Death Valley Ghost Towns - Page 5

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Ibex Springs, California - One of the most extensive ghost towns in Death Valley, this was first the site for a copper, silver and gold mine discovered in 1881. In 1883, a stamp mill and smelter built to process the ores from the Ibex Mine. The mine; however, was played out by the turn of the century. However, in 1907 it resurged as a mining camp for silver mines. This was short-lived; however, until talc was discovered in the 1930's. A man named John Moorehouse later filed 16 claims and started the Moorehouse Mine, which operated in the 1950s. The mine yielded almost 62,000 tons of talc before it played out in 1959.

Today, the vast majority of the camp remains date from the 1950s, which include numerous buildings and mining ruins. However, the ruins of the 1883 stamp mill and smelter can also be seen. The are is also laced with old Indian trails and more than two dozen ancient Indian "sleeping circles." The old mining site is located 5.3 miles due west of CA-127, about two miles south of Ibex Pass. A four wheel drive vehicle is required.

Ibex Springs during its final days, 1962, courtesy Death

 Valley National Park

Keane Wonder Mine, California - Founded in 1903, the Keane Wonder Mine was one of the most successful gold mines in Death Valley. It's initial major operations occurred from 1908-1916 and a post office was established and by 1907. Two camps grew up around the mine including Keane Springs and Chloride City, California, but, both towns failed quickly. Despite the failure of the towns, the mine continued to be profitable throughout the Panic of 1907. It was thought that it had been tapped out by 1912. However, mining operations were revived in the 1930's and most of the extensive remains date from that period.  Though there are remains of the mill, a 1400-foot tramway, and other mining ruins, the area is closed as of this writing due to instability. The Death Valley National Park Service is current working to make the site safer and preserve its historic features. The closed area is from the junction of Keane Wonder Road and Beatty Cut-off Road east to Chloride City, and approximately one mile both north and south of Keane Wonder Mine, including Keane Wonder Mill, Cyty Mill, Big Bell and King Midas Mines.

Keane Wonder Mine, courtesy Wikipedia

Kearsarge, California - There were actually a couple of locations called Kearsarge, but the Kearsarge Mine was situated high on Kearsarge Peak on the east flank of the Sierra Nevada about eight miles west of Independence, California. A trail was first built up the east side of what is now known as Kearsarge Pass in the summer of 1864. When gold was found by this party of prospectors, who held Union sympathies, named their find for the U S.S. Kearsarge, a famous Union warship. Several claims were staked including the Kearsarge, Silver Sprout, Virginia and Rex Montis, which proved to be the principal gold source, while the others produced silver. The find attracted several investors who soon formed the Kearsarge Mining Company, and by August, 1865 they had driven a 50' tunnel into the southeast side of the mountain, hitting $650+ per ton ore.  Te camp that grew up around the mining operations was called Kearsarge City.  As word leaked out, the camp grew and by October, the more than 1,000 residents hoped to claim the Inyo County seat. However, in January, when the election was held, Kearsarge lost out to Independence.

Kearsarge Pinnacles

During the bitter winter of 1866-1867, Kearsarge had all but emptied out with the exception of the crews working the mine. That March an avalanche buried the camp, destroying several buildings, injuring residents and killing the wife of a mine foreman.  The citizens then decided to relocate to Onion Valley. Though the mines were producing well, litigation plagued them and the Kearsarge Company soon found itself about $15,000 in debt.  In 1867, the mine was sold and the operation slowed down. Though it would change hands over the next several years, it would continue operations through 1883. Several attempts were then made to reopen the mines, but, all failed due to the isolated location. During World War I, the machinery was scrapped. However, mine was worked briefly again in the 1920s when a number of cabins were built. These were later moved to Independence. There are no remains of the two camps today, which require a high-country hike to access the area.

Far down below the peak just 4.5 miles east of Independence, was another place called Kearsarge Station, a stop on the Southern Pacific Railroad. Also called Citrus, a post office operated here from 1888 to 1905, and again from 1907 to 1910. There are no remains here either.

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