In February 1926 it became known to the public that C. C. Julian purchase shares and was now President of Western Lead Mines Company. Almost immediately the California State Corporation Commission began an investigation into the stock sale because a permit was not granted for the stock sale. The promoter went to work, along with several other mine operations, raise interest and money for the town. City plans were filed with Inyo County, however the spectre of investigation loomed.

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

Despite the arrival of a post office, investment into the location, and hundreds of feet of tunnel, C. C. Julian was ordered to cease sale of stock by the California State Corporation Commission. Around the same time, the primary tunnel of the Western Lead Mines Company penetrated to the ledge which experts predicted the highest quality ore. This ore was assayed at 2% and far too low for profit considered freight costs.

"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

Leadfield and the surrounding mines where gone months later. Mr. Julian was blamed despite the facts that he did not start the venture, there was ore at the location, and he invested money and time towards the venture. Once his Leadfield venture faltered, he moved onto to Oklahoma and was caught up in yet another scam. Julian later fled the country for Shanghai in March of 1933 m where he committed suicide in 1923 after several more failed schemes. Julian was buried in a beggers coffin and his funeral was attended by nine people.

Mr. Julian is responsible for the road through Titus Canyon, which many is a favorite route of visitors every year.

Leadfield Sign, Death Valley, California

For a detailed history, the NPS offers a great article.

Leadfield Town Summary

Name	Leadfield
Location	Inyo County, Death Valley, California
Latitude, Longitude	36.8466107,-117.0592307
GNIS	1658952
Elevation	4000 feet
Newspaper	Leadfield Chronicle ( 192?-19?? )
National Register of Historic Places	75000221

Leadfield Map

Resources

Rhyolite Nevada – Nye County Ghost Town

Posted on October 23, 2024 by Destination4x4

Rhyolite is a ghost town location just outside of the Eastern edge of Death Valley National monument in Nye country, Nevada. Founded in 1904 by Frank “Shorty” Harris when he discovered quartz with load of “Free Gold”, Rhyolite started as a gold mining camp in the surrounding Bullfrog mining district. As with many discovery’s during this time period, news quickly circulated and the Bullfrog mining district was formed.

Rhyolite, Nevada photo by James L Rathbun

Cook Bank Building, Rhyolite Nevada, Photo marked 1908 and "Courtesy of the Nevada Historical Society" — Cook Bank Building, Rhyolite Nevada, Photo marked 1908 and “Courtesy of the Nevada Historical Society”

Assays of $3000 per ton were reported by the mining press of the day, and the fall and winter saw many people converge on the area despite the weather conditions. Tonopah and Goldfield saw hundreds head south in the spring of 1905, and the migration caused “a string of dust a hundred miles long”.

It is an encouraging sign that the Ryolite Jail still stands. Also noteworthy, a brothel crib still stands as well.

The townsite of Rhyolite was found in a draw close to the most important mines in February, 1905. To start, the town was a mining camp with tents and canvas walled building. Fuel shortages caused the populous to burn sage brush and greasewood as fuel for their stoves to cook and keep warm. Food and fuel were teamed into the area on daily stages and water was bought over from Beatty for $5 per barrel.

A train caboose as found in Rhyolite, Nevada - Photo by James L Rathbun — A train caboose as found in Rhyolite, Nevada – Photo by James L Rathbun

However, as was common with gold rush towns, Rhyolite quickly developed all of the modern amenities of day, including newspapers, schools, hospitals and electrical power. Six thousand people called the town home in 1907. Luxuries unimaginable just two years before include, hotel rooms with private baths, and opera house, dozens of saloons, four banks, and a butcher shop were brought to the town by three different trains.

The mines of Rhyolite, Nevada operated from 1905 - 1911 — The mines of Rhyolite, Nevada operated from 1905 – 1911

The San Francisco earthquake of 1906 and a financial panic of 1907 dried up capital investment which doomed the town along with many others in the region. Rhyolite ceased to be and closed in 1911.

Today, several building shells still exist, along with the infamous Bottle House, and outdoor museum. The town is accessible via paved roads, which ruins the “ghosttown” effect and detracts a bit from the location. In spite of this, it is easily accessible and worth a stop when you are in the area.

“The Last Supper” and other art pieces hold court just outside of Rhyolite

Rhyolite is a wonderful place to visit when you are running Titus Canyon and Leadfield trail.

Rhyolite Town Summary

Name	Rhyolite
Location	Nye County
Newspaper	Rhyolite Herald May 25, 1905-Apr 26, 1907; Oct 11, 1907-June 22, 1912; Mar 1909 Special Ed Rhyolite Daily Bulletin Sept 23, 1907 – May 31, 1909 Death Valley Prospector Nov – Dec 1907

Rhyolite Map

Rhyolite Points of Interest

Bullfrog Goldfield Railroad

The Bullfrog and Goldfield Railroad, often referred to as the B&G Railroad, played a significant role in the late 19th and early 20th-century mining boom…

Cook Bank Building

The Cook Bank Building is the most iconic image and popular images of the Rhyolite ghost town, in Nye County, Nevada. When John S. Cook…

Rhyolite Train Depot is located at the north end of town in Rhyolite, Nye County, Nevada. - Photo by James L Rathbun

Las Vegas and Tonopah Railroad

The Las Vegas and Tonopah Railroad was a standard gauge railroad which operated along 197 miles between the town of Las Vegas and Goldfield, NV.…

Overbury Building

The Overbury building is a general office building built by John Overbury, in Rhyolite, Nye County Nevada in 1906. The building was one of two…

Porter Brothers Store

The Porter Brothers store is a ruined storefront on the main street in the ghost town of Rhyolite, Nye County, Nevada. The Porter Brothers were…

Rhyolite Train Depot

The town of Rhyolite boasted three train services using the Rhyolite Train Depot which is completed in June, 1908. The depot services the Las Vegas…

Rhyolite Personalities

Resources

Nevada Ghost Towns and Mining Camps, Stanley W Paher
Wikipedia

Tag: Ghost town

Darwin California – Inyo County Ghost Town

Darwin Today

Darwin Town Summary

Darwin Town Map

Resources

Silver Peak Nevada

Nevada State Historic Marker 155

Silver Peak Map

Town Summary

Resources

Harrisburg California – Inyo County Ghost Town

Harrisburg Summary

Harrisburg Trail Map

Harrisburg Personalities

Frank “Shorty” Harris

Pete Aguereberry – A Panamint Valley Miner

Leadfield California – A Death Valley Ghost Town

Leadfield Town Summary

Further Reading

Leadfield Map

Resources

Rhyolite Nevada – Nye County Ghost Town

Rhyolite Town Summary

Rhyolite Map

Rhyolite Points of Interest

Bullfrog Goldfield Railroad

Cook Bank Building

Las Vegas and Tonopah Railroad

Overbury Building

Porter Brothers Store

Rhyolite Train Depot

Rhyolite Personalities

Frank “Shorty” Harris

James Crysanthus Phelan – Rhyolite Shopkeeper

John S Cook

Walter Edward Perry Scott – “Death Valley Scotty”

Further Reading

Nevada Ghost Towns and Mining Camps

Resources

Darwin Today

Darwin Town Summary

Darwin Town Map

Resources

Share this:

Nevada State Historic Marker 155

Silver Peak Map

Town Summary

Resources

Share this:

Harrisburg Summary

Harrisburg Trail Map

Harrisburg Personalities

Share this:

Leadfield Town Summary

Further Reading

Leadfield Map

Resources

Share this:

Rhyolite Town Summary

Rhyolite Map

Rhyolite Points of Interest

Rhyolite Personalities

Further Reading

Resources

Share this: