Willow Creek and Gold Valley, California Mining Camps

CALIFORNIA LEGENDS

Willow Creek and Gold Valley Mining Camps

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The Willow Creek and Gold Valley area, located about ten miles south of Greenwater -- about fifteen miles by road -- was the scene of a Greenwater boom in miniature.

Not surprisingly, considering the great problem of water in the Greenwater District, the first mention of Willow Creek was not one of a great mineral location, but the discovery of water. In August, 1906, just as the Greenwater boom was swinging into its height, several prospectors who had wandered down to the south reported the discovery of a good spring of fresh water, which they estimated was capable of supplying 3,000-4,000 people. That news immediately attracted more prospectors to the area, for Willow Creek was one of the few good water sources in the southern Death Valley area. If they were not able to find copper or gold in the vicinity, at least the prospectors would be assured that they would not die of dehydration.

With the Greenwater boom at its peak, and a good water source handy, Willow Creek was soon swarming with prospectors, and within a very short time copper was located in the vicinity of the spring.

By the end of August, a camp had been established at the spring, and several locations had been staked out. Although most prospectors agreed that Willow Creek's copper was not as good as Greenwater's, still the Bullfrog Miner proclaimed that "Willow Creek Is the Latest."

The boom spirit which had thrust Greenwater to the top in such a short time spilled over into the Willow Creek area, and soon a minor boom was well under way. By the end of September, 1906 enough prospectors were in the area to warrant the establishment of a freight line from Kingston, the newest station on the Tonopah & Tidewater Railroad. Some of Rhyolite's leading mining promoters had already moved into the new territory, including Senator T. L. Oddie, who secured a fairly large group of copper claims. Chet Leavitt, from the Lee-Echo District, also moved quickly into Willow Creek. In addition to staking out numerous claims, Leavitt announced the formation of a townsite company, to promote his new town of Copper Basin. Willow Creek's first mining company, the Greenwater Pasadena Copper Mining Company, was incorporated in September and soon had six men working on several of its 40 claims. The Bullfrog Miner reported that it "is understood that some very high grade copper ore was uncovered, and that there was quite a rush from Greenwater to the scene of the discovery.

During October, 1906, T.L. Oddie started work on his property, and paid $30,000 to extend his holdings. On the 4th of that month, he incorporated the Greenwater Arcturus Copper Company, with a capitalization of $3,000,000. Within a few weeks, Oddie had plenty of competition in the area, as the Greenwater Willow Creek Copper Company was incorporated for $2,000,000 on November 12th, and the Greenwater Baltic Copper Mining Company was incorporated for $1,000,000 on November 14th. A slight idea of the frantic activity which accompanied the opening of this subsidiary area may be gained from noting that one man purchased five copper claims for $25,000, and the Greenwater Baltic obtained its four claims near the headwaters of Willow Creek for the price of $75,000.

The excitement over these new copper strikes and the ensuing rush into the district caused the inevitable battle over townsite locations. On November 16th, the townsite of Willow Creek was organized, near Willow Spring and next to the property of Oddie's Greenwater Arcturus Copper Company.

Surveyors were immediately put to work laying out a pipe line from the spring to the new townsite, and a pump was ordered. The new townsite was promoted by E. E. Mattison, and he placed advertisements in the Rhyolite newspapers, promising prospective citizens an "ample water supply" and telephone and telegraph connections immediately. Lots were put on sale from $150 to $250 each. In this case, the townsite battle was an extremely short one, for with the opening of the Willow Creek townsite, nothing more was heard from Chet Leavitt's townsite of Copper Basin, which apparently folded overnight.

Miners in the Greenwater Mining District

The mild Willow Creek copper boom continued through the rest of 1906, paralleling the Greenwater boom. On November 30th, the Busch brothers of Rhyolite announced the organization of the Greenwater Amalgamated Copper Company, which had 15 claims in the district, and sales of other claims continued. One enterprising prospector managed to unload 15 claims for $30,000 in cash, merely due to their close proximity to Senator Oddie's Greenwater Arcturus properties.

Other claims were bought, sold and traded, and several of the incorporated mining companies, such as the Greenwater Pasadena and the Greenwater Amalgamated Copper, started to work. By the end of 1906, it was reported that Willow Creek “is going to make a flourishing camp." Already, the young townsite had three stores, two lodging houses and three saloons.

During the winter, the rush into the Willow Creek area subsided, for the initial copper boom was over. The various companies settled down to look for ore, and since it was now obvious that the copper belt in the Willow Creek area was rather small, the amount of prospecting in the vicinity tailed off. The Greenwater Arcturus, Senator Oddie's company, worked steadily through the first several months of 1907, while the other companies worked more sporadically. The Greenwater Amalgamated Copper Company, for example, ceased work after barely a month of operation, and was never heard of again, while the Greenwater Willow Creek Copper Company never even began work at all.

Although the rush to the area had definitely subsided, several more mining companies were organized in the area including the Greenwater Clinton Copper Mining Company; the Nevada Greenwater Mining, Milling and Smelting Company; and the Greenwater Guggenheim Copper Company. This last company, which had no connection to the famous Guggenheim family was quickly denounced by the Death Valley Chuck-Walla as an outright fraud, since the three claims it claimed to have in Willow Creek did not exist. The company ceased advertising its non-existent mine shortly after its exposure, and was not heard of again.

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