In the middle of the Mojave National Preserve sit several abandoned buildings crumbling in the desert sun. These haunting remnants echo various periods of time in the past when gold was everything to California's history.

The Death Valley Mine was discovered in 1906 by J. L. Bright of Kelso. In July 1906, the Death Valley Gold Milling and Mining Company of Denver took over the mine, and by September 1906, the camp of Dawson had sprung into existence, named after the directors of the company, the Dawson brothers. The first shipment of ore left during that month, consisting of several wagons full of ore hauled to Cima by a team of 12 horses. From Cima, the ore was hauled via the Salt Lake Railroad and California Eastern to the Needles smelter. At the same time, the Arcalvada Mine, adjoining the Death Valley to the northwest, was active. Both companies mined rich leadsilvergold ore running up to 634 ounces of silver and .48 ounces of gold per ton.

In January 1907, the Death Valley Company made its first ore shipment to the American Smelting and Refining Company in Salt Lake. In September 1907, the Death Valley and Arcalvada companies merged to form the Death Valley Arcalvada Consolidated Mining Company, and by November there were 75 men employed. The mines were quite busy until June 1908, when the company became involved in litigation which was not cleared up until 1915, although some mining continued throughout this period. In 1915 a new owner took over the property, and these operations continued until 1921. Water was pumped from the shafts until June 11, 1927, when the plant and mill were destroyed by fire. The mine had produced about $131,000, $93,000 before 1915. In 1930, there was a camp that could accommodate 100 men, a thirtyton concentration plant, and a 6room residence. Today the residence still stands, as do 3 other buildings. The property is presently occupied. An electric line connects the camp with Cima.

(DESERT FEVER: An Overview of Mining in the California Desert Conservation Area, pg 112)


VIDEO FILMED: 11/26/2022

▬▬ R E L A T E D V I D E O S ▬▬
⚪ Exploring VULTURE CITY GHOST TOWN | Vulture Mine | Verde Flat Cemetery | Ghosts of the Desert    • Exploring VULTURE CITY GHOST TOWN | V...  
⚪ Historical Comparison of VULTURE CITY | Vulture Mine Before & After | Wickenburg, Arizona    • Historical Comparison of VULTURE CITY...  

▬▬ L O C A T I O N I N F O ▬▬
⚪ MOVAVE NATIONAL PRESERVE https://www.nps.gov/moja/index.htm
⚪ Directions to DEATH VALLEY MINE https://goo.gl/maps/FEm3yKpmrxLJTGje8

▬▬ T I M E S T A M P S ▬▬
00:00 Buildings Buildings Everywhere!
07:27 Main Residence Exploration
14:27 House #2 Exploration
20:29 Death Valley Mine Remains

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Welcome to the Cactus Atlas! We are Glenn and Amy and invite you to join us as we visit all sorts of locations across the American West. We tour both natural and manmade attractions.

Our base of operations is in the Phoenix, AZ area. We do a lot of hiking and day trips as well as campground reviews and hope that we will be a great resource if you are planning a trip to the American West. We also hope to delight you with our exciting adventures!