The historic Sheep Creek Springs Cabin (Sheep Creek Cabin) was removed by the Barstow Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in late October 2011. The BLM paid contractors $3,495 to remove the cabin.
A mining camp sprang up here in 1906. Miners prospected for gold and silver in the hills above the camp. Not finding much in the way of gold and silver, the camp grew quiet.
In 1911, William G. Kerckhoff purchased the claims and started the Avawatz Salt and Gypsum Company. They did some prospecting work on the salt, gypsum, and talc deposits around the mouth of the canyon. The deposit was large enough that Kerckhoff planned to build a branch line from the Tidewater and Tonopah railroad. The railroad branch line was never developed, though, and the mine fell idle.
In 1933, John and Adelina Smith built a cabin next to the spring and lived on the property for many years. They had come out to the desert for health reasons and did some prospecting for gold and silver in the Avawatz mountain behind their place. Their cabin had disappeared by the 1970s. The foundation for their place is back a little farther near the spring.
Sheep Creek Springs Cabin in 1977. Photos courtesy of Bill G.
By 1999, the Sheep Creek Cabin was the only structure remaining of the old mine camp. It served for thirty-five years as a research field station for the Desert Studies Center at Cal State Fullerton. They and many other volunteers carefully maintained the cabin over the years. To have it removed is a sad and senseless loss to many people.
"Enjoy, don’t destroy your American heritage."
For more photos, check out The Friends of the Boxcar Cabin’s page on the Sheep Creek Springs Cabin. Also, the Dzrtgrl’s trip to the Sheep Creek Cabin.
