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Historic

Historic places

52 posts

Ryan Mining Camp

Ryan Mining Camp

In 2013, I joined a Searles Valley Historical Society field trip to see the well-preserved borax mining camp of Ryan in Death Valley. Having never been in the mining camp before, I jumped at the chance to visit. Francis Marion Smith founded the Pacific Coast Borax Company in 1890. He

Coso Ghost Camp

Coso Ghost Camp

We were lucky enough to be invited to China Lake Naval Weapon Center to do some volunteer restoration work on the historic Coso ghost town site. After work, we checked out several other sites and spent the night on base. We had a fantastic time! Please enjoy my photos of

Willis Well Petroglyphs

Willis Well Petroglyphs

Willis Well is an interesting place. For centuries, Native Americans camped in the spring (really just a seep). Numerous Desert Archaic petroglyphs cover the boulders near the spring. They are mostly abstract designs. Their meanings were lost in antiquity. George and Mildred Willis settled on this land in 1915. George

Rosalie (Valley Wells)

Rosalie (Valley Wells)

Just off Interstate 15, in the shadow of Clark Mountain, lie the scattered ruins of Rosalie, also known as Valley Wells. Rosalie's tale began in 1898 when the Ivanpah Smelting Company of Los Angeles recognized the potential of nearby copper deposits. They sank two wells at a site

Lemoigne's Wagon

Lemoigne's Wagon

This site took some searching and a few hints from a friend. At first, I thought this wagon was related to traffic on the old Skidoo to Keeler trail. But now, based on my research, I’m inclined to believe it was Lemoigne’s. What puzzled me was its location

Delamar Ghost Town

Delamar Ghost Town

The mining camp of Delamar started out as a small tent camp similar to Helene, just a few miles to the north and only a few months later. It was centered around the April Fool, Monitor, Gold Cup, Hog Pen, and a few other small mines. Captain Joseph De Lamar

Magnolia Mine (Helene)

Magnolia Mine (Helene)

The Magnolia Mine is an old one; it was discovered in 1891 and developed in 1892 mainly for silver. It is one of the first mines of the Ferguson (later Delamar) district. It was worked just before the larger Delamar Mine a few miles to the south. Over the next