Death Valley Ghost Towns and Mines in California

Death Valley Ghost Towns in California - Page 3

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Dolomite, California - Located at the southern tip of the Inyo Mountain range, high quality deposit of dolomitic limestone was first discovered in 1862, but its remote location delayed development until 1883, when the Carson & Colorado Railroad was constructed. Two years later, Drew Haven Dunn filed a mining claim and the Inyo Marble Company opened a quarry. Soon a settlement grew up around the mine, named for minerals that were mined in the area. The marble continued to be mined and in 1959, was purchased by Premiere Marble Products. It sold again in 1992 to F.W. Aggregates, which continues operations to this day. Surveys reveal that the dolomite deposit is approximately seven miles long and 1,400 feet deep, giving it a virtual unlimited supply for many years to come. It is the largest dolomite marble mine in the United States. Producing marble in several colors, its final product is used in terrazzo flooring, roofing, landscaping and chemicals. The mine is located on private property off of California State Route 136 between Lone Pine and Keller, California at the north end of Owens Lake. A few buildings from the old town site still remain, but the property is posted "no trespassing."

Railroad siding at Dolomite, California, 1940's.

Dublin Gulch, California - Located in Shoshone, California are old carved residents and cave dwelling in the clay cliffs, which have been used throughout the mining days of Death Valley. In the early 1900's, building materials and money were in short supply, so a number of carved dugouts on both sides of Dublin Gulch. Warm in the winter and cool in the summer, some of these dugout have chimneys, doors, split levels, and one even has a garage. The gulch is thought to have been named by a former resident for an area near Butte, Montana where he once lived. Many famous people in Death Valley history were said to have used these cave dwellings including Shorty Harris and the Ashford brothers. A graveyard can also be found here. It is located just off Highway 127 and Highway 178 toward Parhump.

Dunmovin, California - Located south of Olancha, just three miles north of Coso Junction along California's Scenic Highway 395, Dunmovin was first called Cowan's Station in the early 1900's after homesteader, James Cowan. It first served as a freight station for silver ingots being transported from the Cerro Gordo Mines to Los Angeles. In the early 1900's, the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power piped in water from springs located in Talus Canyon, which sit on the property. However, the department was also in the process of constructing an aqueduct, which was completed in 1913. When the pipeline was abandoned by the water department, Cowan's partner, Charles King filed on it. Later, Charles and Hilda King bought out Cowan in 1936 and changed the name of the town to Dunmovin'. Soon, there were enough settlers in the area to justify a post office, which opened in 1938. However, it lasted just three short years and closed in 1941. However, the town sported a roadside service station, store, tourist cabins and a cafe, situated in an old cookhouse. The property was sold in 1961 and the new owners continued to operate the cafe and store for many years. Situated along what was then the main route between Los Angeles and Reno, the site, no doubt, served travelers along the highway well. Today; however, all of the businesses are closed and the site is abandoned. It has been for sale for years, obviously with no takers. (as of December, 2010.) We found both a current and old listing for the property, which includes 170 acres, commercial water rights to the five springs in Talus Canyon, the dilapidated water pipeline, and the old buildings. Interestingly, while the current advertisement states that the price has been reduced to just $750,000, the earlier ad we found listed it as just $649,000. Hmmm, and we thought the price of real estate was going down in California.

Eagle Borax Works, California - A small-scale borax operation, it was started by a Frenchman named Isadore Daunet, in 1881. Between 1882 and 1883 the company shipped 260,000 pounds of borax. However, sweltering summer heat and intense competition soon caused the company to fail in 1884. The failure of the company as well as personal setbacks resulted in Daunet's suicide. With its isolated location, distance from main transportation systems, and the daily hardships involved in working under uncomfortable desert conditions, it is amazing the borax works had any success. It is located south of Bennett's Well about 12 miles southwest of Badwater Road. Only low foundations remain today.

Echo, California - One of several mining camps located in Echo Canyon, prospectors began to climb the Funeral Range looking for promising outcrops after the discoveries at nearby Lee, California. Most of the focus centered in the lower reaches of Echo Canyon in the new camp of Schwab and at the Inyo Gold Mining Company nearby. However, in March, 1907, the owners of the Lee Golden Gate Mining Company established another settlement on their claims. Called Echo, the owners began to promote the town and sell lots. But, the town never amounted to much other than a few tents, due to the lack of water, wood, and electricity. Today, only a practiced eye could still see a few leveled tent sites. Echo was located at the head of Echo Canyon overlooking the Amargosa Valley about half way between Schwab and Lee. An old road to the old townsite travels southwest of Lee for about four miles and requires a 4-wheel drive

Emigrant Springs, California - An early camp of the Wildrose Mining District, by the summer of 1906, it was projected to be a great mining camp as it had good ore showings in the surrounding properties that were attracting much investment capital. Thirty men were employed in the area, and there was talk of erecting a twenty-stamp mill. The biggest project under contemplation at this time was construction of a road from Keeler to Emigrant to replace the over-100-mile-long Johannesburg-Emigrant supply route. At this point, both Harrisburg and Skidoo were extremely busy, ensuring some longevity for the Wild Rose District. A six-horse stage was running twice a week between Ballarat and Emigrant Springs, where there was a saloon, grocery store, corral, and restaurant. Soon, Emigrant Springs developed into a supply point for Skidoo and Harrisburg with freight teams arriving daily from Johannesburg. By early 1907, the Skidoo water pipeline was still not finished and water continued to be hauled in wagons from Emigrant Springs by ten-horse teams and was sold for $4 a barrel or three to ten cents a gallon or higher to the townspeople. By that time, the camp included several framed tents with traveler accommodations in the form of a store, a saloon, a lodging house, and restaurant. In August,1908, 3-4 miles of the Emigrant Wash Road were completely obliterated by a cloudburst, the road being five feet deep in water and carrying 50-100-pound boulders. The townsite was located in Emigrant Wash about seven miles northwest of Harrisburg, California. There are no remains of the camp, but mining remains can be seen in the area.

Patsy Clark's Funeral Creek Copper Mine in its earliest days.

Furnace, California - Part of the Greenwater District mining boom, one of the most spectacular in the history of Death Valley mining, several towns got their start in the district, including Furnace, Greenwater, Kunze, and Ramsey. Furnace was initially known as Clark's Camp after Patrick "Patsy" Clark, a well-known copper mining operator from Spokane, Washington. When two miners uncovered rich surface croppings of what was thought to be an immense copper belt, the boom began. See full article HERE.

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