1 10 20 https://caspercollege.cvlcollections.org/files/original/191383177ab330a2342954e2f10ef2db.pdf 826ca70c34377a52738ec894ea7073ca PDF Text Text Part III IDAHO �N. Weis > “ ^he high country of Idaho is endowed with nature’s fulj/^t measure. Tall mountains, big trees, rushing waters^ and /^ep blue skies are combined in beautiful proportion, beauty is seldom found without a touch of adversity. Of adversities, logging trucks and narrow roads are two of Idaho’s most challenging. hazards are invariably encountered together. -1- The two Although Leesburg, Idaho �N, Weis roads are of noted solidarity* they appear to be thoroughly flexible when viewed through this observer’s phobia. The road shrinks to fractional width whenever a logging truck approaches. The narrow portion of the road seemingly travels ahead of the vehicle, accompanied by a shock wave of fear and despair. Even the boldest seek shelter, or lacking that will huddle precariously at road's edge. I had been in Idaho for less than an hour when a logging truck put me in the ditch. It was on the well-traveled Salmon River Road, north of Salmon The logger insisted on the and west of North Pork. middle of the road. That gave me an option on the ditch, which I quickly assumed. Later I learned that a logger had dropped his rig into the river a few days earlier. The driver had been over-courteous, and his right wheels, too close to the edge, broke down the fill at the river's edge. The truck flipped and rolled into the white waters of the Salmon River. Other drivers quite naturally decided thereafter to use the center half of the road. One of the foresters at the Indianola Ranger Station indicated that I was not the only victim. A number of tourists had reported similar encounters. ^2- Leesburg, Idaho �N. Weis The ranger advised, "Just pull over, close your eyes, and think thin." He also advised that the back road into Leesburg was presently used by loggers. I decided to take a longer but more relaxing route, Leesburg* is reached most pleasantly by going south of the town of Salmon for about five miles on U.S. Highway 93, then turning west on the Williams Creek Road. Fourteen miles up this steep, all-weather road is Williams Greek Summit. Beyond the ^ummlt, the road parallels Moccasin Creek, reaching downstream eight miles to its junction with Napias Creek, A right turn here leads you seven hard miles up Napias I Creek to Leesburg, The road is narrow and rocky, changing to a badly rutted dirt surface for the last few miles. 'Just past the crossing of Gamp Creek, the road angles to the right and enters a large grassy The main street meadow. ^Mainsj^eet — two ruts with grass between — stretches eastward std across the flat, flanked on the north by perhaps a dozen log structures. Fewery but more impressive buildings line the south side of the road. Ahead, the aspens close the road to a narrow path, and dark green pines stretch up the the slope, topping out at^skyline. A Leesburg, Idaho Idaho, for map Information, �The first building on the north side is a small, low^double-walled log cabin, probably used as a cooler or powder house. Toward the middle of town is a long, extensively sway^^backed log store, its low^wide walls bulging and bending as the collapsing roof spends its weight. Nearby a ridgepole slants nakedly, the few remaining roof boards clinging momentarily. Across the street, a low-ceilinged two-story log store stands roofless and in near ruin, its gable end leaning^ as if nodding in sleep. Two of the cabins along the overgrown street are occupied. Although often told, the story of Leesburg can withstand yet another try, especially in the light of some "new” Information uncovered at the Lemhi Museum in Salmon, Prospectors in northern Montana had heard the rumor of a stream of gold high up in the southwest hills. Five miners, following directions given them by friendly Indians, worked their way up the Nez Perce Indian Trail, over the ^ivide, across several drainages, to the high slopes overlooking the present Site of Leesburg. The sediments of the many tributary streams were panned, and on August 12, 1866, gold-rich gravels were found. The five miners named the stream "Napias," after the Indian word for Jgold.'^ -4- Leesburg, Idaho �N. Weis Word, leaked out, and by summer’s end three thousand miners had filed as many claims along seven miles of stream, A town sprang up, named for General Robert E. Lee, populated mainly by southerners. Not to be outdone, the northerners established Grantsville about a half mile up'Hstream on Naplas Creek, -.,—1 Grantsville has been erroneously located one mile west of Leesburg, placing it high on a timbered hillside, an unlikely home for gold-hungry placer miners. The two towns soon grew into one, and the entire town went by the name favored by the majority. In I870 there were more than one hundred businesses located on the main street of Leesburg, floors^-|| Most of the stores had dirt few of the finer establishments sported cowhide carpets. By 187^ the town was nearly deserted and the Chinese moved in to scour the sands for riches overP* looked. Five years later, the Chinese were massacred. The total number killed is not known, but one survived to report the tragic event. The Indians were blamed, but later evidence indicated it may have been the work of an outlaw gang. The gold was gone by 19^0, Even the last— C ditch hydraulijkers had given up. Sixteen million -5- Leesburg, Idaho �N. Weis dollars^ worth of gold had been panned and sluiced from the gravel bars of Naplas Creek. The population soon dropped to less than one hundred. In 19^^ It fell to two, then dropped from two to zero. In 1969 (Leesburg’s centennial year) two young bearded men chose to reoccupy the long-«deserted town. Squatter’s rights seem adequate, and their quasl-legal status bothers them little. They look and act as If they belong In Leesburg, and their presence Is a beneficial deter^nt to the eroslonary effects of eager souvenir hunters. -6- Leesburg, Idaho �N. Weis COBALT ( BLACKBIRD), IDAHO "Do not fall to visit Cobalt. old, but it sure is dead." It isn’t very- The same advice came from a number of people in Salmon. Notable among them was the curator of the town’s historical museum. Good maps are quite indispenslble here. The Forest Service roads are poorly and confusingly marked. The Leesburg and Blackbird Mountain, Idaho, 15 minute topographic maps are excellent help; however, the Salmon National Forest Map (free) would be an adequate although less detailed navigational aid. From the Leesburg turnoff,* at the junction of Moccasin and Naples jfreeks, a good gravel road continues downstream about three miles to the point where Panther Creek enters from the south. The left*hand road reaches up the west bank of Panther Greek three miles to a narrow flat, totally occupied by the newly deserted town of Cobalt. Cobalt, once called Blackbird, is in mint condition. Nothing has been moved and there have been no disastrous fires. More than one hundred buildings line the streets, standing white and clean. Except for padlocks and shutters, the town appears alive and healthy. Cobalt has been deserted since 1959, when the mine closed. “7“ V *See Leesburg, Idaho, Once there were 450 Cobalt, Idaho �N. Weis company employees and a population 2,000. 120 of more than •Wa—th^uBand, The school had ono-hundred I, twenty pupils, fe^»^teachers and 8 grades. A long three-story recreation hall stands Idly vacant, ready once again to provide entertainment. Next to the hall a long low general store sits empty. Its display window boarded over| and Its round metal IGA sign shot full of holes, none even close to dead center. Most of the buildings are covered with white asbestos shingles^ and trimmed with green-painted woodwork. The streets are still In fine shape. Occasional manhole covers Indicate a drainage system. How Incongruous — a ghost town with manhole coverst No doubt some would argue that a town must be old to be a ghost, but the cold fact Is, the town need only be dead. From that moment on, time serves only to age the remains^ and enhance the memory. The Blackbird Lode, with Its rich deposits of gold, was responsible for the birth and subsequent death of Cobalt, Located two miles up Panther Creek, then another four miles to the right up Blackbird Greek, the buildings at the mine fill the creek’s narrow canyon. The town of Blackbird was once located here. Some of the old log cabins still squat Cobalt, Idaho �N. Weis beside the stream. One in particular sports a set of over-long ridgepoles, as If a deluxe porch had been planned but never realized. g:00 It was aAght a.m. when I drove up the canyon to look over the old site. It was foggy, and I nearly drove through the locked gate blocking the road below the mine. A doorbell-type button offered a chance at access. Shortly, a young mining engineer responded to the signal, and Invited me in for a quick tour. He explained that the mine was Indeed inactive, but that a crew was drilling test holes, attempting to locate new leads. We talked for a while about the lost veins and new strikes made at the Blackbird. Gold was found here in 1893. In pursuit of the yellow vein, nickel and copper were found. In 1901 cobalt was found in quantity, but no market existed for the metal. Prom 1913 to 1921, thirty-five thousand dollar^ worth of gold, nickel^and copper was mined. Ore was hauled to Utah for smelting. The boom arrived in 1939, with a government contract for cobalt. The new town of Cobalt was built, and tons of cobalt ore were yanked out and sold at a guaranteed price of $2.30 per pound. million pounds had been mined. By 1959, fourteen The j^ovemment contract expired that year, thejmine closed, and Cobalt lost its uy. Cobalt, Idaho �N, Weis reason for existence. The town was quickly deserted. Later the mine was sold for its junk metal, but the new owner found some copper left and brought it to the surface in *63 and ’67, The mine was then resold to the Idaho Copper Mining Company, It is their engineers that are re-evaluating the residual deposits Metals worth in excess of fifty million dollars have been taken from the tunnels of the Blackbird, For one short moment in its history, it was the world’s leader in gold production, and gold was only a sideline to the production of cobalt. Should investigation reveal new deposits, the mine and town will arise again to full life, probably rechristened for whatever metal is found, "Nickel" has a nioe ring to it — but "gold" sounds a shade richer. 1»- Cobalt, Idaho �N. Weis YELLOW JACKET, IDAHO It was raining and the light was rapidly- fading. doubtful. The route to Yellow Jacket was long and A roadside cafe looked Inviting. Perhaps someone there would have information about the roads and the extent of the remains left at Yellow^^ket. "Yes. there's an old town there — and an old mine. They called It the YJ Mine." The waitress had heard others speak of the place and was happy to pass on the information. "Someone^the other day^sald the hotel burned down." This news, the rain, and the prospect of twenty-five miles of soupy roads was reason enough to consider a change in plans. Had it not been for the chance appearance of a passing fisherman, I would have passed up one of the finest and least known ghost towns In Idaho. As the gentleman entered the cafe, the waitress called to him, "Say — didn’t that hotel at Yellow Jacket burn down last year? "No, that's Just rumor — I was down there last week, and it's still there — all five stories Five?" my voice was unnaturally loud "Well," he answered "it's three stories In son of a gun, front and five behind. It's a long 8en:/of-a«-gun, but A they never quite finished it Guess it was never used -1h Yellow Jacket, Idaho �N. Weis There’s a crew in there now — assessing the old mine." An hour later I had gathered all the Informa­ tion available from the helpful fisherman, and even received permission from the cafe owner to camp overnight at a nearby deserted trailer park. By morning the skies cleared. The gravelly soil had absorbed much of the rain, and a brisk wind was quickly evaporating the remainder. In good shape. The roads were Upstream along Panther Creek, seven miles from the cafe at the Blackbird Road Junc^on, a narrow road branches to the right. Traveling generally west. It climbs along South Pork Creek, switchbacks over the south slope of Quartzite Mountain, repeats Its contortions on the down side, joins Shovel Creek and parallels its path downstream. Fifteen miles on this road - about an hour - brings you to the Yellow Jacket Hanger Station. Three miles father, and over sixty miles from the nearest city. Is the old town of Yellow Jacket. A giant sixty-stamp mill is first in view. ' Water, conducted downhill through a twenty-four**-inch— diameter conduit, with a one-hundred^fifty-foot head, provided plenty of power to lift the sixty stamps, each in turn. Inside the mill Is a complete smithy. -/A- Yellow Jacket, Idaho �N. Weis Nearby are a number of supply sheds, and beyond these are a few old residences, and there the grassy knoll — is the hotelI on It Is indeed three stories high, its upper floor made livable by eighteen dormers. In back — the land slopes down — the imposing wooden structure was just as described, five stories high I I stopped by an old cabin that seemed lately refurbished^! to ask permission to snoop about. One of the mining engineers, recently new to the site, volunteered some information. Placer gold was found in Yellow Jacket Creek by Long Wilson in’ 1^69, but good-sized nuggets. in to stake claims. Not just fine color, Many Leesburg miners moved Later that year, Nathan Smith found the mother lode far up the hill north of camp. It was free gold in quartz, requiring only pulverizing and panning. In 1893, materials for the thirty^stamp mill were packed in by mule train. stamps were added. Later, thirty more The mill is now in disrepair, but structurally sound and capable of reactivation. During boom years, I89O to I900, the popula­ tion of Yellow Jacket approached two hundred. After 1900, mining dropped off, becoming sporadic in the twenties. In 1932 mining resumed and the prospects �looked so good that construction on the hotel was commenced. Soon prospects faltered as the veins began In desperation, the early tailings / were remllled. Mining operatlon^Jrlumped further In to pinch out. the late thirties, and ceased entirely In 1942. About one million dollars In gold had been realized from the mine. Now Its tunnels and drifts are being core drilled In search of suspected deposits of silver, lead^and copper. Several miners and their families have found temporary quarters In two of the old cabins next to the hotel. Two of the miners’ kids volunteered to con­ duct a tour of the town. seven and eleven. They told me their ages were That sounded like a good dice score so I asked If they felt lucky. Their blank stares Indicated that I was totally misunderstood. First on the agenda was a visit with the pet rabbits. The older boy explained, "^hat speckled one Is named Mr. Bunny." The younger one added, "^nd the white one Is named Whitey," The third bunny was black, so I speculated aloud that his name was Blacky. "No," replied the younger one, "we call him Hoppy because of the way he jumps,"Hl allowed that the names were Yellow Jacket, Idaho �N. Weis fitting, and congratulated the two on their originality. Communications firmly established, we proceeded with the tour. Shortly west of the hotel is a badly dilapi­ dated log and clapboard building. Its function would still be a mystery, except for the metal Pelton wheel mounted on heavy timbers at the downhill end of the Water under great pressure was forced structure. against the metal cups of the Pelton wheel, giving it tremendous rotational speed. The power developed was geared down and fed to a small stamp mill. A five-»stamp mill ,once operated in Yellow Jacket, and this little shack must have housed the works. Circling back up the hill, the boys pointed out dozens of cabins scattered along the creek and strung out along the road that heads southwest out of town. Many have been used for hunting shacks. Some are too far gone for safe operation. A number of board shacks hidden deep in the shade offered a study in diverse methods of collapse. The boys dubbed them "squashes," "leans," and "bulgers." Everywhere there were wild snowshoe rabbits. The youngsters pelted away at them with whatever rocks were handy. I mentioned the fact that their pets were Yellow Jacket, Idaho �N. Weis close relatives. Their explanation was wholly rational — "We ain’t never hit one yet,” The circle completed, we entered the hotel for a detailed inspect^^n. The basement, or first floor, was about one/thirdjas long as the hotel, and contained the heating plant, showers, and rudimentary sanitary facilities. The next floor was about two-thirds the length of the hotel and was fitted out as a recrea­ tion hall. One old pool table is still there, barren of cloth, its gray slate surface still unbroken. kitchens are at the back. The One huge wood stove has two ovens, two warmers, and room for sixteen pans or twelve The boys claimed there were seventy-five big pots. rooms, with twenty-six more on the top floor that were unfinished. A window count indicated that the estimate was only slightly exaggerated. At the front of the hotel, a wooden ladder served as fire excape. The rear portion once had a longer ladder with protective hoops. For those lodgers in the center portion, there were knotted ropes tied to bedsteads. In a hurry, you could grab the top knot and leap out the window, then slide down from knot to knot. Care had to be taken not to grab the wrong end of the rope. In such an event, the unfortunate Yellow Jacket, Idaho �N, Weis victim would reach the ground and the end of the rope at the same horrible moment. The builder of the hotel must have had a similar moment of truth when he realized that the mine was petering out Just as he was finishing the top floor. Known to few, and visited by even fewer, the town of Yellow Jacket remains remote and unchanged. Little has been written about the site. Much of Its charm Is from facts unknown and questions unanswered. Yellow Jacket, Idaho �N. Weis • * Named in 1864 for two bay horses, the proud possessions of an itinerant miner, this tiny gold placer camp was destined to become famous for its hard-rock silver deposits. The streams in the area may have been named by the same unimaginative folk tJaix christened the camp — Mud Spring, John Gulch, Birch Creek, Wood Creek, and^of course. Bayhorse Creek, All drain east­ ward three miles to the Salmon River. Recently the -1- Bayhorse, Idaho �N. Weis Salmon has been given a second more romantic name. Called the "River of No Returnp' in song and movie, the new designation was quickly adopted by Idahoans. Claims were staked on the hillsides above the site of Bayhorse during the early 187O’s. Beginning in 1877 tunnels were dug at the Riverview, Bayhorse, Pacific, Ramshom, Skylark^and Keystone claims. The Ramshorn was the prime producer. Mills and smelters were built, and silver poured forth at a rate of nearly five hundred thousand dollars per year. By I898 ten million dollars in silver and lead had been mined, milled^and poured into Ingots, Another two and a half million dollars was realized when the mines were reactivated in the 1920*s. Bayhorse is located eleven miles south of Challis on U.^, Highway 93, and three and a half miles west on a good gravel road. inoperative. The mines are currently No current reassessments are being made, but the presence of a caretaker and the heavy metal doors on the company buildings attest to the possibility of future activity. The caretaker lives in what used to be the butcher shop. The next building to the west overhead. is the old saloon, with rooms East of the care­ taker’s home is the old rock commissary. Originally a company store, this building was put to many uses. -2- Bayhorse, Idaho �N, Weis serving as post office, newspaper office, and^lastly, a powder house. It was constructed in a craftsmanlike manner of hard green rook. Generally considered rare, the green rock was apparently common in Bayhorse, for most of the company buildings are of like color and construction. Farther east and across the road is a ramshackle shed totally occupied by a vintage Chevrolet. Although all of its tires are flat, the owner -has taken the precaution of preventing theft by wrapping numerous turns of clothesline wire about the car’s body, entrapping the hood, doors^and trunk lid. A large number of slide-rock dugouts are imbedded in the hillside. Some dugouts, built on level land, are head high and well covered with ^oil. Only the sloping entrances reveal their location/1 The caretaker wasn’t too happy to discuss the history of Bayhorse. It was Saturday, and many week'^end vacationers were on their way to the Bayhorse Lakes^located five miles west of town. A number of visitors had already interupted the old-timer’s A breakfast. He answered my knock, stood guardedly in the doorway, and reluctantly answered my questions. Behind me two station wagons pulled to a dusty halt. Bayho rs e, Idaho �N. Weis Doors flew open and Bayhorse was flooded with dogs, parents, and little people. The caretaker retreated^ closing the door firmly behind him. Shortly^^ he re­ appeared, carrying a box of groceries. He quietly loaded it aboard his pickup and took off. His dog, apparently used to this procedure, met the truck a block away, sized up the vehicle’s speed, and made it over the tailgate in one well-timed running leap. Just above town, past the Bayhorse mine and mill, and across the ^reek, are six large charcoal kilns. Wood from miles around was charred in these ovens. Starved of oxygen, the wood became charcoal, which in turn was fired to high temperature in a bellows—fed furnace. The final separation of silver from its concentrate depended upon such intense heat. Two miles above the kilns, the buildings of the old Ramshorn ;Mlne cling tenaciously to the steep hillside. The Ramshom had eight tunnels located halfway up the mountain slope. Above the Ramshorn, and two thousand feet above the creek, are the four tunnels of the Skylark Mine. Connecting the two mines and a loading station at creek level, was a highcapacity tramway. A few cables still cross the sky overhead, and surviving towers can be traced up to skyline. The lower tramway station at creek level -4- Bayhorse, Idaho �N. Weis was a combination terminal tower, loading bin^ and control house. Cast-iron pulley wheels permitted the endless cable to angle downward to the tension- weighted "turn around" wheel. have been gravity powered. The tramway seems to In fact it was perhaps overpowered by gravity at times. Braking the down­ ward movement of the bucket“laden cable was probably the system's primary speed control. There are three more high—mountain mines near the old town of Bayhorse, all accessible by four wheeler shoe leather. The Bayhorse, Idaho, 7J minute topographic map shows their locations clearly -- right down to the individual switchbacks leading to each site. Two days in Bayhorse were hardly long enough to soak up the scenery. Another three to explore, two more^perhaps^to test the trout, and I would have been almost willing to face civilization. -5- Bayhors e, Idaho �N. Weis BONANZA^CIT^ IDAHO The salmon were starting their run, and the "River of No Return" was lined with fishermen. Every campground was full, from Challis to Clayton to Sunbeam, The campgrounds located along the three-mile stretch of river below Sunbeam were particularly crowded. I stopped at a favored fishing hole^densely populated with anglers, to observe the methods used and perhaps sharein the excitement that comes with the hooking of a big fish. Just below the fishermen, the river was comparatively shallow. Called "Indian Riffles," it was a good place to watch for moving salmon. Occasionally an observer would shout and point to a big one rolling in the white water, and the expectations of the fishermen above would temporarily rise. "Fish on," the man hollered, and everyone his pulled li^thejLr line^ to give the hooked fish room to run. Advice was plentiful. constituted a crowd. action. The fishermen already Now more moved in to watch the Seldom hooked deeply, most salmon manage to throw the hook on their thrashing airborne excursions. But this angler was talented. -6- He "bent" the fish over Bonanza Idaho �N. Weis at its every attempt to break the surface. men moved in with large landing nets. Soon two The fisherman led the tired salmon, flat side up, into the closest net, and the fifteen-pound beauty was lifted safely to dry land. A cheer went up, and a dozen anxious fishermen, their hopes again raised, recast their lures into the water. I resumed my trek up the river, paralleling the course of the migrating salmon. There was more excitement in the campgrounds now. A salmon had been caught, the run was on — the word was spreadingI A few minutes later I stopped at the cafe in Sunbeam for a cup of coffee. As I entered, a dozen men hurriedly paid their bills and left. One of the few remaining customers turned to me and volunteered, "Did you hear about the twenty-five pounder they caught down at Indian Riffles?" Perhaps word of the gold strikes of a century ago had spread in the same way. Seemingly, ^word covered ground faster than a man could travel. discovered Gold was, in faot,^f»«»d. at this spot where the .Yankee Pork joins the Salmon? however, the richest depoi^ts were found a few miles upstream on Yankee Fork. -7- Bonanza ', Idaho �N. Weis Heaved to the surface long ago by some gigantic /gneous belch, veins of gold-bearing ore, exposed to the air, slowly softened and eroded. Finely divided particles of the rich yellow metal traveled for miles down the turbulent waters of the Yankee Pork. Excited miners found the color and followed the trail back upstream, noting carefully the amount of gold found in each pan. If suddenly the colors (specks of gold) were lessened, it meant only that exposed veins were nearby. Somewhere above, on the right or left bank, could be found the mother lode that had spawned the yellow trace. W. A. Norton found the first rich outcropping in 1875. up $11,500 * Named-the "Charles Dickens," the lode gave V; in gold during the first month. The richness of the miney and the promise of more deposfbs in the area were reason enough to build a town. A gently sloping spot on the west bank of Yankee Pork was selected. Just eight miles north of the present site of Sunbeam, the new town was centrally located among the more promising claims. First there was'"' just a store and saloon, then in I879 a newspaper, and by 1880 a population of flj^een hundred. -8- Bonanza (Gityl Idaho �N. Weis Bonanza City* / it was called. Soon a two-r story hotel and a dance hall were constructed. Bonanza's three main streets were quickly filled with buildings. In five years the peak was reached — and the death knell -wm sounded-|when a stamp mill was built at the General Custer Mine, two miles north, A new town sprang up at its side, and Bonanza shrank as the town of Custer swelled. It has been quiet in Bonanza for the past sixty years, except for the dredging operation of the forties and early fifties. Wandering up the stream, the mammoth machine scratched out nearly two million in gold from seven miles of the Yankee Pork's bed. The dredge is still there, and now both it and the town are quiet, A dozen buildings stand vacant, some quite sound and recently in repair. One old shack at the south end of town is covered with "roll" roofing. Long thin sheets of galvanized iron are haphazardly attached to the double log roof. Winds have picked up the loose ends of some of the metal strips and rolled them up in awkward curves, * Bed ^ prings lean against an outside wall, while inside, a low^wooden^ boxed-ln area is filled with staraw,, The walls are papered with old "photogravures," some dated 1922, -9- *See Custer for map information. Bonanza (Cit:^, Idaho �N. Weis In the center of town a number of buildings stand In a neat row, connected at their fronts by a rotting wooden boardwalk. One of these structures displays evidence of laborious repair, designed to prevent the unwanted ingress of winter's Icy blast. Where the plaster chinking was cracked and loose, flattened tin cans were tacked on in windproof over­ lapping rows. Across the street a stout but windowless home displays a copper—sheeted roof. Originally a simple log structure. It has been enlarged with clapboard additions. Slanted shed roofs extend In three directions, giving the old house a dignified appearance, however accidental. To the north, an imposing peak dominates the^kyllne. Named "Bald Mountain," Its barren^ rounded top gives It the appearance of age. It seems to look down, with a compassion born of like circum­ stance, upon the elderly homes and deserted streets of Bonanza City, -10- Bonanza (GitW, Idaho �N. Weis CUSTER, IDAHO In 1876, just one year after the discovery of the Charles Dickens Lode near the site of Bonanza, three prospectors, Baxter, Dodge^and McKein, located a vein of greater promise. Named the "General Custer," it lasted about as long, and expired with the same glory as its colorful namesake. No exploratory work was needed since the vein was long, thlckjand exposed. Enough ore was in sight to warrant construction of a mill. Four years of contested claims and litigation ensued. In 1879 a California combine bought up the primary claims, including the "General Custer" and the nearby "Unknown" and started construction of a mill. The metal wheels, shafts^and stamps were hauled in by paclT^rain. The thlrty'*stamp mill completed, processing of ore commenced in 1880, from Bonanza. Mill workers and miners moved in Some eVen moved entire homes up the two-mlle stretch of nearly level road. The first year, more than one million dollars was realized from the General Custer Mine. By 1886, Custer had grown to nearly thirty-five hundred, but the inevitable bad news was quietly spreading. The ore was reducing in grade, containing less gold per ton. -11- Custer, Idaho �N. Weis The owners (or creditors) of the General Custer and the Charles Dickens unloaded their properties on some willing British buyers, who in turn capitalized the operation with a stock issue. The new company lasted until 1892, its collapse spelling the end of the first lode-mining boom. Of the thirteen million dollars in gold and silver taken from the Yankee Fork fllnes, the General Custer had been responsible for seven million dollars. Three years later, a new vein was found near the old Custer tunnels. Dubbed the "Lucky Boy," it released another million dollar^ worth of gold in nine years. As the mine deepened, the cost of hoisting out the ore rose, and in 190^ the Lucky Boy was forced to close down. The same year a new find on Jordan Greek resulted in formation of the Sunbeam Company, and subsequent construction of a new mill. Its rich ores petered out during enlargement of facilities, and in 1911 the Sunbeam Company also failed. The town of Custer, already largely depopulated, quickly became a ghost. The old schoolhouse stands lonely in a small cleaj^g at the north edge of town, its metal-coated hip-/roof offering stubborn protection. cupola are gone. The bell and Scars above the door show their -12- Custer, Idaho �N, Weis earlier presence. The slate|3oards and school seats have been removed. In their place are the tools and treasures that marked the greatness of Custer's yesterday. The old schoolhouse Is now one of the finest mlnlng.camp museums In the country. There Is an abundance of old gold rockers, wheelbarrows, hand tools, skips (ore hoist buckets), along with a variety of early household appliances. The doctor's house and the old McKensle residence stand together, the lone remnants of a row of buildings that once crowded the main street of Custer, Its porch sagging and held static by temporary supports, the old doc's house shows signs of being used later as a community store. Lettering over the porch roof Is visible, but not readable. Apparently as an afterthought, a heater and stovepipe were added, the stovepipe extending through the transom above the old double doors. The stovepipe rises high above the ridge of the roof, and Is thoughtfully capped with an old pot, effectively shutting off one means of access favored by enterprising rodents. Nothing but an ore bln Is left at the site Qf the General Custer Mill, but nearby, an old deserted home shows a hint of finery. Fancied up with embossed galvanized sheets, and papered with -13- ¥ �N. Weis Intricately patterned oilcloth, It probably was once the home of a top company official, I would have liked to explore the hillsides near Custer and Bonanza, but the maps detailing the area had disappeared. It had been windy, and I had left the truck windows open. blown away. Assuredly, the maps had Three weeks later, and some six hundred miles removed from the site, I found them crumpled and creased, cowering In the crevasse of the front seat. Belated Inspection showed a number of locations I should have visited, such as The Lucky Boy Camp, about three air miles east of Bonanza. The camp has eleven tunnels, thirteen shafts, and sixteen buildings Indicated on the map. A half mile up Jordan Creek are the tunnel? of the Charles Dickens, and four miles f|irther, the buildings of the Sunbeam and Montana /Mines. All are clearly shown on the ?! minute Sunbeam and Custer, Idaho, topographic maps, along with numerous prospect sites and unidentified deserted buildings. The road past the Sunbeam Mine follows Jordan Creek, switchbacks over Loon Creek Summit, then runs down the west fork of Mayfield Creek to the old placer camps on Loon Creek. It was over this pass, known for Its deep and treacherous snows. Custer, Idaho �N, Weis that many prospectors traveled on their quest for gold on the Yankee Pork. Some day I will travel that path, with maps firmly in hand. Custer, Idaho �N. Weis SAWTOOTH CITY, IDAHO The old log building leans heavily to the side, relying gratefully upon the strength of a sturdy pine that has grown closely by its flank, A pole is wedged against the front of the aged structure. Downward is the only direction left to this final surviving remnant of Sawtooth City, The cabin was built about 1880, when the tree alongside was yet to be se^e^ Once a busy blacksmith's shop at the east end of^maln street, its double doors were originally wide enough to admit team and wagon. The door was narrowed to normal width at the convenience of some later resident, A few more cheerless ruins are sprinkled along the main thoroughfare, their logs slanting to a peak at resistant corners. are bleached and cracked. The logs Soft to the finger, they cannot last for long. \9 Sawtooth City* is just a few miles west of U.S, Highway 93, A well-signed road exits to the west about one mile south of the Alturas Lake Road, Heading up Beaver Creek, it is Joined in two miles by a road coming in from the left. Sawtooth City's cemetery is high on a barren north of the junction. The townsite is a mile or so farther up Beaver Creek. * *See Vienna for map information* Sawtooth City, Idaho �N, Weis Sawtooth was once a lively town, with a population approaching one thousand. In 1882 its two interjecting streets held twenty-five homes, three saloons, two eating houses, three stores, a livery, an assay office, a meat market, and of course^ the sturdy log smithy. In 1879, ruby silver had been spotted in quartz outcrops by Levi Smiley, Within two years nine rich veins of the same antlmonial silver had been found and claimed. One of the more active mines was the Pilgrim, with its 1^200—foot tunnel and ores running as rich as 5000 ounces■of silver per.ton. The Silver King, two miles up Beaver Creek, was the most productive and the most persistently active. It was a small town by Itself, complete with bunkhouse and mill. Still sporadically active, the Silver King has suffered through a number of ownerships, setback^ and disasters, A fire in 1891 destroyed its shaft work, hoist house, and air and water pumps. Although the Silver King endured, its limited production was not enough to keep Sawtooth City alive. Less than ten years after it was founded, the town was deserted, and the towering peaks of the Sawtooth Range assumed silent guardianship. Sawtooth City, Idaho �N. Weis VIENNA, IDAHO Just over the hill and up Smiley Canyon, the sprawling camp called "Vienna" was a short eight miles by stage from its sister community of Sawtooth City. Relations between the two towns were strained, and at times were near the feuding point. Each had its own stage line making dally runs between the two towns. Passengers sat lightly in their seats whenever The encounters were mostly verbal, rival coaches met. punctuated with an occasional whiplash aimed at the opposition’s horses. The two towns were remarkably similar. Each had its own mill, and a nearly eqixal number of mi nag, Sawtooth City had its Silver King Mine, and Vienna had its Vienna Mine. Both were discovered by the Smiley group that explored the area in 1879. Vienna developed a year or two behind Sawtooth, but grew to several times its size. In 1882 Vienna had three stores, fourteen saloons, six eateries, a small one-man furniture factory, and a newspaper with two hundred supporters. Flagged //the Vienna Reporter,^ it sold two hundred subscriptions for $1.50 each. Within five months the editor sold out to the /Ketchum Keystone, its prime rival. Like Sawtooth, Vienna’s life was short,, and by 1914 nearly all of its two hundred buildings had been moved or -tg- Vienna, Idaho �N. Weis Only a few log structures were left tom down. undisturbed. The gravel road to Vienna Is well surfaced, but difficult to locate. Driving south Highway 93, the first road to the right, short of Smiley Creek, leads crookedly to the Vienna Road. The turnoff is about four miles i'outh of the Alturas Lake Road. The Alturas Lake, Marshal Peak and Frenchman Greek, Idaho, minute topographic maps show the routes in to Sawtooth City and Vienna, and also Indicate the locations of the many mines in the area. The elght-mile drive to the site of Vienna is of slngularfbeauty. Lined with lodgepole pines for much of the way, the road frequently breaks out into small park like openings, often occupied by mule deer. Jagged tops of the Sawtooth Range break the horizon, closing in as the valley narrows. Vienna occupies the last wide spot, just beyond the second crossing of Smiley Creek. The surviving traces of Vienna are sprinkled downstream along the north bank. Hidden among the trees are numerous old remnants of civilization, much like those of Sawtooth City. Long dead, the two cities still retain their twinship, -Zf- Vienna, Idaho �N, Weis Some cabins are built of logs hewn on all four sides. Such fancy construction is seldom found in old mining camps. One log structure has been reduced to a rectangular outline, low on the ground, with a dooryframe projecting nearly vertical. A dead tree stands nearby, its whitened limbs gnarled and randomly twisted. Shortly upstream and adjacent to the road are the foundations of an old mill. One'half mile CL farther, the road branches. The left branch leads to the old Vienna Mine, The right fork goes a short distance and dead ends at a ford that has been Inundated by a mud flow. The area above is soupy from spring water, and has caused fine sucking mud and gravel to roll slowly downhill. hazardous. In this area, even walking is A few hundred yards above the flow are the remains of the Webfoot Mine,. Appropriately named, the most reliable footing was underground. number of structures. The mine has a A few are intact — an old smithy^ and a large structure of uncertain use. The large building was once two stories high, with a full basement underneath. Too collapsed to permit full exploration, it seemed from the outside to have been a dormitory. I could find no shafts or tunnels. Vienna, Idaho �N. Weis although the building's wreckage could easily have hidden them. At the uphill end was a lean-to, and next to it a small built-in outhouse with chimney^ style vapor vent. Approximately one-half mile uphill from the Webfoot is the old Vienna shaft. Presently^ it is being reworked by the Heinecke Company. They are under contract to cut a thlrteen-hundred-foot tunnel and run twenty-five hundred feet of side drifts. Should these workings uncover the expected veins, a new mill eK'l will be built and the ore reduced to concentrate, which will be' sent outrt?~be~^««fei^ed-. Tests have shown silver lead, zinc^, and gold to be present. Past activities of the Vienna have produced over one million dollars in silver and gold. With a little luck, the Vienna may exceed the Silver King of rival Sawtooth City. The towns no longer vie for leadership, but their two leading mines carry out the feud like a pair of boxers, dead on their feet +4 but still swinging. Vienna, Idaho �N. Weis * Greyer than t^^laska Klondike I than the California Rush of •491/ Richer The elghteen-square-.^ mile area called Boise Basin, surrounding the town of Idaho City, is said to have delivered two hundred fifty A niilllon dollars in gold. So state the members of the Idaho City Historical Foundation. Other historians have estimated a lesser amount, but all agree that square mile for square mile, the placers of the ^asin were the richest found in North America, -1- Idaho City, Idaho �N. Weis Located at the junction of Mores Creek and Slk Greek, and bounded on threc/sides by the gulches named Slaughterhouse, Walla Walla, and Warm Springs, the boom town of Idaho City stretched for nearly four miles along the gold-rich streams. Established in 1862^ and named Bannock, it grew to six thousand souls the first year. In 1864 the settlement territorial legislature incorporated the^tewn, as Idaho City. For twenty years it was the largest town in the territory. Once there were over ten thousand residents (some estimates run as high as thirty thousand) in the city, half of them Oriental, The lure of new-found gold on Loon Creek caused the town to shrink a bit in the 187O’s, but hard-rock mining and dredging sustained Idaho City ^tho-"town, until 1942, when gold production was curtailed by the pdvernment. In 1968, the sign at the edge of town read pop 188, Residents claim only one hundred^twenty-two live year round in Idaho City -- and most of those are forest rangers or loggers. A few old-timers, still actively mining, add to the town’s atmosphere. Hollow footsteps resound as bearded "hard rockers" saunter down the wooden boardp' walks of Main Street. The walks are so thoroughly -2- Idaho City, Idaho �used, especially around the old courthouse, that the thick planks have "been worn thin. High spots caused hy the resistance of nails and knots have left the walk bumpy to the point that strangers find it awkward to maintain a steady course. Forty-six saloons once sold the products of Idaho City's four breweries. fancy billiard rooms. Five of the saloons had Only one of the hard liquor dispensaries has survived. Originally called the "Miners' Exchange Saloon," it has been renamed, but continues to pedate the same reliable merchandise. Saloons are generally fruitful places to gather informa tlon. Olose-lipped old-timers are often more talkative under the influence of minor amounts of "Tongue oil." I entered the old saloon intending to quaff a short salute to the rich history of Idaho City, but the maps that I had brought in with me caused a delay in plans. Before I realized it, the maps were pulled from my grasp and spread all over the bar. Miners and loggers alike were pointing out places of interest. minute maps permits even The detail present in the the most remote shack or tunnel to be located. Idaho City, Idaho, The minute topographic map covers the area surrounding the town. I mentioned I was looking for ghost towns — especially the little-known sites. -3- Idaho City, Idaho �N. Weis "There, that’s the Comeback Mine. to go there. thing. You ought They got a bunkhouse — big two-story Used to be a bunch of people living there." Another miner chimed in. one of the tunnels up there. "Yeah, we’re workin’ Come on up anytime. If we’re not around, just flip the switch at the tunnel and we’ll see the lights flicker. Be glad to show you the place." The dozen helpful map enthusiasts concluded that I should visit the Bellshazzar, the Comeback, and the Golden Age ^amps. Of course, I was reminded, Idaho City and Placerville were too big and too interesting to be l^ored. Finally, after nearly an hour, the maps were folded, and the glorious past of Idaho City was dutifully honored. The morning’s early light shone brightly on the old Idaho World Building, where the territory's leading paper was published. A big black Labrador Retriever insisted on being in every picture I took. It was a quiet and peaceful scene. so. It wasn’t always In 1863 the paper reported: ^’Several parties' were found in the streets on Tuesday morning. J Some with fractured skulls? some with-bunged eyes and swollen -faces, indicating very clearly that there Idaho City,' Idaho �N. Weis had been a muss somewhere during the night. Blood was freely sprinkled about the town on woodpiles and sidewalks. As the puddles of blood were distributed over a large district, it was impossible to locate the fight Idaho City had problems concerning adequate law enforcement. The vigilante movement which spread througlijout the West is said to have originated here. Seldom did vigilantes apprehend a culprit without quickly deciding his guilt and applying the quick justice of the rope. For those whose guilt was less than strongly_suspect, there was a sturdy jail for temporary durance. Acclaimed the first territorial penitentiary, the convincingly stout building has easily survived to the present. Although moved from its initial site, it is otherwise little changed. The walls of the twenty—by-, twenty-four stronghold are constructed of squared logs, twelve inches on a side, and lined with one-inch boards nailed every three Inches in all directions, with old-^ fashioned square nails. Inside partitions, nearly as rugged, are built of four-inch timbers sandwiched be­ tween one-inch boards. Deeply carved over one of the cell doors are the words "PRIVET ROOM." Below this sign, statements of a more ribald nature stand for all -5- Idaho City, Idaho �N. Weis to read. One dirty ditty leaves little doubt concerning one prisoner's opinion of Judge Bear's moral character. In spite of the two disastrous fires that destroyed much of the original Idaho City, there are still dozens of old buildings that are worthy of Inspection, The Masonic Hall with Its white front and covered stairway Is one of the finest. Propped on both sides and through-bolted with twenty-four—foolfe rods, It appears crippled, but well braced. Built In 1865, It looks able to function for another century. Just west of the center of town, and up the to the ' hlll^north. Boot Hill Cemetery overlooks the modern airstrip used by local smoke jumpers. Far more bodies rest atop this hill than are ever found moving along the streets below. Many of the graves are enclosed with wooden fences, elaborately constructed. They now show the sad neglect of time and the unemotional en­ croachment of nature. Massive trees grow from forgotten graves, crowding headboards ruthlessly aside, yet — In return — creating beauty from the bitter soil of death. Life races on, and the log—truck drivers still wheel their rigs downhill as If the Reaper were close behind and gaining. One driver In Idaho City took offense at my suggestion that loggers by nature were Insane and -6- Idaho City, Idaho �N. Weis bent on self-destruction. With jaw muscles tight, he explained that it took three loads a day to make a living, and that too much slowing down wore the brake shoes out. "Besides that," he stated, "I enjoy canning that old semi down the road." Then, eyebrows lowered, he turned and glared at me with his good eye, while his off eye burned a hole in the ceiling. -7- Idaho City, Idaho �N, Weis PLACERVILLE, IDAHO Grassy rolling hills, bounded by heavy stands of pine, form an Idyllic setting for the quiet town of Placerville. On the west bank of a stream carrying the unlikely name of "Woof Creek," the site overlooks the rich placer beds of Ophir Creek and Mud Plat. The Placerville, Idaho, minute ajajp Indicates that the town was Incorporated as a square, one full mile on a side. At Its largest, with a population of five thousand, the town occupied only a fraction of Its assigned area, but Its boundaries Included several placer mines which may have alleviated the tax burden. Like a small midwestern town, Placerville was planned around a city park, or plaza. The park was surrounded by business places, with residences forming the perimeter. A shy old gentleman living just off the plaza was tickled to have someone to visit with. "It's pretty lonely here," he told me, "but that's the way I like It." We looked over the surviving business places, especially the old Magnolia Saloon, once the proudest of the town's three drinking parlors. Built In I9OO, the Magnolia had a full^wldth front porch with a -8- Placervllle, Idaho �N. Weis built-in well. Like a drinking fountain might function today, the well was a popular gathering spot on hot summer days. The second floor of the saloon was finished, but never used. The old-timer watched me write down notes as he talked. He asked me not to use his name, and declined to have his picture taken. Perhaps he had a past that was better forgotten. Across the street, the Boise Basin Mercantile stood empty and tightly shuttered. "See those metal doors and them shutters? That's all that saved the old store. Had a fire here in -- must have been thirty-one, burned a lot of the town. Big forest fira^^urned up the whole town of Quartzburg over west a inile." The store had a metal roofj^ and plastered walls. I speculated that everyone fled town during the fire. "No, In fact some men stayed in the old got klnda tense when the ca'trldges next to the wall started goln’ off.’!^ The brick butcheijshop next to the mercantile survived rather accidentally. The roof burned, but the building proper was saved due to the twelve-inch layer -9- Placervllle, Idaho �N. Weis of dirt that had been placed in the celling as insulation. One store is still in operation, and has been since 18?^, twelve years after the town was founded. One can find a little bit of most anything within its dim Interior. A number of fine old homes are scattered about town, some with gingerbread eaves, others with rock wall terraces, showing past pride and recent neglect. The Emmanuel Episcopal Church displays some of the early glory with its arched shingle-covered Close Inspection shows that the shingles were eaves. patterned? 'Ih-ifour subtle ways and tacked in rows to __ ... • —■ . . - .. form a design balanced equally on the right and left. A few new vacation homes are springing up. Impertinent A-frames in shiny colors Insult the quiet dignity of the unpainted derelicts that stand magnificent in the town of Placerville. -10- Placervllle, Idaho �N. Weis GOMBBACK MINING GAMP, IDAHO Tracking down old mining camps can be exciting, rewarding^and disgusting. The road leading to the Belshazzar was gated and locked. proclaimed the dangers of trespass. Bold signs The Mayflower Mine had been bought up and converted to vacation homes. The Richland never was much, and now was even less. The Gomeback Gamp was as different as it was hard to reach. Between Idaho Glty and Placerville, at a junction called New Gentervllle, a gravel road extends northward along Grimes Greek. Three miles from the junction is the town of Gentervllle, and five miles farther, are the few remaining buildings of Pioneervllle, the first town to spring up in Boise Basin. It was known for a time Hog’em,^'aft er the early settlers that hogged the best claims. Two miles farther north at the second gulch, a "road" branches to the right. Narrow, washed out, and over*** hung with brush,y the mlle-long trail to Gomeback is best suited to jeeps and horses. At the first switchback, a small flat area is occupied by a bachelor's shack, a family residence, machine shop, chicken house, and an old shed with an excavated grease pit. At the upHiill side, mine -11Gomeback Mining Gamp, Idaho �N, Weis dumps encroach upon the already Crowded flat. Above, at the second switchback, a tunnel entrance is [capped with a combination machine and tool shed. A long covered trackw;ay braced with logs extends several hundred feet to the end of the mine dump. Recalling the Invitation offered by the miners back in Idaho City, I began a search for the light switch I was to flick as a signal of my arrival. No switch was evident, and the tunnel didn't look recently used. High above was another dump. currently used tunnel was there. Perhaps the I walked up to the "third level" and found another tunnel which also api^ared Inactive. Next to it, however, was a dilapidated two-story bunkhouse with built-in cook*^ shack. Alongside was an old miner's shack, complete with barking dog. Above were more tunnels, but no switches, and no sign of life. Louis Truger, now living in Centerville, was a part owner of the Comeback from I931 until recently. He stated that over $679,000jBi in gold had been taken from the tunnels. During 1940 and 1941, an especially rich kidney, or pocket, was uncovered. It yielded nearly $200,000488 in gold. During the heyday at the Comeback, twenty-five Comeback Minine Camp, Idaho �N. Weis people stayed on the site, leaving only on weekends to "raise a little hell” In Idaho City. The mine was found In 192^ by a logger named Louis Palnlch, who spotted rich mineralization In the «311 exposed by an uprooted tree. He took a sample and planned — If It assayed rich — to come back. It was, and he did. He also named the mine. On my way down the hill I noticed the tire tracks I had made coming up. In places, they were within Inches of the steep drop-off. Playing It safe, I crowded the brush-covered "up" side, and promptly collapsed the right mirror and sheared off the radio antenna. I don’t plan to "Comeback." If you plan to visit the site, drive a narrow vehicle and take along the Ploneervllle, minute and Garden Valley, Idaho, 15 minute topographic maps. -13- Gomeback Mining Camp, ho �N. Weis GOLDEN AGS GAMP, IDAHO Placer gold was found along Grimes Greek in 1862. Most of the early miners chose to separate the fine gold laboriously from its attendant sand and gravel. Others, spurning the assurance of a small poke, gambled for higher stakes. Somewhere upstream would be the mother lode. In classic style, the placers played out as the hard-f'ock mines were discovered and developed. The Gomeback, Missouri, Oro, and the Golden Age mines all tapped residual lodes that had enriched Grimes Greek. A man named Wells found the richest ore, just four miles north of Ploneervllle. Named the Golden Age, the claim eventually became the property of a large Spokane outfit. The ore seemed to get richer with depth, and soon two mills, a dozen homes, two bunkhouses, a recreation hall, and a two-story hotel were built. Seventy-five men worked here during the boom years of the early 1900*s. A schoolhouse was constructed nearby. Named the "Diana School," it served all the kids of the mining camp. 'A small outhouse stands behind, and above its narrow door, an overlarge sign states*fl"MAIN SNTSANGS." The G-^jTden Valley, Idaho, 15 minute map shows the locations of both the school and mining camp. -14- Golden Age Gamp, Idaho �N. Weis An eight-one-year-old former miner named A Hawkins is now the caretaker. He and his wife live in one of the residences at the camp. We toured the empty camp, carefully inspecting the larger buildings. The second story of the hotel contained the main company offices, and a large dancehall. The men were paid three dollars a day, with one dollar per day deducted for room and board. Saturday was pay^^ay, and Saturday night was for dancing. The big bosses could sit in their offices and watch benevolently over their cavorting employees. The downstairs portion of the hotel contained a dining hall, a small company store, a few rooms and a large kitchen with built-in woodshed. A huge Arcadian range filled one end of the kitchen. A flfty-,gall^n drum was adapted as a side-arm heater, with coils extending into and around the old stove. For a while the mills turned out thirty-five hundred dollars in gold per day. The deep vein made removal of ore difficult, and when the shaft went below creek level, the water flooded in. The cost of lifting and processing the ore, combined with the added expense of pumping the water, more than equaled the value of the gold. The mine shut down. Before long, both mlills and some of the camp structures burned to the ground. Golden Age Camp, Idaho �N. Weis No one knows how much gold 1| left in the hill. It is under water. Butbas Hawkins stated, "Gold doesn’t dissolve, you know," -UGolden Age WMe Camp, Idaho � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Norman Weis Manuscripts Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1971-1987 Description An account of the resource A collection of manuscripts by Casper College professor Norman Weis. <br /><br />This collection includes manuscripts of:<br /><em>Ghost Towns of the Northwest: Known and Unknown<br />The Starduster<br />Two-Story Outhouse<br />Helldorados<br /></em><br />Each manuscript contains written in edits by Norman Weis Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Norman Weis Language A language of the resource ENG Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Norm Weiss Manuscripts and Photographs, CCA 10.2003.01 WyCaC US. Casper College Archives and Special Collections. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Searchable PDF Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CCA 10.2003.01_Weis_Manuscripts Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Manuscript Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource <div class="element-text five columns omega"> <p><em>Ghost Towns of the Northwest: Known and Unknown </em>Idaho Draft</p> </div> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <div class="element-text five columns omega"></div> <div class="element-text five columns omega"> <p><a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a></p> </div> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1971 Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Norman Weis Language A language of the resource ENG Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Norm Weiss Manuscripts and Photographs, CCA 10.2003.01 WyCaC US. Casper College Archives and Special Collections. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CCA 10.2003.01_Weis_GhostTowns_DraftManuscript_Idaho Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Searchable PDF https://caspercollege.cvlcollections.org/files/original/5460f7a7936d30b067b508ad44dd849a.pdf 4fb57b5f6ac6fb8d5fe01920348accfe PDF Text Text WYOMING , �N. Weis SOUTH PASS CITY, WYOMING Gold seekers settled on Willow Greek In 1867. The camp soon became a town, and the town became the largest in the State. Named South Pass Within eighteen months, its City, it grew quickly. What should have population exceeded two thousand. been a curly-haired, short-tempered saloon town, became^instead, a family community. Those miners with wives and children, seeking a safe home, chose this town rather than Atlantic City, located five miles east. The women were quick to organize and preserve this precious quality. Some say organiza­ tion was haistened by the several long meetings held during the Indian raids. Hostiles frequently threataned the town, driving off the stock and stealing whatever was left unguarded. During the raids, the women and children were locked in a cave/llke recess behind the wine celler owned by a local merchant. iron door. The celler was protected by a stout Many a decision was made in the darkness of this hideaway. Under less frightening circumstances, the women organized a club, held numerous meetings^and discussed women’s rights. Mrs. Esther Hobart Morris, -8- South Pass City, Wyoming �N. Weis who came to South Pass in 1869, was a strong advocate of women’s right to vote. That year, encouraged by the women club members, Mr. William Bright drafted a bill giving equal suffrage to women. was introduced and passed! The bill Shortly after, Mrs. Esther Hobart Morris was appointed j^ustice of the ^eace. Many heated cases were accorded a decision by the good lady. None of them w^e overruled by a higher court. However quiet. South Pass City was still a mining town. Its Main Street was crowded with false—fronted buildings, nearly every other one a saloon. Main Street was nearly a half mile long. The town had the first bank in the area, a well-* organized school system, a newspaper, and a regular stage service. The Carissa Lode, the richest deposit in the area, poured forth its wealth, and the town prospered. A few other mines in the area were producing, like the Franklin, the Shields, and the Jim Crow Hoosier Boy, but the Carissa was the big one, and when its vein pinched out, the life of the town began to flicker. By 1880, South Pass City Many buildings were moved has away, but each of those remaining ^laase a story to tell. was nearly deserted. -9- South Pass City, Wyoming �N. Weis The jail Is still in fine shape,the cell doors swinging freely. It is clearly evident why it was later called "the cooler." Even the town dog likes to sleep here on hot summer days. Next to the jail is the old hat shop, later converted to a saloon. The Smith Sherlock store has been recently converted to a museum. The town is undergoing a continuing process of restoration. South Pass City is a quiet place in the summer, and completely deserted each winter. A lonely graveyard overlooks < the town from the south. On the northern hill, the Carissa Mine patiently waits reactivation, A single caretaker watches over the massive investment. Perhaps a new and cheaper way to extract the gold will be found, and the giant will stir to life again. -10- South Pass City, Wyoming i-- �N. Weis THE DUNCAN, WYOMING Prom Atlantic City, an excellent gravel road winds steeply up Mill Hill, levels off and heads southeast. At the crest, one mile south of town, a dirt road branches to the right. Traveling this road westward, the Mary Ellen sine comes quickly into view. Then, within a mile of the turnoff, "The Duncan" becomes visible. Both mines are on the right side of the road, and are on the Atlantic City, Wyoming, 7| minute topographic map. The first rich strike was made here in 1911. In three years, forty thousand dollars'^worth of ore was removed. During those three years, fifteen hundred feet of underground tunnels and shafts were completed, and a Nissen stamp mill and amalgamator were installed. The outfit was capable of extracting o ■sfcsEty per^^ent of the gold. In 191^ the operation ran into financial trouble, and the mine closed down. Thirty-two years later, new owners gave it another try. A new ball mill, classifier, and several agitator tanks were obtained. Eight floatation cells and a concentrator, or shaker table, were installed. Just twelve tons of ore were processed that year. valued at a total of about two thousand dollars. -19- The Duncan, Wyoming �N, Weis In 1956, the mine underwent another hopeful spurt of activity, with three thousand tons shipped at about During its busiest years, twelve dollars per ton. "The Duncan" rivaled in size the towns of Atlantic City and Miners Delight. Several dozen cabins, a small store, and a two-story/dormitory occupied most of the level area at the top of the hill. The mine buildings cover the hillside for hundreds of feet, ending in another smattering of buildings. Now everything is shuttered and.locked, awaiting a rise in the price of gold. are vacant. The houses The dormitory, with its outside stairs, is quiet, and heavy boots no longer threaten the quick nap of the man on the "off shift." -20- The Duncan, Wyoming �N. Weis LSWISTON, WYOMING "Lewiston? Never heard of It I" What Lewiston? In Wyoming? But the entire population of Atlantic City knew about the town — all four of them. In fact, one of them used to live there I Good old Sam Vjestlc — and he promptly volunteered to ride along on .a visit to the town~slte. Was there anything left, as the map Indicated — or was It all gone, as some historians claimed? "Veil, dere’s a store, und a llffery, und some mines dere," volunteered Sam. We drove south out of Atlantic City, up Mill Hill, past The Duncan turnoff, and headed east on a good gravel road. About eight miles out of town, Sam called for an abrupt turn to the right. Here on the banks of Rock Creek, rested a monument - a bronze slab cemented to a mound of rock. Inscribed on the plaque Is a story of nearly unequaled tragedy. ^WILLIE'S HANDCART COMPANY Captain James C. Willie’s Handcart Company of Mormon Emigrants on the way to Utah, greatly exhausted by the deep snows of an early winter and suffering from lack of food and clothing had assembled here for -21- Lewiston, Wyoming �N. Weis reorganization by relief parties from Utah about the end of October 1865. Thirteen persons were frozen to death during a single night and were burled here in one grave. Two otAers died the next day and were buried nearby. Of the company of 40^ persons 77 perished before help arrived. The survivors reached Salt Lake November 9 1856.X The South Pass was indeed treacherous I It was quite clear,^w why Pacific Springs was called "Celebration City." About four miles fj|lrther east we took a fork to the left, forded Strawberry Creek, and drove into the town of Lewiston, The Radium Springs, Wyoming, 7i minute topographic map shows most of the important sites in fine detail. Part of this map is reproduced in the introduction. Lewiston isn’t very big — just two buildings with a street between. false front and all. On the left was the old store, On the right was the llver^’, its interlocking logs holding it firmly plumb with the world. The Store had five rooms and showed signs of frequent haphazard expansion. Its sod roof, supported by large split logs, had collapsed in a -22- Lewiston, Wyoming �N. Weis number of places. The most recent occupants had been sheep and cattle. Gattie enjoy scratching themselves by rubbing against door jambs, and once the door is knocked off, a building comes down quickly. The Lewiston Store will not stand for long. The livery looked like it would photograph best from the rear. The view through the finder showed that I was a bit too close. few feet and stopped. I b^ed up a Not far enough yet. I backed up a few feet more, focused the camera, and took the picture. Behind me I could hear the clatter of pebbles falling, bouncing, and fading into faint echoes. I had basked up to the very brink of a deep vertical mine shaft. I circled back another dozen feet and photographed the livery, with the site of my stupidity in the foreground. This town once had more than twenty-five buildings, including four saloons, which is a pretty low "sin percentage," as mining towns go. It had several mines right in town, the most famous of which was the Bullion Shaft. Pounded in 1879, Lewiston was the center of the "new discovery." Much salting and selling was carried out. -23- Each Lewiston, Wyoming �N. Weis "sucker" salted in turn, and made money selling to the next huyer. One-half mile south of town are the remains of the Hidden Hand mine. is the Iron Duke Shaft. Forty feet away I speculated that two shafts this close had to lead to the same vein. Sam Vjestic added "dey haf to lead to a good fight when da tunnels meet, toot Sam knew what he was talking about, for he spent several years hogging out the rock in order to form those shafts I One-half mile to the north is the Good Hope Mine. This building is in a most artistic state of disrepair. As its lower side walls collapsed, its stout inner structure guided the outer portions downward to rest sedately, with a dignified list to port. Like a crippled queen of the oceans, it rides the windswept plains, valiantly resisting the inevitable. A family of wildcats lives in the old relic. They have been seen standing on the peak of the gallows frame, and no doubt have found some o crevi/Se suitable for a den. More hazardous than the wildcats)^ is the horizontal tunnel running out from the building. In places the tunnel is within a foot or two of the surface. -24- Your weight Lewiston, Wyoming �N. Weis might collapse It, Your car most certainly would break through. It had been a long day, and we were tired. The return trip was hot, dryland dusty. As we neared Atlantic City, I suggested we stop for a cooling drink at Glessler's Saloon. lit up. "Yah, I haf a coke." Sam’s eyes Realizing a coke might be pretty tame stuff for a tough old miner like Sam, I suggested something with more substance. "Naw," replied Sam. "I swear off dat hard stuff ever since I get mad back In ^thirty-eight," -25Lewlston, Wyoming �N. Weis WYOMING A3BA 2 Thi-3-Uni-^ ■ft4Dntiq1'ns a.pproximately 3^^00-wmtg-^ WYOMING Union pacific was driving its rails west. The mountains of eastern Wyoming had been breached. West of Laramie, the land leveled out to plains and high desert, permitting more rapid progress, but the flat land was Indian land, and the Indians resented the intrusion. Port Steele was established in 1868 to protect the Overland Stage Line and the Union Pacific -1- Port Steele, Wyoming �railroad. The presence of four companies (about three hundred men) encouraged construction and safe^ guarded travelers. Located at the Overland Trail crossing of the North Platte River, the fort was ideally placed to carry out its protective function. Within forty­ eight hours of the arrival of troops, ruffians and crooks had set up shop a half mile to ^e south at a place called Brownsville. A typical railhead town, stores, eating houses, saloons^ and gambling joints fronted the street, and sporting houses were placed ^hind. The population of Brownsville reached fifteen hund^red within a week. The Army, claiming it was a bad influence, kicked the town off Government land. Brownsville, only weeks old, promptly moved three miles to the western boundary of the fort, and renamed itself "Benton," It became "the/one bad town on the U.f." Fort Steele was built around a small parade ground. There was no stockade^and none was needed. Records indicate that the soldiers never met the enemy in battle. Gravel walks surrounded the parade ground and fronted the buildings. officers,* row. The west side was Four two-story buildings each housed �N. Weis about twenty officers. The central building was the residence of the commanding officer. On the east side were enlisted men’s barracks, laundries, and a sawmill. The railroad passed by the south side, separating the fort from the ^ut^ler’s post and saloon. In 1886 the fort was abandoned. Eight years later the property was purchased by the Cosgriff Brothers for one hundred dollars. They converted the buildings to stores and residences. One of the officers’ quarters became a hotel and the powder house a granary. The saloon remained a saloon. much of the town. Later, fire destroyed The remaining buildings became the property of the Leo Sheep Company. The site of Fort Fred Steele (later the /Town of Fort Steele), is reached by traveling twelve miles east of Rawlins on Highway 80, then north two miles along the west bank of the Platte River. The fort, its parade ground still prominent, is just across the Union Pacific tracks. The Walcott, Wyoming, 15 minute topographic map is of notable help. Dated 1912, it shows much of the fort as it used to be. Many of the buildings Indicated on the map are now merely foundations or depressions in the ground. -3- Fort Steele, Wyoming �N. Weis Much of the old glory has faded — the enlisted men’s barracks are filled with barbed wire, salt, wool, and old sheep hides. The gable end of the building nearest the railroad tracks carries evidence of a number of uses. Several signs have been lettered on its frenteThe most prominent and probably the last:-/^ "Pt. Steele General Store." a sign; Below is "WATER TOUR AUTO HERS." One building stands on ^fflcei^*^row. In remarkably good shape, it is like two houses glued together — each the exact mirror Image of the other. A single partition separates the two stairways as they lead side by side to the bedrooms on the upper level. Behind the building are two "hallway" exten­ sions. Each leads to its own Indoor outhouse. The "privilege of rank" was particularly appreciated on frosty mornings, but the price paid was the ever­ present odor. privilege." Perhaps a better term would be "rank As the cesspools filled, the hallways were extended to reach freshly dug pits. Some old forts had hallways up to sixty feet long. The life of Port Steele was short — and so were its outhouse extensions. On the hill, just southwest of the old "fort become town," are the remains of acting Governor -im­ port Steele, Wyoming �N. Weis Chatterton’s home. inches thick. The poured walls are eighteen J Old-fashioned concrete, called grout, was made with burned lime and unwashed gravel. The joists and rafters were poured in place. The Richard's Toll Bridge, located near Port Steele, was in operation during the years of emigration. Built for ^55000, it took $^0,000 in toll the first season. Fording the North Platte River was often dangerous. The graveyard just south of the fort gives evidence of such hazard on several headstones. Glassing the riverbank, trying to spot the old bridge abutments, I noticed a timbered trestle, perhaps the remnant of a bridge approach. The caretaker at the nearby waterworks (for the town of Rawlins) supplied some brief answers. "No, it's not a bridge." Pressed for more information, the caretaker added, "Bunch of buildings over there. We call it "Timber Town." That was exciting news. My topographic map showed some buildings there, but I had been given to understand they had all been demolished. The remains of the old Jj^own ( of Benton were nearby, and on the Fort Steele side of the river. A hurried visit to that site, then the "bunch of buildings" would have to be looked into carefully. ---------------------5- Fort Steele, Wyoming K �N. Weis BSMTON, WYOMING Called T<^Tjnf’’ and ’’Outlaw To-vm,” preceded generally by unprintable expletiveJ; Benton was likely the wildest town ever to exist In Wyoming. There Is nothing left of the town, just one hell of a story and millions of broken bits of glass from bottles emptied and thrown, Benton was the Illegitimate child of the Union Pacific. Three miles west of the fort, It was beyond military control, yet close enough to dtract the fort’s several hundred troopers. It was the tent town railhead at the seven hundred mile marker, measured west from Omaha, It was born on July 1, 1868, when the Army kicked the town of Brownsville off their reservation. It died In September, 1868, at the age of three months. But what a summerI One hundred people were killed In three wild months. There were no trees, the ground was bare, and the alkali was six Inches deep underfoot. Stolen locomotive headlights Illuminated seductively decorated billboards. The North Star Saloon and the Desert Hotel were prominent Institutions of doubtful character. Other business houses carried signs bordered In red, and needed no explanation, for the street was their -6- Benton, Wyoming �N. Weis front parlor. Twenty-three saloons dispensed, beer, bitters^and bourbon. Five dance halls offered the same fare — but with added attractions. Three thousand people lived in Benton, and on weekends it neared five thousand. Lots sold for ($100(j|, and^main street was sold out. Water was scarce. Hauled from the Platte River, it sold for a dollar a barrel. One former resident recorded an "irregularity" concerning the delivery of water. A mule skinner had just hauled the water jin on a skidL Being thirsty, he adjourned to the nearest bar and tipped a few. He came out in time to see the mules •backed up to the first row of barrels, one animal responding to the call of nature. He sold the barrel and explained, "Hell, it was so damned muddy you couldn’t see the bottom anyway." -7- Benton, Wyoming �N. Weis WALCOTT, WYOMING Prom 1890 to 1910, Walcott was the busiest railroad loading point between Omaha, Nebraska, and Ogden, Utah. Mining machinery and building materials were hauled in — copper ore and cattle were sent out. There was a hotel on the north side of the tracks next to the depot. Two livery stables and a number of stores and saloons flanked the dirt road entering from the south. Several hundred people lived here during the mining boom, but as time passed, unfortunate things happened to Walcott, The copper mines and smelters of Encampment, to the south, went broke. town. A highway was built, bypassing the As a final insult, the Union Pacific depot was removed in 19^0. There are two Walcotts now. The "new highway' Walcott*'is seven miles east of the Port Steele turnoff. north. The "railroad Walcott" is one mile Both are shown on the Walcott, Wyoming, 15 minute topographic map. There are two fascinating points of Interest at the site of the railroad town. One is the old saloon, and the other is its caretaker, Slim Parkko. The saloon has a sign on its false front -18- Walcott, Wyoming �N. Weis that is a work of art. In fancy scroll and block letters it states: THE GLUB Saloon JOHN H. LEWIS The "S" is backwards in "saloon," but correct in "Lewis!" Perhaps it was intended to be the "Club Saloon," with a scrolly "C", but it looked like a "G" — and "Glub" had an appropriate sound — so "Glub" it became. If it brought in customers, Proprietor Lewis wasn’t about to change it. An old rusted tin sign on the saloon states: Gornone Cigar Company’s DRY CLIMATE A Cigar Built for the Altitude Across the tracks are a number of the old cabins of Walcott. Sheep Company. Now they are used by the Vivian Old wooden wagon wheels lean everywhere. Removed from sheep wagons, they have been replaced with rubber-tired wheels. On my way out of town I stopped to visit with one of the few surviving residents of Walcott. He lives in a well<*kept little house just behind the "Glub Saloon." A veteran sheep'^ms.n, he Introduced himself as "Slinf Parkko, and — like the saloon — he was most descriptively named. -1§- Walcott, Wyoming �N. Weis "Does that sign really read the "Glub**' ' Saloon," I asked^ Slim replied, "Yup." "How many people are living here now?" Slim looked across the tracks. "Them two and just me." "Is that little building up on the hill an old water tank?" "Yup," said Slim, looking a little tired from such continued effort. *• As I left" town, I looked back at the meager remains of this*onc.e busy freighting junction. The town was well suited to its leading citizen. Walcott— like Slim’s conversation— was "real sparse." -20Walcott, Wyoming � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Norman Weis Manuscripts Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1971-1987 Description An account of the resource A collection of manuscripts by Casper College professor Norman Weis. <br /><br />This collection includes manuscripts of:<br /><em>Ghost Towns of the Northwest: Known and Unknown<br />The Starduster<br />Two-Story Outhouse<br />Helldorados<br /></em><br />Each manuscript contains written in edits by Norman Weis Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Norman Weis Language A language of the resource ENG Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Norm Weiss Manuscripts and Photographs, CCA 10.2003.01 WyCaC US. Casper College Archives and Special Collections. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Searchable PDF Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CCA 10.2003.01_Weis_Manuscripts Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Manuscript Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource <div class="element-text five columns omega"> <p><em>Ghost Towns of the Northwest: Known and Unknown&nbsp;</em>Wyoming Draft</p> </div> Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <div class="element-text five columns omega"> <p><a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a></p> </div> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1971 Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Norman Weis Language A language of the resource ENG Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Norm Weiss Manuscripts and Photographs, CCA 10.2003.01 WyCaC US. Casper College Archives and Special Collections. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CCA 10.2003.01_Weis_GhostTowns_DraftManuscript_Wyo Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Searchable PDF https://caspercollege.cvlcollections.org/files/original/ef8c735c8a739ce3992e6fa2d426f4ae.pdf d04a5f289af1a45221ba736d011225dc PDF Text Text �N. Weis OREGON AREA T4x1s-Unlt GonXaiRg-' A^&p3M>xifflateiy^--3400--ifard^i At slwrt gl^ce, the old dredge resembled a monster. A monster in Its last frantic moment of life, its square-browed head reared high, vacant eyes staring blindly, with steel jaws poised for a last vengeful IQ Q thrust. Frozen in position by disuse, and trapped in a small pond of its own making, the gigantic dredge is as impressive as the destruction still evident in its -1- �N. Weis gravel--strewn wake. This dredge and two others like it ■> ) once ravaged the broad valley of the Powder River of pastern Oregon. Green with trees and lush with grass, the terrain was lifted, sifted, washed^and subtracted of Its wealth, then haphazardly replaced. The precious soil that once topped the baser rock now spread^ Its fertility thinly downstream. Gold was the master, and ten tons of it lay in the valley, demanding harvest. The giant dredges reaped that harvest, slowly tracing their broad erosionary swaths until the entire valley was consumed. Twelve million dollars’^worth of gold poured temporary life into the town of Sumpter. That life has since faded, and little is left of the original Sumpter, One of the three dredges was destroyed by fire, another was dismantled and shipped to richer gravel. The third dredge is largely intact, and is Sumpter's largest and most impressive surviving structure. It rests quietly in the small pond at the east edge of town. Slightly down at the bow and in gentle contact with the bottom, its endless bucket chain is raised high. Three levels of enclosed machinery topped with a control house, which in turn is capped by a cable housing, give the dredge a height fully sixty feet above wateiTilne. -2- �N. Weis As I was preparing to photograph the old relic, a man and two boys approached. Equipped with hammers, gold pans,and fishing tackle, they proceeded to unlock the sliding door on the lower deck. As part owners of the dredge, they were intent on enjoying the day aboard their private, although immobile craft. I quickly r accepted their invitation to tour\the monster's innards. An ancient electric motor once fed power to the chain of buckets by means of a drive belt eighty feet long, two feet wide, and nearly a half an inch thick. Great banks of shakers and sorters processed the gravel to a gold-bearing black sand concentrate. Next, sca­ venger Jigs separated the gold from the useless sand. One of the cogwheels that relayed power to the shakers was thirteen feet in diameter. Prom the broad-^windowed bridge, the operator controlled all functions with twelve large levers and a number of rheostats, A double-barrelled heater constructed from two fifty-gallon drums offered minimal comfort on cold days. A catwalk le^ directly from the control deck to the extreme end of the dredge boom. A serpentine stairway connected the bridge with the lower machine decks. The handballs were worn pleasantly smooth from countless use. -3- �N. Weis A small projection at water level, "amidships on the port side," made an ideal fishing platform for one of the boys. Although small, the trout were The boy’s brother and father were busy plentiful. pounding out rust and trace deposits left in the final shakers and scavenger jigs. It took an hour or so for them to glean a cup of rusty concentrate, but when panned, the gold realized was enough to pay wages, and to set them once again to pounding away at the old rusted machinery. Gold was located here in 1862 by a group of Confederate soldiers on their way to California, They called the place Sumter, after the ^ort of the same name Later the spelling was changed to the present Sumpter News of their discovery of placer gold spread rapidly. and soon hundijsds of men were washing gravel In the SGVGnuXOS late(70’s) the Chinese moved in to rework the same de- posits. Later, the prime deposits were found on the hillsides, and hard-.rock mining ensued. In I896 the railroad reached town, and the population grew to more than ^00^. Sumpter town reached its maximum in 19OO when the deep mines and the dredges were both operating full shifts. There were two brick banks, two hotels, an opera house, a lumber mill, and more than two dozen 0 ’h �N. Weis saloons in Sumpter, A two-story building on the hill served as a hospital, and was later converted to an Odd' '* /•ellows Hall, The fire of 1916 destroyed most of Sumpter. When the hoses burned through, dynamite was used to blow up buildings to create firebreaks. The desperate attempt to save the town ^:^argely failed, and only a few structures were saved. The O^d /ellows Hall, the school, a store, a few bams, and a number of residences were among the survivors. Many citizens moved out. Those ths-t stayed scavenged many of the deserted buildings to enhance their own homes, or to supply firewood for the winter. One of the surviving barns has been preserved by the care demanded by constant use, and the protection of a metal roof. Painted on the roof, in startling contrast, is an orange-lettered sign marking the location and distance to the nearest airport. It seems as incon­ gruous as an old man wearing a propeller beanie. Along*^ side is parked an old^solid-rubber-tired Union Oil trailer tank. An old brick vault marks the location of one of the town’s banks. Nearby is a small wooden shed with a bashed—in garage door at its front. fire department. This is Sumpter’s Inside is a brightly painted four*- wheeled trailer with a tongue adapted to either pulling -5- �by hand or attaching by pin and clevis to any handy vehicle equipped with trailer hitch. The deluxe hose /A cart is complete with several reels of stout hose, a number of axes and a tool chest containing extra nozzles. The bed of the narrow-gauge railroad that once connected Sumpter and nearby Baker is now the grade of the excellent blacktop road that serves the town and forest recreation areas beyond. Sumpter is six miles south of Baker on Highway 7, then twenty miles west on There are no topographic maps of the area Highway 220. near Sumpter, or Granite and Whitney to the west and south, but forest ^ervlce maps indicate most of the Important features, Today there are 11? people living in towaffbut only 80 spend the winter. operation, One place of business is in A cafe and general meeting place, it serves good coffee and great conversation. The ranking old^^ timer, whose father had lived in Sumpter since 1880, took great delight in telling me about the town. He had a storehouse of the finest quality lies I had heard in years. He fired them out so fast that laughter on the last interefered with the telling of the next. "When the town was goin* strong, there was fourteen saloons, five hundred rahR4?ah girls, and one tired sinner,* �N, Weis After several cups of coffe^ we were still undecided as to how we might best preserve the facts as to "what old Sumpter was really like," -7- �N. Weis KG^ITB, OREGON Once inhabited by five thousand lively souls, the town of Giranlte now is best known as the smallest incorporated town in the world. With a population of one, its smallness cannot be exceeded, only equaled, Ote Ford became the sole resident of Granite when the mayor hung himself, and "Cliff the Prospector" went looking for gold in Ten Gent Creek, Being his own mayor, council, treasurer and constituency, Ote was quick to state that Granite had a Republican adminis­ 64^issue of the ^Capitol In the August 26, tration. Journal,^ Ote is quoted — "There’s no such thing as isolation. Too many people want to share it with you," There are a number of reasons why people are drifting back to Granite, Easily accessible — Just fifteen miles west of Sumpter ~ and burled deep in the beautiful Blue Mountains, the setting alone is attraction enough. Taxes are nonexistent, water fees are one dollar a month, and the town treasury is in the black. At last report, the balance was more than one hundred dollars. Although the summer population has soared to nearly one dozen, the permanent year-round count of residents remains at the minimum — one I -8- �N. Weis A few years ago the "pride of Granite" — the three-story deluxe hotel — burned to the ground. Still standing are a number of old buildings dating from the 1800’s when Granite was in its prime. The small school^ house -- later used as^city hall -- has developed a decided slant. Built on a strongly sloped hill, it leans to the high side in over^ompensation. Main street, in spite of fire and depredation, leaves the impression of being lined with stores. Prominent on a corner of the main intersection is the old Mercantile, which later became an entertainment hall and did final service as a gas station and general store. Across the street, the drugstore — now converted to a vacation home — displays a broad-palmed set of moose antlers on its porch roof. Next to it is the freight office with its stylish cater-cornered doorway, A block east are the remains of the fancy two—story dance hall. Only the front portion of the second floor is left. The windows have long been paneSis, but the fancy sill work and gussied shingles offer a suggestion of yesterdays grandeur, r One general store is now in business. Strictly a seasonal operation, it offers a warm welcome, cool refreshment^and enchanting history. -9- �N. Weis .WHITNEY, OREGON^Z ~ Surrounded, by booming gold camps, but unblessed by even token amounts of the precious metal, the town of Whitney could offer only a supporting role. The railroad that passed through town was kept busy hauling lumber to the camps and bringing gold out. Freighting and lumber­ ing promised the town only temporary life. Its longevity depended upon two expendables, gold and timer, A Whitney was the prime station of the famous eighty-jnile-long narrow-gauge Sumpter Valley Railroad, Centrally located between the two end terminals — Prairie City and Baker — it was the ideal spot for roundhouse and crews’ quarters. In spite of the fourteen rail crews quartered in Whitney, and the lumber mill that employed up to seventy-five men, the population of the town never climbed much beyond one hundred. When the sawmill burned in 1918, the town became nearly deserted, A brief five- year revival occurred in 1939 when the Oregon Lumber Company rebuilt the mill in order to harvest a newly purchased block of timer, Whitney may be reached by ten miles of passable dirt road extending south of Sumpter, or by sixteen miles of the same kind of road extending northeast from Highway 7 near Bates, Whitney occupies only a small part of a -10- �N. Weis large grassy flat, and the dirt road does not widen appreciably as it passes through town, "Town" is now a mere handful of buildings, perhaps twelve or fourteen, mostly on the north side of the street. The old round^^ house and depot are disappointingly absent. Even the rails have been torn up for scrap. But the old sawmill is there — its proud image faithfully reproduced in the quiet waters of the log pond. The mill rests in the center of its own broad flat, lush with flowers in full bloom, KneJljiigh purple blossoms stand uniformly a half foot higher than yellow blossoms, I bent down to inspect an old saw blade, and the broad field turned from purple to golden yellow, then returned as I regained my original perspective. The mill is gutted of machinery. There is no floor, and water seeping in from the log pond has turned the dirt to mud a foot deep. You can navigate through the building only by hopping from old board to rock to concrete pillar. Thousands of swallows have made the old structure their home. They resent any intrusion and take issue with each sudden movement. Assuredly, they are harmless, but in such great numbers they are distinctly unsettling, A simple wave of the arm, and a multitude of birds take*^wlng, A symphony of motion -11- �N, Weis flows, at first away, and then toward the offender. The noise rises to a peak, each bird encouraging the other, then settles down to a flutter of wings as a transitory calm again prevails. Surely great events have transpired in Whitney, but for now its primary claim to greatness is its magnificent birdhouse standing on its own reflection, centered in a field of purple and gold. �N. Weis ^GALENA, OREGON The roots of trees, downed by high winds, had levered up fantastic chunks of gold. they glowed dully, awaiting discovery. Cleansed by rain, In 1862, a group of miners made the find of their lives. They kept their secret for more than a year while they skimmed the richest deposits. By 1864 the word leaked out, big as your fist J" This time the wild rumors were trueI "Nuggets Gold was sprinkled along the Middle Pork of Day River and up Elk Creek, It ran from fine to five-pound chunks. Claims were filed and the rich deposits along the Elk and the Middle Day were soon taken. Some miners objected to claims laid out length­ wise along the stream, and forced a maximum width rule on the offenders. Each man could have a slice of stream as wide as he could reach with his pick, without moving his feet. Tall miners with long-handled picks had a distinct advantage. Later, at a meeting of five hundred miners, a standard width of fifty feet was set. Soon two communities sprang up. One near the junction of the two streams, another about two miles north up narrow Elk Creek Canyon, The lower camp was originally named Susanville, and had its own post office. Shortly after 1900, some miners from the upper Elk Creek camp slipped into town and stole the post office — boxes. -13- �N. Weis ink pad, oanceling stamp^and all. The Elk Creek camp then became Susanville, and "Old Susanville" petitioned for and received a new post office with the name of Galena, By that time much of the gold was gone, and the most likely future for the newly christened Galena seemed to be in the mining of galena, a shiny sulphide of lead. The town of Galena never was very large, since most miners preferred to camp on their claims. Its stores came near outnumbering its residences, Lee On Ralph Rider operated the livery ran a Chinese store, I and hotel. .. There was a dance hall and meat market, along with a number of saloons. Galena was a going town, but gold is soon gone and the miners leave with it, A new lease was given to the life of Galena when dredges designed originally to be used on the Panama Canal were refitted and shipped in during the A Reassembled, they processed much of the gravel along the Middle Pork of the John Day River, extracting gold that had eluded the miners of an earlier day. was lucrative but short-lived. The new effort The town became so quiet that in 19^3 the post office was closed by request of the postmaster. The road to Galena is long, yet pleasantly scenic. Prom the twin cities of John Day and Canyon City, -14- �N. Weis U. S. Highway 26 extends about twenty-two miles northeast to Bates Junction. A left turn at Bates puts you through town, across the "Middle Day" River, and past the sawmill. Twenty miles on down stream are the quiet remains of Galena. The gusanville, Oregon. 15 minute topographic map shows the locations of both Galena and Susanville, as well as many of the mines in the area. At Galena, several old residences and two stores line the south side of the road. Imbedded in tall weeds. The stores are deeply One place of business was con­ verted later to a combination garage and gas station. Its old pump, complete with long-handled lever, stands nearly vertical. The glass reservoir is gone, but the strip marking the level for each gallon is intact. Inside, the oli one-stall garage has been converted to a meat cooler with provisions for hanging freshly killed game, A single flower grows tall through a one-inch hole bored in the floor. A metal-roofed clapboard cabin once sported an outside stala?way to the attic. Recently the staircase has been dislodged by horses that graze on tall grass once worn short by frantic activity. One family lives in Galena now, and even they find it difficult to believe that at one time five thousand -15- �N. Weis miners visited town to cast their votes in a vain effort to beat out Canyon City in the contest for county seat. -16- �N. Weis \^USANVILLB, OREGON Two miles northeast of Galena, up the narrow canyon of Elk Creek, are the sparse remains of Susan­ ville, once called "Upper Camp." Established in 1864 as a gold camp, it received its present name in I90I when miners lifted the post office from the rival camp downstream. Placer deposits were rich along the two miles of canyon, and claims were narrow and lucrative. ran large, Nuggets Jane Erickson reported in the Sunday Oregonian Magazine that a nugget large as a flat iron and worth fourteen hundred dollars was found there in 1913. It is now on display at the bank in Baker, Oregon. Placering paid off along the entire length of Elk Creek Canyon. One of the larger outfits was owned by a Mr, Haskell. His hydraulic operation netted #165,000 in one day, and reportedly resulted in a total yield of nearly two million in gold, in spite of the ever-present loss due to high-grading. High-grading was the quaa'- respectable practice of quietly pocketing the richest ore samples. Mine owners commonly paid low wages and tacitly permitted high-grading. There was outright thievery^ too, but most thieves found it difficult to leave town with the goods. -17- �N. Weis Early one morning, Haskell’s Chinese night watchman was observed walking down the road, suitcase In hand. The suitcase sagged heavily from Its handle, and the Chinaman stopped frequently to rest. During one pause, Haskell's men rushed up and demanded the suitcase be opened. Out rolled a number of golden nuggets, the largest worth twelve hundred dollars I Quartz prospecting began In Elk Canyon about 1869. Early samples were processed In the Cabel panamalgamatlon unit. Later a ten-stamp mill was built, primarily to process the ores from the nearby Badger Mine, A number of shafts found and exploited the mother lode. There wshb the Bull of the Woods, fhe Gem, The Present Need, and the Poor Man that made several men rich. Susanville had but one street. too narrow to provide a second. The canyon was More than a thousand miners were known to crowd Into town on Saturday night I White's Store was busy. So busy that to make change quickly, all prices were rounded to the nearest quarter. Anything that sold for less than fifteen cents was free. The remains of Susanville are strung out for nearly a mile, and are now mostly flat but empty home sites, and scattered piles of rotting timber. At the west end of town there is an old log cabin, its walls -18- �N. Weis leaning under a collapsed roof. Central in town is the old mill, erect and plumb, but nearly devoid of shingles. Its machinery is gone and the trees have grown close alongside. The tar-papered cabin just opposite the mill has eight rooms and three stoves. One of the last residents strung a long antenna to improve his radio reception. He used whatever wire was handy, and what was handy was barbed wire. At the upper end of town stands a small^ but Intact stamp mill. Of fairly recent vintage, it has a driveway leading to the upper end where ore can be dumped in. In operation, a reciprocating engine provided power, and a lever gave control over the flow of ore to the stamps, A stamp is merely an iron rod about two Inches in diameter and ten feet long. The lower section is broadened to a width of six inches. Each stamp weighs several hundred pounds and has, near its upper end, a projection that allows it to be lifted. When released, the stamp falls on the ore, crushing it fine, freeing the particles of gold. The stamp butt was^ef stout metal and high-sided to permit stamping in a bath of mercury. The mercury amalgamated with the gold, holding it in the bath while the worthless rock spilled over the sides. -19- �An occasional camper or sightseer may travel up the canyon, A few stubborn prospectors still cast about for some lost vestige of gold, Down below, a mechanized gold washing operation is reworking old gravel. narrow canyon is quiet, But the Skinners driving twelve-mule jerkliners no longer fight the rear teams over the trace to make a tight switchback. Welcome would be the sound of cuss words well chosen from a vocabulary of large experience and delivered with unwavering conviction. �N. Weis ■^^he closest tow was twenty miles away and not much when you got there. The farmers and ranchers were tired of losing so much time commuting for supplies, A meeting was called, ideas were set forth, and solutions were reached First they would build a school, then a store and finally a church. The homes and entertainment halls -1- �N. Weis would follow naturally. The plan was sound and the town had a guaranteed future. But unknown to the planners, the guarantee would last only until the advent of the automobile. Mlles would then be measured in minutes Instead of days, and the town’s reason for existence would be lost. Richmond, born in I890, grew in a few decades to respectability, then faded slowly again to nothing. Highway 20?, an all-weather road which is partially blacktopped, passes within a mile of Richmond. The Richmond. Oregon, 15 minute topographic map is a help in locating the town, but shows little that is not readily detected when on the site. The schoolhouse — first structure built, and probably one of the last in use — is equipped with the standard bell tower plus a covered porch on two sides. The large single classroom is still dominated by a large black heater bearing the name "The Smith System." A major engineering breakthrough for its time, it had a the large flue that drew cold air from^floor level and delivered it to the chimney. The open door of the Methodist Church invites the visitor. A fetching alcove empties into the sanctuary where two pews still face the empty platform. The bell tower was vented, and probably held a bell capable of sending its call throughout the town. -2- �The boarding house - store - resldenCt- saloon post office buildingiras a forerunner to the modem en­ closed shopping center. The "mall" was a covered porch that serviced the full length of the structure. Several large homes stand on the hill to the northwest of town. One home is occasionally occupied and has posed on its door a passionate plea by its owner stating in part* "This is not an abandoned home and is not locked — so don’t break the windows or kick in the V^.everything worth stealing has already door," I t been stolen," Then an addendum is addedj "Please^folks, if you gotta go — be brave — and use the convenient sagebrush — our water is turned off and the stool won't flush---- " Thoughtfully, owner Rod Donnelly adds a word of caution concerning rattlesnakes and exposed portions of the anatomy. Beyond Donnelly's house, and up the hill, stands a more pretentious structure. Vacant and open, to the elements, it exudes an aura of mystery. isn't haunted, it ought to be. If it Every room on the second floor is covered with old clothing. Several feet deep in most places, it offers delightful shelter to mice �N. Weis and other rodents. Their rustlings from under foot keep one on the alert. Occasionally an animal will scurry out on the roof and create a new sound not quickly Identified, Occasional screeching sounds are probably loose sheets of metal roofing scraping raw edges. stairs creak three steps ahead of your feet. The The house groans — but It Is old, and the wind has picked up. Weather Is making, and biscuit clouds are overhead. Precursors of tornadoes, their Ominous presence adds the final touch of ghostllness to the house on the hill. -4- �N. Weis LONEROCK, OREGON Never was a town more appropriately named! The huge lone rock Is the only dominant feature of an otherwise flat valley. Not only the town, but the stream and the valley derived their names from the Impressive landmark, A helpful gentleman In Spray, Oregon, had. de­ scribed the rock as "big as a house," and also fl-rmly declared the town had recently burned to the ground. was wrong on both counts. He The town was quite Intact, and the rock was not just "big as a house," It was "bigger than a church!" The Baptists were the first to build a church In Lonerock, Soon It proved too small for the community and In I898 a new church was planned. Times had changed. The majority of citizens were Methodist, and a Methodist Church could be built In only one place. Built stoutly and planted firmly by the rock, one must assume that Peter was quoted often, and that "Rock of Ages" echoed frequently within Its walls, Lonerock may be approached from Condon, Oregon, by proceeding east on Highway 206 for five miles, then branching to the right on an undesignated blacktop road, After about fifteen miles, the road becomes gravel, and -5- N �MH* promptly slants down the steep valley wall to Lonerock, There are no topographic maps available for this portion of Oregon, Luckily, many of the towns in this unit are shown on ordinary state highway maps. Sixteen people live in town, and the ranking resident is declared "mayor" by acclamation. Edith Perry, holds the office at present, and is highly re­ spected by the citizenry. The mayor pointed out some of the sites in town, occasionally throwing in a little Chamber of Commerce ^itch, "Yes, that old flat thing there is the dance floor — had a building over it but we had to tear it down cause it was aleanin*,,The building next to it was a pastime," I asked about the name of "No name — just a pastime — sold soft drinks the store, and candy and nuts. Had a confectionery over there," Mayor Edith pointed to a small building nearly overgrown with trees, "The school is being torn down. in Portland own it now. Some people Was built in 1903 and we even had a highschool on the second floor — had fifteen students," I asked about local taxes and learned that five dollars a month was adequate to run the town, "And we make Improvements^too. water system. We have a new Ran a pipe from the spring up on the hill and the water comes down just a flyin*. No, we don’t have a fire chief, but we are all members of the Fire Department, Saloons? — sure we had some. ’em with a spoon they was so thickI Could stir We graveled the -6- I anerac �N. Weis streets last year and still have money left — only town in the ^tate that’s out of debt." I left town via the gravel road to the north. The local two-wire telephone line parallels the road for a number of miles. Never had I seen a telephone system with such personally. /Mayor Edith had termed it a "private line that works sometimes." Most poles were nothing but small saplings. Some were bent nearly double by the weight of the wires. At times the Insulators were nailed to fence posts, or the wires merely tied with twine to a handy tree. Here and there the lines crossed and touched one another. What appeared to be an old rake handle was tied to a metal fence post, thereby gaining the rigidity needed to support the wires. At intervals, rocks as big as cabbages were hung on the line to prevent wind whipping. The eas3<^ing attitude that prevailed in Lonerock seemed to stretch out along the pleasantly haphazard strands. Occasional creosoted poles appeared, then became frequent. Disgustingly upright and too perfectly aligned, they pinched to nothing the last quiet memory of Lonerock. �N. Weis ASHWOOD, OREGON The little weathered building with its comer-'' mounted double doors and fancy half-circle entrance porch gives little indication of its rowdy history. Called "McCallum’s Saloon," it was established in 1897, two years before the town was platted. Thirty years later it suffered the Insult of being placed penmangnf.iy on the wagon when the Baptists converted it to a church. Many of Ashwood’s buildings have been put to new uses. Others have drifted into decay or met destruction by fire. The countrjy store-gas station was once the hotel, with attached saloon. A house deeply buried among lofty trees was the town’s favorite eating house. The Ash Butte Grange Hall is unchanged and unused. Cows graze on the lawns and wander about the streets. An old deserted store has wire mesh fenc­ ing nailed to its porch posts to prevent damage by cattle. The road to Ashwood leads east from U. S. Highway 97 about two miles south of Willowdale. After fifteen miles of unmarked hairpin turns, the road enters the j^alley of Trout Creek, makes a left turn at the Baptist Church, and promptly becomes the main street of Ashwood. I was in town less than ten minutes when I was informed^"Mrs. Allison want^ to see you." -8- The invitation �N. Weis was Issued rather firmly by a soft-spoken but stoutly constructed man In miner’s clothes. With little delay, we adjourned to the two—story deeply shaded home of Mrs. Allison. The welcome was warm, and yet strange^4i^-\ "How are you? I saw you enter town two days ago." I expressed my puzzlement and she explained, "I see things — visions If you wish. I saw a tall man with dark—rimmed glasses entering town." The miner offered corroboration. Shortly, two other miners — the Mosley frothers — Joined us and formed a larger chorus of agreement. My comment that I put little faith In fortune-telling, was accepted calmly and I was treated to a recounting of past forecasts proven true, each accompanied by much head bobbing. The three miners and the clairvoyant had been hired to look Into an old mine In the area, and search out Its hidden deposits. It was to be a cinch. With the added power of vision. I asked why they hadn’t already located the vein, and was told that success would come soon. Word had come down from the other world to be patient. They were very Interesting and helpful people, and their coffee was great. One of the ^^^ley frothers suggested that I visit Horse Heaven, and^gave me a -9- �N. Weis description of the extensive remains there. This was great news, because it appeared to be a little-known site, and so far my efforts in Oregon had turned up only well“’documented ghost towns. rOn the heels of the suggestion that I visit Horse Heaven came the forecast "that’s where you are going early tomorrow morning." I asked the seer if she would trace my future route — It would save me a lot of map study. It seemed "the old people" hadn’t informed her of my plans more than one day in advance. My im­ pulse was to (immediately Mrive'|to Horse Heaven and prove her forecast wrong, but the light was right for pictures in Ashwood, and there was a local old-Xlmer I Wanted to visit. Eighty-five-year-old Aaron Hale lives in a long trailer pulled close 1'^ to one of Ashwood’s old stores. Besides Aaron and his wife, the trailer holds three cats and a Chihuahua. the lot. The dog is the smallest of He thinks he is a cat and gets along fine. All six evidenced a warm welcome, and soon Aaron was telling about old Ashwood. He remembered best the humorous events like the time the men at King Mine quit. "There were seventy men working shifts, living in a big boardIng'^ouse up there. -10- L �N. Weis Had a gal hired to run it and cook — she did for quite Tired of being unappreciated. a while — then quit. They hired two men to take over. oyster stew and crackers. For supper they served The next mornln’ they dished up hot cakes and syrup, and you could roll up the cakes like a cigarette, then throw ’ em — they’d open up and fly like a pigeon. The boys threw 'em all, then threw out the table — and then the chairs — and all walked to Ashwood to the cafe," Aaron pointed to a delapidated old building a few lots away, "The superintendent returned and found the mine shut down and the men in town. They would go back to work if he got a new cook — he did — two women. Really turned out the ore for a while I" Aaron had a friend named Tom Brown, who had his own claim, but had to work to earn dynamite money. "His claim lapsed as he was cornin’ close, and old Hubbard filed on it — Tom took him to court and got it back — turned out a good mine^too. ‘’Ashwood had its heydey," says Aaron. "There were three hundred people here in the nineties — and now there’s just four." He didn’t count the folks doing temporary exploratory work. "The Hamilton Hotel had ten rooms — and the town had its own paper, ^he Ashwood Prospector." He dug out an old copy dated”^^^ -11- �N. Weis May 4, 1901. Half of the front page was an ad asking people to come live in Ashwood. A Justice of the Peace announced in a box ad, "Careful attention given collections." Much of the paper was filled with ads from the nearby and larger town of Antelope. [Tn fact, the Ashwood Prospector was ’ printed in Antelop^ , IV O \ .& From the beginning. Ashwood had been over^ shadowed by Antelope. When mining activity began to slow down, shortly after I9OO, it was logical for those out of Soon stores were work to seek employment in Antelope. closing down for lack of business. A small flurry of mining raised hopes momentarily in 1925. During the thirties and forties, the town revived somewhat in response to mercury mining at Horse Heaven, twenty miles or so to the east. Things are quiet these days in Ashwood, are more cows in town than people. There It is a relaxing place to visit, and a restful place to camp. I overnighted by the old grange building in the center of town, and was awakened early by cattle rubbing vigorously against the tailgate of my truck. Soon I had breakfasted, and in accordance with the seer’s forecast, was on my way to Horse Heaven. -12- �N. Weis HORSE HEAVEN, OREGON Two old prospectors, Champion and Kenton, first located the fine particles of red cinnabar on the divide between Cherry Greek and Muddy Greek, The find developed into a major producer of mercury. That is the way one historical account dis­ posed of the story behind Horse Heaven, But the real story is fantastic, and perhaps never before told in its entirety. It was related to me by a tall, somewhat Z- .. -■ graying gentleman now prospecting at Horse Heaven, His name is Ray R, Whiting, Jr,, and he, more than any other man, knows -the total story — because he lived it, '?•. "Old Champ5ejFjira®: great- jst©specter could find it as if he could^^mell it. Always scratching though — like he had seven-year itchy and no bath. He used to take some of us kids along with him. One summer my buddy, Harry Hoy, and myself were out here camping and prospecting with our dads. Old Champion was along, and he was showing Harry and me the float of cinnabar that he had found earlier," We walked a few steps over to the scant shade of a juniper tree, Ray bent down and picked up a handful of whitish granules that covered the area. fhrfe. �N. Weis "This is the stuff. In fact it was right here that Champion panned some out to show us." Rather than Just talk about it, Ray got a pan and a plastic jug filled with water and proceeded to pan the sample. Quicklyy- the coarse chunks went over the rim of the pan. More water, and the finer granules were slopped over the edge. In moments| Ray had the original handful down to a small residue of deep red powder and black sand. "There — you see the red — that’s cinnabar — mercury sulfide — and it's mostly mercury. Champion had found the stuff earlier the same year — Well^old that was 1933 — but had given up on it because it was just float — stuff that washed in. Being on top of a divide, he figured it couldn’t be much and told us it was worthless. Like any other kids, we figured a big lode was nearby, so we got to looking around. Pound some outcrops that looked good, so we started digging." Ray pointed out the spot a few yards up the slope, "Spent most of the summer. and made a project out of it. sixty days. Brought supplies in Harry and I tunneled for That's sticking pretty good for a couple of higPischool kids, but we were beginning to lose our confidence. Eating lunch one day, we were sitting by -14- | > �N, Weis the tunnel, and I got to kicking at a rock — just messing around. That rock just flipped over. It was wet on the bottom and bright red I” We looked at some samples that Ray had nearby pink tracings went everywhere throughout the pale whitish rock. "Here — look see how it comes to life when you wet it." Ray poured some water on the rock, and each pink line became flaming red. "We started a new tunnel, and in a couple of days we were really in it — solid cinnabar, and slimy with beaded mercury. Our dads had us sit on the claim and we formed a company. Us kids got a third interest for maklng^t^e find. Later when ‘... ' K we sold out, Harry and I got eleven percent, and we were both rich." In a few years the new Crystal Syndicate had the mine in production. Heaven Mines, Inc. Later it was named the Horse In 1936 the Sun Oil Company bought the mine and operated it until 194-4. One hundred thousand tons of ore were removed from deep within the hill, leaving tunnels fourteen hundred feet long on ten different levels, the deepest over three hundred feet down. Four huge stopes, or caverns, were left where massive pockets of ore were removed. -15- �N. Weis A twenty-ton mill and reduction furnace turned out 15,000 flasks of mercury, each weighing seventy-six pounds, and valued at a total of seven million dollars at the old prices. The mill burned In 1946, and excent x for a spurt ln^ft^^ty-f©ury the [mining was finished. At Its peak the town had a population somewhat over a hundred. It had a post office, dozens of cabins, a few bunkjhouses, one cookhouse, a few office buildings, a schoolhouse with fifteen students, and uncounted numbers of rattlesnakes. The rattlesnakes are still there. Ray killed three the day before I arrived. No topographic maps are available for towns In the area, but Horse Heaven Is easily reached by driving the fifteen miles of good gravel road extending east of Ashwood. ■& I asked Ray what would a rich hlghjschool kid do with his money and his life back In 1933. ’’Well — I built a fancy restaurant In California It was a dandy — and lots of famous people used to come there. Made money^too. But somehow I let It all slip through my fingers. "Rags to riches to rags again," I volunteered. "No, more like tatters now. here to locate some new deposits. I'm on a project The government Is helping out, since the need for mercury Is critical." There was more to the story, and Ray led the way to a spot where we could look at a skyllned outcrop. "See that rock up there'? man’s head, doesn't It? Looks Just like a See the open mouth? That looks �N. Weis just like a dear old friend of mine, I was with him when he died, and he looked just like that rock. He had the same nose and chin." I agreed that the rock certainly looked like an old man’s final profile, "He told me before he died that he and a pal of his — way back in ’35 — had been kicking around just west of the old cook*^house. are standing now. That’s about where we They uncovered an outcrop of cinnabar that looked redder than the one I had found. They agreed to keep it a secret, maybe try and file on it later. They never did, and he wanted me to know about it. That’s why I am out here now. I intend to find, that outcrop," It has been over a year since I visited with Ray Whiting, Jr. By now he has either found the new lode or ended his search and turned Horse Heaven over to the rattlesnakes. -17- �ANTELOPE, OREGON Supplies were needed at Canyon City. been discovered. Gold had The nearest supply point was The Dalles, and a route between the two points was quickly established. In 1862 the Wheelers built a way station at a point sixty miles out of The Dalles. it VAntelope.X They named Soon Nathan Wallace built a store, then a smithy and stockade were added. Competitors built on a better site two miles north, and all of Antelope soon moved to "New Antelope." Immediately the Union House Hotel was con­ structed, Soon a large livery and dance hall named "Tamany" was built. There was no stockade at the new town, even though Indian threats continued, P, W. Sllvertooth, openrator of a saloon bearing his name, is said to have "saved the day" when the regular stage driver refused the run because of Indian danger. The stage operators were so happy to have Sllvertooth volunteer^ that they offered him generous payment. "Just name your price." "Well," answered Sllvertooth, "just give me some Saw Log and some Battle Axe," Armed with these two most popular brands of plug tobacco, the intrepid Sllvertooth whipped the teams up and dusted the stage out of town. -18- His plan was simple. �N. Weis Each time Indians were sighted, he stopped the stage, waved them in, and handed out presents. In spite of Indian problems, the town grew rapidly, and in 188?, according to H. C. Roper, "It was visible to the naked eye." By I896 there were one hundred seventy folk, three saloons, a bowling alley, and several churches. Two years later the town burned. Many residences and all but one building on ^nain street But Antelope was an important place, went up in smoke. and it quickly rebuilt, even larger than before. John Silvertooth, son of the one-time stage driver, is presently living in a shaded bungalow at the north edge of Antelope. John and his wife^ Laur^ remember what Antelope was like at the turn of the century. Laura began, "Why^yes, it was the main stop •tween The Dalles and Canyon City, and a big sheep shipping point. at one time. The population reached two thousand There were three hotels, three stores, a rooming house —" Then John chimed in. "Three, no,four saloons — Doyles, Macbeths, and Silvertooths, place. That was my father's Then there was one more — two smithies and a couple of red-light places. girls at the one place —* -19- There was a madam and two �N. Weis Laura helped out on the names, "Pearl and Flossy — Flossy was the fat one." John volunteered, "Pearl got sick — appendix. The doc operated in the drugstore. That Pearl, she was good-looking — red hair — real nice looking," Laura added, "They buried one of them in our cemetery. At first they were against it, but finally they decided to put her in a lonely corner, where she couldn’t do any harm," In 1900 the railroad,reached Shaniko, a small town eight miles north of Antelope, It became an im­ portant ralinhead and lured away most of Antelope’s major businesses and professional men. The population shrank, and most of the stores on mln street became vacant. Numerous fires ravaged the unoccupied buildings, A pitifully small portion of Antelope remains standing today. The old Methodist Church, a fraternal hall, Sllvertooth’s Saloon, and scattered residences offer evidence of Antelope’s more active moment in history. Just as Antelope had drawn heavily on Ashwood, so Shaniko subtracted the life from Antelope, But Shaniko was to prosper only briefly, then suffer in turn a similar fate. �N. Weis SHANIKO, OREGON Bankers in The Dalles decided that the riches from the large wool-growing area to the south could best be tapped by railroad. Galled the Columbia Southern Railroad, it branched off the main line at Biggs on the Columbia River, and in I9OO reached the site of the old Cross Hollows Stage Station and Post Office. The station had been operated from 1874 to 1877 by a German immigrant named August Scherneckau. The Indians trusted Herr Scherneckau in spite of the wide difference in backgrounds and the resulting communications problem. Neither could twist his tongue around the sounds favored by the other. August used the rolling r-r-r-r and broad gutt^al vowels of his homelandi The Indians returned each word with lighter vowels and evenly valued syllables. Thus Scherneckau became Shaniko, and Shaniko was the name chosen for the new post office established at the railhead. Quickly a "town of permanence" was built. larg<^ brick two-story hotel was raised. with heat available in every room. of the roof at close intervals’. A It was plush, Chimneys stand out The corner porch is broad, fully balustraded^ and supported by white-painted columns. -21- �N. Weis Across from the hotel a row of stores catered to the mixed trade, supplying the wants of sheepherders and ralH^oad men alike, A fancy two-story firehouse served also as^meeting place for the town council. A school was erected from funds donated, and taxes pa^d for an elaborate water system. Shaniko had grown up to be a fancy town, but it possessed some earthy problems. Somewhere in history, ’’'shepherd" became "sheepherder,’’ and much of the attendant respect fell away, Cow^men hated them, and mothers feared them. In defense of their daughters, the women of Shaniko tol­ erated an elaborsrte red-light district. Shaniko had thirteen establishments, mostly^^ndly^^ferred t^as "sporting houses," Less than a dozen yea3*is ago, the town was just a small deserted shipping point. Then a few news­ papers carried stories about the "quaint and quiet place." Tourists arrived in large numbers and left with amazing quantities of "artifacts." At first the people of Shaniko objected to such Invasion and were insulted to have their town classified as a ghost. But there was a new future for Shaniko now, a showplace for the local history, and a watering place for a new kind of sheep. The new variety was similar to the original. -22- �N. Weis varying mostly in eating habits, consuming much in the way of pop, hot dogs and Kodak film. Tattered but comfortable lounging sofas, and hard-backed benches line the side of the hotel where the porch offers shade and view. Old-timers, mostly retired sheepherders, make frequent use of these comforts. Each seems to have a favored spot from which he can eye passing tourists from under lowered brim, A notably ugly wooden Indian stands guanrd at the hotel door, viewing visitors with a like reserve. The schoolhouse at the north edge of town displays a unique architecture. Built in 1902, it is fronted by a tall ventilated octagonal tower, A flag^ pole ..extends from its upper portion at an angle a bit up from horizontal. The building is large and square, its roof slanting from all sides to a flat top. Traces of boardwalk still front the school 'and skirt the dusty street. The few children in Shaniko now travel by bus to the schools at Maupin, thirty-three blacktopped miles away, A few blocks west of the old school, a large rectangular structure dominates the sky. Resembling the base of some giant windmill, it woixld place in awe the bravest Don Quixote, Inspection shows it to be a deluxe large-capacity water tower. Water tanks occupy the upper levels, and pipes extend downward. -23- �N, Weis Below frostYine they branch in multiple directions. The school and the hotel both Indicate that Shaniko was once a much larger town than is evident today. But to justify the large water tower, one must mentally fill in the empty lots that extend for blocks in all directions, and replace the absent stores on the intersecting main streets. With a little imagination, one can hear the old eight wheeler whistling at the mile marker, and see the flock of sheep top the rise above town. -24- �N. Weis BOYD,. OREGON Fifteen Mile Greek carried water enough to power a mill, and wheat fields extended for miles in every direction. It was a proper place to build a grist-mill and granary, A little store half a mile north of the creek crossing had been built in I870, When the mill was constructed some thirty years later, the store suddenly found itself the center of a booming community. Homes were built, the store was enlarged, and a blacksmith moved in to set up shop. Stories vary as to the existence of a hotel in Boyd, Some claim there was just a boarding'~liouse, which has since burned down. Others claim the old house at the south edge of town was used as a hotel for a time. Half a nineteenth dozen fancy homes of the 19^ century have lasted well, A Under the shade of broad—branched trees they stand, badly in need of paint, yet proudly displaying sunburst—' patterned gablesy and stained-glass windows. Part of the original store remains^ and is presently in use as a storage shed, but the outstanding remains of Boyd are at the mill site, about a half mile to the south. The town and the mill are both easily reached via a good gravel road branching east about three and a half miles north of Du'fur, on U. S, Highway 197, -25- �N, Weis Boyd Is about one-half mile from the highway, and the mill is immediately south of town. The Dufur East minute topograph map shows the location of both sites. h At the mill site, waters of Fifteen Mlle Creek were diverted to a holding pond. Located above the mill, with a vertical drop of sixty feet, the water rushed downward through an eighteen-inch-diameter flume to make powerful contact with a large waterwheel, Cog-«i wheels increased the force by sacrificing speed, then delivered the power to a slowly revolving stone roller. As a boy might crush leaves by riding a bicycle in tight circles, the broad roller crushed grain against a stationary stone base. If some ground up rock was found in the flour, it merely lent a little bod^and character, say those who lament the present scarcity of stone-ground flour. Against the mill lean the remains of old farm implements, wagons^and cars. One ancient truck chassis is bodyless, but its wooden-spoked, solid-rubber-tired wheels still cap the front axle. ♦ Above the mill is an impressive three-story rock home. Occupied originally by the mill'~owner, it served a second important purpose. Customers were entertained while their wheat was ground. -26- Overnight �N. Weis stays were oommon. The home is occupied at present, and water that once powered the mill now sprays generously on lawn and garden. The reason the mill shut down and Boyd became deserted can only be speculated, -aMMr. Cer­ tainly a water^wheel-powered roller mill was technically behind the times shortly after the mill was constructed. Electricity was soon available andIn most mills, steel rollers replaced those of stone. Other mills could process grain for less, and consequently offer a better purchase price. And besides, with a gas-driven truck, what farmer would pass up a chance to haul his harvest to the big city, especially If the added return more than paid for a night on the town. �N. Weis OREGON AREA 3 3) •Thio Unit -Containo approximatoly-2700 wordsv PLACER, OREGON ^eo^le are intrigued by maps, especially large maps. My map of Oregon was about four by five feet, and when spread out on a cafe counter, it became an open invitation to comment. Before I could com­ pletely unfold the map, someone would generally Inquire as to where I had been and where I was going next. Hopefully, they would point out some little—" -1- p/a.ce^ �N. Weis known site that would turn out to be a ghost town worth visiting. That is just what happened at a small coffee shop In the central Oregon town of Prineville. The waitress asked, after lifting the corner of the map to find a place for my coffee, ’’Have you been to Golden? I was born there, and the last time I visited the town It still had a church, some stores, and a few homes. The whole place was deserted. Used to be a mining town.” pWe located the town on the map to find that it was just one of a number of towns, all of which had the earmarks of long desertion. Strung out in a line, north of Grants Pass in southwest Oregon, were Granite Hill, Forest Queen, Winona, Lucky Queen, Placer, Greenback, Golden, and Speaker. It developed that three of these towns had remnants worth observing and stories worth telling, but to find the three, I had to search out all eight. The Metsker map of Josephine County, and the U.S.G.S. 15 minute Glendale, Oregon, topographic iiiapZ^> are both of value| but of little help in finding a way off the new Interstate. Turn’'‘bffs, signs, new roads — nothing agrees with the old maps until you get a few miles away from the Interstate. -2- �N. Weis A dozen miles up Louse Creek, a triangular Intersection located the site of Forest Queen. a cabin or two remained. Only One cabin was occupied, and its owner was quick to agree that the town was essentially non/exlst^nt, and volunteered that nearby Granite Hill was the same. He was right. Granite Hill was but a flat spot occupied by a piece of road— building equipment. At Winona, a few miles north, the town'^lte had become the Shady Greek subfdlvision. Lucky Queen was merely a mine site, and little was left. The dirt road leading north toward Placer deteriorated quickly to mud_Jioles, then abruptly worsened. Boulders replaced the mud, and the grade became steep. In places, a four-mlle-per-hour crawl was too fast. An hour laterthe road leveled and broke into the open. about. A few deserted cabins were sprinkled The sun had set and it was rapidly darkening. A lighted window guided me to the home of Mr. and Mrs. Howard Coome. They were surprised at the circuitous route I had used to reach Placer, and I was surprised to learn that I was in Placer, The Goomes explained that the little town of Placer was across the creek that flowed along side their home, and that it was not -3- i^rrytn �N, Weis a "remote" community, but located on a blacktop highway, just four miles from the Sunny Valley Junction of Interstate 5. In answer to a multitude of questions, the Coomes informed me that the town was largely deserted, but that it was at one time a rather large community. They further stated that the town was now reduced to a half-dozen or so structures, but did have two out­ standing features: an old school and an old-timer. They thoroughly recommended a visit to both. The next morning I toured Placer, observing the few remaining structures along its two parallel streets, then drove a few miles west to talk with the old'-timer, George Arlington Klonus is elghty-flve years old, of German extraction, and sharper of mind and eye than most youngsters half his age, "Sure it was a big town — biggest in the county for s^hlle. Had three stores, them from *32 to *35. Not sure Just when the town started, but it wasway before 1900, up ’til *24, I ran one of Had a post office For a while it was mostly a place for Blind Pigs," I asked for an explanation, and George Arlington Klonus patiently explained, -4- "Speakeasies — �N, Weis you know — where the back door was always open — a few glrls^too. Sure sold a lot of home’^made whiskey. More than twenty stills were spread out along the creek. One old fellow used to put glycerine in his moonshine to make it smoother. Pound him one day — dead — sittin* in his rocking chalrl" Mr. Klonus was Clerk of the School District for a while — "up 'til the last family with kids moved out of town. That was three months after school started so the teacher just sat on the steps and collected pay," The lack of buildings in town puzzled me until George explained. "Most of them burned. afire, we thought, by just one guy. Set He was always stealing firewood — never cut his own, and always had plenty. Had a habit of knocking his pipe out — didn't even realize he was doing it. We know he burned down hisr own cabin and three others, maybe more." —----- There is an old covered bridge a mile west of George's home. The date of construction is somewhat vague, but it was one of the early bridges on the Applegate Trail. Rebuilt in 1925. It looks brand new. George recommended the bridge and the town of Golden ————--as being worthy of a visit, and espoially endorsed the old community of Greenback, just up the hill a ways. -5- �N. Weis "That Greenback was a fine place. The mine always had plenty of fellows wanting work there — good high-gradin’ — twenty-five dollars a day easy no trick at all to pocket a few of the best chunks —some of ’em near pure gold. No saloons there so they all came to Placer to spend It." Speaker, the last of the string of eight towns, was quickly evaluated by George Arlington Klonus as "underwhelming." I crossed It off my list. �N, Weis GRESMBAGK, OREGON The mineralized stretch of ground connecting Placer, Greenback, and Golden is thickly shot with mines. The Star, Gold Cup, Yellowhom, Jim Blaine, Martha, and even the Shot Mine, have punched deep holes in search of gold. Ed Hanham and his partner discovered one of the richest. Called the Greenback Mine, it proved rich enough to require its own mill. The heavy metal parts for a twenty-stamp mill were hauled three miles up the steep^winding road^ extending north from Placer. into twenty-fouh-hour When completed, it immediately went^itebft^^feiwjimoperation and required a crew of twenty men. Cabins were built to make work at the mill and mine more attractive Soon a company store was added. In 1902, Greenback became officially a town when a post office was authorized. It lasted only six years, but during that time many fortunes were made. "Everyone that worked there went away rich," stated one former resident. The owners finally stopped all but the most Ingen^tous hlgh'-graders by requiring miners to change clothes at the end of each shift. No liquor was permitted in the company town of Greenback, The road to Placer was well worn. �N. Weis Miners made frequent trips to relieve the Itch of money. Their horses knew the way and often returned to stand at the hitching rail In Greenback while drivers and passengers, unaware their destination had been reached, continued to sleep off the effects of their celebration. The road to Greenback Is In poor shape now. It Is best to walk the last mlley^ as there Is deep mud along the final stretch. Heavy grout foundations, an old log skid, and a few stamp lifters are at the burned over mill site. The stamp lifters, heavy double cams of cast metal, show the reason for their abandonment. Rectangular recesses, where locking keys once held them firmly to the driving axle, are worn to Ineffectual smoothness. The shrinking evolution of the mining effort since the rich veins petered out In the early 1900’s •^ilnotoon hundrodc can be pieced together by observing the age and size of the ore buckets scattered about the premises. A small ball mill has been erected next to the remains of the old mill. operations. It has also ceased Beside the mlllpa number of ore cars stand on rusty wheels. One car carries a comparatively fresh sign stating "Jos. Sourdoughs Co.," a name undeniably appropriate. -8- �N. Weis Adjacent to the newer mill are a few of the original mine shacks of Greenback. They are presently used for equipment storage and are securely locked. A lonely out3iouse stands a short distance from the storage sheds. A continuous stream, from an artesian well, is directed under considerable pressure against the out-^ house door, effectively prohibiting its use. The water then flows down the road from Greenback, transforming a dirt road to a tree~lined lane of mudj|L — two feet deep. Far-reaching, and better than a locked gate, it prevents easy access and precludes any possibility of heavy equipment being stolen. -9- �N. Weis GOLDEN, OREGON There was gold to be found in the gravel of Coyote Creek, but It was finely divided and thinly scattered. hand. A man could hardly make wages panning by The few miners sticking It out on Coyote Creek were- quick to Join the 1850 rush to the new find on the Salmon River. As the white man left, Chinese moved in to take over the deserted claims. Soon there were more than (5^ spread out along the length of Coyote Greek. It took only a few years to skim the cream of rich deposits at the Salmon find. Soon the thin deposits at Coyote Creek began to look good by compari­ son, especially in the light of new placering techniques. The Chinese were quickly run off and old claims were reoccupied. Hydraulic placering was soon tried and found profitable. The word spread and more miners came to stake claims. The community slowly grew as Coyote Greek continued to release its treasure. 150 There were more than one-jmndred fi#ty-people living along the creek in 1892. The time had come to organize. A "Campbellite" ^hurch was built that year. Soon a carriage house was opened for business. .''and a general ^tore In I896 the town was formally -10- �N. Weis recognized, and a post office opened under the name of "Golden. '* By all reason, they should have named the town "Ruble City," The first minister was William Ruble later replaced by his son, W. N. Ruble. Schuyler Ruble was the first postmaster, and S. C. Ruble was active in the local mining effort. He was the inventor of the Ruble elevator, a device designed to remove unwanted gravel from stream beds. general ^tore. S. C. Ruble also ran the S. C. Ruble and Schuyler Ruble may have been the same person. If so, he was obviously talented and busy. It must have been a red-letter day when stored keeper Ruble turned his duties over to a man named something other than Ruble, Columbus Bennett, The new storekeeper was Ruble was Bennett's uncle. Later, Harold McIntosh ran the store, but of course Bennett was McIntosh's uncle. Coyote Smith was appointed Justice of the Peace, and apparently was unrelated to the Rubles, Justice must remain aloof and untainted. The schoolhouse was in operation about a half mile down the creek to the west. On Sundays it served as a church, with the Reverend Mark David offi­ ciating. Sinners had little chance in Golden, -11- Two �N. Weis churches and no saloons. Perhaps that Is why neps lived strung out down the valley. Golden today consists of a church, carriage house, the old store, several old homes, and numerous shacks scattered along the stream bed. It is easily reached, just four miles east of Wolf Creek on the Coyote Creek Road. Mr. and Mrs. Orville Cornwell own much of the ghost town now, and are living in one old residence while they properly recondition another. Their future home is a handsome one and nicely intact where it was protected by a metal roof. an open-air motif, Elsewhere it has more of I stepped through a large opening in the rear porch and was immediately met by two squirrels moving at high speed and headed for the nearest tree, I stepped through a doorway into the old living room. There, to the right, was an old stove resting on a metal floor protector. Standing upon the broad metal sheet was a third squirrel. He reacted quickly, his hind legs moving faster than the smooth surfaces could accommodate. His speed built up slowly, and he headed toward the door, making a smooth turn to miss my feet. As he approached, his rear legs were beginning to slide toward the outside of his turn, but he continued without deceleration, and passed me going �N. Weis broadside, his rear "wheels" still spinning, his head turned sharply in the direction of the skid. His rear end was slightly ahead as he passed through the door. Then with a wobble of over-«correction, he reached top speed and lined away for the nearest tree. The Golden Community Church is a classic, ranking with those in Richmond, Oregon, and Atlantic City, Wyoming. shape. Rebuilt in 1950, it is in excellent The bell is still in its tower, but only because of a watchful neighbor. Not long ago, when the town appeared deserted, a man drove quietly into town, parked his pickup close beside the churchj.and unloaded an extension ladder. The Interloper proceeded to climb to the belfry, carrying a block and tackle slung across his shoulder. Unaware that he was observed, he loosened the ventilating boards, BONGI The bell rang. It rang so loud that the sound of shot and ricochet was hardly detectable. But the would-be thief knew he was in trouble. Either the hand of God was poised to strike again, or someone was shooting in his direction. He left town with little dignity and much alacrity. Eighty—year-old Harold McIntosh, one-time operator of the general s/tore,*^and long-time resident -13- �N. Weis of Golden, lives a quarter mile northeast of town In Rohlnson s Gulch, alongside one of the finest strawberry patches In Oregon, He Is a willful, honest man. He may fracture a word here and there, but the meaning Is always clear, I Introduced myself, and asked, "Harold McIntosh, I believe?" With just the faintest twinkle In his eye, he replied, "Well ,,,,mostly," We talked strawberries and weather for a while, then got down to serious history, Harold McIntosh mined Robinson Gulch with his own Giants (hydraulic gunspouring out a mighty stream. "We Three men helped him with the operation, got some gold — but It wasn’t so good. Not as good as Coyote Creek — they took out millions there. Used to get seventeen dollars an ounce — In 1933 It went up to thirty-five dollars. The gold was nine hundred fine," I asked If It was true that Golden had no saloon, "Never had a saloon, but they all dralnk sort of ’no whiskey - no mining,’ Never saw anyone drunk, though," Business was good when Harold ran the store, "Had to build on a lean—to — needed more room. That was about the time they were tearing down some of the houses to get the gold beneath them," -14- He paused, then �N, Weis grinned and went on. store. "Used to hold dances at the Church wouldn’t allow it. I finally gave up and built a dance hall down at Wolf Creek. Had real good times there, but church folk still gave me trouble. Used to parade around the dance hall prayin’ away the devil — was fanatakism — pure fanataklsm." � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Norman Weis Manuscripts Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1971-1987 Description An account of the resource A collection of manuscripts by Casper College professor Norman Weis. <br /><br />This collection includes manuscripts of:<br /><em>Ghost Towns of the Northwest: Known and Unknown<br />The Starduster<br />Two-Story Outhouse<br />Helldorados<br /></em><br />Each manuscript contains written in edits by Norman Weis Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Norman Weis Language A language of the resource ENG Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Norm Weiss Manuscripts and Photographs, CCA 10.2003.01 WyCaC US. Casper College Archives and Special Collections. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Searchable PDF Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CCA 10.2003.01_Weis_Manuscripts Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Manuscript Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource <em>Ghost Towns of the Northwest: Known and </em><em>Unknown </em>Oregon&nbsp;Draft Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <div class="element-text five columns omega"> <p><a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a></p> </div> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1971 Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Norman Weis Language A language of the resource ENG Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Norm Weiss Manuscripts and Photographs, CCA 10.2003.01 WyCaC US. Casper College Archives and Special Collections. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CCA 10.2003.01_Weis_GhostTowns_DraftManuscript_Oregon Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Searchable PDF https://caspercollege.cvlcollections.org/files/original/dfcf470f46019a5bcc1e98ee933f4149.pdf df3621d93fef578d4f8bc20e8b63e315 PDF Text Text Part II •I’;' ■■ -.■'jf-.■...■■> �N. Weis WASHINGTON AREA 1 t a T y J O 0 0 - WO 1^. S LIBERTY, WASHINGTON 11 ’~The sun disappeared behind Teenaway Ridge on my left. curves. Highway 97 continued to climb in broad Horizons lowered as altitude was gained The sun reappeared frequently, offering brief post/ ponements to the day’s end. The road leveled and the sun set for good as I pulled into Liberty Guard Station, fifteen miles northeast of Cle Elum in -1- �N. Weis central Washington. A brief look at the topographic maps showed that I had passed the Liberty turn'^ff a quarter of a mile back. Liberty is located at the joining edges of the Liberty and Thorp, Washington^l5 minute maps and the maps have to be matched to make out the route. I reached the turn'"' Retracing my off and headed east up Williams Creek, occasional glimpses of quiet pools. enjoying Windrowed gravel banks Indicated the area had been placered heavily. The last traces were the obvious result of a dredging operation. A short two miles from the highway, the road crossed Lion Creek, angled slightly right, and suddenly became the main street of Liberty. A sign on the left read "For Sale, Claims, Cabins." of the street, Mining There were old cabins on both sides and just visible across the valley was a string of mining shacks. My maps indicated that two tunnels and three shafts were to be found near the mine shacks. of town. The road divided at the upper end The right fork dead-ended in a quiet clear­ ing, and I made camp for the night. Making camp was simply a matter of jockeying the truck about until two spirit levels were satisfied. mounted at right angles. The levels are One indicates fore and aft -2- �N. slant — the other shows my "roll attitude." to do a bit of reading, Weis I planned so this night I parked with a quarter bubble on the left of the level to raise the head of the bed. It was a peaceful spot. The waters of tiny Boulder Greek rushed by a few feet away. It was quite a relief to be camped by a genuine ghost town, after suffering through three days of high expectations and dashed hopes. Reviewing my notes, appointments In a row. I counted seven dis­ First there was Maryhill, south-central Washington. Once a going town. In It had degenerated Into an orchard and truck farm. An old store stood alone among young fruit trees. Part of two old ferries were at the banks of the Columbia River, put to disuse by a new highway bridge. On the hill above town, a replica of England's Stonehenge seemed strangely out of place. A few miles away, the Maryhill Museum overlooked the Columbia from a lofty perch on the north bank. of Interest, Inside were many Items mostly art objects and European royal family relics. It was a fascinating museum, but not a single Item pertained to the old town of Maryhill. Both the Stonehenge memorial and the museum were -3- �N. Weis built by Samuel Hill, a famous pioneer in road building. I speculated as I drove away that many visitors to the two sites must have departed with the same thought: "What in Sam Hill?" Thorp, one hundred miles north, next on the list. shrunk, town. had been Bypassed by the highway, it had but was still too lively to be called a ghost The old water—powered flour mill at the north end of town was fascinating. swimming in the mill pond, Complete with kids it was a sight guaranteed to transport the beholder to the time of his childhood. I would have joined them had I packed a swimTsuit. One of^the youngsbers offered the loan of his! To the north, Greek, Lester, investigation, town. the towns of Easton, Cabin Ronald and Cle Elum all warranted but failed to fit the category of ghost With mild irritation I recalled my troubles with a loud and perslsV^nt cafe operator who ranted so continuously that no one could mount a response. He badgered me to buy something or he "wouldn’t answer a damn question!" I ordered coffee, handed it back to him with the paid for it, s u ggestion that he drink it, and treat the customers to a few seconds of blissful quiet. then �N. Weis And that reminded me of the quiet that permeated my campsite at Liberty. I was again relaxed, anxious only for the next day to arrive. The morning was cool, and the skies were clear overhead. A few puffy clouds were climbing over the hills to the west. The conditions were ideal for photographing the old mine shacks that extended down the south side of the valley. The first cabin was securely locked with a hasp of unique construction. A large saw blade, hinged at one end, entire width of the door. spanned the A square hole, burned through with a cutting torch, obviously allowed a U-bolt to be exposed far enough for a gigantic padlock to pass through its eye, A long rear marked the beginning of a tunnel. shed at the The shoring was rotted and collapsing, A bit fjlrther west was a smaller shack with a vertical mine shaft located in its center. There was barely room to stand inside between the walls and the shaft. A shaky rotted ladder extended downward beyond view. There was no hoisting wheel mounted above the shaft, and no evidence of one ever having been installed. Perhaps the old shaft was used merely as an inside cooler for food storage. A horizontal tunnel penetrated the hill a few yards from the shack. �N. Weis An eighth of a mile downstream was a small building with lots of character. Some of its wid® roof boards had warped to near rain-gutter proportions. A ramshackle rear stoop was on its last legs. door was battened shut, but part of the south wall I poked my head inside, was missing. The and after a moment getting used to the dim light, I made out a wooden floor and some old furniture. One step inside was enough. With a hollow groan, the floor sagged like a trampoline. I could make out a large trap'^ door in the center. Another shaft,no doubt. a rock onto the trap~}ioor. I tossed The punky empty sound demonstrated that further exploration would be fool^ hardy. The solid earth outside felt reassuring. Behind this cabin were a number of shafts nearly hidden by heavy brush. Some were covered with three— inch-diameter poles too rotted to support one’s weight. Their partial collapse indicated that some ipnwary creature had broken through. attest^to The numerous shafts and tunnels indicated A a considerable hard*rock mining effort, a vain effort, but it was for most of the gold taken in the area was placered from Williams Greek, -6- �N. Weis In 1867, Benton Goodwin, the first sizeable gold deposit. a deaf-mute, found He uncovered a two-r-^ dollar nugget at the junction of Swauk and Williams ireek*^ when he kicked over some rocks to make it ' a''/, easier to gather cooking water. Greatly excited, he put the nugget in his mouthy and ran squawking back to campj Members of the party panned gold furiously all summer. Some pans ran to one thousand dollars, and a good gravel bar yielded up to six hundred dollars per day. Inevitably, word leaked out, and miners poured in. The first community established was called Meaghersville, and was located at the site of the original discovery. As gold was panned out and the hot activity moved up^ream, convenience. camps were moved for The town migrated two miles up Williams Creek to its present position. the slacked, and^Chlnese moved in. By 1884 the boom had A few years later, white miners held mass meetings and demanded the Chinese leave. It had been determined that hydraulic operations would pay off, and deserted claims were again valuable. Scott Darling opened a store in I892, "everything you could want - Miners supplies, -7- selling fishbait. �N. Weis A post office was gum boots, and bug juice." established and the town was officially designated "Liberty." Liberty was^X^w^^ij^ deserted in 189? when the Yukon ^trlke lured most miners away. dredge was brought In from Sumpter, activities boomed again. Some wire gold in but the big lode was never tapped. During the depression, to a few hard-up miners moved in "pan wages," but pockets miss were rare. Oregon, and Hard rockers s^nk shafts in search of the mother lode. quartz was found, In 1925 a by the dredges Slowly, Liberty became deserted. Scattered throughout town are relics typical of the various booms that Liberty enjoyed. The oldest are probably the log structures that dot both sides the o:^maln street for nearly a quarter mile. A number of the cabins were used for a time as places of business. and repair. disrepair. On some, Many show signs of loving care the repairs are falling in Sheets of metal roofing placed over scant shingles are loose and floppy. Thick butt shakes have been tacked over the metal and now they are falling away. -8- �N. Weis A water-|whe el-powered rotary goldiwasher rests Intact at the east edge of town. A small ditch still carries a minimal flow of water to the wooden trough that in turn feeds the water to the upper portion of the wooden wheel. The wheel stands about twelve or fourteen feet high and is equipped with perhaps four dozen slanted boards that catch the flow of water. An iron axle transports the power to a series of belts and chains which result in not only turning the drum, but in powering a small endless belt. The belt lifts the gold-*-bearing gravel from the bln to the mouth of the drum, where it is treated with water and agitated. Unwanted gravel flows out the far end of the drum like concrete from an over'^ull ready-mix truck. Periodically the drum is scoured and the gold concentrate is panned out by hand. At the west end of town there is another gold washer. Built to more modern specifications, operates on the same principle, Diesel engine, it but is powered by a and appears to have a capacity hundreds of times that of its counterpart across town. It was in Liberty that the "Incident of the rock" supposedly occurred. repeated, A favorite story, and often it has a number of variations’*"^] .j. i. The -9- �N, grizzled old prospector, Weis tired after ten hard hours spent on the blister end of a pick, was contentedlyeating his home-cooked supper. A two-ton rock came flying through the happenedI roof, smashed the table flat, and drove It, and all, stew, That's when It clear through the floor. boiling mad, but unhurt, supper Spattered with the old gentleman sat then he rose, swiped the stew from his face^and ystalked outside. He planted his feet there a moment, wide and firm. canyon, With a voice heard for miles down the he bellowed^ <tv^'A11 right, dammlt‘^~^who threw It?" -10- �N. Weis BLEWETT, WASHINGTON There are a number of historical accounts I read two of them concerning the town of Blewett. and found little agreement. A third account sided with neither of the first two, hence the vague nature chosen because they were of the following few items, consistent in some small measure. Gold in quartz or nugget form was found by a soldier, perhaps a captain, in 185^ or (^5. The The area was noted either town started about 1861. for its small nuggets found only near bedrock, or its thousand-dollar nugg^gfB^ found nearly everywhere. About 187^, nearby Culver Gulch. gold in quartz was found in The veins ran narrow and rich, or up to eight feet wide. In 1880, the action slowed and the town died — or — the place was a boomer until 1890, when the rush was in full swing! A twenty-stamp mill was built in 1879 by the Chelan Mining Co. For a while it turned out ten thousand gold bricks a week. Some of the facts are obviously "Chamber of Commerce." Like the ten thousand bricks a week. Any gold brick worth its name weighs at least thirty pounds and was worth, in 1890, about ten thousand dollars. Now ten thousand bricks a week adds up to one hundred iaillion dollars in gold per week — far more than the -11- �N. Weis area’s lifetime production. Blewett’s past is hidden behind a disastrous fire, and the destruction of most of the surviving buildings by construction of a highway through town. Later the highway was made wider, and Blewett’s visible trace of history became even narrower. About all one can be sure of in Blewett/ is that the site is located twenty-one miles north of Liberty, and if you don’t look clos^ you will miss it. Four buildings remain on the north side of the road, two of them original structures of Blewett. One is said to have been a shoemaker’s establishment, the other a wood shed. Across the highway are two structures of more obvious background. One, an old stamp mill, shows that four bays of stamps were once in action. A bay of stamps was traditionally five stamps. Near the mill is the old smithy, with a few items of original gear still within. What makes a visit to Blewett worthwhile is the marvelous old stone arrastra. ore crusher, built in 1861 or 18?^, been water*^ower driven. This drag^stone is said to have The explanation seems likely, since it is located adjacent to Peshastln Creek. -12- Much �N, Weis of the ore from the earlier shafts and tunnels was processed here for a percentage of the gold retrieved. Dozens of prospect holes and horizontal tunnels can be found within a mile or so of Blewett. According to the Liberty, topographic map, Washington, 15 minute more than a dozen tunnels are located in Culver Gulch immediately behind the old mill. -13- �N, Weis DISAUTEL, WASHINGTON Disautel stands alone, far removed from the other ghost towns visited in the state of Washington. It is not shown on the area map at the beginning of the chapter, but may be located on the Disautel, Washington, 15 minute topographic map. gravel road 155 heads in north-central Washington, east. In fifteen miles, the right (south), From Omak, a lesser road branches to crosses Omak Creek, and Immediately branches into the various streets of Disautel. To the left is a huge garage, a number of residences, and beyond are one of them occupied. The road to the right leads past a row of look-alike homes, by then windsa number of residences of mixed vintage. On the hill is a strange-looking structure. It appears to be a small store with a gabled false front complete with a pointless window that opens to^e air in both directions. Louis Whlstocken^who lives in town, was happy to talk about the history of Disautel, and to discuss the nature of its remnants. The funny structure on the hill was not a store, but the rear wall and wash house of a home that had been partially dismantled. The large building in the center of town was once a barn for logging teams, then a garage for logging trucks. Louis explained^ �N. Weis that the trucks put many of the loggers out of work. A railroad once carried logs from Disautel to the sawmill at Omak. When the area was logged out, the j^lghway department used the garage for housing road . . Highway Department Later, when the Statfee moved A Only two families remained. . maintaining equipment. out, the town died. Louis Whistocken is a handsome man of Indian ancestry. His last name was his dad’s first name, and meant "walk on the arm." in spite of his name, was a very add that his father, wel]»educated man. Louis hastened to Louis* main interest was rodeo, until he got bent up. "Busted my knees a few times had three specialties, steer ropin’, bull doggin’ and saddle bronc. Used to win my share of prize money even after my knees gave out." On the way out of town I came upon two more bronc busters. The meeting was a near collision. It looked like I would head them off at the bridge^ but at the last moment^ the two young riders veered their mounts sharply and headed for the stream. speed, At full they flew over the backs of their ponies and splashed heavily in the water. Shortly, they both emerged, laughing — each hanging on to his pony’s tail, enjoying a tall drag onto dry land. they galloped off, Remounted, then turned and headed back to $ �N. Weis repeat their performance. stepped out, I stopped the truck and camera In hand. The encore was out­ The third go-round was even better, and standing, the fourth performance rated a cold bottle of pop all around. We sat on the tailgate of my truck and talked, Dave was twelve and Leon was fourteen. were brothers, sharing the last name of St. They Peter. Their father had been killed riding saddle bronc at a rodeo a few years back. In spite of this, the two boys both plan to become championship rodeo hands, Dave pointed out the old Brooks residence just across the creek. It was aroundLeon chimed in, "the ghostiest place "We stayed over there once — clear after it got dark — scared us — it sure is haunted!• I looked back as I drove away, I could see the two of them shaking up the last of their pop • then thumbing the stream of foam carefully against their tongues t, .-ryand each other. �N. Weis ’’The wooded slopes and fractured ridges that make up the Okanogan Highlands in north-central Wash­ Here ington constitute a ghost town hunter’s paradise. within a few miles of the Canadian bo3?der, are the remains of four ghost towns. Born of a short-lived mining boom, they maintained a shaky existence through 1900’s ' the early hundroda as agricultural communities A -1- Le/afJi �N. Weis The last to die was Molson, correctly, the three Molsons. or more The story is unbelievable, but thoroughly documented, John Molson, promoter, investor, and George Meacham, decided to combine their respective funds and talents to create a town. Molson, the man with the money, had large sums invested in the Poland China Gold Mine. The mine was located high on the North Pork of Mary Ann Creek, just two milesof the Canadian border, and not considered a fit site for the town. A flat area four miles west of the mine was selected, and the town laid out. Named for Molson, but never graced by his presence, the town grew from nothing in 1900 to a population of three hundred in one year. Then the town nearly died when Meacham, the promoter, had a bad hassle with the new town fathers and left for Texas, In the first year^ the promoters had invested seventy-five thousand dollars. A drug'^store was built, and a dentist and a lawyer set up practice. The Molson Magnate was to have printed up the first paper. Perhaps a few issues were run off the presses, but no one recalls ever having seen a copy, -2- �N. Weis The ornate three-story Tonasket Hotel was the big drawing card. It had a full-glass front, and a wrap-around second-story ballustrade. More than sixty full-height windows gave the three_story structure an impressive appearance. The two outboard windows on the false front were strictly decoration. They smacked of empty promotion, as did brochures showing steamboats coming up Baker River to dock near the hotel. Baker Creek was in reality the seepage of a few springs a mile to the south. Ore deposits at the Poland China were thinning, and Molson suffered. to be doomed. In 1904-, W. W. For several years the town seemed Then a trickle of homesteaders appeared. Parry built a store and grain warehouse. Rumors of a railroad were widely spread in 1905, and a new j/ercantile went into business. crews did, in fact, The railroad builjK the tracks right past town. Eight saloons grew from the ground overnight "like mushrooms," and a deputy was hired. The town was booming and lots were selling at a premium. J. H. McDonald filed his homestead. Then No one had bothered about land ownership, and Old McDonald had a farm of considerable wealth after he planted the corners of his legally allotted one hundred sixty A acres. His quarter section of land Included forty acres of Molson, Hotel Tonasket included I -3- Molson, Washington �N. Weis Legal notices to vacate were posted, and lawsuits led to countersuits. Storekeeper Parry considered the situation hopeless, mercantile half a mile north. and built a new Sev/Cal businesses followed, and a new residential area was created. Lots in the new Molson had the advantage of uncontested ownership. By 1906, New Molson and Old Molson were of equal size and temperament. Arguments never stopped, and fislfYights were common occur^nces. A gun fight was threatened once when a resident named Sutherland complained of his neighbor's pigs trespassing on his property. Sutherland met his adversary in the middle of Main - .45«s. Street, with two loaded^forty-^ives-. He offered one A to his opponent, but was refused. The fight was a failure, but the pig problem was permanently resolved. By 1908, of Molson. a bank. McDonald had fenced in the old town That year, Mr. L. L. Work decided to build He chose Old Molson, but could not gain legal ownership of a suitable plot of ground, so the bank was built on skids in the middle of Main Street. It opened for business a different place each morning. Finally a lot was designated and the bank was ceremoniously planted. Procedures were temporarily -4- �N. Weis 1nterupted when the participants paused to watch, then take part in one of the better street fights in Molson’s history. ( Miraculously, in 1914 the two enemy camps combined efforts "for the good of our kids," and built a three-story brick schoolhouse. It had a gymnasium in the basement, and steam heat in every room, but the two outhouses were still placed out back as a sanitary measure. Built precisely half way between the two towns, the school became the nucleus of a third town. Those tired of fighting in the name of town pride were quick to build homes and places of business in "Center Molson." Potter built a mercantile, and Dunn built a fancy theater. Addition of a barbershop and pool hall made the new "town" the entertainment spa of the surrounding territory. The two extremes of Molson continued to fight. one. If one had a new dance hall, the other built When an auto dealer began to sell /Oakland^ in Old Molson, a dealership was quickly established in New Molson selling ^Maxwells.'* Proud owners drove to Center Molson to compare notes. the post office, Old Molson had so New Molson opmpaigned to have one -5- �N. Weis of their citizens elected postmaster. They succeeded in 1920, but Old Molson citizens wouldn’t give up the post office. When the old postmaster went to lunch, a few New Molsonites stole the works and moved it to "its rightful location," The fights and arguments continued into the twenties, but they were largely academic, since all three towi^ were shrinking due to Improved trans­ portation and removal of the railroad. happens when business fails, As often the hotels and stores A few of the stores struggled burned down one by one. on for a number‘of years. One of them lasted until 1955. The railroad tracks have been removed, but access to the various Molsons is still easy. The road east from Oroville is a good blacktopped secondary. Fifteen miles out, a gravel road branches to the left. About six miles north on this road stand the remains of* the three Molsons, The^^t^ Bonaparte, Washington, 15 minute map shows the layout of the Molsons as well as Ghesaw, Bolster, and Havlllah. Now, in 1970, all of the stores in the three Molsons are closed and the school is deserted. Only a handful of people are left to carry on the fight, and they seem to be uninterested. -6- �N. Weis At old Molson, three buildings have been Among them is the old bank building. preserved. Fully equipped with memorabilia of the times, it is an excellent museum of the early I9OO agricultural era. Surrounding the old bank is a multitude of ancient farm machinery. powered tractors, steam—-'" and *—> reapers, cultivators# A f Horse powered saws, threshers, are there. At New Molson, or just plain Molson, a T-shaped intersection is lined with nearly a dozen Outstanding are the Pratt substantial buildings. and Chamberlin two---story rock or concrete structures that were built in 1913. On the corner is the G, L. Diamond S^^re with a sign in front stating "For Sale, Inquire wihln or ...."and that is all. Fire Axs destroyed part of the interior, but much of the < AL*'*------ - 1/ counterwork and some scattered merchandise ts- still inside. Next to the Diamond Store is a wood and metal building that is still full of old hardware. Nails, rusty bolts, bent gutter work and other worthless items are strewn all about. the front reads The sign on "McCoys Cash Store — Meats and Groceries ," -7- ar �N. Weis A hundred yards south of the Diamond Store is the quaint old broad-porched headquarters build­ ing of the Eastern Okanagan Telephone Company. Its picturesque multl-paned front ^Indow and pompous false front make it the classic structure of Molson, Center Molson has the school and grange hall. The school has a T^Vj antenna on its roof, and cord after cord of weathered firewood stacked at its foundation. The basketball court is still in the school basement. It isn’t hard to Imagine a game in progress. Bitter enemies must have gathered here to sit in close proximity. Perhaps they even joined together momentarily to give three cheers for the Molson basketball team. -8- aJ th. �N. Weis GHSSAW, WASHINGTON Ten miles east of the Molson Jiinction, the banks of Meyers Greek, on stands the town of Chesaw. Once the prime rival of the Molsons, It has been reduced by time and fire to a precious few buildings, A country store continues in operation and a dozen or so people live nearby. July, Once a year, on the Fourth of up to six thousand people flock to the famous Chesaw Fair and Hodeo, and Chesaw looks like its old self again --but on this quiet summer day, only one car was parked on Main Street, Beyond the little general store is a small log structure that has been converted to a double­ In 1900, doored garage. "Home Millinery" shop. this was Minnie Carpenter’s In its display windows the latest feathered fashions were changed as rapidly as styles required. There were several other hat shops, among them "Mrs, Commodore Johnson's Millinery Shop," where the tastes of the younger generation were counted North of Minnie’s Millinery is the false- fronted Townsite Building, Once there was a bold sign along its flank reading "TOWNSITE OFFICE" indi­ cating it was a real^estate office, perhaps both. or town halli Between the Townsite Building and -9- �N. Weis Minnie’s is the largest remaining building in Chesaw, It has been used for a number of purposes, best remembered as the Chesaw Bank. but is Later it was the town’s post office, and more recently it has served as a residence. One of the first mining services offered in Chesaw was that of assayer, J. P. Blaine. His small smelter and laboratory building stands on the right side of the street at the extreme north end of town. The hipped-roofj^square-log structure is plumb and sound of wall, but its shingles are blowing away in batches, and the lean-to shed behind is in Ou shambles. The tree that stands behind matches the ' building, With sturdy trunk topped with broken limbs and dead branches, A quarter mile north of town are the squat remains of a two—story log and frame house. beautiful home, Once a it now presents a study in angularity. The left gable leans out. The ridge'^ole has broken and permitted the roof to drop at the center. One comer has sunk and carried one side of the entry cubic^ with it, creating another set of distortions from the vertical, Chesaw was named after ”Chee-Saw," an early Chinese settler who took an Indian wife and settled JL 0 *** �N. Weis near a commonly traveled ford on Meyers Greek. In the 1800*s visitors to Ghee-Saw’s Ford spotted some traces of gold in the creek. Word of the gold spread, but since the area was in the Golvllle Indian Reser­ vation, no prospecting was allowed. In I896, with morals adjusted to fit the pocketbook, the white man opened half the /i^eservation to mineral claims. Promptly, a»ory good pasturesand fieldswere taken by whites^ as placer claims. The town"~site of Ghesaw was laid out on land obtained by filing a half-dozen Some honest mineral claims false claims side by side. t were made, however, on outcrops that looked promising. Iron and copper were the first ores taken in hard-'^ rock operations, the Ast er, Gonslderable iron has come from '’^Polaris, and the /Roosevelt placer^old was "spotty," The One claim might yield eighty dollars a pan, and twenty feet away another claim would be worthless. The ^Gold Axe*- on Buckhorn Mountain was the first to produce gold from hard rock. Eventually high-grade ore was produced in quantity, and mills were built at the north edge of Ghesaw and at a road junction about three miles to the south. By 1900 Ghesaw was a sizeable log community of two hundred population. -11- It grew rapidly into a �N. Weis full-blown town with two three-story frame hotels, and a population (on a Saturday night, and counting dogs) ahe-— that neared the/^thousand mark. Josh Clary's saloon In town. "Greenwood" was the busiest Fred Fine’s paper, //he Meyers Creek Ne^,\ aligned Itself solidly with the editorial policies of the Republican ^arty, and printed a little news on the side. The-Barker Hotel burned in I906, and @years lateri three more of the town's larger buildings were destroyed. * y^burned^ Mining operations were dropping off as lodes were depleted. The Greenwood Saloon was sold and converted toca church. roof, A steeple was tacked’on the extending only slightly above the saloon's false front. In the twenties, the automobile led people to the bigger towns, and Chesaw declined at an increasing rate. Many buildings were scavenged, Pires racked the town in I950 and again in 1959. But the population of Chesaw is now increasing. Recently a couple bought the old eight-"^ sided silo behind the general store. Stained a dark brown and fitted with a spiral staircase and handsome front door, it makes a proper summer home. p. -12- �N, Weis BOLSTER, WASHINGTON D. Drill» G. Jenkins was the editor of the Bolster Generally outspoken, he was particularly acidic as he wrote his last editorial. He had learned why so few subscriptions had been bought. the paper. Most borrowed Some even split the cost and passed the paper around. Editor Jenkins wrote» To those upon whose backs a fungus growth sere and yellow is clinging , Those who for the past year have borrowed the paper.j .j.which wasn’t no good no how, I offer my sympathy!" He closed his office and departed town. Bolster, just two miles north of Chesaw, once threateened to outshine its southern rival. one year, For each called the other a "suburb," It was in 1899 that J. S. the Commonwealth Placer Claim, McBride bought up paced off a main street, named the place "Bolster," and proceeded to sell lots. The Hamilton Store was already there, and soon a corner of the store was designated as post office, with the storekeeper as postmaster. stores sprang into action, up. Within a year, two more and three saloons opened Thirty homes were built, and Editor Jenkins started up the paper with high hopes of success. -13“ �N. A three-story hotel, parts, Weis the mark of success In these was constructed, hut never quite finished,' Bolster collapsed! It seemed to follow the mining trend closer than Ghesaw, and perhaps the loss of Its newspaper had some effect. The town’s people drifted to Ghesaw and Molson, School opened for one post office closed In 1909. year In I9IO, then closed. The By 1916 the only citizens left were seven bachelor prospectors, and they finally left or died. The remains are sparse, A large false-X^ fronted saloon stands at the edge of a cultivated field, Its three bay windows are vacant, A false front extends half heartedly toward the ridge-pole, and part of It Is blown away. The north wall sags and will soon fall,and will probably take the rest "^with it, of the building alon^ similar structure, Just beyond the saloon Is a but without a false front. may have been a store, It but has been used as a bam ! SO long that all signs of human occupancy are gone. Half a dozen cabins are scattered about, last used^ perhaps^by the seven lonely prospectors. There isn’t much left to see or explore at Bolster, The few old buildings seem sad and dejected. -1^- �N. Weis Only one man could look upon this lonely scene with any measure of satisfaction. Jenkins, -15- That man would be Editor �HAVILLAH, WASHINGTON Martin Schweikert built a grist^^ In 1903, mill and store near the junction of Antoine Greek and Mill Greek, at a point three miles west and ten miles southwest by road from Ghesaw, good; and in a few years Mr. Schweikert, first postmaster, mill. Business was the town’s built a larger steam,powered flour The boiler and other parts were railroaded into Molson, and then freighted sixteen miles to Havillah by oxen. constructed, Grain storage buildings were and soon fine white flour was flowing from the mill. Packed in carefully weighed sacks, it sold far and wide under the trade name of "Gold Sheaf." Soon a log school was built, ydhurch constructed. Havillah, and a Lutheran pronouned "HaVEBlah," —— — was rapidly approaching its maximum size. In 1917 a handsome new tall-splred church was built. A deep ravine cuts across in front of the church, requiring access via a wooden foot bridge. Although the bridge is In doubtful repair, and the church looks somewhat tattered at the windows, sign out front proclaims weekly services led by Reverend Wlnterstein. -16- the �N. Weis The little log schoolhouse has become an Y-«si out building for one of the remaining Stoutly resisting decay, with windows boarded over, it is hung all about with the wire, ladders, cables, chains and the miscellaneous parts that farmers always save. When the Schweikert was converted to a school. |llll closed down, it A second-story access had to be added as a fire escape. Enclosed, and lighted by two small windows, the stairway cranks its way down the side of the building, around the corner, and ends at the next corner, having traversed nearly half of the building’s perimeter. Havillah Isn’t much of a place anymore^ of course^ ^t never did measure out to be much of a place — until you added up the- friendships, the memories, and the good times that were yesterday in Havillah. -17- �N. Weis I -------- ’^he road northeast from Wauconda parallels Todora Creek along its entire length, the creek's terminating at juncture with Kettle River. along this scenic route, is the site of Bodie, About midway fifteen miles from Wauconda, Washington, Forested slopes broken by occasional barren outcrops and footed by grassy flats make the trip to Bodie one of pleasant -1- �N. Weis variation, Todora Creek bounces along, nearly always visible|from the road, and gently audible at each The Bodie Mountain, crossing. n‘iAp Washington^ opo is a definite aid to exploration. Part of this map Is reproduced in the introduction. Bodie has half a dozen buildings strung out along the road, Most of the cabinsiare stained board and the creek. 'batten. mostly on the east side,vnext to Across the Only one is of log construction. street is the deserted Bodie ^chool, complete with wood^shed and twin houses out back. The second story of the schoolhouse appears to have been an apartment, perhaps an early version of a teacherage, Bodie was established as a mill town about 1900. At one time it had a store, house, bunkhouse^and hotel. post office, cook^* Almost every resident worked for the Perkins Milling Company. The giant stamp mill processed much of the ore taken from the Golden Reward and the Elk (later the Golconda) /fines. Business was good up until the late thirties. shut down — and so did Bodie. Since then, The mill In 1962 the mill burned. things have been pretty quiet. You can almost hear the silence in Bodie, especially at sunset. Later, by moonlight, the old cabins in town take on a new look. seem luminous, Bleached boards and fence posts show half outlines. -2- Bodie, Washington �N. Weis Clouds scattered above reflect the dim light and stand out boldly against the pitch-dark sky. The morning light divorced Bodie of its nocturnal beauty. dingy. One, Some of the cabins looked downright however, was in fine trim, recently repaired, and protected by a sign that made me think twicer "NO TRESPASSING — SURVIVORS WILL BE PROSECUTED^ �N. Weis OLD TODORA, WASHINGTON Indian trails generally followed the streams, and the white man often built his wagon roads on top of the trails. Consequently, where streams Joined, roads also met, and there towns sprang into being. Todora was established at the confluence of Cougar and Todora ^reeks, northeast of Wauconda. It mushroomed into existence shortly after I896 when the area was opened to mineral claims. By I898 there were twenty-five cabins strung out along the Inter-section. road, Aligned on both sides of the north-south there was a store, smithy, assay office, and post office. It appeared to be a growing town, but rumors concerning the nearby mines were circulating shortly after its post office was established. The suggestion was made to move the town north four miles where the mines were more promising. The town stayed, of course, but eight months after Todora received its post office, it was moved and given the name of Bodie. Later a post office opened twenty miles farther northeast, using the name Todora. The original Todora then took on its present designation, "Old Todora." Along Old Todora's main street are three of its original business houses and ai, number of cabins. �N. Weis the One of the cabins on the east side of.main street was A probably the residence and office of Postmaster Frederick Just north is the badly decayed structure Rosenfelt. that once housed the local assaye?s^ office. Its walls are sagging and its roof poles are nearly barren of shingles. On the west side of the street the blacksmith’s shop stands nearly roofless. and its gables enclosed with log walls are well joined, Adjacent and to the north, broad rough-hewn boards. is the Schmellng General Store, brothersI Its solid Carl and Herman. once operated by The roof was extended six feet to the front to provide shade for window-shoppers and inveterate whlttlers. Just west of Old Todora is a modern country home. I stopped in to ask about Old Todora, and was heartily; welcomed by the Atchisons. Over huge stacks of pancakes topped with buttered syrup, we discussed the deserted towns and mining camps in the area. After determining the nature of each building in Old Todora, Washington, I mentioned that my Bodie Mountain, Topographic (15 minute) map indicated a large mine three miles upstream on Cougar Creek. The Atchison brothers, S. G. and Charlie, its existence and elaborated. >5- confirmed Called the Sheridan �N. Weis Mine Gamp, it had a number of buildings including a That made it a ghost town in my mill and dormitory. book. I thanked the Atchisons and headed for the door. Before I could leave, Charlie added, "You might go on up a couple of miles and look over the old town of Sheridan, There’s a dozen buildings there, some made of logs — three stories high — and a hotel with dance hall on the second floor — balcony^tool " The map was quickly spread^ and the site located. Beside the first sharp switchback above the head of the creek were two empty squares, ting deserted buildings. Charlie was surprised the "It’s on the old Sheridan map showed even that much, Road, indica­ you know — used to go all the way to Republic, but it’s been blocked with trees for years." Mrs. Atchison volunteered, "Not too many people know about the place — last bunch in there punctured their oil pan. We had to go up and rescue Of course they had to walk all the way dovrn. their car. Amidst warnings of deep ruts and boulder-::^ strewn switchbacks, information, I thanked them for pancakes and then set off for Sheridan Camp and Sheridan Town, -6- �N. Weis SHERIDAN MINE CAMP, WASHINGTON The road was exactly as stated — terrible The first three quarters of a Ruts wery'a foot deep. mile wasn't bad, but after making the left turn to go the up East Pork of Cougar Greek, the road became a A Heavy trucks had been through here when challenge. the ground was wet and soft. Narrow ridges between ruts were now the roadway, and accurate navigation was a must. In two miles, a gate blocked the road, but here was the turnoff heading left up to the mine camp, A sort of halfway house was located at the -'jV junction. It was a handsome cabin of large logs, roofed with moss-grown thick-butt cedar shingles. Half a mile north of the halfway house cookhouse junction was the Sheridan Gamp^o^k and bunkhouse. Eleven logs high, for cooking, and steeply roofed, it offered room heatlng^and recreation, with sleeping quarters above. Behind the bunkhouse was a board and batten shed with an alr-clrculatlng c^ola on top. I speculated that it was either a meatjhouse or assay office, or perhaps the cooking was done here instead of in the big log building. One of the nice features of exploring an "unknown" site is that the only information available is "on the spot" guess work. -7- �N. Weis One thing is certain. The twelve>»by-“elghteen-foot vented building had been bu^t around a four-foot-’diameter stump, sawed flat at table height and full of chop marks I That meant it most likely had been a meat house or cook house. The asssy office theory was ruled out. Just up the hill a bit the old mill clings to the hillside, the roadway. extending down to and including half In fact the road splits to go either past or under the mill chutes. shape. The mill is in bad Much of its superstructure is gone, X / ■ / lron__work and machinery is missing. shouldn’t call it a mill, Perhaps I for its Inside timbering did not resemble most mills. It could have been a concentrator^or merely a fancy loader. was a square two-story building. equipment was inside, was evident. Near the "mill" Some of the original and the function of this structure Forge tables, with cinders and charcoal still in place, made it a smithy. littered one end of the building. portion, and its Numerous ore samples In a small^closed there was an abundance of crushed ore. An oven pedestal and roof vent were enough to deduce that an assayer carried out his work at this end of the building. -8- �N. Weis The road was narrow, and it took a while to find a place wide enough to turn about. For a I suspected that I had driven in on the ultimate one­ way road -- "in only." accomplished, Finally, a one-eighty I headed for Sheridan Town with high expectations. -9- �N. Weis SHERIDAN (TOWN), WASHINGTON From the "halfway house" through an unlocked gate, the road leads and continues upstream along the north bank of the East Pork of Cougar Creek. The roadway is narrow. area on either side of the mile and a half. There is no flat "straight" road for a The first turn is a sharp switch- back to the right. At this point a faint roadway leads straight ahead. The barely perceptible track was the main street of Sheridan. Looming on the right, and fairly hidden by trees, was a two-and-a-half-story "hotel," Each story was eight logs high, and the logs were fat — well over a foot in diameter. logs to the gable top. still standing! It was another eight Twenty-four logs high and Across the front of the lower floor was a long timbered opening designed to hold two double doors and several large windows. The lower foundation logs extended forward a dozen feet to support a wide boardwalk, now entirely rotted away. Close inspection Indlcatad that company offices may have been planned for the main floor, with living quarters above. Just up the main road a few yards was another log building of nearly equal size. -10- It looked �N. Weis like another "hotel," but more probably was built to house the laboring force. Centered, and behind these two massive log buildings was a third log structure. It was a low^ single-story outfit, with collapsed roof. low walls divided It Into stalls, Numerous spelling out Its It was a stable, and It was a big one — function. larger In floor space than either of the taller log buildings. The faint trail that led Into the trees from the switchback became more Indistinct with every step. I had gone perhaps one hundred yards beyond the two-anda-*half—story log "hotel" when I came across the collapsed remains of the real It had been gigantic — and plush. logs formed tall^ slngle-»story side walls. Squared Adz marks on the logs Indicated they had been flattened without the benefit of saws. jointed. The corners were beautifully lock'-'~^ Above the first floor had been a vaulted peaked roof, constructed of sawed rafters and shingled with heavy shakes. The entire upper floor — clear out to the useless eaves -- was floored smooth with expensive (for that era) tongue and groove boards. This was the fancy place the Atchison Jfrothers at Old Todora had told me about. -11- It had been Intact Just �N, Weis a few years before. The upper floor was used for dances, and had a walk-out veranda. Below the veranda was the usual boardwalk leading into.the lower floor, which was the hotel proper. The rest of the town was anticlimactic. hind the hotel was a large dug-out cooler. Be­ West and north of the hotel were six cabins in various states One of them had roof shakes nearly three everything feet long, and^was so well preserved that it could of decay. have been made liveable with a few hours* labor. Never had I been in a more deserted or more forgotten town, nor had-I ever seen ^uch magnificent log buildings. Just how they had survived was a -. mystery. The big log building at the switchback was a mystery by itself, appearance. Something was "wrong” with its It took a moment —— then it was obvious. There were no windows at the sides or on the upper floors. No sane man would live in a flammable building without an avenue of escape. to have windows. At first it seemed unexplainable. Then things began to add up. downstream, months. falling. A building like this had Old Todora, a few miles had ^eld its post office for only eight The reason was that the mines nearby were Gould it be that Sheridan Town failed -12- just �N. Weis as quickly, and that work on the big log building was stopped short, just before the windows were slated to be cut out and framed? Perhaps the reasoning Is In error. I hope It Is, In a way. for standing In the middle of this Im­ pressive ghost town, one begins to feel guilty about prying Into long-held secrets. Like a grand old lady, her modicum of privacy. -13- Sheridan Town deserves � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Norman Weis Manuscripts Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1971-1987 Description An account of the resource A collection of manuscripts by Casper College professor Norman Weis. <br /><br />This collection includes manuscripts of:<br /><em>Ghost Towns of the Northwest: Known and Unknown<br />The Starduster<br />Two-Story Outhouse<br />Helldorados<br /></em><br />Each manuscript contains written in edits by Norman Weis Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Norman Weis Language A language of the resource ENG Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Norm Weiss Manuscripts and Photographs, CCA 10.2003.01 WyCaC US. Casper College Archives and Special Collections. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Searchable PDF Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CCA 10.2003.01_Weis_Manuscripts Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Manuscript Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource <em>Ghost Towns of the Northwest: Known and Unknown </em>Washington&nbsp;Draft Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <div class="element-text five columns omega"> <p><a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a></p> </div> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1971 Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Norman Weis Language A language of the resource ENG Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Norm Weiss Manuscripts and Photographs, CCA 10.2003.01 WyCaC US. Casper College Archives and Special Collections. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CCA 10.2003.01_Weis_GhostTowns_DraftManuscript_Wash Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Searchable PDF https://caspercollege.cvlcollections.org/files/original/fa0f36e9df2c5ae682329cbd11499d24.pdf 6cc9ef34c5fa2427ad3490aface06173 PDF Text Text N. WolB GHOST T0W4S OP THE NORTHWEST Bnowi and Unknown k('^l('6 Other Books by the Authori All About Grizzly Bears All About The Vhlte«Talled Deer �Title Page by Norman D. Weis GHOST TOWNS OP THE NORTHWEST Known and Unknown Illustrated by the Author �Dedication To J. M, W �N. Weis PRBPACS Ghost towns are quiet places• nothing moves about. Little or Thia charaoterlatlo Is faith* fully preserved -* In fact enhanced — through the process of still photography. Mediocre scenes of deserted buildings seem to gain quality through the Imposing remains, becked by developing process. puffy clouds, become near classics. It is the stillness of ghost towns that appeals to the maker of pictures. This book is a collection of photographs, with a little history, adventure and humor sandwlohed randomly between. The historical accounts InoludMdare as accurate as the reference sources available, and as reliable as the Individuals Interviewed. In the belief that history need not be tedious or boring, I have attempted to slip the facts In painlessly ** In some oases almost subliminally. The humor fell I In place quite by accident. Old timers remembered first the tall tales, then the fact, and often the facts were hilarious. Prone to stupid mistakes, and *1 �N. Weis suffering from a mild oase of "foot in mouth disease," I contributed my own share of misunderstandings and embarasslng moments. A writer may quite accidentally mislead his readers by extolling the past glories of a particular ghost town while excluding any mention of Its present remains. Numerous old photos complete the Illusion, and the reader Is convinced that the town la worth at least a week end visit. Too often I have traveled more than one hundred miles to explore such well descrllied sites, only to find that a dam built forty years ago put it under eighty feet of water, or that a bowling alley had been built on Ita bulldozed remains, and It in turn had burned to the ground. For this reason the photographs In this book are accurate renditions of present remains. A few old photos have been included, but they arc clearly labeled as such. Between ten and fifteen ghost towns from each of the five northwest states were ohosen to be treated In this book. Included. Some well known favorites were At these sites, the effort was primarily on a new approach to a well known story, or an elabora* tlon on some new aspect freshly uncovered, A concerted effort was made to search out some "unknowns" In each state ** towns that have had ptr/gee �N. Vols little or no mention In print. A large fart of the text 18 devoted to the searoh for these sites and their subsequent exploration. That Is where the adventure ooaes In. The effort, of oourse, was not all mine, and X am privileged to thank those whose asslstanoe was so willingly given. Suggestions oonoernlng the text, solicited of Mike Herblson and Marie Stewart, were of great help. Wilhelm Ossa and Joo Stewart gave valuable advice on the selection of photographs. Senator Gale McGee of Wyoming was Instrumental In procuring the topographic maps vital to the searoh for *unknown* sites. There were many who offered help and hospitality along the way, and to them X have expressed ay appreciation In the text. Here are some folk not otherwise mentioned, who deserve my thanks« Mr. Antonloll of Butte, Montana, owner of Kirkville, Montana, The unnamed old timer at Galena, Idaho, who shared with me a very welcome pot of coffee on a rainy afternoon. Gale Ontko of the Bureau of Land Management, Prineville, Oregon, �N. WU-.J Mr. and Mra. Paul Gorbalay of Blewett, Washington. John Meek of Boulder, Colorado Mr. and Mrs. Hoerer of Atlantio City, Wyoming. The personnel of the State Arohives, Museums and Libraries of Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana. The U. S, Weather Bureau employees of Bozeman, Montana, who gave me aooess to satellite photos and helped me determine how to esoape the oloud hiding smoke of forest fires drifting down from Canada and Alaska. Numerous mine engineers, hoist operators, muokers, and prospeotors, espeolally the old hand I met in Northern Idaho that proudly showed me his three peanut butter Jars full of gold nuggets* 1 �N. Weis Lastly, for adding a little eploe to life, 1 would like to thank the two eighty year old oltlsene of a onoe booming town In aouthem Wyoming, who, Inaulted at ay BUggestlon that their town was nearly a ghost, stood up as one and ohallenged me to a fightt �Contents PART I - OREGON Page Sumpter........................................ • • . Granite .............. Whitney . Galena Susanville Richmond . Lonerock Ashwood Horse Heaven Antelope Shaniko Boyd ... .. .............. ... ...................... Placer ........................ Greenback. ................................... Golden ........................ PART II-WASHINGTON Area 1 Liberty. H/ewett Disautel ...................... ........................ • •. ................ .. Area 2 Molson. ................ .................. Chesaw Bolster «...•••« H^avlllah Area 3 Bodie..................................... • • •. Old Todora........................ • •.. Sheridan Mine Camp Sheridan (Town)••••«..••• PART III IDAHO Area 1 Leesburg................. ••• Cobalt Yellow Jacket................ •. • • �Area 2 Bayhorse, Bonanza (City) Custer. Sawtooth City Vienna . ................ .............. Area 3 zj Idaho City Placerville ka<^CaaiDaok Mining Gamp -^Golden Age Gamp PAHT IV- WYOMING Area 1 Atlantic City . South Pass City..,. . Pacific Springs..... Miners Delight . The Duncan ........................ Lewiston . Area 2 Port Steele. Benton Carbon Timber Town Walcott. ........................... . PART V - MONTANA Area 1 Jardine Electric Aldridge . Corwin Springs Area 2 Cable..•. Red Lion. Tower.... Granite.. Kirkville Area Pony Red Bluff.... Virginia City Nevada City,. Ruby .............. �N. Wel8 IWTRODUCTIOH For several years the exact definition of the term "ghost town" has eluded me* A ^ost town should, of course, display only a shadow of Its former glory. Ideally it would he completely deserted, full of two and three story false fronted hulldingo, all of them completely furnished and undisturbed. The town should appear as If the entire population had gone to a funeral and failed to return. To top It off, a tumbleweed should blow down the dusty main street, bouncing In rhythm with the banging of loose shutters and the soreeoh of unolled hinges. But that's not the way It Is. Perhaps such a perfect example awaits discovery, but I fear that I shall never find It. I've seen the tumbleweed, but the buildings were mere heaps of rubble. The rattling shutters were theretOoo, but the buildings were single storied and empty ofwmares. buildings? Three story false fronted Xes, but the town was yet alive. About the closest I could come to a proper definition was that "the place excited me." Bxolted me enough to recommend that others travel perhaps fifty miles to see It. It Is a poor definition, and «!• �N. Wel8 Z*a happy to twap It for ono proposed quite off hand by a gentleman from Spray, Oregon* I oalled him "The Sage from Spray,* beoauee he had a oonatruotlve* althou^ oaustlo oomment to make on every subject broached• He watched ae 1 spread maps out on the counter* He listened as 1 asked questions about some of the towns In the vlolnlty* X number of Interested folk volunteered Information on this and that town, designating several as genuine ghost towns. Finally the "Sage" took Issue. "Hell, X don't see how you kuys oan oall them places ghost towns I They's Just like any other town 'oept they ain't hardly no one livin' there —•—* Part of the fascination of ghost town hunting comes from the wide array of hazards Involved* Bad roads are the rule, and a four-wheel drive vehiole la a must. But four«wheel drive is of little oomfort when ruts are deep enough to let the differentials drag. With the slightest effort, one oan become hie^» centered, spinning all four wheels free and clear. back roads, distances between gas stations oan be unbelievable. When the tank gauge reeds "zerc^" one becomes apprehensive, but the addition of a five gallon of reserve tank of gas wipes out all fears* On �N. Weis But soon the gauge reads "zero** again, and your goal ohanges froa deserted towns to "soae sign of olvlll* zatlon,* Hlraoulously, Z never had to walk for gas. Often the tank read less than eapty when a serrloe station was finally reaohed, Baoh tlae X aarked the needle's position with a felt pen> At the end of two months, X had a fan shaped array of marks extending to what should have been a minus one* quarter tank. Having taken preoautlons oonoernlng oil (four extra quarts) and gas, the only meohanloal trouble was dlslooatlon of the drive-shaft support, ZiOoated In the exact oenter of the vehlole. It was vulnerable to any rook more than six Inches high. Ten or twelve hard whaoks with a one pound sledge always put It baok in reasonable position. After half a dozen straightenings, It began to weaken, and finally had to be replaced. Some problems encountered Irhlle ghost town hunting are compounded by the bad habits common to most photographers. Often looking through the view­ finder, and seldom watching their feet, they are forever backing up while looking forward. Snakes and open shafts abound *« and nails ** nails are *3* �K. Welfl there by the thousand — firmly embedded and pointing straight up* eaoh one a rusty Invitation to lookjaw* By far the greatest obstaole faolng the would be visitor to a ghost town Is Initially locating the alto, A searoh of the existing literature will reveal the obvious towns, and an In-depth Investigation Into the records and photos In various state archives will turn up a few more, also quite well known. Post offloe records and county seat plat books will give up their share of secrets. Fishermen, hunters, bottle diggers, state patrolmen, and of course, the old timers are valuable sources for searching out the lesser known sites. Old timers are often difficult to locate, but It Is worth the effort, for the benefits are twofold. As one proceeds to gather Information on sites already visited, clues to additional ghost towns come to light. None of the adorementioned methods are quite as productive as a systematic searoh of topographic maps. Multitudes of "possibles" can be pinpointed for later Investigation. The United States Geological Survey (U.S.G.S.) maps are among the most responsive to careful analysis. A complete set of such maps for a given state are available at most libraries. The job of searching eaoh map — square mile by square �N. Wais mils — oan be tedious. A asp may require a mere ten minutes of study, but there are many maps to soan. There are more than eight hundred and fifty U.S.0.3. maps for the State of Montana alone. The moat common is the minute nap, labeled beoause It encompasses 7| minutes of longitude and latitude. These terms are not Important as long as one realizes that suoh a map covers an area approximately six miles east and vest, by nine miles north and south. The scale Is listed as li 24,000, but Is more easily understood as approximately 2i Inches to the mile. That la quite a large and revealing scale. Every building Is shown as a square, filled In If oooupled, and empty If empty. lay. Forests are shown In green over­ Surveyors claim that even a three foot bush Is represented by a tiny green dot. cate the steepness of slope. Contour lines Indi­ Where they lie close, the grade Is steep — where there are few, it Is relatively level. Every creek, ridge, road, railroad, shaft, tunnel, and prospect holo Is supposed to be Indloated, but map makers to make mistakes. Buildings are left out and extra lakes are oooaslonally thrown In. Onoe a feature Is listed on a map. It Is generally carried along through future revisions. This perpetuation �N. Vela aakea Boat naps aooldentally hlstorloaX In nature. The original map date Is always listed, and one may assume any buildings shown were actually In exlstenoe on that date. When a topo map shows a town of considerable outlay, and the same town Is missing or Indicated minimally on a road map, then It may be considered a possible ghost town worthy of Investi­ gation, Other signs that tip off the presenoe of ghost town are dead end roads and railroads, mine shafts, tunnels and prospect holes. Unnamed buildings set in a row often indicate a company town. Tailings denoted by small *v" shaped marks are sure Indications of a past mining effort. indicative. The very name of a town Is You may ignore "Kennedy Heights" and "Plaza Park," as they are sure to be modem communities, but "Galena,* "Ironton," and "Copperopolis" are good bets. Xt has been my ezperience that if chosen carefully, about twenty-five per cent of the sites selected prove to be ghost towns. The percentage is enhanced by the cartographer*s occasional use of the terms "abandoned" or "site," The U.S.G.S. publishes many maps of leaser scale that cover larger territories. The 15 minute map covers an area approximately thirteen by eighteen -6- �N. Vela alias and Its soals is approxlaately ens Inch to ths alls. Harder to road than ths 7| minute map* It la still valuable, and Is often ths only topo map available. The two maps reproduced here are typloal examplea of ths 7^ and 15 minute topos. Bach map has the Important Items labeled and explained. If you oan rsasmber that ths top of a map Is north, and that saoh red square Is a square mils, ths rest is easy. Topographic maps may be obtained through local retailers, but stooka afe often limited. The Denver section of the 5,3,0.3. offers for sals all of the maps covering the Western United States. The Denver Distribution Section U. S. Geological Survey Denver Federal Center * Building 41 Denver, Colorado 80225 address I Upon request, free copies of state Index maps will be supplied. Desired maps oan be readily selected with the aid of these “keys." Ths prices of topo maps are generally fifty cents saoh, with discounts on quantity orders, Note to Edltori (continued on page (D ) following are two sheets describing the two maps Included. Also Included Is a uses symbol sheet •- all, part, or none of It nay be used as filler. ��N. Weis Map desorlptlon of the Badium Springe alnute map. (iiSl®.* reproduoe map with no reduction or enlarge* aent.) Trim edges if required. This la a portion of the Badlum Springe, VyoBlng 7i minute topogxaphlo map. shown as solid double lines. Dirt roads are The dashed lines Indloate unimproved dirt roads or trails. Item A proved to be "The Good Hope Mine," a most soenlo rello. B Indicates The Oregon Trail. Note the Trail merging with the road, then passing through Lewiston, item D. Little is known of this remote Wyoming ghost town, and small bits of Information gleaned from mpe are often important. There were two very old log buildings just as Indicated, one a false fronted store, the other a livery. B la "The Hidden Band Hine," conveniently labeled and complete with hoist house and smithy, on the map. P Indicates another mine not shown Named "The Iron Duke," It would be a nameless site, except for >eraovorlng memories of old timers living in the area. Items H and I represent a small mining complex and extensive tailings. One of the buildings by the mine shaft Is the home of the only surviving prospector on the Sweetwater Blver, ficant. Items C and 0 proved to be insigni­ �BODIE MTN. QUADRANGLE WASHINGTON 15 MINUTE SERIES (TOPOGRAPHIC) )40f_ J_^aCOO=f.£' V- 'J? 118*45' ib-4 pKA^mAN ’I ?4fi0000 F€£l Service SCALE 1:62500 4 milcs ROAD CLASanCATK 71000 rCEl *nission HeCiu^'duCy RiLOMPrcfls tods -- Li^t-dij UmiTiDrMCd <)*1. . . . J CONTOUR INTERVAL 50 FtET MTUM IS MEAN SEA LEVEL QU^IMUX LOCATION BODiE N NASAS-^ AmOXrKAff MfAN OeCLlNATiON. }9Sa THIS MAP COMPlIES *I’H NAIIOMAL MAP ACCUHACV SIANtlAPOS FOR SALE BY U S GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, DENVER 25. COLORADO OR WASHINGTON 25, D. C. A FOLOEH OCSCmaiNO lOPOaBAPMIC MAPS ANO SYMBOLS IS AVAILABLE ON RtqUEST �N. Welfl Hap desorlptlon, Bodie Mountain 15 minute map* ilo^t Preserve the scale on this map also. Trim if desired, Approxlniately one-fourth of the Bodie Moiintaln, Washington* 15 minute topographic map Is shown here. Upon Investigation* Item A turned out to he a mixture of old sawmill remains and relatively modem oahlns* Xt was clearly not a ghost town, B* labeled "Bodie*** Is a small but well known ghost town* The building on the left Is a schoolhouse• Those on the right are old stores and resldenoes of Bodie* some of whloh have been converted to vacation homes. C Is **01d Todora," shown on the map. Only one building Is Actually there are a number of buildings at the site* making Old Todora a ghost town worth visiting. The "Old Sheridan Hine," D, was Indeed old, and consisted of far more than was shown on the map. Item P Is the town of Sheridan, one of the finest "unknown" ghost towns visited* The two empty buildings Indicated on the map are large story log structures. In addition* there are nearly a dozen other buildings standing In town* along with a fancy frame hotel* now partially collapsed* Item E was not visited, due to over Indulgence concerning Item P. 9* �N. Weis Finding the site on the nap is the first step — getting there is often a di^loult second. Hew reads frequently sake aeoess to old reads diffi* oult. Broded trails and looked gates oan stop the best of baok»ootmtry vehloles, hut there Is little to inhibit foot travel. Walking is time consuming and tiring, and the trail seems always to be steep. A five mile hike may be required to reach a deserted site, and often as not, one will find the old town has been newly converted to a ski resort, acoessed from the other side of the hill by an excellent black top road. Onoe found, photographing the site Is a Filn is cheap compared to gasoline, simple natter, so plenty of variations in angle and exposure are in order. Clouds add tremendously to most scenes, but like a watched pot, clouds are slow to cooperate when closely observed. A paperback book was an item of standard equipment. A dozen pages always seemed to lure the clouds into proper position. Plus X pan professional film was preferred for the black and white photographs, and was exposed through a yellow 2 X filter. color shots, Bktaohrome X was used for the The Praktlslx 2J x 2i reflex camera was my favorite. It handled well and produced pictures -10- �N. Weis equal In quality to that of cameras costing three times as much. Absolutely necessary are a pentaprism for eye level composition, and a monopod or tripod for a steady hold through the exposure* The monopod Is the more mobile of the two devices, and the single leg Is steady enough when the camera Is braced against the forehead to allow exposures as slow as onethirtieth of a second. A roll of 120 film takes twelve shots, and the average ghost town required four rolls* To keep the records straight. It was my prac­ tice to write the name of the town on the outside of each roll of exposed film. Later X realized that the outer portion Is discarded during development, and the record lost. The solution was simple — write the name of the town on some convenient surface, then photograph the sign. Bach new roll was started with one exposure sacrificed in the Interest of accurate records* X have chalked names of ghost towns on boards, old buckets, barrels, and outhouse walls. In a pinch, X have used the black sidewalls of ny truck tires. Although of short duration, and certain to wash away, the chalked named might have appeared to be the work of some demented soul bent on visiting and repeatedly Identifying every deserted town In the Northwest. �N, Vela Perhaps that statement Is not too far off the mark. Although this book Is not Intended to be oomprehenslTSt Hore than two hundred sites were visited I seleoted three or four dosen firoia eaoh of the five states, taking oare to choose among them ten well- known sites. The remainder were "possible unknowns** gleaned from searching the topographic maps. Of these* “possibles,* a number turned out to be lively communi­ ties. Many others had been completely eradicated by olvlllratlon. town. About one In four was a genuine ghost Of the sites visited, I seleoted slxty-two for Inclusion In this book. They were chosen for their story, their photogenic qualities, or for their virginity of publication. Pour times those ghost towns have come to life for me — when found and studied during the map search, when visited and researched, when photographs came to life In the dark room, and finally when the text was assembled fx*om notes and reference. My sincere hope Is that your enjoyment one time through will equal the four of mine. �N. Weis SELSCTSD BIBLIOGRAPHY Bartlett, Rlohard A. - Great Surveys of the American West Norman, Oklahoma 1962 Beebe, Lucius, and Clegg, Charles • The American West New York 1955 Burlingame, Merrill G, and Toole, K. Ross - A History of Montana 3 Vols New York 1957 Capitol Journal (newspaper) Salem, Oregon, Aug. 26 *64 Carey, Charles H. - General History of Oregon Portland, Oregon 1935 2 Vols, Chatterton, Governor - Yesterday’s Wyoming Aurara, Colorado 1957 Goutant, Charles G, - History of Wyoming, Prom the Earliest Known Discoveries 2 Vols, Laramie 1899 Crossroads of the West - Premont County, Wyoming Jubilee Book Lander, Wyoming 1968 Dlmsdale, Thomas J. ■ The Vigilantes of Montana Norman, Oklahoma 1953 Donaldson, Thomas - Idaho of Yesterday Caldwell, Idaho 1941 Driggs, Howard R. - Westward America New York 1942 Erwin, Marie E, - Wyoming Historical Blue Book A Wyoming State Publication 1946 Fisher, Vardls and Holmes, Opal - Gold Rushes and Mining Camps of the Early American West Caldwell 1968 Florin, Lambert - Western Ghost Towns Seattle, Washington 1961 �N. Weis ——————————— Ghost Town Album Seattle, Washington 1962 Grant’s Pass Dally Courier Grant's Pass, Ore. Apr. 3, 1935 Apr. 2, i960 Hafon, LeHoy H. PhD. - The Overland Mall Cleveland, Ohio 1926 Hobard and Brininstool - The Bozeman Trail Cleveland, Ohio 1922 Heritage, Vol, 2 Ho. 1, A publication of the Okanocan County Historical Society Washington Deo, I963 Howard, Joseph Kinsey - Montana, High Wide and Handseae New Haven, Conn. 19^3 Montana Margins Now Haven, Conn, Idaho, American Guide Series New York Idahols 1946 1937 Yesterdays, Vol, I9 No. 1 A publication of the Idaho Historical Society, Quarterly Journal Boise, Idaho 1965 Jackson, Clarence 3. - Picture Maker of the Old West lew York 194? Jackson, Joseph Henry - Gold Rush Album New York 1949 Miller, Nina - Shutters West Denver 1962 Mining Catalog For the Mining Industry ffor Metal and Non Metallic Open Pit) Now York 1949 Mining In Idaho Ref, No. 9 A publication of the Idaho Historical Society Boise, Idaho No Date �N. Weis Montana Amerloan Guide Series New York 1939 Nevins, Allan - Premont, Pathmarker of the West Mew York 1955 Okanojran Indeoendent (Washington Newspaper) numerous Issues Oregon, Amerioan Guide Series Portland, Oregon 19^0 Oregonian (newspaper) (please supply town). Oregon September 7, 19^3 September 9» 19^3 Pence, Mary Lou and Homsher, Lola jY. - The Ghost Towns of Wyoming New York 1956 Ramsey, Guy Heed - Postmarked Washington, A publica­ tion of the Okanogan County Historical Society (Wash.) No Date Hickey, Don Jr. - Forty Mlles a Day on Peans and Hay Norman, Oklahoma 1963 Sollld, Roberta Seed - Calamity Jane Helena, Montana 195^ Stewart, W. S, and Assoc. - Idaho's Bonanza Years Halley, Idaho I966 United States Forest Service, Department of Agriculture maps of the National Forests of the Northwest States. United States Geological Survey Bulletins Nos. 364, 580C, 580G, 626, 811D, 804, and Prof. Paper No. 25 United States Geological Survey - Topographic maps of all areas known to carry mineralization In the Northwest States. �N. Weis Washlnflfton, Amerloan Guide Series Portland 19UI Webb, Tod - Gold Strikes and Ghost Towns New York I96I Wolle, Muriel Slbell - The Bonanza Trail Bloomington, Ill, --- ----------------------------------- - 1958 Montana Pay Dlrti A Guide To The Mining Gamps of the Treasure State Denver I963 Wyoming-Amerloan Guide Series New York 1941 �■ •• f XXXU3TSAT1QNS Jf S>^Jie 4^t/4 at s :^x^/ Mapi Area near Baker, Oregon.,,,.,,.,..,,,,,J X Dredge, Sumpter. Oregon,,................... 2 Dredge bridge, Sumpter, Oregon,...,.................... 3 Hospital, Sumpter, Oregon.................................. 4 Old bam, Sumpter, Oregon..... ............... 6 Town liaXl and Fire dept. Sumpter, Oregon...•• 6 Sohool house, Granite, Oregon...................... .. 8 Heroantlle, Granite, Oregon................. .. ..................... 9 Drugstore, Granite, Oregon.,,..10 Saloon and Danoe hall. Granite, Oregon....... 11 Xaln Street, Whitney, Oregon,X2 Hesldenoes, Whitney, Oregon.,13 Sawmill, Whitney, Oregon..,.xU Oalena, Oregon.. 15 store. Galena, Oregon.,............. ..............................,,,, x6 Bedldenoe, Galena, Oregon.X8 Stamp Hill, Susanville, Oregon.19 Sesldenoe, Susanville, Oregon,21 Custom Hill, Susanville, Oregon.................... 22 Hapt Area near Madras, Oregon.23 Mwthodlst Church, Blohoond, Oregon............. Sohool, Blohmond, Oregon............... ................................ 25 Smith System Stove, Klohaond, Oregon.................... 26 Barly Shopping Center, Richmond, Oregon............. 2? �House on the hill, Rlohaond, Oregon*••••••••• 28 Lone rook and Churoh, LonerooR, Oregon*29 Baptist Chtroh* Lonerock* Oregon*•«•««•••***« 30 8aln Street* Lonerock* Oregon**** 31 *............. School* Lonerock* Oregon 31 Stairway of Hotel* Lonerock* Oregon********** 33 Baptist Church* Ashwood* Oregon**.*•,*•••,,*• Country Store* Ashwood* Oregon.***....**.*.., 36 Shaded houses* Ashwood* Oregon 37 . Residence* Horse Heaven* Oregon..... 39 Loading Tipple* Horse Heaven* Oregon... It-O Clnnahar furnace* Horae Heaven, Oregon.•...•• kZ Overview* Horse Heaven* Oregon*.••.•*•.,•••.* it'3 Hook face* Horse Heaven* Oregon............. M Sllvertooth Saloon* Antelope, Oregon.*....**. Ball of the Ancient Order of United Workraen, Antelope* Oregon*. ................. Ruins, Antelope* Oregon* Methodist Church* Antelope* Oregon**.*••«••,. 49 Hotel* Shaniko, Oregon. .............................. 50 School* Shaniko, Oregon ....................... 51 Water tank* Shanll^* Oregon*••.•*.,•••.•«,**, 53 Fancy hone* Boyd* Oregon 5A Holler Bill* Boyd* Oregon*......*,.*.,*.**.** 55 Mill owner’s resldenoe* Boyd* Oregon.,.,,*,.* 55 Mapi Area near Orant’s Baao, Oregon..,,,,.,,, 57 Resldenoe* Placer* Oregon 56 Storekeeper’s home* Placer, Oregon.,59 �Sohool, Plaoer, Oregon ........................... Covered bridge. Plaoer, Oregon,,,.,,.,,,,,,,, 62 Ball Hill, Greenback, Oregon ...................... 63 Timber Skid, Greenback, Oregon,. 64 Staap lifter. Greenback, Oregon,. 65 Ore oar. Greenback, Oregon ......................... 66 . 68 Community Churoh, Golden, Oregon Carriage houae and store, Golden, Oregon 69 Sohool, Golden, Oregon,..,,,.,,.,,.,, 70 Heaidenoe, Golden, Oregon 72 .............................. Churoh dteeple. Golden, Osregon,. C<apf Area near Cle Blum, Washington Thorp Hill, Thorp, Washington ,,, 75 . Kiner's cabin. Liberty, Washington 77 iline shack. Liberty, Washington 79 Cabin, Liberty, Washington,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, 79 Besidenoe, Liberty, Washington 8i . Water wneel, Liberty, Washington.... . 82 Modem gold washer, Liberty, Washington 64 Shoemaker's cabin, Blewett, Washington.«...,. 85 Mill, Blewett, Washington... . Blewett, Washington... 86 . 87 Logger's home, Disautel, Washington 88 Wash house, Disautel, Washington 89 Future brono buster, Disautel, Washington..., 90 The Brooks uaoe, Disautel, Washington 91 �1 Map I Area near Oroville, Waehingtoi.. Bank, Mol eon, Vaahington. ............... Three etory eohool, Molson, Vae hlngton 97 C. L. Diamond Store, Holson, Washington 93 Bastem Okanogan Telephone Company, Mol8on, Washington*• 98 Minnie Carpenter's Millinery, Chs^v, Wash.,. 100 Bank and Townslte Building, Chesaw. Wash...., 101 Blaine's Assay Office, Chesaw, Wash.«•••,.,,• 102 Collapsed home, Chesaw, Washington. 103 . Saloon, Bolster, Washington.... 105 Bachelor's cabin, Bolster, Washington...••••• 106 Lutheran Church, Havlllah, Washington . 107 First eohool house, Havlllah, Washington 109 Last school house, Havlllah, Washington 110 Mapi Area near Hepubllo, Washtgton,,«••••.,,. Ill Cabins, Bodie, Washington.,,,•,.«••••••.,.«,« 112 Moonlight on bleached boards, Bodie, Wash.... 113 3ohool, Bodie, Washington .. Assay Office, Old Todora, Washington 114 . 115 Smithy and Store, Old Todora, Washington,..., 116 Bunkhouse, Sheridan Nine Camp, Washington..., 118 Mill, Shorldan Nine Camp, Washington.« ...... 119 "Loader", Sheridan Mine Camp, Washington.*.,. 120 *Eotel", Sheridan, Washington.• 121 Close view of "Hotel*, Sheridan, Washington., 122 The real Hotel, Sheridan, Washington,. 123 �Miner’s oabln, Sheridan, Washington............... .. Mapi Area near Salmon, Idaho............................... iis, Main Street, Leesburg, Idaho...,........................ 128 Swaybaoked building, Leesburg, Idaho.................. 129 Two story building, Leesburg, Idaho............... 131 Board and batten roofs, Leesburg, Idaho,.... 13f Overview, Cobalt, Idaho............ .. ................................ 133 Store and reoreation hall. Cobalt, Idaho..., 134 Bachelor's quarters. Cobalt, Idaho............... .. 135 Blackbird t41ne. Cobalt, Idaho',...,.,.,,.......... 136 Sixty Stamp Hill, Yellow Jacket, Idaho............. I38 Lonely Cabin, Yellow Jacket, Idaho.. 139 Pelton Wheel, Yellow Jacket, Idaho., 14o Five story Hotel, front view. Yellow Jacket, Idaho.................... 142 Five story Hotel, roar view. Yellow Jacket, Idaho,,,.. 143 Map I Area near Stanley, Idaho................................... 145 Bayhorso Saloon, Bayhorse, Idaho,. 146 Company building. Bayhorse, Idaho.......... .. 147 Charcoal Kilns, Bayhorse, Idaho149 Tramway station. Bayhorse, Idaho............ .. 150 Yankee Fork dredge. Bonanza City, Idaho.«.., 151 Cabin, Bonanza City, Idaho............... .... .............. .,, 152 Buildings and boardwalks. Bonanza City, Ida. 153 Residence, Bonanza City, Idaho.,..,.......... .. 155 �School beoomo museum, Custer, Idaho Doo's house, Custer, Idaho ......................... Blaoksnlth's shop. Sawtooth City, Idaho.......... 160 Log oornera. Sawtooth City, Idaho..,................ 161 Cemetery, Sawtooth City, Idaho............... ................. 162 Sagging oebln, Vienna, Idaho.................... I63 ^Two Btury Vienna, Idaho............... 165 Webfoot Mine, Vienna, Idaho....................................... 166 Mapi Area near Idaho City, Idaho.,.................. 167 Overview, Idaho City, Idaho..................................... 168 Portable stamp mill, Idaho City, Idaho...... I69 Idaho World Building, Idaho City, Idaho..... 170 Territorial prison, Idaho City, Idaho............... 171 Maeonlo Hall, Idaho City, Idaho.............................. I73 Boot Bill, Idaho City, Idaho.......... .......................... 174 Magnolia Saloon, Plaoerville, Idaho......... 175 Residence, Plaoerville, Idaho............... ................... 176 Episcopal Churoh, Plaoerville, Idaho........ 177 Adit house, Comebaok Mining Camp, Idaho..... I78 Bunkhouse, Comebaok Mining Camp, Idaho179 Waterhouse, Comebaok Mining Camp, Idaho.......... 180 Diana Sohool, Golden Age Camp, Idaho.................. 182 Malo Street, Oolden Age Camp, Idaho........... .. 183 Public privy, Golden Age Camp, Idaho.......... .. 184 Mapi Area near Lander, Wyoming................................ I87 Log Church, Atlantic City, Wyoming........... 188 �Remains of stamp mill, Atlantic City,Wyo.,•. 189 Rook Building, Atlantic City, Vyomlng............... 190 Granler and Paters, Atlantic City, Vyomlng,. 191 Log Churoh, Atlantlo City, Vyomlng....................... 192 Livery, Atlantlo City, Wyoming...................... 19^ Rosa Wine, Atlantlo City, Wyoming...................... 194 Gold vashar-dradga, Atlantlo City, Wyoming., 195 Rosa Mina Interior, Atlantlo City, Wyoming.. I96 Portable gold washer, Atlantic City, Wyo.... 197 Eclipse Hotel, South Pass City, Wyoming...,. I98 Jail and hat shop. South Pass City, Vyo..,,, I99 Smith and Sherlook Store, South Pass City, Wyoming. ................ . 200 Ovarvlaw, South Pass City, Wyoming....................... 201 General View, Paolflo Springs, Wyoming............. 202 Livery interior, Paoiflo Springs, Wyoming... 203 Store baoome residence, Paolflo Springs, Wyo. 204 "Hard Rook Sam" ^Jeatio............... .. ................................ 20^ Kain Street, Miners Delight, Wyoming., 206 Resldenoe, Kiners Delight, Wyoming.,.,,............. 20? Custom Mill, Miners Delight, Wyoming.••.,.••• 208 Miners Delight Mine, Hiners Delight, Wyoming. 209 Hiners* cabins, Miners Delight, Vyomlng,.,... 210 Monte Carlo Mine, Miners Delight, Vyomlng.... 211 Dunoan Mina, The Dunoan, Wyoming.............................. 212 Mill. The Dunoan, Wyoming.................................... 213 Dormitory, The Dunoan, Wyoming............................... 214 �Or^rvlew, The Dunoan, Wyoming.,,,,,,,..,.,.., 214 Ore oar at the swltoh. The Dunean, Wyoming... 213 Store, Levleton, Wyoming.,, 216 XAvery and shaft, Lewiston, Wyoming,.,,,,,.,, 218 Hidden Hand Mine, Lewiston, Wyoming,,,,,,.,,, 219 Good Hope Mine, Lewiston, Wyoming,.,.................. 220 Mapi Area near Rawlli^ Wyoming....................... .. 221 General Store, Port Steele, Wyoming................. 222 Officers' quarters. Port Steele, Wyoming......... 223 Barraoks wall. Port Steele, Wyoming,,, 224 Governor Chatterton's home, Port Steele, Wyo. 225 Powder House, Port Steele, Wyoming.............. 226 Main Street, Carbon Timber Town, Wyoming.,... 228 Company Store, Carbon Timber Town, Wyo.,.,,.. 2^ Dug well and cabin. Carbon Timber Town, rfyo,. 230 Tie *snake*out’*. Carbin Timber Town, Wyo.,.,, 232 Log trestle. Carbon Timber Town, Wyoming.,.., 234 Sawmill ruins. Carbon Timber Town, Wyoming,235 Boom-tending boat. Carbon Timber Town, Wyo,.. 236 Powerhouse, Carbon Timber Town, Wyoming.••.,, 237 Glub Saloon, Walcott, Wyoming.,,,,,,,.,,.,... 239 General view, Walcott, Wyoming................................... 240 Map I Area near Gardiner, Montana.......................... 2^ Head-gate shack, Jardine, Montana...............................244 Revenue Mill, upstream view, Jardine, Mont... 245 Revenue Mill, downstream view, Jardine, Mont.,246 The Welcome headstone, Jardine, Montana,............. 24? �Ore ear9 Jardine• Nontax Are onio mill, Jardine, Montana.. Overview, Jardine, Montana , ........................... Upper Bill, Jardine, Montana ................. Moonlight on mill and bridge, Jardine, Mont.. 252 Sneloeed ^unge, Corwin, Montana.. 253 HAppy Hollow, Aldridge, Montana . 255 Water and kiln, Eleotrlo, l^ontana..., ,.,.,,,, 25B Bow of kiln, Sleotrlo, Montana............ .259 Baohelor's oabln, Bleotrlc, Montana,.260 Mule bam, Eleotrlo, Montana. .,••••«.• 261 Mapi Area near Bnnle, Montana 263 . Epleoopal Churoh, Pony, Montana,264 ............... 265 Morris Mill, Pony, Montana, Bealdenee, Pony, Montana Isdell Meruautlle, .............266 Montana.., ... 26? Buelneee district. Pony, Montana,, 268 Coded ’’aesaage". Pony, Montana ............................. Boarding House, Red Bluff, Montana.,,,, 269 . 271 Bjaoed buildings, Red Bluff, Montana 272 Boaz Mine, Red Bluff, Montana . 27# Pour taoe seesaw. Red Bluff, Montana, .......... 273 Peanuts Mine oookhouse, Red Bluff, Montana.,. 273 T^loal reeldenoe, Virginia City, Montana.... 275 Overland Stage Office, Virginia City, Montana 276 Panorama., Virginia City, Montara ............. 277 Gunsmith’s Shop, Virginie City, Montana 278 �Walla Fargo Express Offioa, Virginia City, Montaxia..................... . 279 Cheap Cash Store, Virginia City, Montana.... .^80 Gilbert Brewery. Virginia City. Montana............. 281 Locojwtlva, Nevada City, Montana 282 3tageooaoh. Nevada City. Montana 283 Outhouse. Nevada City, Montana 284 auby 3tablee. Hnby. Montana., pauper’s oabln. auby^Montana 286 286 $ Company Offloe. Ruby, Montana 287 Tranefoirmer building. Ruby. MoW«na 287 Steam dredgoc, Huby, Montana 288 Remains of dredge, /^by, Montana.............................. 289 Reflections on a puap. Ruby. Montana., 290 Mapi Area near Phllllpoburg, Montana Deluxe bam. Cable, Montana................................. 292 Cable Mill. Cable, Montana............................... 293 Coro samploB. Cable, Montana.......................................... 294 Trl-level home. Red Lion. Montana..,,,.,,,,, 296 Boardinghouse, Rod Lion, Montana,,,.,.,,,,,, 297 Chloago Mino, Tower, Montana..,..,,,,,,,,,,, 298 Bay window. Tower, Montana................................................299 Storexjgj^aa* Tower. Montana...................... 301 Home of last resident, Granite. Montana., 302 Company Hospital, Granite. Montana..,......,, 303 Miners Union Bail. .Gxaulte. Montana.......................... 304 Mill and ruins. Granite Montana., 305 �i Granite adlX, Granite, Montana,..................... ........... 306 Jlaahealthy, KlrkrllXe, Montana,...................... ,,,.308 Barracks, Kirkville, Montana..................... .. .............. 309 Plune, Kirkville, Montana,...................................... ...310 Moon over/Mill remalne, Kirkville, Montana....311 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Norman Weis Manuscripts Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1971-1987 Description An account of the resource A collection of manuscripts by Casper College professor Norman Weis. <br /><br />This collection includes manuscripts of:<br /><em>Ghost Towns of the Northwest: Known and Unknown<br />The Starduster<br />Two-Story Outhouse<br />Helldorados<br /></em><br />Each manuscript contains written in edits by Norman Weis Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Norman Weis Language A language of the resource ENG Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Norm Weiss Manuscripts and Photographs, CCA 10.2003.01 WyCaC US. Casper College Archives and Special Collections. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Searchable PDF Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CCA 10.2003.01_Weis_Manuscripts Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Manuscript Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource <em>Ghost Towns of the Northwest: Known and Unknown&nbsp;</em>Final Introduction Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a> Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Norman Weis Language A language of the resource ENG Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Norm Weiss Manuscripts and Photographs, CCA 10.2003.01 WyCaC US. Casper College Archives and Special Collections. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CCA 10.2003.01_Weis_GhostTowns_CompletedIntro Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Searchable PDF https://caspercollege.cvlcollections.org/files/original/72bb042ac29acca22bfbdecdd9cc2403.pdf c8745db2349b772013032ad32c2ee9fa PDF Text Text �N. Weis MONTANA ABBA 1 (of-^> eo»t«tta&=Ap^»oaXBBa±eiy:=3±Qfi::dte=pia. JARDINE, MONTANA /y —From Gardner, at the north edge of Yellow­ stone Park, it is six miles by gravel road to the town of Jardine. miles. These are six of Montana’s prettiest The road angles up the north side of Yellow­ stone Canyon, crosses Eagle Creek, and immediately drops over a rise, bringing the green valley of Bear Creek into view. -1- Jardine, Montana �N. Weis Two and a half miles ahead lies the old mining town of Jardine, but here, beside the road is a scene of unusual beauty. A small pond, its deep waters lightly rippled by the breeze, nestles between the road and a curve of protecting trees. Toward the far shore, a weathered shack stands in deep water. A gangplank offers access, and inside are rusted control wheels, their axles extending deep below the water’s surface. The lake seems too peaceful — too natural * to be manj^de, but it is in fact the headwater pond of a hydro-electric plant. A three-mile ditch contours its way from the upper reaches of Boar Creek, bringing water gently to this point. Nine hundred feet below the pond, the water gushes forth with tremendous force. Conducted downhill by a twenty inchedlameter pipe, constricted to eleven inches at the exit point, the energy developed— nearly (4^ hors epower was sufficient to light the mining town of Jardine^ and to power both its mills, Jardine was a company town — enjoying periodic booms and suffering through the intervening busts. Each bust, however, was but a pause, awaiting a new strike or a new sot of Investors. -2- Jardine, Montana �N. Weis Joe Brown caused the first excitement when he discovered placer gold in Bear Creek. That was in 1865t and the excitement increased when gold in quartz was found deep within adjacent Mineral Hill. In 1884 a small stamp mill was built to replace the crude mule-drawn arrastra, but the rich veins ran out shortly, and operations ceased in 1886. Further prospecting brought new deposits to light. The mill was refurbished and enlarged, and operations resumed in I890. Three years later the panic of *93 caused another shutdown, Harry Bush arrived in 1898, He caused such vast changes that the town was named for him, but only momentarily. Three hotels, three mercantiles, three saloons, several houses of ill repute, one church and a school complemented the great number of company buildings. By 1899, the new mill was completed. the "Revenue," it held forty stamps. CalipH Each stamp weighed hundreds of pounds, and each in turn was lifted five inches and permitted to fall on the coarse gold-bearing ore. minute. Each stamp dropped ninety times per One of the few surviving residents described the scene this way.* -3- Jardine, Montana �N. Weis “With forty of them stamps going, the sound was more than noise. You could feel itI Pelt good, though — felt just like a paycheek on Saturday night." The severe pounding required massive rock foundations. Six hundred perch of stone were used, a perch being almost a cubic yard. The payroll ran nearly a quarter of a million dollars per year. The town had a post office, and the population of the valley was measured in the thousands. Mr. and Mrs. George M. Welcome were residents before and after the big boom. When George died, a handsome stone was placed at the head of his grave. Across the top, in large letters, is printed one word ~ -WELCOME." It is the first thing you see as you enter the cemetery. Some viewers are upset by the startling salutation, others are reassured, Ripley’s /^^,B©llove ^t or not Rlplajr" referred to Jardine as "the town where the cemetery says welcome." The town was named "Jardine" about 1900, after a popular company superintendent. For three place years the^tewn- enjoyed prosperity. By 1902 over a half mllllon'fin gold had been recovered. Other spurts of activity -A there were twelve in all —. resulted in a total take ofy2,2 million,gold^ between 1865 and 1926 ^^4- Jardlne, Montana �In 1926, arsenic ore was discovered in some of the tunnels. An addition was made to the lower The final product mill to process the new find. obtained was arsenic trioiide, a potent rat and bug killer, and a widely used paint pigment. The mill processed nearly two hundred tons per day, DDT Some people claim that Pf&aht killed the town At least the discovery of DfDfTj ruined the market for arsenic as an insectiside. The plant closed in 19^2, reopened briefly in 19^^ to supply arsenic to the military, then closed again in 194-5. A "mysterious fire destroyed the arsenic plant in 194-6, and the town' population went from few to almost none. Twelve families now live in Jardine, Half of these are outfitters, guiding hunting and fishing parties into the unspoiled mountaini* . to the north and east. Of the several hundred buildings, only a fraction remaliy. On the west side of the creek are a number of residences and an old store or two. The town layout is accurately shown on the Gardner, Montana, 15 minute topographic map, A dilapidated bridge permits adventurous access to a group of secluded shacks lying between the two forks of Bear ^reek. An old sign at the bridge is accidentally appropriate: -5- Jardlne, Montana �N. Weis M- T/?,A<3Tassing at your own risk- A windowless house displays a "WELCOME" sign over Its hlj^hot door. On the porch Is a placard that proclaims! "RESERVED." The east side was the company part of town. The two huge mills, an empty saw*Talll, and several dozen offices, cablnf^and a store remain standing. A few years ago, Richard and Jean Blankenship purchased the mining property. They found a number of buildings so far gone that they required destruction. Others are being repaired and put to use as guest houses. The Blankenships have hopes of Installing a ski tow. Slopes and snow are already there In full_ sixty-five abundance. The town Is at an elevation of aixty^-f^ive- hundred feet, and the hills on either side rise another two thousand feet. The blacksmith shop, at the mine adit, or tunnel^outh. Is in nearly perfect condition. an "improved" barrel stove. It had Fifty-gallon drums were commonly used as stoves, with a door In one endy and a stove'^ipe placed at the rear. was a double-decker. This stove, however, The stove'~plpe led immediately Into a second drum of equal size. The stovepipe was attached to the near end of this dru^ and extended upward through the roof. -6- Jardine, Montana �N. Weis Near the smithy was an outhouse in an equally good state of preservation. was uniquely simple, The seating arrangement A four-inch-diameter log smoothed by use — extended the full width of the structure. The twelve-foot width indicated a seating capacity of six men. The back rest was a three-inch diameter log that also spanned the full distance. A changing room, near the tunnel mouth, was complete with a twenty-four-foot shower. and benches were all there. The lockers One locker contained a dusty, rotted towel, I Evidence all about indicated a massive . -- her human effort — ^lature did not release willingly. riches No fortunes were made here, but there is gold in Mineral Hill, Reserves are valued — by one Investigator — at five million dollars. Most of the twenty tunnels in Mineral Hill have low-grade ore visibly in contact, Jardine is on the bust now, waiting for the next boom. In the meantime^ the most industrious effort being carried out on Bear Creek is the logging operation conducted by the resident beavers. And somehow, one must agree — that is the way it should be in Jardine, -7- Jardine, Montana �N. Weis CORWIN, MONTANA The Miner, Montana, 15 minute topographic map revealed a number of prospective ghost townsr Miner, Carbella, Sphinx, Cinnabar, Aldridge, and Electric. All had been bypassed by the highway, several had deserted schools indicated, and one town, named Electric, was at the end of a dead-»end road. Of these six possibilities, only two were worth visiting and photographing, but in the process of searching out these sites, I came across a third interesting remnant of early I900 vintage. Corwin(Springs)is located on the highway, but is nontheless deserted. be called a town. Perhaps it should not It was in reality a resort hotel, or spa, complete with hot mineral spring plunge, recreation parlor, and horse bams. Dr. P. E. Corwin built a seventy-two—room, three-»story hotel on the site, and proclaimed the mineral baths a definite aid to healthy living. Special trains left Livingston, Montana, each weeR end, carrying several hundred visitors and patients to the soothing comforts of Corwin Springs, The tracks paralleled Yellowstone River for many miles. Fishermen were given special treatment, A pull on the cord, and the train would stop, and three hundred -8- Corwin, Montana �N. Weis vacationers would wish the angler good luck. The fishermen needed only to flag down the next train for a ride on In to Corwin, or for a return trip to Livingston, The hotel burned to the ground on Thanks­ giving Day, 1917. The plunge Is still there, looking somewhat like a modern fort. Its parapets are empty, the doors are barred, and the pool Is deserted. The horse barns no longer cater to the dudes. There are no gentle equines here. Herds of domestic elk occupy the fields on either side. What a hand­ some steed an elk would make — and what a fantastic ride a dude would takeI 9- Corwln, Montana �N. Weis ALDRIDGE, MONTANA Sometimes nothing goes right. I turned left off Mol Heron Road, crossed the ereek, and stopped at a trailer house to ask for permission and directions to Aldridge. Two rather large dogs took issue with my presence. I rolled up my map, pretended it was a weapon, and bluffed my way through. Yes, I could drive up through the gate if I wished. I would have to walk the last mile — would be better to go on up the main road a mile and a half, then walk cross-country. The gate route sounded best to me, since it led past Aldridge Lake and the cemetery. At the gate I was confronted with a chain looped about the gate and the gate post. It was secured by a railroad spike. After ten minutes of work, I concluded there was no way to get it open, and that the owner had made sure no one could gain access. As I drove out, the dogs barked with a derisive note. Still confident, I pursued the second route, only to find that I had to ford Mol Heron Creek. was high — too high to wade. In an hour the light was failing and I had found no easy crossing. it began to rain. It Then I retreated in four-wheel drive. -10- Aldrldge, Montana �N. Weis Luckily, I had learned of two old-timers lA?k o t used to live in Aldridge, They had a vacation home in the area north of Corwin. It took only minutes to reach the highway and follow it north two miles to Cedar Creek, Rudy and Leo Planishek, brothers, seventy- two and sixty-eight years respectively, offered me their kindest hospitality. We spent a long evening discussing the ghost towns of Aldridge and Electric, Their cabin is on the south bank of Cedar Creek, about three hundred yards east of U,S, Highway 89, They have the finest garden in Montana, Terraced, fertilized, and babied, the vegetables have no choice but to grow, Rudy even lets the stream water warm up in the barrel before he sprays it over the crop something about not wanting to shook the tomatoes. Rudy, the oldest, starts to tell each story. About the time he has warmed up, Leo takes over. Rudy shows a noticeable disappointment, but is soon captured by Leo’s version of the story, and listens raptly to the end. Rudy jumps in with another, better story, only to have the ball stolen again. surely understand one another. The two gentlemen I asked how long they had lived together."Oh — just as long as we've been -11- Aldridge, Montana �N. Weis alive, about sixty-eight years — no, never married — both of us always did the same kind of work — coal mining mostly,* Aldridge was established In 1897, and Leo was bom there In 19OI. Rudy was four years old then, and the two youngsters grew up In one of the toughest coal towns In Montana, The town was divided Into "Happy Hollow," the residential area two partst for the workers, most of whom were single, and^ logically, "Downtown," which was five hundred feet down the hill below. The company kept plenty of men employed by promising to help them bring a bride over from Austria, For $150 you could mall order a woman, but you took One hundred and fifty dollars what you got, or forfeited your money, <as a A hundred days* wages, and the company was happy to put you on a withholding plan. Rudy and Leo have many stories to tell. One of them Involved the kids of Aldridge)^ and a portable whore house, A "traveling maiy with two tents and two women, set up shop at the lower edge of town. started each evening at dark, Leo added. Business "Like a drlve-in movie," The local women referred to the customers as "fence Jumpers," and deplored the situation greatly -12- Aldridge, Montana �N. Weis The kids got together and formed a plan to help solve the problem, A fifteen-gallon beer keg was stolen, filled with water, and aimed downhill at the two tents. It rolled straight and true, right up to the last rock In front of the tent. There It shattered The vigilantes would and slanted harmlessly by. have to try again! The coal mined at Aldridge was sent down hill two miles to the town of Electric, There It was made Into coke that was In turn used by the smelters to the north. An efficient tramway used the weight of the full buckets descending to pull the empty buckets back up the hill. was required. No power other than gravity A personnel-carrying cable car was also operated between the two towns, and was affectionately called the "Toonervllle Trolley," Rudy started work for the coal company In 1910» when he was thirteen years old. He worked for one month as a rock picker, and was looking forward to collecting his first pay. The mine closed Just before pay'day, and Rudy still has not received his moneyI The brothers were very disappointed that I had not [reached the old town^slte. I explained about the gate and the railroad spike, and then listened to the embarrassing tiruth. In the area. It Is a standard gate latch Niggle It just right and It pops open. -13- Aldrldge, Montana �N. Weis It was too late and too muddy to return. Leo said there was only a shack or two left, and loaned me a couple of old pictures of the town. Aldridge may be dead and nearly gone, but it is ever alive in the minds and words of the two fine gentlemen named "Planishek." -14- Aldrldge, Montana �N. Weis BLSGTBIC, MONTANA Founded by the Montana Coal and Coke Company in 1898, Electric was the downhill coking end of the two-town complex of Aldridge and Electric. Coal was originally shuttled dowifhlll to Electric by a wooden flume. Wet coal had to be dried before it could be burned in closed kilns to form coke. The drying process took too long and the flume was inclined to freeze up on cold days. Consequently, in 190?^ the tramway was built, "Old" Charlie Dickson was hired as tram greaser. He rode the tram ten hours a day, greasing the tower wheels on the fly. Each noon he would hop off the bucket onto a convenient tower, climb down and eat his lunch. Shortly, the tramway would shut down for the noon hour. The tram stopped a bit early one day and stranded Charlie over Hoppe Creek, a thousand feet above the water. They say Charlie spent the balance of the day in close contact with a bottle of rye whiskey. At Electric, the coal was loaded on small railroad oars and hauled by a dinky (a small locomotive) to the kilns. There were 25^ kiinr, each hemispherical in shape/ and about twelve feet in diameter. -15- Railroad Electrlc, Montana �N. Weis <30 tracks ran above and^longside each row of kilns. Brick layers, most of them Italians, would break open each oven. After cooling, "pullers" would hook out the coke, load It on the cars. brick up the oven again. The masons would then Another smaller hole would be broken in the top, six tons of coal poured in, and the oven bricked over to seal out the air. Heat from the former batch was enough t© ignite the new charge. Seventy-two hours later the conversion was complete, and the process was repeated. grades were given thirty-six hours. Cheaper The coke was shipped by rail to the massive smelters at Anaconda, Montana. Coke pullers were paid one dollar per oven. A good man could pull throe a day. This did very little for a family’s standard of living. much of the town was a near slum. Consequently, Dotted with sheet *- iron shacks, the working man's residential area was called "Tin Town," The business district was impressive by contrast. A massive company store and saloon proclaimed on its false front in large block letters» MONTANA COAL & COKE TRADING CO. A STORE WITH EVERYTHING IN IT -16- ) Electric, Montsuna �N. Weis Inside, canned goods reached from floor to ceiling. Minor competition came from the Pair & Square Grocery, but the lower prices were little inducement compared to the credit on wages offered by the ^ompany store. There were nearly five hundred workers during the boom years, and the population of Electric was close to two thousand. The town was originally named "Horr," but in 1904’, when an electric plant was Installed, the name was changed to •’Electric.’’ Electric Peak, located a few miles south, and named for its unique ability to attract lightning, may have influenced the naming of the town. In 1910 the mines at Aldridge ran into thin seams and low-grade coal. towns ceased. Company operations at both Aldridge died quickly, but Electric, on the traveled way, lasted considerably longer. Some buildings were moved out, others bunaed down and were never rebuilt, but the town remained a community gathering point until the school closed in 194-5. The town’^lte is now on the Charles and Annie Mikolich property, about two miles south of Corwin on the west side of the river. Of the several hundred original buildings, only the school, the Pair and Square Grocery, a bachelor's cabin, mule bam. -17- Electric, Montana �N. Weis and two strings of charcoal kilns survive. is now a garage. The store The bachelor’s cabin is decorated with antlers, and located in the middle of a corral. It serves as a convenient rubbing post for livestock. The mule bam now shelters riding horses. Sagebrush, as high as your head, covers much of the traces of yesterday’s endeavor. The red-,brlck kilns, stubbornly resisting the attack of time, make a fitting monument to the people who lived in the town of Electric, -18- Electrio, Montana �N. Weis MONTANA AREA 2 This Wit Oentains approximately '55jC10--Wa3?d«» PONY, MONTANA --- § beautiful church, built solidly of hand-trimmed stone blocks. Its steeple lifted a It was an Episcopal Church, sinner's eyes to heaven. built as a memorial to a loved one of that faith. The church had no debts, and parishioners could rest assured no collection plate pressures would be applied. There was just one problem. Very few Episcopalians lived in Pony, and few of them attended. -1 Eventually Pony, Montana �N. Weis the church was sold to the Odd Fellows, who promptly removed the steeple and printed "lOOP" over the door. The church stands In Pony today, as proud and dignified as an elder, watching his top hat blow down the hill. Pony's history Is full of strange stories and even stranger people. Gold was first located by a gent known mainly by his short stature, and his nickname, "Pony," He left town about the same time they named the town after him. Pony sits astride the confluence of Pony Greek and Willow Creek, on the eastern slopes of the Tobacco Root Range. Harrison, Montana, and Highway 28? lie six miles to the northeast. The Harrison, Montana, 15 minute topographic map shows Pony and a number of nearby sites. The setting Is beautiful, the road Is good, and the people are friendly. The original town — about two miles upstream — was called "Strawberry." An outcrop of gold-bearing quartz was found there.*- the vein widening to a generous ten feet at relatively shallow depth. The ore was rich enough to warrant "on the spot" processing. By 1875, two mills were operating two miles below the mine. A store was added and the people of Strawberry drifted In. -2- Pony, Montana^^^^^ �N. Weis In 1877, streets were laid out. Strawberry died as Pony sprang to life. The mines slowly released their riches, and Pony grew. It took twenty years to skim the cream, till only the low grade was left In view. The Boss Tweed and the Clipper mines had totaled more than two million'^In gold. Eventually the mines shut down and people began to leave, but Pony had one more good spurt leftI An eastern syndicate bought the Boss Tweed - Clipper property, and laid great plans for development. One resident claims the mines were shot?* gunned — salted with gold and fired Into the quartz. Whatever the reason. It was I900 and prt^erlty had arrived again. The new company built a massive three- story brick office building about one-half mile west o^^town o£ Pony Willow Creek, and began the construction of a one- hundred- stamp mill I The office Is still there — good as new — but Ino one seems to recall what happened to the mill. It was a great moment In Pony's history. townspeople built a #12,000 -fchool. with stores. The Main ^treet filled Pour fraternal orders vied for members. Three churches tried vainly to counteract the evils of eleven saloons. -3- Pony, Montana �N. Weis The bubble burst when ore tests revealed the truth. Not only was the ore very low grade, but it was of a type that required more than simple crushing and separating. to leave. The developers were quick The original min^owners moved back to town and continued a modest milling operation. By I9I8 the population had dwindled to three hundred, A few mines were still operating, their owners hopeful that the next blast would uncover a lost vein. The banker was still doing business — he would keep your money safe, but offered no interest. The last mine closed in 1922, Nearly a half a century has passed. only a few families live in Pony, site to visit. residents. Now It is a popular The tourists often outnumber the The Morris State Bank, standing alone at the southwest corner of the main intersection, is of particular interest. Two stories high, with full basement, the brick structure shows little sign of deterioration. INFORMATION PROSPECTS mines 9 Gilt lettering on the windows read^i COMMISSIONER NOTARY PUBLIC JAMES A, FLINT Spindle-back chairs and desks are still in place and visible through the windows. -4- Downstairs is a Pony, Montana �N. Weis tonsorial parlor, its bathtub dry and dusty. ’Half a block east, and aoross the street, are two more de­ serted buildings. butcher shop. The wooden structure was once a The cooler is open and empty of ice. A "teller cage" type room was apparently occupied by the bookkeeper. Beside the butcher shop is the Isdell Mercantile, a brick building with high arched windows. Inside, a horse~shoe balcony provides two stories of shelving. Scattered all about are receipts from the years 1910 to 1933. One shipping statement, dated November 11, 1910, was for "Superior Oak Hamess" that was shipped in from Marshal Wells, Duluth, Minnesota. Q - Father west, and across the street, are four more de­ serted buildings. First is the Schriner Building, with a large "Rex Flour" billboard painted on its front. Only the front wall remains standing. Next is the old Hoffer Hardware, and then the Rooming House-Saloon combination. Nearby is a two-story brick multi-purpose fraternal club building. Marshal William B, Landon was well known in the Pony area — not for his law enforcement, but for his strange passion for chiseling rock. He apparently became disenchanted with the neighboring town of Potosi. -5- Pony, Montana �N. Weis Selecting a large boulder beside the road about a mile out of Potosi, he chiseled on It In bold letterst "ONE MILE TO HELL" West of Pony, on the north side of the Strawberry Mill Road, is another of his masterpieces. The rock is opposite the stream, where the stream is closest to the road, and is between the town dump and the cattle guard. The rock is a flat piece of granite, about four by seven feet. On it he has inscribed some strange letters, unlike any in our alphabet — also a maltese cross, his initials, and the date 1921. He confided to friends that it was just a hoax, to make others think it was a secret treasure map. Like the jold lady -that liked blueberry muffins — and save^ up an entire attic full — the old marshal just likeil to carye rock. He even carved his own tombstone, and the town folk buried him beside it. Two ghosts are said to walk the town at night. If true, then the ghost of William B. Landon must assuredly be one of themi -6- Pony, Montana �N. Weis RED BLUFF, MONTANA The Norris, Montana, 15 minute topographic map shows Red Bluff as a town with cemetery, empty buildings, and nearby abandoned mines. The deserted mines were prime indication that Red Bluff would be Inspection showed that Red Bluff had a ghost town. long since passed through the "ghost" stage, and was now in its thiird "reincarnation," Prior to 1864, Red Bluff was a stage stop on the old Bozeman Cu^ff. Located on Hot Springs Greek, at the upper end of a narrow five-mlle canyon, it was a popular place to gulp a bracer before facing the rigors of the road. 1864 a large two-story stone building was built on the north side of the thoroughfare. The number of chimneys indicates that each room had a fire^ place or stove. The structure served as a boarding*" house for miners from 1870 to 1900 or so, then was converted to a residence. Later, it became a hotel. Now it holds the offices of Red Bluff Research Station of Montana State University. The town "died" in 1920, but in its prime it had a bank, many residences, and (reportedly) one thousand citizens. Now only the stone hotel, a mine -7- Red Bluff, Montana �N. Weis tunnel, a few old shaoks and the cemetery are left. The cemetery Is still In use, and well kept. The older section has some Interesting headstones» Joseph Waibank of Kelghly, England Died Age 60 Nov 10 1888 1/ O UIX lUcX T. Jemima X* XPlster X O w wX 1845-190^ Faithful to the End — and this tearful poem on the grave of a little girl Lj'X. . Ere Sin Could Harm or Sorrow Fade Death Came With Friendly Care The Opening Bud To Heaven Conveyed And Bade It Blossom There. Red Bluff had ten great years. From 1870 to 1880 the Boaz mine brought ^200,000 worth of silver and gold to the surface. The Josephine did as well. The Gold Cup, Waterlode, Helene, and Grubstake were all operating multiple shifts. Located two miles south of Red Bluff, the long dormant Boaz Mine was revived briefly In 1941 and 1948. Both times It failed to pay out. Here a flfty» ton cyanide mill once spewed forth Its Vlipcous yellow waste. A dam across a small stream provided still water, permitting the solids to settle out. The dam Is gone, but the solid yellow shelf of sediment remains. -8- Red Bluffjf, Montana �N. Weis At the mine proper, ajfjeautlfully square shaft, about eight feet on a side, extends five hundred feet down^ ward. Side drifts exit at the one hundred sixty—five, two hundred sixty-five, three hundred sixty-five and five hundred foot levels. Poorly mounted on their foundations, the buildings have taken on considerable list. Each has its own personality, the overall effect being that of an amusement park fun house. At the up^ hill end of the mine complex, a large machine shop stands, its walls gone, but the roof providing welcome shade for a dozen white-faced cattle. The mine was run by an engineer with commendable imagination. When electricity came in, the steam boiler was|converted to a hot-water heater, A four-place teeter-tottei^pivoted on a power pole, kept the kids happy. Perhaps it was originally a transformer support, but the curved grooves worn in the center pole could only have been caused by hours of play. Just down the hill adjoining the Boaz, are the shafts of the Peanuts Mine, Several buildings are there, one of them obviously a cookhouse. The stove is gone, but the chimney standsj and Just in front of the chimney, squarely above the stove location, is another Innovation quite ahead of its time. -9- A four- Red Blufff, Montana �N. Weis by-.four cupola, about six feet high, contains screenedIn louvres designed to permit the escape of heat. food must have been good. The Only a good cook deserved such deluxe facilities. -10- Sed Bluff/^, Montana �N. Weis VIRGINIA CITY, MONTANA The Judge agreed^ the place called Alder Creek should have an official name. After the wife of Jeff Davis? But "Varina?" It was 1864, and no northern Judge would certify such a name. He wrote out "Virginia" Instead, and "Virginia City" it became. In one year it was a full-blown town, with hotels, schools, fire department, newspaper, opera house, and hundreds of homes. Buildings were going up at the Incredible rate of one hundred each week, and the population reached the ten thousand mark. It became the capital city in I865. Three-fourths of a mile long, four streets wide — and nearly every lot sold I Money was abundant, and a multitude of crooks moved in to take their share. One bund red ninety murders occurred in seven months. Vigilantes caught up with and hung five suspects, using the conveniently exposed beams of a half-finished store. Another was hung in Nevada City, and a few more, including the ringleader, were dispatched in Bannack. As in an early silent Western, the sheriff of Bannack was found to be the mastermind. His name was "PinmTnar," so the gang, whose members had now fled — or were -11- Vlrginla City, Montana �N. Weis the "Plununer Gang.” dead., was finally given a name — A The Chinese laundry operators catered especially to the miners. Pant pockets were thoroughly scrubbed, and the wash water then panned. The gold recovered often exceeded the fee charged for washing. Oriental laborers moved in on the placers as quickly as the miners deserted them. Soon there were six hundred Chinese panning gold, happy to glean the trace of riches left by the first wave of gold seekers. By 1895, even the Chinese gave up, and the town shrank to six hundred. Pew people lived^^^ar round in A Virginia City after 1920. In 19^6, the town caught the attention of State Senator and millionaire ranchet* Charles Bovey. He made a hobby of restoring the town to its original glory. Some saloons, stores, cafes, and one hotel went back in business, making as few changes as possible, with a code of accurate reconstruction care­ fully Imposed. Some stores were restocked with their original merchandise. The stage office, barbershop, library, and livery were repaired and refurbished. By 1968, the entire town was one big functioning museum. -12- Virglnia City, Montana �N. Weis There was gold in Virginia City again. walked on two legs and was called "tourist." It Happily, the prices were not high and the sights were priceless. It was tnily an experience to walk down Wallace Street, especially in the quiet of early morning. Things changed in I968. Virginia City lost much of its charm when a modern store was built at the edge of town. In front of the store, a gigantic . plywood cowboy now shouts commercialism down the length W4 ''----- x. of luTii Street. The echoes fall painfully upon the ears of those who have tried so hard to preserve the spirit of 186^, -13- Virginia City, Montana �N. Weis NEVADA CITY. MONTANA Five hundred vigilantes gathered aroixnd John "The Hat" Dolan, and draped a noose about his neck. Four thousand citizens watched as the victim was raised, his feet resting precariously on a boaixi held unfirmly by his captors. Dolan admitted the crime, but asked for mercy, as he was drunk at the time. The board tilted, and "The Hat" died quickly. The crowd, sympathetic toward the victim, surged forward, but the sound of five hundred revolvers being cooked changed their collective mind. They retreated in haste. That was Nevada City, Montana, in 186^^. The same year, eighteen hundred citizens voted in the town’s first election. Bom of the same boom that spawned Virginia City, and located a short two miles to the west, Nevada City was destined to a lively but abr|evlated existence. Seventy million in gold was panned in the vicinity. The extraction took only four years, and when the gold was gone, most of the population drifted to richer deposits. Much of the town was left vacant. The remaining citizens used many of the unoccupied buildings for firewood. The Adelphi Hall, Masonic Temple, the hotel, and even the Star Bakery and Saloon -14- Nevada City, Montana �N, Weis went up in smoke. The latter had advertised* "An honest loaf ... and something to wash it down," Charles Bovey, who headed the restoration of Virginia City, also instigated the reconstruction of Nevada City. The aim here was quite different. buildings are original structures. Pew of the Some have been moved in, others have been built from scratch to resemble the original. The contents of these buildings are not intended to be authentic. One holds a collection of old mechanical bands. A quarter in the slot will give you all the noise you want. Although no train ever passed through the town, the collection of memopslAlla assembled here Includes a number of old steam engines, coaches, and mi Ted rolling stock. One of the few remaining two-story outhouses is attached to the rear of the hotel. not a working model. The outhouse is It is a rather crude reconstruc­ tion of the real thing. This type of annex was usually built with an offset so that deposits made at the upper level would pass behind the occupant at the ground level The first visit to the lower floor during multiple use was claimed to be a harrowing experience. -15- Nevada City, Montana �N. Weis RUBY, MONTANA The gold bars had been poured especially They fitted tightly into the pockets shallow. attached t© the heavy leather harness. Built like -------------- &r a double-breasted Sam Brown^belt, the should straps accepted and distributed the weight of the heavy metal. The suit vest was put on next, and tightly buttoned. A hide/-away gun was strapped on. After donning coat and hat, the messenger stepped into the sun, mounted his horse and rode out of the town of Ruby. The carrier was one of the owners of the Cbnrey Placer Mining Company. Millions of dollars in gold were delivered to the nearest bank by "gold vest courier" without a single rtfbbery attemptedI Nearly ten million dollars in gold dredged here. A drastic turnabout for a small community that began as a poor farm. The Gonrey Placer Mining Company was formed soonYafter geologist N, S. Shaler determined the extent of gold in the gravel beds of Alder Creek. He and Gordon McKay of Boston purchased the Conrey Ranch and proceeded to lay plans for deep dredging. The miners of 1864 had worked the area over, and later the Chinese reworked it. -16- Observers had little Ruby, Montana �hopes for the third effort, but it paid off handsomely. Harvard University shared in the profits when the McKay estate was settled. The brick building that was the poor-farm hospital became the company office. Most of the paupers’ shacks — one-room chinked lo|g structures with sod roofs — became quarters for employees. The power house, where twelve water-cooled transformers once hummed twenty-four hours a day, was later converted to a bam, A three-story, ten-room hotel-boardlng'v house was built, three saloons sprang up, and a butcher moved to town and opened shop. There were two general stores, a post office, dance hall, and a three-room schoolhouse. The population held steady at five hundred from I900 to 1922, Since that time, a number of fires have destroyed some buildings, but the mining office, hotel, stable, a pauper’s cabin, powerhouse, retort building, and several residences are standing quite undisturbed. The retort building, with its furnace and vault, is preserved intact. Ingot molds, lifting tongs, ovens, mercury bottles, overhead tracks, and even a burgler alarm button can still be found Inside, The walk-in vault, built of concrete walls thirty Inches thick, holds a mixed -17- Ruby, Montana �N. Weis bag of valuables. Just above the potatoes (it doesn’t freeze inside the vault), is a delicate weighing balance and a set of brass scale weights. One weight is marked -120UZ - TROY," and is a one-^pound weight measured in the Troy system. still there. The hideaway gun is Also the leather harness used to secure For bigger and bolder shipments, the hidden gold bars. a pair of saddle bags were employed, capable of holding a full—sized ingot on each side. The original equip­ ment and the old company buildings are owned and carefully preserved by Lowell Gilman. Lowell’s father was company superintendent when the effort was abandoned, Somewhere between eight and ten million dollars'* worth of gold and platinum were melted and poured into ingots. That represents nearly seven tons of precious metal. Standard ingots weighed sixty to eighty pounds and were a bit larger than a brick. Hideaway bars weighed about one-fourth as much, and were about the size of a bar of soap. The first dredge, or gold boat, was named the "Maggie A, Gibson." It operated for five years, gulping twenty cords of wood each day. The gravel reserves seemed endless, and a succession of dredges -18- Ruby, Montana �N. Weis wace built, each one larger and more voracious in appetite for gravel than its predecessor. Electric power was avilable in I906, and A new plans were drawn for a mammoth "all electrical" machine. It was to be larger than any other dredge in existence. Building a dredge was a complex operation. First, horses and drag lines were employed to dig a dry pond. Timbers were laid out at the deepest point, As soon as the joints and the planking bolted on. were packed with oakum, water was admitted to the pond. Complete with superstructure and machinery, the monster had a weight of 4,070,000 pounds. It required thirty-three car~ioads of lumber and fortytwo car'l.oads of machinery. It could pump twelve thousand gallons of water and dig three hundred^hirty cubic feet of gravel per minute. The buckets were linked into an endless chain, connected with link pins eight inches in diameter. feet deep. The dredge could dig fifty It wandered along in a zigzag manner, digging a swath three hundred feet wide, moving ten thousand cubic yards per day. It could make a profit on just ^cents'worth of gold per cubic yard I Eight men ran the dredge, while two others drilled test holes -19- Huby, Montana �N. Weis to determine the most profitable directionfbr the dredge to take. The dredges ate up, digested^and redeposited more than a square mile of land. The location and extent of operations are clearly shown on the Alder, Montana, minute topographic map. The dredged stream no longer knows its own bed. Each spring it finds a new path. Each dredge had carried its own pond with it as it slowly toured the basin, and the ponds that remain mark the scenes of their final efforts. Amid the cattails can be found the bone^ like remains of the long dead behemoths that laid this land in ugly waste. slow, but ever sure. Nature's retaliation is Wind/blown soil, trapped in the rocky windrows permits a few plants to gain a foothold. Quickly measured by nature’s clock, the banks of Alder Creek will again become green, and flowers will once more spark the meadows with color. -20- Ruby, Montana �t N. Weis MONTANA AREA 3 6of -9) Ooiitnlna auMriaxlrnfttel.r 32.Q0~W£H?'4g-. GABLE, MONTANA A '~'Ma^s generally a big help, but at Cable, the cartographic aid was a complete bust, I was using Z-" , the 1908 edition (revised^ 19'^9) of the Phillipsburg, Montana, 30 minute topographic map. It failed to show the new roads (that is to be expected), but it showed some roads that did not exist, and located others erroneously. Cable wasn’t hard to find, but attempts Cable, Montana �N. Weis to pass through to Southern Cross (another ghost town) resulted. In my becoming hopelessly confused. I was about to pass by the mill at Cable for the fourth time| when I decided to give up, concentrate on Cable, and perhaps find Southern Cross the next day via some other more understandable route, I grabbed my cameras, slammed the door and started walking up the deserted gravel road, kicking at loose rocks along the way. away with My frustrations lessened as I banged creasing vigor. The trajectories were improving and I was beginning to take rather loud vocal pride in my work. That’s when I looked up, A man was standing by the mine entrance — staring at me, I approached, considerably embarrassed, ”You lost? Saw you go by three times." "No," I answered, "but I sure can’t find Southern Cross," He was a kind man, hardly grinned at all. He gave me all the right instructions, but I was so red-faced and confused that nothing made sense. Although Cable is not one of my favorite sites, it does have an undeniable ghostliness. On the west side of Cable Creek there are three very old cabins, complete with split log steps — nicely -2- Cable, Montana �N. Weis smoothed and firmly placed. The cabins show a recent (1930 or so) renovation with interior paneling and modem fixtures. More recently, the Inevitable vandalism has taken its toll.'^Next to the cabins, on the downhill side, is a huge bam. A cupulo-birdhouse-”^ lightning rod combination rides the ridge. More acco- modations for birds — probably martins — are spread across the front of the barn. With perching shelves on the outside and boxed-in houses extending through to the inside, nothing^it seemed^was too good for the feathered friends. Outside of ^itronella and fly^ swatters, birds were the most effective means of mosquito control. *^Inside the barn, a flight of steps with a smoothly worn handrail leads to the hay-loft and grain blns. On the main floor are stalls for draft animals. The basement level has more stalls^ and provisions for other animals such as cows, pigs, goats^and chickens, , The huge mill is across the creek and up the hill a few hundred yards. In a shaky state of repair, it groans in the wind, shedding a few of its remaining shingles with each gust. of ore passed through this mill. -3- Thousands of tons Large mine dumps Cable, Montana �N. Weis Indicate extensive working underground. Gold at Gable was discovered quite by­ accident, A deep shaft was being dug to intercept a suspected vein at considerable depth. One comer of the shaft nicked a gold-rich quartz vein at very- shallow depth. Subsequent filing of claims failed to bring the expected stampede, due perhaps to a number of previous false alarms, A year later, in 1868, the forty-ton mill was built and the Atlantic Cable Lode began to pay off, A severe cave-ln caused a temporary shutdown in I869, A second strike in 1873 revived the failing community, but it, too, found the end of the vein. In I878, the town dwindled to a population A thlid strike brought in a boom that lasted z' from 1883 to 1891 and netted three million in gold, of one, after high-grading, A number of former employees — it has been reported — suddenly bought fine homes and fancy horses. Reopened in 1902, the mining efforts were expanded to three shifts in I906, then faded slowly. All work ceased in 19^0, Now, in 1969» the new owner has sent a mining engineer out to inspect and evaluate the remaining ore deposits. The engineer has found that all manner of Gable, Montana <r �N. Weis strange people visit the site. Including odd characters, carrying cameras, kick gravel and talk to themselves. -5- Cable, Montana �N. Weis RED LION, MONTANA Sometimes It Is fun to enter a ghost town with no prior knowledge. Then, after a careful Inspection, compare one’s findings with the reports of others. At Red Lion there Is no choice, since very little has been written on this community, A few bare facts are available. One of the two mills at the site was built In I890 and was horribly Inefficient, The Hanna tunnel was deep, and Its ores were rich In gold, Iron, and copper. A tramway, nearly a mile long, was built In I906, at which time two hundred men worked at the mine-mill complex. The camp Is about seven miles northeast of Georgetown, accessible by a well-signed gravel road and well Indicated on the same Phillipsburg map used to locate Gable. To the right of the road, where It crosses Flint Creek, there are a number of broken-'* down log shacks and a few rock foundations. Red Lion. This Is At first It looks like seven wasted miles, but close Inspection reveals some Intriguing details, A tunnel Is visible to the right (or south) of the cabins, and water pours from It. The flow Is considerable, causing Flint Creek — when joined -6- Red Lion, Montana �N. Weis to double in size. This Is probably the seven~hundred-*- foot-deep Hanna tunnel. A king-size pump must have been used to keep It de-watered. The cabins at the center of camp are largely collapsed. The ground is soggy all about, not con­ ducive to permanent construction. One building shows the remains of hearth and anvil bases, and was probably a blacksmith shop. Another seems to have been a dance hall or saloon, and a third building, equipped with shelves, was likely a mercantile. The mill and tramway are now merely leveled mounds of wood and bent metal. Just up Flint Creek from the mlll'^site is an old log cabin. Old as far as age is concerned, but brand-Jiew in design. Dozens of modem trl-level homes use the same floor plan. Sagging four ways from square, its corner lock joints feel the strain and slowly readjust. stout seldom collapse. Buildings this They just ease their way down like a tired old man making ready for bed. Near the tri-level cabin is a marvelous old two-story boardlng‘3iouse, its outside stairway connecting with an elevated boardwalk. Braced with timbers, the broad eaves still protect the walkways -7- Red Lion, Montana �N. Weis from rain and snow. The second floor was divided into bunk rooms and since there were no chimneys, one might assume they were xuiheated. At 7300 feet altitude, the winters can get mighty frosty. The kitchen downstairs was probably the winter social center, A thorough search of the buildings revealed no receipts, newspapers, or other records that might give further clues to the history of Red Lion. Somewhere there is an old-timer who knows all about the place and can string a hundred stories together in a way that would bring momentary life to this old ,,camp. -8- Red Lion, Montana �N, Weis TQWBR, MONTANA Roads emanate from Phillipsburg like the arms of a nervous octopus. The Phillipsburg, Montana, 30 minute topographic map is great for selecting sites to visit, but of little value in determining which road to take. If you can find the gravel road past the hospital and substation in southeast Phillipsburg, follow it south, then east, remaining on the main road for two miles, you might reach Tower, The steep winding road overlooks Phillipsburg for the first mile, then heads up the valley. Shortly you pass between a deserted mine and mill, probably the Speckled Trout, then head straight for a yellow mine dump. this poln^ the road splits. At The right-hand route curls around and climbs to the True Fissure mine. The left route takes you up the main street of Tower. Main Street is the only street in town. In moments you have passed several dozen cabins that make up the town of Tower, and are at the Chicago mine. Recently active, it remains complete with stage, cable, hoist, and bucket. On the left, heading back into town, is a fine old house that sports a three-sided angle bay window. Now weathered to a paintless gray, boards ~9- Tower, Montana �N. Weis warped and decayed, it still retains the suggestion of past beauty. ft Farther down the street is an old store, false-»frented and log-sided. Once used as a garage, it now lies open and deserted. It is very quiet here. Not a soul is in town, yet there are signs of occupancy, A sign on one door warns someone not to swipe anything since Another cabin has a he was seen the fird: time. number of dynamite fuses, already capped, hanging by the screen door. Behind one house is an old mine tunnel, fitted with a heavy wooden door. Cold air billows forth when it is opened, indicating that it might be used for cold storage. Tower never was a big town. Built originally to accommodate mill workers, it struggled along, imitating the boom and bust of nearby Phillipsburg. The first well-known mine was the "Speckled Trout," discovered in about 1870. A mill was built in 1875, and a boarding house constructed to accommodate its workers. Later, the Algor^uln Mine, rich in silver, was developed just south of the "Trout," Charlemagne Tower, for whom the town was named, was one of the prime investors in the early mines. -10- During World War I Tower, Montana �N, Weis manganese was found here. The military demand was quickly filled, and mining of manganese dropped off until other uses of the metal could be found. By 19^0, it was in demand once more, particularly as an ingredient necessary to the manufacture of Improved The True Fissure mine went back into dry cells. production and is still in operation. While I had walked through Tower observing its quiet scenery, deep below my feet there was Men of the True Fissure were mucking a activity. gooey gray mass of ore,|shoveling it into ore cars, and trundling the cars to the shaft for hoisting. I learned of the operation from the hoisting engineer. The shaft house is located high on the hill above town. Inside, the engineer sits with control levers and gigantic drums of cable in front of him. Through the window he could see the top of the shaft. On a two-<foot-diameter dial, he could read the stage location. At the moment, he was slowing the stage for a stop at the one-thousand-^ foot level. He could bring it close, but for exact matching of levels he relied on signals from below. The bell dinged, and he lowered the stage a few inches. Later, after another series of signals, he -11- �N. Weis started the stage up, with two tons of ore on board. At eight hundred feet per minute, the load was quickly topside, and being pushed to a point just over the bed of a dump truck. The unloader tripped each car in turn so that it spilled into the vehicle. ^Later I visited the smithy. He told me of his work, stressing the fact that the mine had a water problem requiring one thousand gallons a minute^be pumped out, day and night. That, along with occasional mechanical breakdowns, kept him busy. Tower is a different sort of ghost town — deserted, but with activity far below^ and high above on the hill. There is no noise except the periodic clang ojJ^ore cars being dumped. The modem mining of manganese is but a faint echo of yesterday’s exciting pursuit of silver and gold, -12- Tower, Montana �N. Weis GRANITE, MONTANA The Queen Cltyl World I The Silver Capital of the Each month a quarter million dollars'worth of silver was tom from the earth. The rich ores poured out of the Granite and Bi-Metallic shafts at an increasing rate. Thirty million in silver in ten years — then came the crasht August 1, 1893, was a sad day in Granite. Orders came that day to shut down the mine. Within hours the road to Phillipsburg was filled^ as thousands fled down the hill. Jobs might still be open in Philj(.ipsburg, and each man wanted to be first in line. Six hundred hardy souls remained behind to enjoy the hollow luxuries of Granite, the fastest dying ghost town in the west. There had been luxuries in Granite, for Granite had been a fancy town. The three-story Miners Union Hall would be quiet now, its springy maple dance floor no longer pulsing to the rhythm of happy feet. The staff of doctors would have few patients in the overlarge company hospital. A few shift bosses might use the heated plunge, but the laughter of hardworking men would not be there. The four church congregations were confronted by bewildered parsons. -13- The hotel and Grani t e, Montana �roller rink closed the first week. Eighteen saloons They closed not one by one — did little business. more like four by four. Nourished by a few retired miners and the skeleton crew at the mine, the town of Granite hybernated In hopes that rising silver prices might sometime warm It once again to life. The map used for Gable, Tower, and Red Lion, also covers the Granite area. confusing. Again the roads are Leave Phillipsburg as If heading for Tower, but make an abrupt right turn before passing the last five or six houses. The road crosses the railroad twice then forks to the right and proceeds upTilll. Although serpentine, the four-mlle road to Granite Is easily managed by ordinary passenger vehicle. On the right, as you enter Granite, there Is an old house surrounded by a rickety picket fence. Not long ago Its resident Installed a television set. The antenna still perches atop the roof — totally Incongruous with the structure beneath. In this house lived the "grand old lady of Granite," the last resident. She died In I968, A narrow gravel road to the left leads to the main part of town. On the right Is the two-story hospital. Its covered porch half gone, the chimney -1^- Granlte, Montana �N. Weis falling down, and the shingles all but gone. Shortly, a left turn leads to the old Miners Union Hall a magnificent remnant I It stands alone and lonely. Intact in front. In complete shambles at the rear. Vandals have broken the windows and stolen the fixtures. To the east are a number of old residences. walk-In coolers dug into the hill behind. A few have Some miners started with a rock-walled, sod-roofed dugout, and graduated later into "sawed board" homes, and used the sod house for storage. Most of the wooden structures are now gone, but many rock soddies remain. Pljrther up the hill and to the right are, in order, an old brick bank vault, the rock company house, and several broken-down "houses of ill fame," street was named "Silk Stocking Row." The The close proximity of the two enterprises would indicate that the company condoned and controlled this facet of evening entertainment. Granite was most thoroughly a "Company Town." Located just above, and overlooking town, are the extensive stone foundations of the old Granite Mill. Like hornets’ nests, coke ovens nestle in the rock lean foundations. Burned timbers^atand aslant, their fireblackened metal fittings standing out prominently. -15- Granlte, Montana �N. Weis A shiny corrugated metal building stands in the tiny basin where once the famous "Granite and Bi-Metallic" shafts poured forth their wealth. Inside, the hoist engineer waits for the signal to raise the stage. There are men below checking every stope and drift. The shaft has been cleared to eighteen hundred feet, and there are plans to go down another seven hundred feet. The new owners, Bi-Metallic of Heccla, are well acquainted with the mine’s past production, and are gambling that "there’s more where that came from." -16- Gran1te, Montana �N. Weis KIRKVILLE (CLARK), MONTANA Pew people visit Kirkville, I would have passed it by, had it not been for the cherished (and dog-eared by now) Phillipsburg, Montana, 30 minute topographic map. It clearly shows a double railroad spur, a number of buildings, and a flume — all indications of a community that was once a going concern. Situated one mile south of Philjtipsburg, the town of Kirkville is easily located — just follow the railroad tracks to the large twin chimneys. The road dead-ends at the vacant two-story brick office building of the Bi-Metallic Mining Company. The adjacent mill was built in 1888 to handle the ores from Granite. A two-mlle tramway brought ore down in quarter-ton lots and returned wood and coal to Granite. Originally a fifty-stamp mill, it was quickly enlarged to one hundred stamps capable of handling two hundred tons of ore per day. The mill was gigantic — eight levels, one hundred^fifty feet widej| and nearly four hundred feet long. It required five hundred employees to operate. The ores were crushed in beds of mercury — the stamps splashing the expensive amalgamating agent freely on*~'to -17- Kirkville, Montana �N. Weis the floor. Five hundred employees made quite a town. Bachelors lived in the many rooming houses. Families built residences just east of the mill. A number of workers lived in Phil^Jipsburg, but in spite of this, Kirkville was the third largest town in theTarea. Sometime after 1908, the town was renamed "Clark," but by then activities had largely ceased. In 1967 the mill burned to the ground. During the intervening years, most of the residences have burned or been moved, yet there is much left to see in Kirkville I ' " Beside the tracks are several large machine shops and warehouses full of ore cars, track, ore buckets, stages, and all manner of spare parts. Strung on down the line are the assay office and pouring room. Both are complete, minus only the smaller movable equipment. The pouring room has large kilns, ladles, scales, and a steel-doored walk-in vault with numerous hefty shelves. Heavy bars of silver once rested here, row upon valuable row. A few yards fftrther, at the burned-over mill, "second effort" mining is going on. operation. It is a two-man One man digs out the earth from under the -18- Kirkvllle , Montana �N. Weis old amalgamator stamps and dumps it into a hopper. The second man feeds the earth into a rotary washer where the coarse material drops out. The fine sediments zl^sag their way down a long wooden sluice, or ^ong ^om, leaving shiny droplets of mercury in each crevice. When mercury shows up at the bottom of the sluice, it is time to shut down and clean up. The sloppy tecnhlques of 1890 are paying off today. Across the tracks are the old carpenter and blacksmith shops, A long wooden flume runs behind the In front are extensive tailing ponds. buildings. Half buried in the sediments are an outhouse, collapsed shed, and several wagon wheels. As in an old travelogue, the setting sun casts a glow upon the face of the burned-over mill. Shortly the darkening skies were dimly relit as the moon rose, heavily shrouded with clouds. of 1890 seemed to return. The grandeur The mill looked whole again. The moon, the towering chimneys, the threatening skies, all combined to create a mood not easily shrugged. not welcome. Suddenly it seemed that visitors were Another moment, and the past must be forgotten — the present rejoined. -19- Kirkville 4 fff S>nk-. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Norman Weis Manuscripts Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1971-1987 Description An account of the resource A collection of manuscripts by Casper College professor Norman Weis. <br /><br />This collection includes manuscripts of:<br /><em>Ghost Towns of the Northwest: Known and Unknown<br />The Starduster<br />Two-Story Outhouse<br />Helldorados<br /></em><br />Each manuscript contains written in edits by Norman Weis Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Norman Weis Language A language of the resource ENG Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Norm Weiss Manuscripts and Photographs, CCA 10.2003.01 WyCaC US. Casper College Archives and Special Collections. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Searchable PDF Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CCA 10.2003.01_Weis_Manuscripts Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Manuscript Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource <em>Ghost Towns of the Northwest: Known and Unknown</em> Montana Draft Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <div class="element-text five columns omega"> <p><a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a></p> </div> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1971 Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Norman Weis Language A language of the resource ENG Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Norm Weiss Manuscripts and Photographs, CCA 10.2003.01 WyCaC US. Casper College Archives and Special Collections. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CCA 10.2003.01_Weis_GhostTowns_DraftManuscript_Mont Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Searchable PDF https://caspercollege.cvlcollections.org/files/original/3d2cc67b434470e851468c11219c69aa.pdf 3285eb1d464b5e6f65365bd6315334f5 PDF Text Text HELLDORADOS �other Books by the Author; *1 All About Grizzly Bears All About the White-Tailed. Deer Ghost Towns of the Northwest �Helldorados, Ghosts and Gamps of the Old Southwest by Norman D. Weis Photographs and. Maps by the Author The CAXTON PRINTERS, Ltd. Caldwell, Idaho 85605 1975 7 �© 1975 by The Caxton Printers, Ltd Caldwell, Idaho International Standard Book Niamber 0-00000-000-0 ’ Library of Congress Catalog Card No. 00 006000 O'- - -2 ^^3 - Lithographed and bound in the United States of America by The CAXTON PRINTERS, Ltd. Caldwell, Idaho 85605 000000 �Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data “o3, ghosts, and camps of the old South west. towns, Ruined, extinct, etc.-q(-3(-ps 2 Mines and mining--■3 outhSouthwestern . Southwestern States — western States-History. > History, Local. I1 75-85117 ISBN O-87OOU-2b-5“2 ��J CONTENTS Page oo Preface . Introduction ..................................... oo Py?T I — CALIFORNIA ■^ea 1 Cerro Gordo 00 Swansea 00 Barwin 00 Area 2 Hart ••••••••• 00 00 Barnwell Sagamore Mine Camp ..... 00 Area 3, Garlock 00 Atolia 00 . 00 ....... 00 Coolgardie Camp Area 4 Masonic Bodxe . • . 00 ..... Area Columbia 00 Fourth Crossing 00 Volcano French Corral ....... 00 ...... 00 �2-2-2 Conteixts Page yi PART II — ARIZONA Area 1 Silver King.......................................................................... 00 Sonora ......... 00 Area 2 Oleator 00 Crown King 00 ........ 00 . 00 ,,,,,, 00 ......... 00 Oro Selle Jerome............................................. Stanton ... Weaver . . Octave................................................................................... 00 Area 5 ........ 00 ......... 00 Goldroad Oatman Mineral Park................................................................. 00 White Hills . 00 PART III — NEVADA Area 1 Bullfrog.......................................................................... 00 Rhyolite ........ 00 Gold Point.......................................................................... 00 Lida ......... 00 7 �5-5-3 Content; Page Area 2 .............................................. . . 00 Belmont ....... . . 00 Ione....................................................... . . 00 . . . 00 .... . . 00 ..... . . 00 .............................................. . . 00 ..... . . 00 . . 00 ..................................... . . 00 Shermantown ...... . . 00 . . 00 Manhattan Berlin............................................. Illinois Mine Camp Area 3 Virginia City Gold Hill Area 4 Monte Cristo Hamilton Treasure City PART IV ~ ISEtf MEXICO ^ea 1 Gardiner Dawson ...... .................................................... 00 Colfax......... 00 Area 2 Cerrillos .......................................................................... 00 Madrid................................................................................... 00 Area 3 Mongo lion QO Shakespeare................................................................. 00 Valedon ......... 00 �4-4-4 y Page PART V ~ COLORADO Area 1 ....... 00 ......... 00 ••..... 00 HoWardsville Eureka Animas Porks Area 2 Irwin................................................................................... 00 Gothic City.......................................................................... 00 Area 5 St. Elmo.......................................................................... 00 00 Turret............................................. Calumet...................................................... . 00 Wolf................................................................................... 00 MT VI ~ UTAH Area1- . Spring Canyon Standardville Latuda, Rains, 00 ....... 00 ..... 00 Mutual A^a 2 Prisco.............................................................. 00 Cisco.........................................................................00 Bibliography ............................................................... Index ........... 00 00 �PRSPACB old. Truth springs easily from the young and the very The X^id-^mer has outlived his Inhibitions, and the younorster has yet to feel the need of precaution. Their frank assessments and blunt statements are refreshing In a time when studied obscurity Is often the rule. Old-jrlmers and youngsters have played an Important part In this book. Without them much wisdom, humor, and his*?* Si tory would be missing. To them I owe my greatest debt. In the process of visiting, photographlngy^and gathering Information on the several hundred sites from which material for this book was selected, much help was offered by strangers that I now count as friends. As the text was assembled, valued assistance was rendered by a number of talented Individuals. To the following, I would like to tender my warmest thanks» Mike Herblson, Head of Libraries, University of Colorado^gampuo Colorado Springs, whose objective criticisms have always been valued: My wife. Jay, who has typed each of these nearly 60,000 words at least four times: Senator Gale McGee of Wyoming, for assisting In the procurement of maps both current and historical: �Darwin Fetters of Nipton, California, C. P. Thorpe of Cordes Junction, Arizona, and John Strahan of Ouray, Colo-* radc^for taking the time to pour over a multitude of mapsj Grace Middleton of Silver King, Arizona, Just for being Grace Middleton; Slim Riffle of Red Mountain, California, who burned his steak while telling me about old Atolia; C. 0. Carlson and Olive Hunt, who loaded me down with ore samples and fossils; Yancy Perea and Gene Vick, the twelve:yearcold sages from Los Cerrlllos; And my very special thanks to the >31d:J^imer from the Mayer, Arizona^area who insisted that he remain "unanimous. His tales were grand, and with a little scrubbing I was able to include most of them. Assuredly I will honor his request ~ his identity will always remain "consequential" with me. �_2E7 INTRODUCTION It may have been a wild and woo^y >ti^ldorado, mining a desolate a|y(» camp high above timberline, or a stubborn community of farmers joined In an Improbable endeavor. Whatever the nature of the town, its reason & for exlst^yice evaporated. It may have been the collapse of overblown stocks, pinchedrout veins, or the realization that the extremes of nature were beyond domestication. In 2^ any event, the citizenry vacatedif not entirely, at least to an overwhelming degree. With the passage of time, the reason for the town’s existenceand the cause of its demise may have be/^ come clouded. The longrdeserted remains of once;active 3 towns become a fe^lnating challenge to anyone possessing a modicum of curiosity. Some deductions are easy. Square nails gave way to machines made round nails in 1885, therefore an old hotel with square nails was probably built before 1885. Tin cans with hands-soldered dots centered in the tops were last made in 1915^ ergo, a roundxnailed shack with soldersdot cans strewn about was built after 18853 and probably deserted prior to 1915. Cl)^- <^^*1 �Generally, local museums and libraries can pro-^^ vide a reasonably complete history of the deserted towns in a given area. However, in the case of the littlerknown site, little of worth can be found in the existing lltera/^ ture. Occasionally an ;3id=ia^mer can be sought out, but some towns (like Wolf, Colorado'^ defy complete deduction's and permit only a speculative history to be drawn. Researching the little-known site, however, is easy compared to the original determination of its existence and location. Much of my effort was directed toward that end. To find an unknown site by direct ground search of an area might take a lifetime. By air easierTstut prohibitively exnenslve. be to scan a few thousand maps. the job would be A third method would The last option is at pre^ sent the only one available to me, although I am working on a means of making economical air search possible. geological The United States has carried out a survey for nearly one hundred years. Maps of the west have been drawn in great detail^ and published for general use since 1896. The first places to be mapped were the population centers and the mineralized areas. The latter show a great number of mining towns and camps, most of which were short =lived. Frequently^ two maps of the same area, but of different �dates, will reveal the sudden shrinkage indicative of a newly deserted town. Sven with just one map available^ a number of likely "unknowns" can be pinpointed by scanV' ning carefully for mine shafts, tunnels, dead=end railroads, and unoccupied buildings. Topographic maps that show the ground surface and cultural development in sufficient deV^ tail for such study are available from the United States Department of the Interior, Geological Survey, Denver Federal Center, Denver, Colorado, 80225. The Howardsvilie, ColoradOa?! minute topographic map, scaled 1 to 24,000 (that’s about three inches to the mileshows the ground surface in extreme detail. A section of that map is reproduced here. Howardsville (A), at the upper left corner, shows an aerial tramway connecting an empty rectangle in town with another rectangle half a mile up the hill. The tramway is labeled^ "abandoned^^ which Indicates that the mine above and the mill below are probably very old. leading to the mine A trail shown invites *§nisite"^inspection. The Pride of the West Mill is shown in black and appears to be operating^ however, the map is dated 1955. and the mill mlght have closed down in the interim. A search of the literature showj^ that Howardsville was a rather well know/» but small ghost town with one mill still operating. shut down. Obviously the Pride of the West’ had not Howardsville was selected as a site worth �visiting, primarily due to the number of old mine camps evident on the map. Any one of them could be a worthwhile^ little^known site. On visitation, the old mill at Howardsville was found to ^e a marvel worth several rolls of film. The mine and mill complex at (B) and (C) turned out to be a disappoint^ ment. The mill was completely gone, and little evidence of the Old Hundred Mine could be discerned with field glasses. An early summer snow prevented my visiting (3), the Gary Owen Mine, and (D), the unnamed mine on Rein Gulch. The four buildings and six tunnels, all in a cluster, still Intrigue me. I will hike up there some summer day, and while I’m at it, I’ll visit the Buffalo Mine (P), and perhaps circle about so as to take the pack trail, (J), back to the road. The pack trail and the road were part of the original route into the area. That route came up the headwaters of the Rio Grande River, then topped over Stony Pass, on down Stony Gulch, to Howardsville. The Little Fanney Mine, (H), clings to the hillside, making a sreat photograph for those owning a long lens. The Highland Mary Mine, (K), was once a town of the same name, I had great hopes that this site would hold a number of buildings but found only foundations. Glassing the hillside showed that item (G), The Shenandoah, was not worth a 2,000-foot thou8a^^^™^®e«^ climb. All in all, the area was a bust, except for Howardsville and the Little Fanney, �My map analysis of the six southwestern states haed. revealed nearly a thousand possible "unknowns." A search of existing literature showed the great majority to be, in fact, rather well known. Of the remaining two hundred or so, less than one in ten proved worthwhile. Many were wiped out. Others had been reactivated. The topocrraphic maps most commonly used in this type of research are the 7l minute/n inch to the mlle^ and the 15 mlnutenl inch to the milek The designation of 7| minute or 15 minute refers to the ancles of latitude and longitude included on the map. Of course there are 60 minutes to a decree, and 360 degrees make a great circle of the earth. The important thing to remember is that the 7i minute map^ shows^only one-fourth the area of a 15 minute mapbut shows^it in four times the detail. Although the Paradise Peak, Nevada, 15 minute map is of lesser detail than the Howardsville 7^ minute map, it contained more in the way of possible "unknown" sites. The portion of the map reproduced here includes the area from Gabbs, Nevada, at the southwest, to Lodi Tank at the -Northeast Items (A) and (B) represent towns supposedly still active ~ active as of 1948, the date on the map. The towns, however, might have bo^m» deserted in the past 25 years. Item (C), Downeyville, was listed as a site, meaning it was a deserted town twenty-five years ago. No buildings are shown �but more than twenty shafts indicated. and numerous prospects are Items (D), (S), and (P) looked promi si ng pecially (P), the Illinois Mine Camp. Pour empty squares and eight solid squares indicated that the camp consisted of (1^ buildings,of which were residential in nature. top of that, the mine was labeled "inactive/' On It looked like a good prospect, provided it had not been totally destroyed or reactivated since 19^8. When I visted the Gabbs area I found Brucite, (A), to be part of a large^ opens pit mine. (B), The Sierra Magnesite Gamp, was nothing but concrete slabs. At Downe;^ > Ville, (C), there was nothing. 1^ The Victory Tunarsten Mine, (D), was a small mine still operating. Lodi, (S), once quite a town, was now just one small water tank. But (P), The Illinois Mine Camp, was Indeed a find. Only a few of the dozen buildings were standing, but the remains at the site posed an interesting puzzle, ultimately pieced together by/search of the groundi and Nevada subsequent visits with Informed people at Gabbs, The|i^State Archives eventually provided a small additional amount of information, mostly about the old town of Lodi. Of the six^ teen possible unknowns on the two maps, only one had proved to be virgin of print and worthy of a day's research. Compared to the difficulties encountered in locating the wbrthwhile site, recording the remains on film was simple provided the elements were cooperative. I made it a practice �to spend the night in most of the deserted communities, in order to have the advantage of evening and morning light. Bleached boards respond well to black*andswhite photography^ provided the light plays across the surface — ■— to accent the grain and warp of the wood. Sometimes an hour’s wait, or a return for a last shot from a particular angle^made an ordinary scene into something spectacular. Staying overnight also permitted experimenting with time exposures by moonlight. Interesting and surprising results can be obtained if time and ^llm are spent freely. During my 7,000«mlle tour of the Southwest, more than 300 rolls of film were exposed, copious notes were taken, and a great number of oldctimers, nears olds timers, youngsters, and former residents were interviewed. Most folk were willing to visit*, however, some required a bit of cajoling. My inteirviewing techniques have always been less than spectacular andy^often abrupt to the point of alienation. Lately there has been some Improvement. My approach has graduated from "foot in mouth" to "tongue in cheek." Old-timers are often reluctant to talk with a stranger, especially one takes noteS, On a number of such occasions I found the application of tongue oil (a cold beer from the cooler) to be of great value. The social bility that resulted crenerally overcame any suspicions. ���TOPOGRAPHIC MAP SYMBOLS VARIATIONS WILL BE FOUND ON OLDER MAPS Hard surface, heavy duty road, four or more lanes .. . Boundary, national Hard surface, heavy duty road, tv*o or three lanes State Hard surface, medium duty road, four or more lanes. . . . County, parish, municipio Hard surface, medium duty road, two or three lanes Civil township, precinct, town, barrio Improved light duty road................................................................. - Incorporated city, village, town, hamlet. ZZZZZliZZZZZZ Unimproved dirt road and trail Dual highway, dividing strip 25 feet or less Dual highway, dividing strip exceeding 25 feet. ...... ..................... Reservation, national or state Small park, cemetery, airport, etc ..........------------------- Road under construction ........................ Land grant ======== Township or range line. United States land survey Township or range line, approximate location Railroad, single track and multiple track Section line. United States land survey Section line, approximate location Railroads in juxtaposition............................................................... d=i=t Narrow gage, single track and multiple track Railroad in street and carline .,___ Township line, not United States land survey Section line, not United States land survey Bridge, road and railroad..............................................................ZjZZ^Z Drawbridge, road and railroad.............. ........................... Footbridge....................................................................................................... Tunnel, road and railroad........................................... : Overpass and underpass .+ Section corner, found and indicated........................................ + ................................... ZjZZ^Z Boundary monument: land grant and other □......................□ United States mineral or location monument a ij II Z I Important small masonry or earth dam Dam with lock \ Index contour.............. .. Intermediate contour. . Supplementary contour Depression contours . . Fill...................................... Dam with road .n-rrn Levee................................. < Canal with lock 1 / , Cut........................... Levee with road............ Mine dump..................... Wash........................... Tailings............................. Buildings (dwelling, place of employment, etc.) Tailings pond................. Strip mine........................ Distorted surface......... School, church, and cemetery Buildings (barn, warehouse, etc.) Sand area........................ • .. . . Power transmission line ........................ Telephone line, pipeline, etc. (labeled as to type) ................... Wells other than water (labeled as to type) oOii Gravel beach................... Perennial streams . . . .Intermittent streams; . Elevated aqueduct.... , t>.~ Disappearing stream . ..,------- Water well and spring.o Tanks; oil, water, etc. (labeled as to type) Aqueduct tunnel oGas .......... • • • ©Water Small rapids Small falls Large rapids —~ -L”' ....... .iiii------ , Large falls o...................... 8 Located or landmark object; windmill Open pit, mine, or quarry; prospect........................................... y x Shaft and tunnel entrance............................... Y Dry lake Intermittent lake n Foreshore flat .* sJ— TrZyTTZ':??.-,., ' \ , Rock or coral reef.... " Sounding, depth curve.Piling or dolphin Horizontal and vertical control station: Exposed wreck BMA5653 Tablet, spirit level elevation Other recoverable mark, spirit level elevation Sunken wreck................. Rock, bare or awash; dangerous to navigation * s* A5455 Horizontal control station: tablet, vertical angle elevation VABMA9519 Any recoverable mark, vertical angle or checked elevation ^3775 BMX957 Vertical control station: tablet, spirit level elevation Other recoverable mark, spirit level elevation................. X954 Checked spot elevation.............................................................. . . Unchecked spot elevation and water elevation y.5657■ xaszs . . .s/o 51^ �Of the more than two hundred sites visited, sixty­ seven have been chosen for inclusion in this book. The selection includes wild towns, quiet camps, some well-known ffhost towns, and a smattering of "unknowns." It has been a loner but enjoyable endeavor locating and visiting each of these sites. Darkroom work and writing of the text has brought added satisfaction. I wish an equally pleasant experience to all those who tour "Helldorados I <£ Hinias Camps and— flUowxts of the^^Southwest.” gaxtion aditorr Chanue -last oontonoo t-o-fit tit ■^elected ■ � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Norman Weis Manuscripts Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1971-1987 Description An account of the resource A collection of manuscripts by Casper College professor Norman Weis. <br /><br />This collection includes manuscripts of:<br /><em>Ghost Towns of the Northwest: Known and Unknown<br />The Starduster<br />Two-Story Outhouse<br />Helldorados<br /></em><br />Each manuscript contains written in edits by Norman Weis Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Norman Weis Language A language of the resource ENG Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Norm Weiss Manuscripts and Photographs, CCA 10.2003.01 WyCaC US. Casper College Archives and Special Collections. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Searchable PDF Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CCA 10.2003.01_Weis_Manuscripts Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Manuscript Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource <em>Helldorados</em> Contents and Preface Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <div class="element-text five columns omega"> <p><a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a></p> </div> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1975 Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Norman Weis Language A language of the resource ENG Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Norm Weiss Manuscripts and Photographs, CCA 10.2003.01 WyCaC US. Casper College Archives and Special Collections. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CCA 10.2003.01_Weis_Helldorados_ContentsPreface Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Searchable PDF https://caspercollege.cvlcollections.org/files/original/62854d4f9cc45246a2b36056539c722c.pdf 16f675f88d10a470d53f0a9bb0213c8c PDF Text Text SDITI?JG INFORMATION 1. Please keep the reproduction of maps in introduction as full size as possible in order to prevent distortion of scale. 2. Sequence of states mav not be altered, except that last three may be interchanged. 3. I have deleted one weak area in Utah. Probably no further deletions will be required. If so, the last two towns in Arizona should be the first to go. 4”. Text is about 56,000 words. There are 285 Black and White photos, and 6? towns are covered in 6 states. 5. I have made no list of illustrations this time. Let's leave it out — okay? 6. I’ll leave the tbble of contents up to you folk. 7. A number of color slides have been included foh the cover. 8. The picture key is merely a guide to location — don't feel that it must be adhered to exactly. 9. / Am writing Gordon concerning my feelings on format. 10. Author's pix and information will follow. ROTS OP RUCK �^LLDORADOS-Weis G D ' ~ * ball mill bathhouse boardinghouse boomtown ■ M K 0 P dance hall diehards dry-wash dry wash cave-in millsite mine shaft open-pit powerhouse old-timer coalfield comedown core drilling crossbeam cussword E g G H Q R S T sidewall end-to-end railhead slabwood flatcar rainwater snowslide flywheel speakeasy guesswork ranch house rearview mirror gunslinger rockfall springwater storefront hard-rock (adj) rockslide sunbleached jackstrawed jeep (l.c.) lifeblood (like - solid as a suffix) . switchyard tollgate, tollroad sawlog secondhand theat^ U V V X Y Z upside-down icebox , ropework runoff (n) shutdown (n) sidetrack (v&n) I J g L : sweepup head-on hometown soddy water hole worktable zigzag tie rod townsite townspeople,^^ �BIBLIOGRAPHY Bancroft, Caroline, Six Racy Madams. r Boulder, Colqsad^t Johnson Publishing Co., I965. Barnes, Will C. Arizona Place Mames. General Bulletin No. 2. Unl-^rolty of Arizona Tucson, Arlze*iai Unlvorelty of Arizona^ 1935. Beebei Lucius M., and Gleurg, C.^I. The American West: Pictorial Epic of a Continent. New York: The E. P. Dutton and Go.,^?955. Brown, Robert L. An Empire of Silver. Caldwell, Idaho: The Caxton Printers, Ltd., I965. 3 ---- Ghost Towns of the Colorado Rookies. Caldwell, Idaho: The Caxton Printers, Ltd., 1971. ---- Jeep Trails to Colorado Ghost Towns. The Caxton Printers, Ltd., Caldwell, Idaho: 3%^ 5 ---- Colorado Ghost Towns, Past and Present. Caldwell, Idaho: The Caxton Printers, Ltd., 1972, Buffum, E. Gould. Six Months In the Gold Mines. Los Angeles: The Ward Ritchie Press, 1958. California State Parks and Recreational Department. Historical Landmarks. Carr, Stephen L. Sacramento: California I968. The Historical Guide to Utah Ghost Towns. Publishing Co., Salt Lake City, Utah: Western Spies1972. �Gold Is the Cornerstone. Caughey, John W. Berkeley! Uni-v^fffllty of California Press, 19^8. July^l9^0j March, 19^1} July, 19^1} Colorado Magazine. January, 19^2. Cook, Fred S. Legends of the Southern Mines. Traveler, California /Mb date. Daughters of the Utah Pioneers. Grand 1972. County, Utah* Driggs, Howard R. Grand Memories. Westward America. G. P. Putnam's New York! Sons, 19^2. Eberhart, Perry. Guide to the Colorado Ghost Towns and Mining Gamps. Sage Books, 1959. Denver, Coloaadai Fisher, Vardls, and Holmes, Opal Laurel. Gold Rushes and Mining Camps of the Early American West. Caldwell, Idahoi The Caxton Printers, Ltd., 1968. Florin Lambert. Western Ghost Towns. Seattle, Wash^gtont Superior Publishing Go., 196I. ---- Ghost Town Trails. Seattle.Washi ngton! A Superior Publishing Co., 1964. 3 lA. —-—Ghost Town Treasures. Seattle, Washington! Publishing Company, 1965. Superior �Gudde, Erwin G. California Place Names. Berkeley: Univ»goi-»y of California Press, I969. Hall, Prank. History of the State of Colorado. Chicac-oJ Illtnaioi^ Chicago Blakely Printing Co., I889. Hill, Rita. Then and Now, Here and There Around Shakespeare. Lordsburg, New Mexi^eei Huber, Joe, Privately printed, I963. The Story of Madrid. Albuquerque: Privately printed, I963. Anybody’s Gold: Jackson, Joseph Henry, Towns. San Francisco: The Story o^Kining Chronicle Books, 1970, Gold Rush Album, Jackson, Joseph Henry, New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 19^9, Jackson, William Henry,. Picture Maker of the Old West, with text based on diaries and notebooks, edited by Clarence S, New York: Jackson. Johnson, Robert Nlel. Callfe«*4i«: Lee, Bourke, Charles Scribner’s Sons, 19^7, Southwestern Ghost Town Atlas, s Susanville, Gy Johnson and Son, 1973. Peath^ Valley, The Immortal Desert. New York: Random House, 197^. Lockwood, Frank Pioneer Days in Arizona. Macmillan Co .^932. New York: The �Looney, Ralph, Haunted Highways, New Yorkj Hastings House, 1968, Ghost Towns of the West, McDowell, Jack, Editor, Gall3^gnt-ai Miller, Joseph, Lane Magazine Arlzonat Menlo Park, Book Co,, 1971, The Last Frontier, New Yorki Hastings House, 1956, Murbarger, Nell, Califojaaias Myrlck, David P, Ghosts of the Glory Trail, Desert Printers, Inc,, 1956. Railroads of Nevada and Eastern California, Berkeley; Califagnlat Nadeau, Re mi, Palm Desert, Howells North Books, 1962, Ghost Towns and Mining Camps of California, Los Angeles: Paher, Stanley W, The Ward Ritchie Press, I965. Nevada Ghost Towns and Mining Gamns, Berkeley; California} Reeve, Prank D. Howells North Books, 1970, History of New Mexico, New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Co,, I96I, Roll^, Andrew P, Galiforniat A History, New York: Thomas Y Crowell Go,, I969. Sherman, James E, ourufi* Barbara H, Norman, Oklah^aa: Ghost Towns of Arizona. Univepnl4y of Oklahoma Press, I969. �S11verberg, Robert. Mew York: Ghost Towns of the American West• Thomas Y. Crowell Co., I968. Gold In Them Hills. Ston:?, Phil. \ M. Y. ; Garden City, Ne^Yerki tAmV. > Doubleday (an^ Com^aiyif» 1957» I United States Forest Service, Maps of the National Forests of the Southwestern States, United States Geological Survey,jTopographlcj|||aps of areas of Interest In the Southwestern States, Utah Historical Quarterly, selected Issues, 1928-33. Gold Mines of California. Wagner, Jack R. Berkeley; Qallfornlat Howell-North Books, 1970. Watkins, T. H. Gold and Silver In the West. Callfogntai Palo Alto, American West Publishing Co,, 1971. Wolle, Muriel Slbell, The Bonanza Trail. BloomlngtonJ Indiana Unlvwpolty Press, 1958. Woods, Betty, Now Ghost Towns and How to Know Them. Press of the Young, Otis E. Jr., Western Mining. of Oklahoma Press, 1970. Santa Fe, N. 19^9. Norman, Oklahoma: UnlvegoXty �LIST GF ILLUSTRATIONS Photo Number N Howardsville Map cj t Paradise Peak Map Topographic Map Symbols 5 Map: California Area 1 oo Zx^tv -III 00 am 00-^ Waste dumps of Union Mine 00 6 Buildings at Cerro Gordo 00 1 Trackless trestle at Union Mine 00 4 Sporting house in Cerro Gordo 00 2 American Hotel, Cerro Gordo 00 "Town Council," Cerro Gordo 00 57 a ) 9 Cerro Gordo]^by moonlight i. 00 00 Rock building in Swansea 00 Swansea's famous smelter 00 10 T Deserted main street of Darwin OQ 11 Q Abandoned general store, Darwin 00 12 J Old Darwin schoolhouse 00 15 M Company town north of Darwin 00 Map: California Area 2 00 ni 0 1) >‘-1 16 2 Ruins of cabin in Hart 00 ) 1 14 5 Chimney of Norton residence. Hart 00 ) 'I 18 6^ Strange device left in Hart 00 19 7 Olay roaster and pulverizer 00 Q a 15 Z Wooden flywheel of Hart's water system 00 IT 17 it Old stirring paddle above Hart ooj, ]f �2-2-2 illustrations Photo Number 20 Old stage station in Barnwell 00 / 21 ? Water tank at Barnwell 00 Q .J 25 ; "Tin camp" at Sagamore Mine 00 Rock walls used little cement 00 Q _ Sagamore Mine gallows frame 00 Q Map2_0alif01*111 a Area. 5 Large arrastra used to crush ore 00 00 ? k 3 Miller Building, 00 5 Z 24 J ______ 22 2^ 25 Oarlock 4 Existing buildings in Oarlock 00 Slanted track for hoisting tungsten ore 00 ? 5* Mine shaft at Atolia 00 Old buildings, Atolia 00 ”5* 5^ ; Deserted placer camp, Coolgardie 00 O’ 7 J Map; California Area 4 00 ^2 Q Rock dugout at Lower Masonic 00 c 55 3 Ruins of Middle Masonic 00 o Chemung Mine near Masonic 00 v* Remnants of Upper Masonic 00 V 56 Collapsed log cabin 00 56 Pittsburg Liberty Mill and aerial tramway 00 ! VI Sunset at Success Mine 00 _______ 45 Windlass-equipped, well in Bodie 00 44 Hoist works of Red Cloud Mine 00 45 Early radial-arm saw 00 46 Close-up of 1860 radial-arm saw 00 47 Old dump wagon in Bodie 00 J 28 50 51 54 55 ' 4 �5-5-5 List of illustrations Photo Number 1 59 r 42 T 00 00^7 00 00 Grave of Evelyn Myers 00 } Map: California Area 5 00 /:> Washington Street in Columbia 00 Wells Fargo Building, Columbia 00 Front of Wells Fargo Building 00 S4 Fire wagon, Columbia 00 4/ Interior of drugstore, Columbia 00 51 52 55 49 ----------------------55 Green Street, Bodie / t> Main Street gildings, Bodie 48 50. . Eastern portion of Bodie Old buildings in Bodie 40 41 Psige 3 Fulton and Washington streets, Columbia 00 Narrow bridge over San Antonio Creek 00 } "3 Livery at Fourth Crossing Ci 00 4 Shade, high noon. Fourth Crossing 00 St, George Hotel, Volcano 00 4 (a Broad rock walk in Volcano 00 4 61 Old hydraulic gun, Volcano 00 60 JiQQT of old jail. Volcano 00 62 3^ Volcano’s famous Old Abe 00 66 ] 68 Q Wells Fargo Building, French Corral 00 3^ First long-distance phone office 00 7 56 58 ) 59 67 65 64 65 Elton 0. Smith, French Corral pioneer Longest single-span wooden bridge 4 Side view of longest bridge Covered bridge near Camptonville __________ I 00 7 00 7 7 00 00 7 �List of illustrations Photo Number Page 69 Old schoolhouse in French Corral f Map: Arizona Area 1 71 3 Machine shed at Silver King Mine 00 V ? 70 Q Grace Middleton, Queen of the Silver King 00 o 00 ? 00 V 72 V 75 Headquarters, Silver King Company Home of hard-rock miner ....................... X ................................ ..... J ’KenaecQ-bf. open-pit mine 7^ 15 ___ __________ QQ T M^: Arizona Area 2 5 Old residence in Cleator 00 Turkey General Store 00 3 Main residential districts, Cleator School built with WPA funds OQ 76 Cleator General Store 00 Crown King 00 Old building in Crown King 00 Doghouse in Crown King 00 82 00 80 Crown King /reneral store 84 House of pleasure, Crown King 85 . .... V? 00 15 ) .. ^7 § *^6 00 Moonlight on Crown King's ruins ...Ttl. ................................ ............. - •• ■ •' 00 86 / Bmish almost hides Oro Belle 81 Old company office and bank OQ ) 88 Mystery building, Oro Belle 00 89 Moving saloons by mule 90 ) Jerome clings to Cleopatra Hill ® I 00 s i 74 �List of illustrations Photo Humber Page 91 Church built of old powder boxes 00 o 92 Large abandoned buildings of Jerome 00 o 6 95 Little Daisy Hotel, Jerome 00 7 9^ Old home in Jerome 00 / n 9^ J Stanton as it appears today 96 Powder house near Stanton 00 I' 97 Cactus in rattlesnake country 00 ) I Buildings used in gold mining 00 p 99 Weaver’s tiny post office 00 100 3 Burned-out residence, Weaver ) 98 Mill ruins. Octave Mine ) 0 ©0 3 H 101 I ) 105 ^0* 0. Carlson and his ball mill 102 3 Rock water reservoir in Octave 00 105 b Bullion house. Octave 00 I 104 1Foundation laid SBT without mortar OQ o 00 p 7 00 n 7 Map: Arizona Area 5 00 106 I ^Roofless ruins, lower Goldroad 00 J 107 13 Adobe hotel, Goldroad 00 108 Building bxxrned to save taxes 00'^'^ 109 Grout-and-rock staircase 00 Beautiful desert flora 110 I 111 11 North entrance to Oatman 00 j 112 a? Lee Lruaber Company, Oatman 00 J 3 o 114 U Oatman's old drugstore 00 00 3 3 �6-6-6 \ List of illustrations Photo Number Palie 115 iMBX 116 Ruined parts of tramway Tramway, Tom Seed Mine QO 00 115 3 South end of Main Street, Oatman 00 117 7 Wild burros beg for snacks 00 No burros allowed 118 / I I 00 ) 00 ) 119 } Mill at Keystone Mine 120 k) Head frame, Keystone Mine QQ 121 3 Mineral Park’s second mill 00 / 3 122 ) Last building in White Hills 125 P i 00 f Cactus in White Hills cemetery 00 Map: Nevada Area 1 00 / H ? 124 Adobe walls. Bullfrog 00 ? 125 Hot sun curls shingled roof 00 ) 126 Sand-blasted headboard 127 Ornate gravestone, Bullefrog " Buildingj. 129 la 00 I 00 ) 0 00 I 00 } 150 Overbury Building, Rhyolite 151 Bars on windows of Rhyolite jail 128 Impressive depot in Rhyolite 00 152 Evening light on Cooke Bank Building 00 > b g Gold Point general store 00 ) L I 00 I /b/ 155 j 155 Q, Gold Point’s business district 00 ) \ 154 *2 Deserted mine near Gold Point 00 Old home, Lida 00 ) 157 1 �7«7-7 List of illustrations Photo Number 158 Page Small cabin in Lida J Map: Nevada Area 2 145 159 g Deserted Catholic Church, Belmont Main Street, Manhattan 00 ! QQ Yu OO-.. 00 J 140 Manhattan homes still in use 141 Mine shack and head frame 142 Parts of small stamp mill 145 Q Impressive rock work, Belmont 00 147 ZyLeaning wooding buildings, Belmont 00 148 144 00 I If 6 00 IC "I 00 J 00 )L ’71 Old cowboys never die I Belmont’s main thoroughfare 00 ) 7 149 Nye County Courthouse 150 Mill ruins near Belmont 146 Cosmopolitan Music Hall, Belmont 151 ) Ione from Shamrock Canyon Road 152 ‘5? Unusual rock home, Ione 153 3 Engine at Shamrock Mine 154 155 156 Once-fancy home Ione J Berlin is smog-free Old thirty-stamp mill, Berlin 158 ) Hoist engine, Illinois Mine 159 "p Wreckage of metal tanks 157 00 ] 00 ) V ^1 00 00 1 "7 OO^^l b Miners’ Union Hall, Virginia City -- 00 00.. m. ..... ..... . 00 1 00 I )??______ Small smelter built in 1878 / Map: Nevada Area 3 160 n / 00 00 ) f Y 00) G �vjist of illustrations Enoto Bumber i Page 161 S’ Two churches, Virginia City 00 162 p") Fourth Ward School, Virginia City 00 ) f f 165 I 4 Main Street, Virginia City 00 164 G Honky-tonk piano player 165\ p Old engine in Virginia City 00 169 p Massive head frame. Yellow Jacket Mine 00 167 S Beer wagon in front of brewery 00 168 I I Gold Hill Hotel C166 170 1^ Old railroad trestle ^Freight wagon at Gold Hill 'Z 7 (o' 00 00 I 00 I / Map; Nevada Area 4 171 p Smelter ruins at Monte Cristo 00 172 RHock foundations 180 years old 00 J 175 pRoof of building at Monte Cristo 00 d o 174 Ij Hamilton’s business district 00 ? 175 PUnknown building, Hamilton ooQ4 176 K Storm clouds above Treasure Hill 00'S o 177 pRuins of Withington Hotel 00 178 IJ Rock walls in Treasure City 00^3 179 pTreasure City’s main thoroughfare 00 180 RMine dump near Treasure City ooS f 0 181 1/ Old walls in Shermantown 00 'S I I 182 ^Crusher in Shermantown 00 S / S 185 1 Chimney of adobe smelter 00 o 0 J '7 �Photo' Hxunber j Map: New Mexico Area 1 186 187 3 Ooke ovens in Gardiner 00 S’! 3 Close-up view of coke oven 00 3 184- Tom Hay of Gardiner 00'^ ? 185 Company house in Gardiner oo'^^l 188 189 ^Mule drivers in Gardiner Foundations of coal washer 190 ) One of Dawson’s remaining homes 191 Mule barn made of cinder block 00^^ y 00 "J 00 Q ooQ'^ L 192 3 Power house and chimneys near Dawson 00 Q 195 Zy Italian gravestone, Dawson ooQ 9 oop s i ; Dickman Hotel, Colfax 195 196 199 197 198 200 201 202 205 Colfax Grade School and church oo5 'g :j 3 Adobe ruins near Colfax 00^ S J J Map: New Mexico Area 2 00 ^ 3 ■j Present fire station, Cerrillos 00^1^ ^General store, Cerrillos qq"3 2 3ire-ravaged hotel, Cerrillos 00^17 ) Unpainted homes in Madrid 00^ I 00^^^ QHotel on Madrid's main street gold 769 was a busy train 7Miners’ Amusement Hall oo'^ 00 ^Catholic Church, Madrid 204 / Map: New Mexico Area 5 00 y �10-10-10 KList of illustrations Photo Number Page 205 ^General Store, Mongo lion 00 3Renovated stores, Mongolion 00'3^9 206 Mine was a big producer ^Panney Mine near Mongollon 00 ^Cemetery cross made of pipe QQ 7Weathered wooden cross in graveyard 00 00 207 208 209 210 211 / Old town of Shakespeare 215 / Henry Olay Mine, Valedon 212 QCompany stores in Valedon 214 Huge opening, Atwood Mine 215 ^Surviving buildings, Valedon _____ [j 0 00 ^1^'3 QQ^ Ll* 00^^'^ _____ °° )Map: Colorado Area 1 216 ^Weathered old mill at Ho wards vi lie 217 3Anchored cable of aerial tramway 00^ 00 "7 7 3 00 00^ ^ 218 Turnabout wheel of tramway 219 i) Mountains behind Howardsville 225 ^Large boardinghouse, Eureka 224 ^Old boardinghouse still in use oo"^^ 220 f Miners' shacks, Eureka 00 221 '^Water tower. Eureka 222 225 229 251 Mine on slopes east of Eureka 00 *3 "3o ^Old wagon axle in Animas River 00 301d mill on Houghton Mountain 00 l^Distant view of Bagley Mine complex 00 9*^7 ^Buildings at Bagley Mine 252 00 8 �11-11-11 List of illustrations Photo Number Pase f6 227 / Tom Walsh home in Animas Forks 00 226 ^Summer snow at Animas Forks 00 ? V 228 250 255 Vriain street, Animas Forks [)IiOg jam across Animas Fiver °° _______ / Map: Colorado Area 2 QQ ? 3 Little log cabin in Irwin 3 Forest Queen Mine QQ 4/steam tractor at Forest Queen Mine 00 Cable hoist at Forest Queen Mine ^John Hahn, owner of Forest Queen Mine QQ 258 ^Gothic Town Hall, built in 1880 00 3 b p 259 I Old pay shack, Gothic OQ 3 Colorado mountains near Gothic 00 3 0 3 ) Map: Colorado Area 5 00 3 b 241 ^St. Elmo is lively ghost 00? ^6 242 J St. Elmo Fire Company and City Hall 245 "I Miners ’ Exahange, St • Elmo 254 255 256 257 240 qq'^^'^ } 00 3 b 00 3 & ) i^Sun curls St. Elmo boards 00 245 LFull moon shines on St. Elmo 00 3 I £)_____ 246 J Ruins of Turret 00 247 Qcity Hall in center of Turret qq3 248 3 Gregory Hotel, Turret 00 3 4 00 244 251 252 Store and meat market in Turret 3 b '7’ H 3 '^4 ^Log post office. Turret 00 4Turret in early morning light oq1> t L ----- -- —------------------------------------------------------------ �12-12-12 List of illustrations Photo Humber Page 255 f Calumet's stage station 254 Q Huge boulder at end of stage station 00 '? / 7 255 ^Boiler of Wolf's smelter 258 259 260 261 264 262 Ruins of homes, Wolf 00 00 ) Map: Utah Area 1 00 QSpring Canyon from north 00 3 Decapitated building. Spring Canyon 00 Hydrants protected against cold Insteps that lead nowhere j^Company store in Spring Canyon 007 265 7 Lone streetlight in Spring Canyon 00 3 3 o 266 SLarge machine shed. Spring Canyon ool 3 f 261 ^Building in Peerless 270 ) Giant blower near Standardville 26^ 268 r,' ^One of Wolf's finer homes 00 of Standard Mining Company 3Offices 271 )Company offices in Latuda 274 212 1 ?01d crane near Standardville 269 275 00 Old ore cars ^Welcome to the Mutual Store ^Latuda's small jail 00^5’7 �15-15-15 List of illustrations Photo Number Page Seattle wander through ruins of Mutual 275 276 277 7 Coal mine on Spring Canyon 00 00 3 7j I Utah Area 2 285 ^BuildiJigs in Frisco 00 3 286 3Hole in mountain near Frisco 00 ? 289 290 ^Twin skips at King David Mine Waste dump west of Frisco L>Small residence in Frisco V 292 295 QQ^ 00 287 288 / 00 Coal tipple, Mutual 7 Map 00 |7 Tattered remains of fancy dugout 00 Sunset over the King David j I Last business to close in £*Cisco 00 ^^ § 00 3 <^( Cisco Motel 00 3 s if 295 296 Open 24 hours Hold drilling rig at Cisco end list illustrations 00 3 �FOR HELLDORADO Norman Weis CALIFORNIA PHOTO DaSORIPTIClj n No. 1 The trackless trestle of the Union Mine curves his:h over the remains of Cerro Gordo No. 2 The American Hotel, built in 1871, is the fanciest structure in town. No. 3. Massive waste dumps of the Union Mine seem to A* threaten the existence of Cerro Gordo. No. 4 . One of the smaller sporting houses in town. Note the tiny rooms or **^ribs. No. 5 The Cerro Gordo '^Town Council'^ Jack Smith, Barby Smith (Mayor), Cecil Smith, and a "stranger," Hod Hodrlguez. No. 6. Hoops that once held wooden slatted vats together now frame the buildings at the upper end of town. / No. 7 . Cerro Gordo by moonlight. the backs'round . Keeler d^ry lake is in �a (cont No. 8. aock building in center is probably part of the Much of the original town<:^**‘^^ Wiii^ site has been covered with shifting sand dunes. old town of Swansea. No. 9 • Only a small portion of Swansea’s famous smelter is standing. No. 10. Deserted main street of Darwin. D No. 11 . Note the anemic on the hillside. Defunct cost office-general stored once sold Green Streak Gasoline. No. 12. Darwin’s little school house apparently served other purposes from I876 to I900. No. 13. Sxtensive company town just north of Darwin has been empty for (1^years. • Chimney of the old Norton residence in Hart is framed No. 14 by branches of a Joshua tree. No. 15 . The wooden flywheel and walking beam of Hart’s municipal water system carted in from San Francisco in I900. �(n nn M No. 16^ Sbowins' sl0:ns of two renovations, cabin at east end of Hart appears to "be in need of a third No. 17- Wooden barrel hoops form a fiorure ei-^ht around the old stirrins; paddle at an unnamed gold mine and mill on the hill above Hart, California. No. 18 . Strancre device was probably used to break clay deposits during second-effort mining in Hart. No. 19’ After crushlnor, clay was roasted and pulverized. No. 20 ’ Venerable old^^age ^tatlon in Barnwell was the first structure built and the last to remain. Building has been modernized and enlarged a number of times. No. 21 Water tank at Barnwell appears to have been con structed shortly before staple station was deserted. No. 22 • Sagamore Mine vallows frame stands over the collapsed remains of its hoist house. 3- �JfH.1 fnrnlfl—(. oontlnuoi!?-)' No. 23. **Tin >2^mp at the Sagamore Mine was built durlnar the later tungsten mininjr period. No. 24 Sagamore was remote^^and lime was scarce. Chimneys walls, and entire buildlncs were constructed with a minimum of cementlno: agent. No. 25- Buildings in Carlock were made of a variety of materials. The two in foreground are of sawn logs, the one at the rear is adobe. No. 26 • Larsre arrastra was once powered by steam engine. Wooden sprocket pulled four large drag stones in circular manner, crushing scold ore beneath. No. 27* Miller building^ erected in 1897, sported a classy^ * angled entrance. Buildlnsr served at various times as stage station, veneral store, and bar. No. 28 • Tuna-sten ore was hoisted up the slanted track and dumped into waiting ore cars. Huge quantities of scheelite, an ore of tungsten, were removed from the ground below Atolia. �Uo. Several larsje buildings In old Atolla are beginning to show the effects of weather and depredation. Buildings were probably boardInsC^uses and offices. Wo. All of Atolia’s many old mines seem to enter the ground at the same peculiar angle. Shafts proba. bly paralleled the slanting beds of ore. Wo. Deserted placer camp of Coolgardle once had every convenience, even a tree house. No. Marvelous example of a rock dugout at the site of lower Masonic, No. Middle Masonic, once the bustling commercial center of the trio of towns, now consists of two cabins and numerous piles of rubble. No. The Shemung Mine, two miles southwest of Masonic, is in the process of being reactivated. No. Remnants of Upper Masonic string out along a side canyon just east of Masonic Springs. �ggciif oimla ( eeatlnuogl > Mo. 36 Collapsed roof of old log cabin gives a rakish appearance to the eaves Mo. 37 Sunset at the Success Mine on the road between Masonic and Brid(report Mo. 38 The Pittsburg Liberty Mill processed ores from its own shaftand from the Serita, half a mile up the hill to the left of photo. Aerial tramway once connected the Serita with the Jiill No. 39 Honeycombed Bodie Bluff overlooks the Standard Mine and the eastern portion of Bodie, California No. 40 Prom left to right, the JPost pffice. Odd Fellows Hall Miners' Union Hall, ,M^rgue, and ^he Boone Store and Warehouse Mo. 41. * View lookincr east down Green Street. Methodist Church is at left, livery on Mo. 42 Expansive boardwalks fronted the buildings on the west side of Main Street �Oftlifognla (oont-tw No. 43* One of many windlass:equipped No. 4^’ Hoist works of the Red Cloud Mine, one mile south due: wells in Bodie. of Bodie, are now mounted at the western outskirts of town. The peculiar "ribbon" cable measures 1)6 by 5 inches 1 j" No. ^5‘ cross section. Ordinary table saw at leftj^ and an early version of a radials arm saw at the front of the shed. Long support arm pivoted at top, permitting saw to be drawn forward to cut lumber to length. No. 46 ‘ Close-up of the i860 version of the radlalt-arm saw shows blade, draw handle, lower drive wheel, and broken drive belt. No. 47,* This old dump wafron is worth an hour of stUdy. Hand-:cranked worm gear permitted bottom trap doors to be closed. A traln^like coupling was Installed at each endy^permittlng reversal without turn about. Rither axle could be locked 3 while remaining axle was used, for steering. �'Oalif epHlQ ( oontlnuod)-P No. 48 ♦ Fancy stone marks'the prrave of JSvelyn Myers, who died Just before her third birthday. No. 49. The corner of Pulton and Washington greets in Columbia, California, Hydraulicked area begins just beyond street end. No. 50 The Eagle Cottage, /he Gazette ^fice, and the Fallon Hotel and Theat^^jl^ line the west side of Washington Street. No. 51 Two rock vaults occupy rear portion of the Wells-^^Cirgo Depot and Stage Station. No. 52 • View to the north along Main Street, with Wells Fargo Building at left, Douvlass Saloon in the background. No. 53 Originally built for the King of Hawaii, fire wagon was found unclaimed in a San Francisco warehouse. Named Papeete,it became Columbia’s pride and joy in 1859. �■gcillf orni "I (Chiiil. 1 huliJ ) Mo, 5^* Interior of drua^store on the north side of Oolumhia’s State Street. Mo. 55 • The narrow 'brldae over San Antonio Greek at Fourth Grossing and hoof. now caters to travelers on foot Old liverv is in backaround^^* to the riaht, oriainal staae station is nearlyhidden in heavy arowth. No. 56 Shade at hiah noon in Fourth Grossina. No. 57 Liverv at Fourth Grossing No. 58- use only if needed for George Hotel, built in 186? graces the lower end of Volcano’s i4ain Street, No. 59 • Looking north along shaded I4ain Street toward the old Ghinese store. No. 60 • Note the broad rock walk. The first two occupants of Volcano's jail were its builders. Hasp was well removed from door crack to prevent easy picking �■0*1 iPuiIlia (eoublnuBd No. 61. Old hydraulic ffun, or raammoth, stands at the main intersection In Volcano. Water entered at right, exited at high speed from nozzle at left. Wooden box held rock counterweights. No. 62* Old Abe, the cannon that won the war in Volcano. No. 6x. The longest single-span wooden bridge in the world spans the South Pork of the Yuba River,miles southwest of French Corral. No. . Built by David Isaac Johnwoodf in 1862, the alls wood bridge has an unsupported free span of 230 feet. No. 65 • Covered bridge south of Camptonville, built in I860, is still in use. No. 66 only if needed fop? Piton 0. Smith stands in front of the school he once attended? and later worked in as custodian. Gazebo at right is built community well. French Corral’s �No. 67. Office of the first lons^sdistance telephone line I the Mother Lode. Built in 1853, line connected the headquarters of the Milton Mining and Water Gompanv in French Corral /^wlth French Lake, miles away. No. 68 Wells-^argo Office in French Corral is shut tight with flr'e^roof metal doors. ^Tu^ only if needa^ No. 69* Moonlight over the old schoolhouse of French Corral Bell was stolen by vandals^ ^/^ter recovered. �gong’" *No. 77. u Jiiitslnuoal The Turkey General Store (later to be named Gleator) as It appeared In 192^?' Wo. 78 * One of the dozen or so residences that reiiain stand inp- in Heat or . No. 13 • Hock school^Jiouse built with Works Progress Administration (WPA) funds in the thirties^ • No. 80 • General store in Grown King has been in business for almost 100 years. . No. 81 • Triangular shape of Grown King was dictated by the railroad’s turiT^round facility. Saloon is at center, general store is to the left. ' No. 82 . Jet streams overhead contrast with one of the oldest buildings in town. No. 83 • The 1900 style of architecture common to mining towns is apparent even in this dog*7iouse in Grown King. — /1 - �ArlBowa • No. 8^ • Saloon, moved in from a neighboring town, once offered food, drink, and entertainment to the miners of Grown Klnsr. Outside stairway gave access to eight "going” rooms on second floor. . No. 85 * Old mill ruins and boarding houses reflect the light of a full moon. * No. 86 • Hemalns of Oro Belle are almost hidden by the lush growth. * No. 87 . Mine above town is the Rapid Transit. Fancy structure was probably company office and bank combination. Tilting wall at right allows little room to pass. * No. 88 • Vacant Interior of this structure makes speculation concerning its function rather difficult, but cup«la implies use as cook shack, assay office.or smithy. r » No. 89 • Stick by stick, the two saloons of Oro Belle were hauled up the mountain to Grown King. . No. 90'^ Jerome cline's tenaciously to the eastern slope of Gleopatra Hill. �' No. 91< Built by the pastor and parishioners .^church was constructed largely of old powder boxes, then covered with stucco. . No. 92 ' Wide wheels of heavvarduty wagon frame the powder­ house church of Jerome. Large buildings above are the abandoned grade school and hospital. Little Daisy Hotel as seen from the Daisy Mine. • No. 93 ‘ Hotel was home to single miners in the area. ' No. 9^ • Intent of sign on old home is not clear. Either humans should beware of vermin, or vermin should beware of the danger of a sudden slip downhill. * No. 95 . Larve stage station. store, and residence are.only A A remains of Stanton,\site of frequent foul play. . No. 96 . Powder house just east of Stanton once had stout metal door. •No. 97 Short wooden door poses a mystery. Adjacent to powder house. giant ^guaro ^actus overlooks an area noted for rattlers. �AiP'jfgown (13nnMnuefr)* . No. 98 • Two buildings of mixed construction probably housed goldiwashlng equipment. . No. 99‘ Weaver’s tiny post office, built in 1899. shows wide variation In the size of rocks used In its construction. 'No. 100. Burned*, out residence at east edge of Weaver overlooks slopes of Rich Hill, known for its numerous sold nuygets. 'No. 101* Mill ruins mark the site of the old Octave Mine, the only mine in the area to successfully tap an underground gold vein. of rock , No. 102 Diamonds-shaped water reservoir, bullty^in 1897 and still Intact, is one of Octave’s more durable remnants. ' No. 103. Gold was melted and poured into Ingots at the bullion house across the road from the Octave Mine and Mill. , No. 104 . Some of Octave’s rock foundation, still solidly in place, waye; laid up without mortar -/4 - �Ariaowa - nxipd .No. 105' 0.*'^Garlson checks drive mechanism on ball mill of his own unique desicrn. . No. 106- Lower Goldroad is covered with roofless remains of rook walls, stores, and residences. . No. 10? ‘ Twos-story adobe hotel, now in shambles, once stood proudly at the center of Goldroad. •No. 108* Gold ^^ad was burned down to save at taxes. Wooden roofs burned, but door and window casements somehow survived. . No. 109* Grout:and1 rock staircase leads nowhere. » No. 110. Desert flora has its own distinctive beauty. , No. 111. Empty remains 'he Lee Lumber Company and/^e Oatman Picture Show bracket the north entrance to Oatman, Arizona. Larye quartz outcrop thrustiny above horizon is named 'fThe Elephant’s Tooth ‘ No. 112 • Front of Oatman's Lee Lumber Company viewed from covered walk of deserted picture show buildlny. �Art. H o iiQ) (e 0 n 11 iiu agl) -y ‘ xVo. 113- South end of Oatman’s nearly deserted Main Street. Bulldiny at right was originallv a drugstore and soda shop. Memorial in the center of intersection is to Anna Sder, beloved citizen known for grubstaking most of the prospectors in the area. Although she died penniless, she once had sizable income from town property which in--* eluded most of Oatman’s red-light district. Mo. 114. Mow ^4ie Glory Hole,'*oat man* s old drugstore was recently "gussied up" for a role in the movie How^Mig West Was Won. Mo. 115 • Lower terminal of aerial tramway ends at head-^ quarters of the Tom Heed Mine at east edge of Oatman. No. 116 . Oil barrel rode the tramway continuously. Small cog^^eel below right wheel drove pump that lifted oil from the drum to the cable. Mo. 117 • Wild burros make daily forays along Oatman’s Main Street. Favorite snacks Include popcorn and dog food. - �jfeei&ovxA ' ( ,Z xNo. 118 If snacks are not offered on the street, burros will walk into stores to beg at the counter, Grace Kloehn, proprietor of a glass shop, heads •^Blackjack-^ off at the door. No. 119, Keystone i4ine stands over the remains of one of the mills at Mineral Park. Gerbat Mountains form , e ■ ' the backdrop. No. 120 Head frame of the Keystone Mine is about to collapse of its own weight. Massive tailings behind are from the stillaactlve Duval Mine. ✓ No. 121 Remains of Mineral Parks second mill, built about 18?^, appear insignificant when viewed against the gigantic Duval Mill. No. 122* The last structure in White Hills slowly eases its way toward the horizontal. No. 123 Barrel cactus volunteers as head board in the old cemetery of White Hills. 3ND ARIZONA PHOTO DESCRIPT �rnoTJ DJOjaiPTiw Mo. 124. Adobe walls mark the site of Bullfrog’s once- busy Main Street. Mo. 125 Hot sun has curled the shingles on roof of shack at the site of original Bullfrog claim. Mo. 126 Paint has protected portions of an otherwise sand blasted head board in Bullfrog’s cemetery. Raised letters read in part, "Anderson 1906." No. 12? • Ornate headstone in Bullfrog’s cemetery marks grave County, of Daniel G. Kennedy, born in Antigonish Scotia. ‘Mo. 128’ Nova Kennedy and Bullfrosr died the same year. Rhyolite’s depot is the town’s most Impressive remnant. Galled the finest in the state, the station served the Las Vegas and Tonopah Rail roadie. * Mo. 129’ John S. Cooke Bank of Rhyolite was built in I9O8, utllizlnfl' the local white rhyolite. Building was partially destroyed in I9IO to save on taxes. �Nt- u (uuiib Mo. 130 The Overbury gilding as seen through the re-* mains of the H. D. and L. D. Porter building. Overbury building, originallyQstories high, was equipped with a 5,000=gallon water tank on roof. No. 131 • Rhyolite X^ail was 1 located in the middle of the red-light district. Bars on windows were actually bars. No. 132 • Walls of Cooke^ank building are silhouetted by fading evening light. No. 133 Gold Point's most recently occupied business district consisted of a general store and post office. The sign aboi^e indicates the post office was the first to fold. No. 134 • One of a great number of deserted mines in the area southea|.s t of Gold Point. No. 135 Gold Point's earlier business district held post office, /l!he Horns liver Herald, office, and (1*3^ saloons. Observers claimed the town "extended almost as you watched it." -A.!- �)TaVADA (ooft 13 No. 137 Alternate fcrl35 One of the finer homes in the old gold town of Lida^ Mo. 138- Small cabin is dwarfed by massive tree at the south edge of Lida. Z -Mo. 139* Manhattan's Main Street was once a solid string of connected buildings. Structure at left was adapted for use as firehouse. .Mo. 140. The finest homes in Manhattan once lined the street on hill just south of town. A few of the homes are now used as summer retreats. Mo. 141 < Mine shack and head frame are Just a few steps east of Manhattan's deserted post office. 4-^ No. 142' Parts of a small stamp mill that once processed ore near the Mount Moriah Cemetery, a mile or so west of Manhattan. 2 2. - �i'leuaiga" (eowtlwuod-)' tx 'No. 143 • Catholic Church was moved In from deserted Belmont. The^,^>g?^iurch fell Into disuse a second time when /lanhattan also hecame deserted. thoroughfare iMo. 144 » West side of Belmont’s main tha^i^afapa held a general store mai»oppti-10 (ria;ht), undertaker’s parlor, and i4rs. Hushes’ Boardin*^^^se. No. 145. Hear view of build ina;s on east side of Main Street shows Impressive rock work. . No. 146 • Cosmopolitan Music Hall once hosted the famous Fav Templeton. z No. 14? Buckled and leanlnv, wooden structures at south end of Belmont will soon be reduced to foundations and rubble. No. 148 • Old cowboys never die. They Just pull their riys off the road. iz . No. 149 • Nye County Courthouse, built in 186?, had numerous chimneys serving heaters in every office. the late«-model horse trailer in foreground. - - Note �Nevada (oontlnuo^-} ’No, 150. Impressive ruins of the combination mill are Just east of Belmont. -A second^ more modern^ mill, also deserted, Is half a mile to the south. • No. 151. View of Ione from the Shamrock Canyon road shows the extent of the old town and the Influx of a new breed of traller-towln?? prospectors. No. 152. Trappings of the mining trade hang all about this small rock structure at the east end of Ione. Bars, made of ore car rails, are too widely spaced to serve any worthwhile purpose. No. 153. Old "hot head" engine at the Shamrock Mine half a mile southeast of Ione. •No. 154. Walls of this oncesfancy home at the west end of Ione are more than two feet thick. Fireplace In rear end wall Is flush Inside and out. No. 155. Berlin, smogrfree and uncongested �jfevad cai (o anti adi) thirty-stampy •No. 156- Old«'jQ ^tanip ^11 of Berlin stands at the i Interface of Ione Valley and the Shoshone Mountains. No. 157* Small smelter, built In I878, proved the local ore to be of sufficient value to warrant construe tlon of larger smelter seen In backvround. No. 158* When the Illinois Mine was In operation, boiler at rlflrht supplied steam to hoist ens^lne mounted on concrete pad to left of head frame. Ore was chuted Into the shed for sorting. No. 159* Metal tanks were either blown up or blown down. "Bases for the tanks can be seen at upper right. No. 160’ Y > Pipers Opera House, ^e Knights of Pj^thlas, Schoenfeld's Furniture, and the Miners' Union Hall stand In a row, one block off the main street of Virginia Gltv. / No 161^ St. Mary's ^n^he Mountains, built In I877, over?' shadows St, Paul's Splscopal Church on the down*^ side of Virginia City, -AS' “ �KTevada (cont inued) No. 162' Old Fourth Ward School had^f stories and fancy arches over the windows — but no fire escape/. No. 163. Once=bustling Main Street of Virginia City still bustles, especially on weekends. Town once boasted 100 saloonsand a yearly consumption of 75»000 gallons of hard liquor. No. 164* Delightful old piano nlayer orovides honkystonk music in one of Virginia City's better beer Joints No. 165 ‘ Snffine 27 of the Virginia and Truckee Railroad stands idle on a short piece of track in Virginia City. ' No. 166 » Much of the Vira-inla and Truckee line from Carson City to Vir,yinia City was either high trestle or deep rocky cut. Note people standing on walkway below tracks. ✓ No. 167 » Beer wasron once hauled barrels of beer from the brewery in background. Many buildine-s ^^Cold Hill have been renovated by their owners to be used as residences or summer homes. �'Ifevada (GOXibliiLiud')' No. 168* The Gold Hill Hotel was built on the site of the first recorded claim in town. It also had the distinction of being the first hotel in Nevada. ) No. 169, Massive head frame of the Yellow Jacket Mine stands on Gold Hill’s Main Street. Mine tapped gold and silver from the south end of the Gomstock Lode. • No. 170 Freight wagon is one of many wagons sprinkled about Gold Hill. Residents are restoring a variety of horse-drawn vehicles. No. 171 Smelters at Monte Cristo began operating in 1866, two years before the big strike at Treasure Hill, several miles to the east. grade local ore Smelter processed lowss never tasting the silver^bearing rock of the big strike due to Intervening raoun^^ tainous terrain. No. 172 Local sedimentary rock laid up by experts resulted in corners that have remained plumb for more than 180 years. �y»w.da (oontlnuagi) ISTo. 173 Interior of rock building In Monte Cristo shows repeated efforts to brace roof against collapse. Ito. 174. Hamilton’s business district held 101 saloons and stores doing general business. The double wall formed by adjacent buildings has managed to survive. Ho. 175 Arch of unknown building at north end of town demonstrates a quality of workmanship that proved unnecessary. Hamilton was deserted five years after it was incorcorated. Ho. 176. Storm clouds gather above Treasure Hill before descending on the remnants of Hamilton's resi^ dentlal district. Mo. 177. The vault, a tall corner, and large basement are all that is left of the Withinarton Hotel, one of Hamilton's finest. Mo. 178 ‘ Many of 1ites Treasure City’s buildings were several stories high at the downhill end. ^with sparine: use of mortar. I Malls were laid �■jJevaCla (caiifclnuii.d' ■fchoronghfare No. 179’ Treasure City's main jo^s occasionally to miss open shafts. Pogonlp Hld?e is in rljz:ht background, with Pancake Hange in the distance. No, 180' Odd structure on mine dump above Treasure City appears to have served as drive shaft or cable pylon. No. 181. Buildings in Shermantown are nearly buried in heavy growth. Walls of second building can barely be made out in left center of photo. No. 182 A gasoline engine once powered this secondieffort crusher mounted below small dam in center of town. dwindled Plow of water has yodwoo^ to a trickle, preventing further operation. No. 183 Chimney of Shermantown's adobe smelter was U. apparently never ^sed. Wooden forms still line �rnoTJ rrzi^ jairTTgw^ No. Tom Hay left one ghost town to move tato another. Tom and his son are presently the sole residents of Gardiner. No. 185 J of the better company houses left on Gardiner’s Main Streetj as seen from remains of Imposing rock structure^ No. 186 , Most of the 300 coke ovens In Gardiner were manned by Italian crews. The Italians were said to be resistant to heat. lighted , No. 187 • Oven was filled with coal and charcoal, then 3^ and sealed off with bricks. A day or so later, coke was removed. No. 188 - Mule drivers lined up for a picture. Goal hauling was considered a step above mining or coking. No. 189 * Foundations of coal washer fill the foreground. Lamp house is at the rear. No. 190 .Only a few of Dawson’s hundreds of homes are left standing. -So- �■tew iaegicia-4'e'3n.tilnuQa )"^ ‘Ho, 191* Hui® barn was made of an early form of cinder block. Mules were brouo-ht out of the mines once a month. .No. 192. Powerhouse, chimneys^and coke ovens cover a larpre area at the east eds^e of Dawson. 'No. 193- Italian headstone demonstrates the cosmopolitan nature of the early citizenry In Dawson. Grosses in background are a small portion of the 400 graves of mine disaster victims. No. 19^ • Dickman Hotel at Colfax operated under several names and served a number of purposes. At one time it was a general merchandise store on the first level, with IJooms for rent above. No. 195. Much planning went into the Colfax Grade School. BuildInv also served as church. No. 196. Adobe ruins are found just north of the Colfax School, Hock water tank is in the backarround. 3/- �New Me al o o (e , No. 197- Inucd) The only store in Gerrilios retains the fancy letterinsr placed there by a movie company. Owner has changed name at top of slfpi with a minimum of effort. . No. 198. Two elderly residents of Oerrillas died when the rock hotel burned. Remaining resldentSy^purchased a fire engine Wo. 199 ’ newly purchased fire ensrlne^ in CerrilloS. * Wo. 200 • Long rows of unpainted homes still line the streets of Madrid . ' Wo. 201 . Hotel on the main highway throuprh town once offered board and bed to bachelor miners. ► Wo. 202 • . five-mile , Old 769 was kept busy making the run to Waldo. Train hauled coal out and water back to Madrid. No. 203* iMiners* Amusement Hall contained game rooms, club-rooms. —seventy-five cents and ball rooms. Dues were 5 2.- per month. *—* �Stew- Mqxioo (-eon-blnued)— No. aoi)' Gathollo Church of Madrid had unusual entrance with storage beneath. Structure was stucco^ covered adobe and rock. No. 205. Combination store and smithy at east end of Moncrollon sports a classy false front above patch.' work siding. No. 206. Old saloons, boarding houses^and stores have been renovated to serve as theaty!^, summer residence^ and museum. No. 207. Panney Mine was the largest producer in the Mongollon area. Tallinsrs of the mine once slid down canyon, wiping out the Maud S. Mlll^ and damming the creek cassinar through town. it closed No. 208 The Pannev Mine has changed little since its aIjisutt, more than ^3^ years ago. No. 209. Miners of Mongollon showed great originality. Head*^ boards and crosses in the cemetery were made of slate concret^j^ even pipe and electrical conduit. 55 �Mexloo ■(-eant » No. 210- Althoucijh deeply carved, Inscription on old wooden cross is difficult to make out. No. 211, The date is 1896. Access to the old town of Shakespeare has been limited since owner, Rita Hill, lost her crusade ayainst the New Mexico Hlo^hway Department. » No. 212 • Several company stores occupied this 1onrock buildlnfi? in Valedon’s business district. No. 213 Most of the buildings in Valedon were blown up to save dent's No 214 . taxes. Walls of store and superinten survived the blast. Hu^re opening leads to smaller shaft just below the Atwood Mine at outskirts of Valedon. No 215 ’ Henry Olay Mine stands idle in front of remains of Valedon. Old 85'**Mine, just above school*~house at left, is still operating. 34 - �Wo. 216’ Weathered old mill Is the most Impressive remnant In Howardsvllle, Wo. 217. Anchor cable counteracted toppling effect of aerial tramway. Wo. 218 Main cable of tramway reversed direction by passing around the **^urnabout wheel. Wo. 219 Holst bar and old cabin are backdropoed by Macomber Hematite Lake is Just over Peak and Dome Mountain. the notch. Wo. 220 Miners’ shacks at 3ureka were placed well out on the flats to escape snow slides spawned by barren slopes. Wo. 221* Stout timbers would! indicate W^ot this small structure served oris'lnally as a water tower and was « later adapted to other use. Sunnyside Mill remains are in the background. Wo. 222 . Unnamed mine hanys precariously at top of talus slope just east of 3ureka. - 3 r- �golora^ n (o -nnt ¥o. 233. Larsre board ins^ouse at north end of Eureka is poorly located. Sprint floods and winter snoi^ slides threaten bulldlns^ annually. No. 224• In spite of its precarious location, old boarding^ house shows slyns of recent renovation. No. 225 ' Old wayon axle lies partly awash. Animas River, gentle In summer, can rampage during spring run off. No. 226 . Hills around Animas Porks are occasionally snon& covered even In midsummer. View from porch of fancy house ^o^^looks a similar residence, the Animas Hlver, remains of Golumbtts Mine and Mill. A No. 227 • Most pretentious house in Animas Porks was the home of Tom Walsh, discoverer of the Gamp Bird Lode near Ouray. No. 228 . Dilapidated zM^ln street of Animas Porks shows a variety of construction and renovation. - ^6- �‘Wo. 229, Houffhton Mountain, source of many snowslides, overlooks the old mill below t Wo. 230. Columbus Mine. Fresh snow adds a dappled beauty to Ior dam across the Animas Hlver, a mile or so dowrT^ stream from the town of Animas Porks. ‘Wo. 231 • The Bae-ley Mine complex as seen through the re mains of the Columbus Wine^ ' Wo. 232. Several build in,vs of the Bas-ley Mine, just west of Animas Forks were wined out bv recent snow' slides. •Wo. 233. Little los: cabin of Irwin, Colorado, is dwarfed by tall trees. . Wo. 234* The Forest Queen Mine biggest silver producer in the Huby Hange^ Wo. 235’ Steam tractor was used to power support machinery at the Forest Queen. Wo. 236- Powered by a converted World War II cable hoist of Forest Queen is still operable �■JoloradQ (eowtlnuttel-^ ♦No. 237‘ John Hahn, retired artillery officer, Is the present owner of the Forest Queen Mine at Irwin. No, 238* Town Hall at Gothic was built In 1880 and has since been frequently braced, cropped-and supported. 3ven the outside stairs are placed to counteract the lean. No. 239 * Old pay shack In Gothic has been restored without benefit of paint, Twelverthousandzfoot Mt. Gothic Is In backarround. No. 2^0. Mountains to the north of Gothic are amonsc Colorado’s most beautiful. Ascen, worlds famous ski area. Is Just over the top of Maroon and Pyramid ^/P^aks, No. 241 • St. 31mo, recently declared officially abandoned by the governor's office, has been a ghost town for many years, .^No. 242 ’ The St. 31 mo Fire Company and City Hall. Small, many-sided structure at front Is a phone booth. - 2- �ttoloi'ailu (bdntinueH No. 243« Obviously, the Miner's lixchana^51ffn on door correctly Indicates that fishing in the area is good. Sun and thin atmosphere of St. Slmo's high altitude cause boards to No. 245. bleach and curl rapidly Full moon hlerhllghts the fronts of buildings alon^ thoroughfare. St. ilmo's main Wno^fayoi. No. 2i^6 Huins of the western portion of Turret viewed from a rocky outcrop In center of town^ No. 247. City Hall overlooks central portion of Turret. No. 248 ♦ Gregory Hotel has some of Its Interior walls papered with old /ssues of the '^Gold Selt.*^ No. 249 Henson's Mercantile and Meat Market^viewed from porch of Gregory Hotel. No. 250 alternate format to 249 �No. 251. Log post office In foreground^ and Turner resly dence behind. Turner Mine tunnel entered the ground a few steps from the back door. No. 252. Hoofs of Turret catch the early morning light. No. 253 Trees now furnish the shade once offered by shlncled porch at rear entrance to Calumet's zS^apre y3^at 1 on. No. 254 • The stasre station reached Its full/yttfoot length when further construction was terminated by huge boulder. No. 255 • Calumet's only residential building consists off^ leaning walls and droonlng remnants of a covered porch. No. Small smelter Is the most Impressive building In Wolf, one of Colorado's least:known ghost towns. No. 257 * Long unused, boiler In Wolf's smelter has become a prime nesting site for local birds. �uolorai^o ( in Wolf/? Mo. 250- One of the finer homes No. 259. Trees 2:row in the middle of some homes in Wolf. Only faint traces of streets can be made out in this seldomivisited cohost town. �UTAH-PHOTO pgsoaiPTiaw--^ • No. 260* Sprln? Canyon ^lewed from a hill north of town) shows clinic at ria:ht, company store in center, community showers at left. . No. 261. This solid rock structure, like many in Sprint Canyon, was decapitated to render it uninhabitable/K and therefore untaxable. . No. 262 No. 263 Rubble-strewn stens lead nowhere. Company store in Spring Canyon sold general chandise, including raeat^, groceries, clothinsrif^ even gasoline. No. 264 • Water hydrants were boxed in to prevent freeze-up in cold weather. No. 265 Lone street light, lonv unlit, overlooks remains of south end of Soring Canyon. No. 266 Large machine shed, is located in main canyon at j the south end of Spring Canyon. �ti^o. 267, Ad for Never-aip overalls fills end of building in longsdeserted town of Peerless, a fevi miles below the town of Spring Canyon. . No. 268. Seemingly rusted in position, like the Tin i4an of The Wizard of O2, this old orane stands immobile on the outskirts of Standardvllle, Utah. No. 269, Offices of the Standard Mining Comuany overlook the remains of Standardville. ' No. Giant blower once sent life-giving air through the shafts and tunnels below Standardvllle. 'No. 271 Company offices of Latuda fill the narrow space between Main Street and bluff behind. « No. 272 Latuda's small jail is still in working order. Note the cast-in-place roof. No. 273. Old ore cars stand before the Hains Coal Company shops. �No. 27^ Welcome to the Mutual Store. Please watch your step. No. 275 ' Gattie wander through remains of old gas station at north end of Mutual. No. 276/ Longsunused shop of small unnamed coal mine above Mutual^ offers scenic view of the head of Spring Ganyon. No. 277 • Tall coal tipple stands in rigid support of plat­ form matching level of tunnel penetrating hill behind. No. 278 Walter B. Hanks was the only Bishop to hold services in Gaineville's LDS (Latter'E'av Saints) ! Church. No. 279 Giant trees date this old cabin of Gaineville. No. 280 Olive and Andrew Hunt of Gaineville and Giles tend ajarden in Hanksville during the summer, reside in Green Hiver in the winter. Note I Olive has asked that her photo be left out. I have asked for her permission again. If not granted, I’ll cross out her face and ask that the following caution be usedi �^Utah (-continued-^ No. 280 (continued) Andrew Hunt, of Giles, husband of Olive HuntX' of Gaineville, tends garden in Hanksville during the summer and resides in Green Hiver in the winter. No. 281 Old rock residence at west end of Giles once catered to travelers on the Galnevllle--tO’Hanks—'''^ Ville road. No. 282 Small cabin, overhung by large trees,' is birth­ place of Andrew Hunt, early resident of Giles, Utah. No. 283 Rock cabin of Notom, Utah, has lately been used as an animal shelter. No. 284 Small collapsed house ^^Notom, Utah, shows roof denuded of shingles. Washer dates last occupancy approximately 1940. •^No. 285 *l Machine shop in center catered to repair work for \numerous mines in the Frisco area. �■fBunLluued) Wo. 286 I One of several crreat holes in the mountain as seen from c<}moany offices in mining area Just west of Frisco^ •Mo, 28? Small duff out residence had fancy raised kitchen behind front room. . Wo. 288• Inside of fancy duF^cut shows ceiliny and walls in need of repair. No. 289’ Twin skips of the Horn Silver had rock deflectors overhead. Wo. 290 Wafe-fee. dump overlooks flats once occupied by the west suburb of Frisco. Wo 291 Alternate to 292 Wo. 292 Sunset over the King David Wo. 293 - Hotel, mote]^ and cafe, the last business to close in Cisco^ -4/6. - �•Ufcali (eowt iHued) � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Norman Weis Manuscripts Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1971-1987 Description An account of the resource A collection of manuscripts by Casper College professor Norman Weis. <br /><br />This collection includes manuscripts of:<br /><em>Ghost Towns of the Northwest: Known and Unknown<br />The Starduster<br />Two-Story Outhouse<br />Helldorados<br /></em><br />Each manuscript contains written in edits by Norman Weis Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Norman Weis Language A language of the resource ENG Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Norm Weiss Manuscripts and Photographs, CCA 10.2003.01 WyCaC US. Casper College Archives and Special Collections. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Searchable PDF Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CCA 10.2003.01_Weis_Manuscripts Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Manuscript Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource <em>Helldorados</em> Editing Information, Bibliography, and Photo Descriptions Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <div class="element-text five columns omega"> <p><a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a></p> </div> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1975 Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Norman Weis Language A language of the resource ENG Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Norm Weiss Manuscripts and Photographs, CCA 10.2003.01 WyCaC US. Casper College Archives and Special Collections. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CCA 10.2003.01_Weis_Helldorados_Info Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Searchable PDF https://caspercollege.cvlcollections.org/files/original/5713b92395a1db8541e8a972754e61f3.pdf 235c0d92d30f7cf2d1c5b68432baf38e PDF Text Text PART I S==- s CALIFORNIA �__ > AT?ALIPaFi'''IA Aq?A --------------- ■^'—■< - ggaao gorpo, OALiFJRxmiL^ Mortimer Belshaw was a shrewd man. wardly Shrewd! Ou^ Belshaw showed only mild interest in the sample of silver-bearlny quartz shown around by a iiexioan prospector. He inquired of other deposits in the area, and when told that tralena was found nearby He knew he immediately laid plans. that the lead found in yalena was necessary to subtract silver from its ore. controlled the lead could control The man the silver, and Belshaw figured to be that man. Belshaw arrived in Gerro Gordo in 1868. Prospectors were swarmlna about the rounded, almost fat hills for which the site was named. While the prospectors sought out and claimed the silver, Belshaw quietly sewed up most of the galena deposits. He hastened to spread the word that he planned to build a smelter, then promptly traded one-fifth of his imaginary smelter for one^ third of the Union Mine, the last hold-out containing highsqualitv calena. With a few ingots laboriously smelted from his best ore samples, Belshaw headed for San Francisco. Financier Abner B. Sider looked at the ingots, believed Belshaw*s claims, and promptly The Union Minlnsr Company was formed offered to back the enterprise. By ral(l*^ummer from Owen's Lake the partners had constructed a wagon road up the steep slopes to Gerro Gordo. climbed ^,800 feet in its eight serpentine miles. spot a tollTSite was Installed. plan to miss a trick. The road At one narrow Belshaw and partner didn't The fee was $1.00 per wagon, two bits -1- �per rider. The partners soaked everyone^ and took a double whaok at competitors, Belshaw was a talented engineer, designing and huild-f ing a smelter capable of turning outtons of lead-silver amalgam each day. Charged with coke and coal, and making use of a unique doubletboiler principle, it constituted a major breakthrough in contemporary smelting. One hundred and twenty bars of lead-silver amalgam were poured and hauled out each day. With rear wheels chained and skidding, and front wheel brakes frequently applied, the elyhtsmule teams slipped and slid down the road, traversing dozens of tight switchbacks. The bars were transferred to steamers at the east bank of Owens Lake, then again loaded on wagons at the west bank and hauled to San Francisco. The Union Mining Company built a second smelter in 189QAand nroduction doubled. Traffic increased on the toll road O' <— as other mines expanded production. A new smelter at Swansea, on the shore of Owens Lake, made lowersgrade ore a paying pronosltion in spite of Belshaw's tollroad rates. Belshaw tried to lure business away from the Swansea Smelter by letting the tollroad go bad. This limited the loads that could be carried in the wavons, and in effect raised the toll. Competing mines either raid Belshaw's high smelting fees or forked over a healthy toll. Belshaw's competitors attempted to build a new road in to Gerro Gordo, but efforts proved fruitless. -2- The canny �Belshaw had nlaced his toll road In the only usable spot! Some disgruntled folk established a tent town below Belshaw’s toll*^ate and hiked cross-country a mile or so to Oerro Gordo for supplies and entertainment. The fifty-six teams of mules that hauled freight to Cerro Gordo continued to pay Belshaw’s heavy toll. Later an aerial tramway was built, easing the stranglehold of the toll road. Mo engine was required to cower the tram>* way, since its problem was one of slowing the head Iona: dowi^ Elaborate braking mechanisms *t were utilized, and freight was put in the buckets on the "up" hill run of oretladen buckets. line when possible. seventies. The town prospered during the - with the popu­ lation riding between two and three thousand. houses were flourishinar. Several sporting The dance halls of Lola Travis and Maggie Moore were busy, and the American Hotel, opened in I87I, continued to do business in spite of spectacularly high rates. When a younsr doctor came to town intending to open a practice. he was confronted with drunks, fights, and even gunplay. The doc left town A same eveninv. Cerro Gordo enjoys a unique setting. Thirty miles away, to the northwest, 14,495:foot hiinih i4ount Everest towers over the dry flats of Owens Lake, besting Cerro Gordo and its adjacent peak by more than a mile. To the east, avain thirty miles away, is a "sink" fed Infrequently by Salt Creek and the -3- �Amargosa Hlver. Better known as Death Valley, its elevation is 282 feet BELOW sea level. Midway between the highest and lowest points in the continguous states, Cerro Gordo enjoys a climate that is the best of the two extremes. Days are warm and dry -- nights pleasantly cool. Barby and Jack Smith have owned the mine and town since 19^9. They charge a dollar to visit the place, and it's well worth it. Their protective presence has prevented the slow^certain destruction suffered by other ghost towns. They have made few changes, except that Jack now claims the town has running water — he runs and gets it twice a week. Most spectacular in town the old American Hotel, still replete with square nallft balcony, gazebo, and hugJi kitchen stove. The trestle of the Union Mine curves over the northern extreme of the business district. A threes crib sporting house still stands next to a string of buildings that once served as stores, warehouses^and machine shops. Occasional >11^ bottles diggers are permitted limited access. The old mine dump had been used as a garbage dump, with fresh rock tumbled over each day's refuse, creating a o gold mine of old bji^ttles inconveniently spread at the extreme bottom of the huge waote dump. Fred Kille, teacher and ghost town hunter, has poked and dug around the area extensively. He has located a number of little-known settlements and mines, particularly in the Panaraint Valley, next to and parallel to Death Valley �His bottle collection Is outstanding. We discussed the hazards Involved In digging for bottles and the additional thrills Involved In getting to some of the area’s ghost towns. He and his wife consider the road to Gerro Gordo enjoyable." "tame and My opinion differed greatly. The road is narrow and steep — so steep that my eight miles an hour, (admittedly tired) pickup could make no more than S—floor- boarded. It had not been an enjoyable trip up the hill. The sun was flat In my face on the steep grade a mile below town. The road, was but a narrow shelf, and^as I rounded out on top, the sun on the dusty windshield blocked all vision ahead. I locked the transmisslon^Jam^d on the brake, and got out to I did, for the road doubled back have a look. It was well to the right. Dead ahead was nothing but space. The only part of the road I enjoyed was the parking place at the end of It. Going down the hill the next day, I was thinking about the chainlocked wheels on the ore wagons that used to skid around the bends. turn I forgot about the blues sky hairpin and got the same damned unwanted thrill a seond time. MAP MOTfis Gerro Gordo and a number of small satellite towns and mining camps are shown on the Mew York Butte, California a 15 minute United States Geological Survey topographic map, �SWANSEA, CALIFOaVIA Trailing broad wakes and spouting dense clouds of smoke, the steamers Mollie Stevens and Bessie Brady often met in the middle of Owens Lake. Each in turn carried wood on. the ^^smile Journey eastward and silver-lead amalgam Sighty-flve feet long on the return, and shallow of draft to suit the meager depths of Owens (salt) Lake, the twin steamers plied between Cartasro at the southwest bay and Keeler and Swansea on the northeast shore. Swansea, named for its larger twin in Wales, was a smelting town. Silver ore from the Inyo Mountains near Cerro Gordo was processed here, with the aid of the local lead and salt deposits. Lead ore in the form of galena came from the Sunset, Union, Morning Star, and Cerro GordOy^nes. Unfortunately the salt of Owens Lake was of the carbonate variety, unusable for smelting. The proper chloride salt lay miles away, over the top of the Inyo Mountains hill north to Salt Lake, and down^ A tramway carried salt up the ^OOs foot climb through Daisy Canyon from Salt Lake to the mountain pass, then down to a port at the north end of Swansea. The huge furnaces at Swansea turned out I50 bars of silver every hours, each weighing a standard^^ pounds. It is difficult to Imagine the massive operations of smelting and freighting that took place on the shores of Owens Lake. It's especially difficult because Owensr Lake is no more. 8 �The same lonsrtterm change in climate that created extensive salt flats in the area small puddle. reduced Owens Lake to a Dried up and crusted over, the treacherous lake defies travel over its surface hy man or machine. Mollie S^tevens and the Bessie Brady are out there The buried beneath the salt, engines rusted and steam whistles silent. The smelter chimneys have fallen^and the houses are almost gone ~ moved or covered with the blowing sand dunes. Only the rock furnaces remain, along with a few buildings of town now owned by the Penn I41nes. Pour miles away the once: busy port of Keaier escapes complete desertion, thanks to the employment demands of a small soda evaporation plant. MAP MOTS: Swansea, Keeler, Salt Lake, and the tramway connect/ Ing the two can be located on the Mew York Butte, California^ 15' minute United States Geological Survey topographic map. �J DA5WIN, GALIFOaNIA rA The story is classic — the party of exhausted men were camped in the Aryus Hange of California. was short, and. their food was R-one. Water Their best rifle was found to be short one of its sights, and the chance of shoot^ Ing game seemed remote. An Indian guide saved, the day by re^ pairing the sight with a chunk of soft/iwhite metal. The memP v • bers of the party knew it was silver and assumed the Indian knew of a considerable deposit ~ but escape from the hostile area was deemed more important than a search for silver. Years later. Dr. 3. Darwin French led a party into the Argus Range to seek out the silver lode. Ft. Tejon rancher Dr. French, a and habitual prospector, had been in the area before^ and was likely a member of the starving party that had passed through earlier. whether It is not clear the Indian’s "Gunsight Lode" was ever found, but good signs were evident, and a number of claims were staked. 'Darwin The town that sprang up was officially named in i860, long after Dr. B. Darwin French had left to prospect elsewhere. The Darwin Hills, east of town, eventually yielded S5 million more than 3 iai^^an-dallars worth of silver. Three smelters operated from 1875 to 1880. The town declined, due to de­ eighties pleted ore bodies, in the late and was reduced to one operation by 1913. 8- �The business district is presently deserted. The pumps at the old gas station are broken -- even the glass disc at the top is fractured, making it difficult to read the label, "Green Streak Gasoline.” At the old school building a crude plywood sign leans on the front, pathetically offering an historic note. It^ confusing message Indicates it was built in I876 but not used until I9OO, then abandoned in 1917. To the north of Darwin's business district extensive remains of a large company town. are the The company town has twice as many homes as Darwin, plus a school and hospital. The huge complex has been closed for years. Row upon row of Identical bachelor's cubicles stand unoccupied, with doors open and windows broken. The wind blows clouds of yellow mill tailings over town, heaping obscurity on top of desertion. MAP NOTEi The Darwin, California,15 minute United States z Geological Survey topograph map shows Darwin and the deserted company town. �HART, GALIFOHNIA^ It Is the llttletknown site that attracts the The desert west of Weedies, dills^ent ,<yhost town hunter. California, Is full of old caTius and deserted towns an Ideal area to explore. Darwin Fetters of Wlpton, California, has poked about the ree-lon extensively. He has relied heavily on the available topographic maps but Is quick to state that he has visited a number of deserted settlements that are not shown on any of the existing topographic maps. I asked Mr. Fetters about the old towns of Vanderbilt, Hart, Barnwell, Ivanpah Sprlnars, Juan, and Crescent, He had been to all of the sites and recommended Hart and Vanderbilt. In ad.dltlon he suggested a visit to a llttleeknown mlnlnor camp called Sasramore and a mysterious place he called Mescal City. Thirty-nine miles east of Baker, California, Hls-hway 15-91 makes a broad bend to the north. blacktop road heads east south. At this spot a lesser and In four miles branches to the In three more miles It angles slightly, then heads In a precisely straight line for the deserted railroad town of Ivanpah. About four miles past Ivanpah the tar becomes gravel, and the Dakar Minerals Development sign can be seen -10- �on the left side of the road, near the site of the old town of Vanderbilt. I was disappointed to learn that the last building in Vanderbilt, an old saloon, had recently collapsed and been cleared away. The lone resident of Vanderbilt, Robert D'Anella, furnished some interesting information about most of the old towns in the area. Including a special note on ‘*^scal Clty,'****^ which he explained had recently been reclaimed. D'Anella sue’crested it would be best if I staved away from that old camp. "They sometimes shoot at strangers up there — trying to protect a contestfAclalm. " With a grin he added, '"course they just shoot to scare you, but then they don't shoot too awful straight either." I decided to look into the Mescal City situation on my way out of the area and to concentrate in the meantime on Hart, Barnwell and Sagamore Gamp. Pour miles south of Vanderbilt the water tower at the site of Barnwell is visible on the left. a gravel road exits to the east. At this point In nine miles the road ends at the foot of Castle MountainyJyvi smack in the middle of the old town of Hart, California. The flats adjacent to the /Mountains are strewn with old boards, barrel hoops, wagon wheel rims, broken bottles, and rusted tin cans of the early 190Q^. -11- The �chimney of the old Norton residence looms at the northwest edore of the townsite. Toward the slopes are remains of a seconds effort mining operation involving a white clay or some clay^ike compound of sodium or potassium. The mineral deposits still on the site are brilliant whiteand*under a noon sun, irritating to the unprotected eye. To the south are the remains of several old gold mines. One of the shafts is said to extend 835 feet down. I dropped a stone, and afterj^l^seconds I could still hear it faintly clattering. To the east is what appears at first glance to be an oil well. Noting the height of the storage tank, it becomes obvious that it was at one time the town's water supply. Robert D'Anella of Vanderbilt told me later that the wooden walking beam and accessory equipment were carted in from San Francisco on a set of ^^foot wheels. A small engine once turned an eccentric operating the walking beam so as to piston water up from the underground pool hundreds of feet below. Gold was discovered in the ledges along the slopes of the mountain in December of 190?. The ore was rich, and promoters and prospectors invaded the territory. Within a month, 300 people were camped on the site, and a newspaper, JShe Hart Enterprise, was selling copies of its first edition. In April a hotel was constructed, and residents of the town were rapidly replacing tent canvas with more substantial material. A post office was finished in May. In December �the bubble burst. year. The town had flourished for exactly one When the mines shut down continue the town's existence. there was little excuse to Hart, it seemed, had always been a long way from anywhere, and^wlthout the mines, the distance increased. The post office held out until 1915. Since that time only sporadic mining has been conducted. Most of the effort was aimed at extracting pockets of clay. The remains of the town are sparse. Rarely can one remnant be spotted from the site of another. The cemetery is located somewhere in the middle of the remains, but in two hours of searchins: I was unable to find it. was a small cemetery Most likely it after all, how many people could have died in a town that itself died one year after it was born? MAP MOTSj The Ivanpah and the Crescent Peak, California^ 15 minute United States Geological Survey topographic maps are both necessary for a proper exploration of the area. �SARW3LL, CALIFORNIA Barnwell now consists of two buildings mill, a water tower, and extensive foundations. a wind^ That’s quite a come^'d^wn for a town that once had a population measured in the thousands. Walking over the site, it is hard to believe such a thriving community could have eXfA Isted here. Little reliable information is available concerning the town. However, according to Robert D’Anella, owner of a number of claims in the vicinity, Barnwell was once the largest town in the recrion and served as the trade center for the entire raining district. Its three slaughter houses furnished meat for the dozens of mine camps in the area. Originally a stage station, the town boomed when the Atchison, Topeka and Sante Pe Railroad built its line on the old wagon route. The stage station grew from two rooms to a respectable hotel. Later the California and Eastern Railroad passed through Vanderbilt and apparently made connection with the Sante Fe within the town’s limits. From Barnwell another spur headed northeast to the mining camp of Juan. The March 31» 189^ issue of >rfie Mining and Scientific Press stated, "The Nevada Southern Railroad is in good order, and regular trips are made to Manvel, four miles from Vanderbilt." No mention is made of Barnwell. Since Barnwell is exactly V miles from Vanderbilt, and no other town site can be found on the map that fits the �description, one must assume that Manvel was another name given the town of Barnwell, There Is considerable confusion in the early literaT^ ture of the Vanderbilt Mining District. Promoters often exZ^ aggerated their holdings while carefully avoiding mention of competing enterprises, and occasionally small communities were misrepresented as bustling cities. Some of the claims made about Barnwell are probably examples of that practice. Barnwell was, however, a major Junction. At least three, and perhaps four, rail lines met there, and wagon roads emlnated from town in three directions. It was truly the "Hub of the Vanderbilt Mining District." Barnwell held that title until the turn of the century, when mines in the area began to fall. The shortahaul railroads shut down — only the Santa Pe remained in operation. Homes were moved from town, and fire destroyed much of the business district. The stage station, the oldest building in town, was spared. It served as a depot for the Santa Pe for a time. When the Santa Pe was relocated to pass through Ivanpah, several miles away, the old stage station was returned to its original pursuit — catering to road traffic. How, as in the beginning, it stands alone, a monument to mark the site of the town of Barnwell — once the "Hub of the Vanderbilt Mining District." �MAP WQT5.I The site of Barnwell is shown on the Crescent , California, Peak^lS minute United States Geolocjical Survey toposjraphic map. �3AGAMQRB MINB CAMP, CALIFORWI^/^ Darwin Petters of Nlpton had sald^"take a left a " aA strong mile south past Barnwell, then head to the right — I think — then — well — you’ll know you’re on the right road if you climb up over a saddle and dump into the middle of a canyon." The map showed no road to fit the description. There was a road turning off south of Barnwell, but it led to Live Oak Canyon, Sasramore Canyon was shown complete with a road along the stream bed, but there was no connection be<^ tween the two roads — no way to "dump" into the middle of the canyon. It would be appropriate/^to give detailed instructions hepe-afr-4^ how to locate Savamore Camp, but the network of littleiused roads makes that nearly impossible. It took me several hours to run half a dozen trails to their destinations in order to find the correct one. On the way out I simply headed east, eventually locating the Barnwell road, but again I found some unexpected dead ends. You w^l^ know you are on the right road when you drive through a gate^ a dry wash, and start a climb up a winding^rocky road with a steep drop-off into another dry wash to your right. to let a wheel spin occasionally The road is steep enough and rough enough to require dodging any unwanted meeting between boulder and differential. This is the road that "dumps" into the canyonTTfOnce in Sagamore Canyon mine shacks become visible on the left, and �an old railroad grade takes off straight ahead. With a ^^ep you can find your way down to the dry stream bed drive up the bed a couple of miles to "tin camp." then It’s another mile up the canyon to "rock camp^ and even with a ^eep it’s best to cover this section on foot. TIP ^mp is the result of Sagamore’s only major rework. Sight or ten men were employed mining the tungsten^ overlooked in the original extraction of silver. The largest of the several corrugated sheds is still liv(?able and occa­ sionally used. A paper plate tacked on the wall bears the following message: f^Thanks for leaving this cabin in such a k-* . oroddam mess. O.K. to use for shelter. Thanks for stealing the stove ” you can buy an antique exactly like it for 118 in town," The location of the camp, smack in the bottom of the canyon, is a tribute to the dry climate. In any valley but this one, rain pattering on a tin roof would most likely lull one to sleep. In Sagamore Canyon it is reason to start packing. On up the canyon, extensive rock structures line the dry creek bed. of mortar. A chimney on the right stands without benefit Above it, serpentine rockworks form the abutments for the old railroad line that stretched several miles from the mine to a point on the canyon rim. I hiked to the mine "by rail," and returned later by *drvwash road." �The old Sagamore Mine head frame stands astraddle feet above the canyon floor. the shaft on a shelf about A tunnel bores into the shelf from below, meeting the shaft at the first level. Nearby are the ruins of several rock: Built prior to I890, they walled, dirt-roofed structures. are very likely the first homes built in the canyon. down the canyon, via the dry:wash road^^ numerous rock walls feet high. stand in line, some more than On Hock forms the front and sides of the buildings, while the canyon wall makes the rear. Missing are the locr roofs and any indication of a wooden second story. Slther flood or fire, perhaps both, wegg responsible for the destruction. Back in Vanderbilt, D'Anella provided some additional information. He had read or heard somewhere that the original camp dated as far back as 186? or and that the camp employed silver men of lead and cooper. smaller amounts The community nrobably numbered more than one hundred souls. When the silver ran out, the mine and camp were abandoned. Many years later in the old mine. Sy then beyond use, requiring tungsten deposits were noted rock camp had deteriorated construction of the newer "tln*^ camp. I mentioned to D’Anella that there was no sign of a mill at Sagamore Gamp or at any of the other mines in the vicinity. -19- �"Most of them were blown up — blown up on purpose^" explained. "Every time Hollywood made a Western, it seems they had to have a big explosion, and old mills were big and real cheap. Blew a lot of them up myself, working for the film companies." Just the thought of it brought a smile to his face. "Used to put dynamite under the eaves and in the foundation corners. Then set off the bottoms and a bit later, on a mill*!?' second delay, blow the roof — spectacular as hell J" explained further. He "That's why you seldom find an intact mill, or even one that's leaned over or collapsed. [4ost of them are scattered in splinters all over the countryside." As I drove back along the road leading toward the interstate highway, I realized my route would take me past *^escal Cltyf^j^he place reportedly protected by trisrgsr-happy guards. I got out the maps, located the turn?^ off, and proceeded full of courage, with telephoto lenses Installed. After traveling several miles along the winding dirt road, my progress was blocked by a sturdy gate, stoutly chained and padlocked, happily precluding any possibility of a confrontation with those Intent upon protecting a contested claim. MAP WOTSj Sagamore Camp is shown southwest of Barnwell on the Crescent Peak, Californla^lS minute United States Geolo­ gical Survey topograuhic map. END CALIPOHNIA AREA -20- �1 CALIFORNIA AR.^A CARLOCK, CALIPORNI^ The Yellow Aster Mine was rich in gold in water. but poor The mine was awkwardly situated in a deep notoh on the northeast shoulder of Government Peak,pne of the few peaks that make up the Rand Mountains. The highest peaks are less than ^00 feet above the desert flats and are unable to steal moisture from the already dry air. Ore from the Yellow Aster was hauled to the nearest mlllj the mill, of necessity, was at the nearest water. Garlock was such a location. Water pumped and e. piped from a nearby spring was its reason for exlst/^nce the reason for its demise. and later Eugene Garlock, in I896, built a stamp mill here to replace the inadequate capacity of a steam-powered arrastra Ore was hauled a dozen miles to be crushed, separated by water and melted into bars. As the mines Increased their outputs, so the number of mills increased. With the increased demand, X*dL. - and^limlted flow from the snrlngs, water became scarce. Wells dug in the area Improved the supply, and more mills were built At its peak Garlock boasted six mills in the Immediate area. The town claimed two hotels, a grocery, two saloons, and several structures that served multiple purposes. Miller’s rock structure (still standing) was built in 1897 and served as stage depot, store, and bar. �Puellnc: the steam encrines that supplied power for the machinery at the mills proved to be a serious problem. When wood supplies fell short, brush was forked into the Huge quantities were required, and^as a result, T the surroundins- area became thorous^hly stripped of vegetation. furnaces. When the Yellow Aster Mine Company built own mill a few miles east of Carlock in Coler Gulch, part of Carlock moved to Coler Gulch. Later it proved more efficient to pump the water by means of Archimed^^i« Screw through pipes to the site of the mine proper, six miles to the southeast. In 1898 a spur of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Pe reached the mines on Rand Mountain, and most of the ore was Most of Johannes*^ the reraaininor residents of Carlock moved to Randsburg and A then shipped to Sarstow for more efficient extraction. burg, and by 1902 only two families remained in Carlock. In 1911 the Southern Pacific built its track^'^^rough Carlock, and the town was given another breath of life. salt mining was undertaken on nearby Koehn Dry Lake. Later, A few families moved in and the post office was reopened, but in 1926 Carlock re-expired when the post office closed for the last time MAP WOTS: Details of the area^showlne a great number of jeep tralls^can be found on the Carlock, California^7^ minute United States Geological topographic map. More of the older sites are named on the 19^3 Saltdale and Randsburg, California^lS minute mans. -22- �ATOLIA, CALIFORNI4/~^ Atkins and DeGolia, two officers of the Tungsten Mining Company, each offered a part of t^^^ name, and the combination came out "Atolia." Some claim that DeGolia only jUvocT donated the "lia" and.a third man, Pete Osdlck, furnished A the '% •' The town grew around a number of tungsten mines and reached its peak population in 191^ and 1915. Seside dences were wit^y scattered, the flat^rolling land providing an unusual roominess for a mining town. C, H. (ysiim^^aiffle, of Red Mountain, just to the north, spent most of his life in the mines of Atolia. There is a modern plant to the south of Atolia, and a few folk n live nearby. Slim draws an imaginary line ^ear the plant and calls the numerous deserted mines, houses^and ruins to the north "Old Atolia." Most of the buildings are ramshackle and the mines long deserted^ wood bleaching in the sun, ore cars rusting on the dumps. Many of the old mines utilized slanted shafts aboutdegrees off vertical, permitting the skip to skid up and down on wooden rails. "It’s always been the tungsten we were after," says Slim. lA "In fact, we used to use chunks of the ore — scheelite that was down at Tim O’Connor's/glaloon. * Just a ten^ really, but he Called it the Bucket of Blood ." for poker chlps^y^ Slim didn’t elaborate, but high-grading must have been a way of life. It was a simple matter to slip some of �the better samples In lunch pail or pocket. It wasn’t considered exactly les^al, but then the mine owners exoected it and ignored the loss as lony as it was minor. The prac*J3^ tice was an early type of frincre benefit. The Union No. 1 Mine west of the old town was the best hole and no doubt offered the best opportunity to pocket an evening’s supply of poker chips. Outside of the usual hotel, livery, poollhall* and I saloon, Atolla had a picture show and a dairy. The town hit its first boom in 1914 during World War I, and the population reached several thousand. Shortly after the war, Charlie Taylor and Charlie Churchill, owners of some of the best holdings, sensed an impending bust. They sold out, and within a few years the bottom fell out of the price of tuna:sten. The population of the town, already depleted, shrunk to a stubborn few. The area abounds in back roads and old ruins. Nearby Red Mountain, Johannesburg, and Randsburg, all old mining towns, are well worth a visit. A back road connecting Randsbure- and Atolia makes a circle tour possible. MAP NCTSi The 1911 Randsburg, California.15 minute United States Geological Survey topographic map shows some of the back roads and many of the old mines. -24- �gjOLGAHPIi; CAMP, gALIFoa^TIA 31a‘ht miles north of Barstow on the Gamp Irwin Highway, a graveled route called the Copper City Hoad exits six and. a half to the north. Sxactlv 4^^ miles along this road and Just over a low pass, a nondescript dirt road heads to the northwest. At this point a multiplicity of interlacing back roads and dunes buggy trails makes eyeball navigation a must. Goolgardie Gamp is exactly Qmiles northwest of the junction and in line with a prominent, but unnamed^knob that rises 800 feet above the flats of Goolgardie Gamp. The remains of the old placer camn are sparse, but the scenery is great. The Joshua^^^ees are magnificent, many of them growing taller and broader of trunk than the revered specimens in the Joshua ’'Tatlonal Forest. Space is plentiful, water is scarce. If you wish to pan out some sand, be sure to include extra supplies of water. There are several active claims in Goolgardie Gamp, suggesting that care be taken in the choice of panning sites lest one be guilty of accidental claim- Jumping. Dozens of old^deserted mines are to be found in the area, and a number of geologic features carry names that Invite insnectlon. There are Opal Mountain, Inscription Canyon, Superior Lake, xlalnbow Basin, and Fossil Canyon. of Goldstone to the northwest The old town has a wall or two still stand-***^^ ing, and to the southeast is the site of Bismark. fA JJear Bismark is the restored "ghost town" of Calico — possibly -25- �worth a visit — If you like crowds and enjoy a carnival atmosphere. MAP WOTEi The Opal Mountain, Lane Mountain, Barstow, and Daygett, Californla^lS minute United States Geoloylcal » Survey topographic maps are all required to tour the area. -26- �1 CALIFOaNIA AaSA 4 L 3^, = ' MASONIC GALIFJR^TIA^ Traces of gold were found in the narrow, unnamed gulch in I860. Although rich deposits were present just below the surface, it wasn't until 1900 that Joe Green scratched away the overburden to bring the yellow color to light. The vein revealed was rich, and Joe promptly laid out his claim. Appropriately, he registered the find as Jump Joe Mine.*^ Two years later Dorsey located a richer vein nearby - Phillips, Bryan^and which became known as the '’Pittsburg Liberty.**” By 1907 a sizable camo filled the ^ulch, separating naturally into three sections — upper, middle, and lower, where the @;stamp Liberty Mill was sited. Although the popu­ lation of all three added up to no more than 500, a great many of the 500 were Masons, and it wasn’t lonsr before a hall was built. Soon another was constructed and the town named Masonic. In 1910, after three good years and $600,000 in bullion extracted, the Pittsburg Liberty Company went broke. The body of Phillips, one of the owners, was found at the bottom of the Liberty^aft. Some claimed suicide, others murder, but the records called it an accident. A second attempt to mine the ^Ich was between 1933 and 1938, By that time the town had become nearly -27- �deserted, and the new mining did little to attract new citizens. Masonic has been vacant for more than twenty years. A few shacks and a log building mark the site of Middle Masonic. More shacks, mill ruins, and a rock;walled is left of Lower Town. all that Sven the overhead tramway cables have fallen. Upper town holds a pitiful remnant of collapsed * shacks and stubborn log corners. Mot a trace remains of the Masonic Halls, but^ according to the map, the name Masonic has survived. It is found on every geologic feature of note withinmiles of town. There is Masonic ©(ulch. Masonic Mountain, Masonic Spring, and Masonic Greek’^ but there is not a single Mason left in Masonic Town. MAP MOTS; The Bridgeport, California^l5 minute United States Geological Survey topographic map shows the three sites. �BODia, GALIFOHinA | History at best Is Inexact. Pour authorities give four different versions of the naming of Bodie Town, variously, the first man to find gold in the area was named William Bodey, William S. Body, Waterman 3. Body, and Water^ man S. Bodye. There seemdd to be a tie between William and *»*>* Waterman ^and complete confusion concerning the last name. Town fathers decided to name the place known to be wrong Bodie, a spelling but guaranteed to at least achieve proper pronunciation. The man with the questionable name discovered placer gold at the head of Cottonwood Canyon in 1859. He took his small poke to Monovllle and traded it for a winter’s worth cc of food. He andy^friend, 3. 3. Taylor, set out for Bodie, but a blizzard caught them on the way, Bodie in blankets and went for help. find his friend. Taylor wrapped the exhausted On return he could not In fact, Bodie's body was not found until the following soring. Weather in Bodie was not just a topic of conversation, it was a matter of survival. Many citizens died in the winter of I878 when twenty:foot drifts were common and wood was in short supply. The 8,600tfoot altitude, although it promised m114 summer^^euaranteed severe winters. A Death by man-made violence was also common ~ more common than the church-going faction would desire -29- or the �Chamber of Commerce would admit. shot to death. In one week men were Cj The "Bodie 601" vifrilance ^roup attempted to control the violence by adding lynching as an alternate to murder. The big boom came to Bodie in I878 when the Standard Mine (formerly the Bunker Hill) hit a heavy gold vein. An earlier discovery of gold in a collapsed working was eclipsed by the richness of the new find, which ran to ^^,000 per ton. The rush was on^and the population zoomed from several hundred to 10,000 or more. There were @ newspapers, and0of them were published dailyl A 32smlle railroad was built in 1881, connecting the forested area of Mono Lake with the wood-poor mining town. Quickly Bodie changed from a tent: and: shack community to a wood; and*, brick city. quickly, the boom subsided. And just as As the veins thinned, so did the population, and by 1882 there were fewer than 500 folk rattling about a town built for times their number. But in its short heyday Bodie was a genuine heller. Stages were robbed of bullion so often that the Wells|^argo Company called in their brest shots to ride guard on the money runs. Sixty-five saloon^ gin mills, and ale stoops were in operation — all of them,.making money. The Parole Saloon and the Sawdust Corner sought out the ordinary customer, while the Senate and Cabinet lured the carriage trade. Three breweries supplied the draft, and a handful —--------------------------------------- -30- ' �of churches valiantly fought the flow. It was a loosing battle, and the cry "Goodby^God, I‘m going to Bodie'”’’ be came c o mmon. Polite folk referred to the sinful part of toivn as the "redslight district," but. for the customers. Maiden Lane and Virgin Alley held more than red lights. I^ellle Monroe, Hosa May, "Beautiful Doll(^ and Eleanor Dumont, otherwise called "Madam, Mustache^^ ran houses as respect/-^ able as any establishments in the state. When a hydroelectric power plant of sent electricity on a ^^rmile Journey to Bodie, the lines were laid out straight for fear the mysterious juice could not navigate sharp corners. It worked I When the switch was closed, a motor in Bodie delivered power, satisfactorily operating the hoist of the Standard Mine. The engineers of the system were quickly sought out to build similar install^ whether tions throughout the world. It is not knom they ever ve: tured to curve their lines. The James S. Caln Company owned the Midnight Mine adjacent to the Standard Mine. In 1915 the Standard Mining Company was found guilty of tapping the Midnight's vein. As settlement, the Caln Company was given title to the Standard It was a hollow victory, for there was little gold left in either mine. The railroad gave up service the next year, and only the die-hards remained in town. �In 1962 the State of California designated Bodie in a state of "arrested decay." rebuilding is allowed. The result is Tiarvelous. Looting Is prevented. as It was when deserted. The town remains There are no shops^and there Is no carnival atmosphere. Occasionally a wedding is held, at the old Methodist Church. Sven then the spirit of Bodie is honored, as the participants wear costumes of Bodie's *ooora townera. MAP MOTS: ’Jo The Bodie, California^15.minute United States Geological Survey topographic map shows the area In detail. -32- �GALIPOHWIA ARaA COLUMBIA. GALIFORNIA^^ After a visit to Bodie it is most appropriate to have a look at Columbia^ a living, operating, faithfully re^ stored city of the late 1800^ In 19^5 the Mate /retrislature voted to preserve Columbia as an historic Mate Z^rk. Careful restoration has been carried out continuously since that time. Here, Instead of peeking ij^the window you can walk in the stores, study the fixtures^ the stock, and sometimes purchase period items from appropriately attired clerks. Columbia, "The Gem of the Southern MinesfjJ has had a colohful history, and. the reporting of its history has been * just as colorful, with exaggerations and embellishments causing and great variation in "fact." a multiplicity of figures Gold was discovered here by Mexicans in the 1840|^J^ or by Doctor Hildreth’s party in 1850. Believing sudden riches might be difficult for foreigners to handle, the Hildreth Party chased off the Mexicans (some deny the Mexicans were there first) and took over the dlggincs. The place was called ^Hildreth’s later, since only "men of the dominant Diggings, nationality were allowed, it was called American Gamp, Within a month 5,000 (some claim up to 8,000) pros^X^ pectors were panning in the area. suggested a name to match. became a town. The magnitude of the camp Columbia was selected, and the ©amp �To alleviate the short supply of water, extensive flumes and reservoirs were constructed. The price of sluice Tuolumne water, as charged by the County Water Company, was so high that within a few years the miners formed their own company and began construction of a sixty*mile aqueduct. 3y 1852 city streets had been laid out^ and. 150 (or was it 180?) businesses were in operation. 3y I853 Columbia was the third largest city In California, with a population of 10,000 (or 15,000). That year a petition was circulated asking the governor to designate Columbia as the Xtate ;?^pitol. The petition, with 10,000 signatures, was stored In the bank, but Senator Goffroth, who was representing a convicted murd.erer awaiting execution, stole the petition and rewrote the first page to read like a pardon for his client. The man was pardoned, and talk of a X^ate yCapitol waned. The city grew, and in 185^ there were 30 (4o) saloons, 1 brewery, 1 (2) churches, 143 (I60) gambling joints, 17 (23) stores, 4 (8) hotels, 7 bakeries, 4 (8) banks, and 2 (3) theat^s. Fire destroyed much of the business district In 1854, and it was rebuilt with brick. partly The miners’ aqueduct was and Columbia’s future looked bright. Throughout Columbia’s history incidents transpired. wildest. Here again a number of bizarre The Barclay lijnching was perhaps the the variations are many. The best second version will again be included in parenthesis. -34- �A fellow named Smith, well under the influence, became annoyed with barmaid Martha Barclay’s foul language and her demands that Smith vacate the premises. Smith re^^ portedly pushed (slapped) barmaid Barclay just as her husband, John, entered. John shot Smith dead on the spot. A friend of Smith's proceeded to lobby against John's logeVtty 'and managed to work up a drunken lynching committee. Once decided, even the /f^riff couldn't stop the gang. Barclay was strung up. using a sluice as gallows. The drunken mob had forgotten to tie Bai^^ay's hands, and Barclay was hanclng on"~^ the rope for dear life. The miners climbed up on the sluice and jerked the rope (hung oiT^o Barclay's legs)kbut Barclay's ccrip was *** t They dropped him repeatedly solid. pr they hoisted a miner atop the sluice to beat Barclay's fists with a pistol butt) until he lost both his grip and his life. Fire ravaszed the central part of town for the second time in 1857. As a result, streets were widened and brick buildings were equipped with fires^ and burglar**^ proof steel shutters. The rebuilding took place in spite of the thinning gold deposits. The hards.rock and placer mines were subject to X great promotions and repeated sales. Salting was a way of life and was carried out in a number of devious ways. Early crude attempts ^ike shotgunning a load of gold into the tunnel walB yielded gold on the surface and none beneath. Only a �heglnner would buy thatand many did. Salting had been a sophisticated art In the Columbia area since 1851. The art may have reached Its zenith when two knowledsreable Chinese, wise to every saltT* Inor method, looked Into the purchase of a placer claim owned by a couple of unprincipled men. The Chln^ ese were on the lookout for pipe smokers, knowing that gold was often put In with the tobacco and the pipes knocked They knew about gold-laden out Innocently In the sluice. sweat bands wiped out while held over the gold pan. In fact, they were ready to resist any distraction that might permit the sly addition of gold and the consequent raise In the asking price of the claim. The Chinese selected the spot to dig their own shovel. and used The sellers were kept at a distance. ’■(Then the sluice was half filled, a rattlesnake fell off a nearby hummock, right on to the spot where the Chinese were digging. Quickly one of the sellers fired his shotgun, klll>- Ing the snake and saving the Ilves of one or more Chinamen. After profuse thanks were given, the Chinese continued digging, filled the slulcey.and washed It through. A surT' prlslnv amount of dust was found In the riffles, and the claim sold for a fancy price. worked again. The old shotgun trick had The "live" snake had been dead, but the -36- �gun shot was real — gold dust I J the lead had been exchanged for 3ret Harte put it well when he wrotej "The ways of a man with a maid may be strange, yet simple and tame To the ways of a man with a mine when buying or selling the same." The gold just plain ran out in the late fifties. Mo amount of salting or promoting could save the town. Columbia declined rapidly in i860. Host of the population reduction occurred that one year as thousands deserted the town. A number of buildings were razed and the ground beA neath hydraullcked for gold, right down to bedrock. The great imajorlty of the old buildings of Columbia have survived. 5very year another building is restored to permit full operation. Slowly the "Gem of the Southern Hines." Columbia is again becoming �MAP MOTS: The Columbia, Californl^7^ minute United States Geolos:ical Survey topocrraphic map shows the area in great detail. tail The 15 minute map of the same area shows less de­ but more of the surrounding area. -X- �fourth ch0531 NG, CALIPORN^ A Three accounts place Fourth Crossing in three different places. :2ven the plaque at the site mentions a location other than the one occupied. Apparently the original Fourth Crossing was on the South Pork of the Calaveras River, miles west of the present site. It was probably moved shortly after its establishment to an easier crossing of San Antonio Creek. In spite of the relocation, it remained the fourth crossing on the Stockton-Murphys Stage Road. Grace Bonte has lived in the old stage depot, now a sheep ranch headquarters, since 1926. She states that the toKjn once boasted nearly two hundred inhabitants, centered about a hotel-saloon-stage station combination, and an expan­ sive livery. A s-eneral store, schooly^and residences probably made up the balance of the community. Originally both placer and Fourth Crossing was a mining town, 'hard®rook . were the best producers. The Later Thorp and North Shaft the town became an Important stage and freight depot, serving the southern mines of California’s mother lode. The narrow, one-way bridge handled traffic adequately until the turn of the century, by which time the mining effort had declined. Now the old hotel-stage station is overgrown with trees and the bridge, lined on both sides with woven-wlre fencing, is reserved exclusively for sheep and foot traffic. -39- Across �the creek, and on the opposite side of the road, are a few deserted buildings of the postsI9OO era. One, an old-style gas station, would indicate that the onecway bridge was used for auto traffic before being replaced with a wider bridge a short distance upstream. I4AP MOTS I Fourth Grossing is centrally located on the San Andrea^ Galifornla^l5 minute United States Geological Survey toposeraphic map. �The cannon was loaded, primed^and aimed level The Confederate sympa4 down the main street of Volcano. thizers suddenly halted their march on the Union Forces. A flanking move was tried, but the Blues quickly swunc? the muzzle of *^ld Abe-^to bear on the Grey leader. assault died. The Volcano remained a Union town. It is well that Ajld Abewas not used, for the "cannoneer" had overloaded the weanon, and if fire^ it would have blown up, doiny more damage to its handlers than to the target MQuW hftvo infon the target It all began when Confederate sympathizers s^^ cretly organized a branch of the "Knights of the Golden Circle." e Discovery of the existence of the protsouthern group led to the formation of the "Volcano Blues." The Blues, forty-one strong, were equipped with uniforms and small arms. An undercover agent was planted in ‘^he Knights^ and it was learned an attempt would be made to take over the town and divert the gold to the southern cause. To gain the needed edge in fire power, an old ship's cannon was purchased by the *^lues*^and hauled in secretly from San Francisco. The cannon was hidden in a remote shop while a carriage was built for it. in place of ball and grape shot. -w- Rounded rocks were used It was fired only once. �and that time for effect only — just to keep the *Knights in line. Volcano is one of California’s oldest mining towns. Its boom population of 5>000 time. dwindled into a handful at one Mow it numbers almost a hundred. old town has been maintained. The flavor of the There are no neon signs or gas stations in, or even near^the town. 7 more than 120 years old. Many of the buildings are Gold was found in this crater^like but non^volcanic area in the summer of 1^48^ I’lembers of the Mew York^t Regiment Mexican War Volunteers ^hose presence in the area has never been satisfactorily explained) find placer gold in the streams. severe, and in the spring The winter of ’45^was two Mexicans happened upon the diggings and found the bodies of two soldiers. Word of the strike spread, and soon the valley. Inevitably called Gulch, Soldiers’ was swarming with prospectors. The town grew quickly, as ordinary placer techni|>- ques were replaced with larcres.scale hydraulic operations. $90 million 2ventually, d silage worth of gold was to be ex^ tracted. By 1858 the town had five churches, a school, various social clubs, three butcher shops, a theat^^, three breweries, and a dozen times that number of saloons. town had the first library and the first astronomical observatory in California. The �After the Civil War and in 1868 production of gold slacked, a number of very well: insured buildings burned to the ground. The old Sibley Brewery, built in 1858, is the only brewery surviving. The jail stands unused at the two-by-twelves north end of town, its double-walled 13»c sandwichinv sheets of boiler plate. It is claimed that the two men built it got drunk on their pay ij.ail's first occupants. 60 and ended up as the Across the street, the old Chinese store is in operation as the *^radlng Post.*** Beside it, locked securely in its tailor-made enclosure, "^Old Abe*^ points its muzzle down main street, re-enacting the day it won the war in Volcano, WOTS: t The Mokelumne Hill, California^ 15 minute United States Geological Survey tonographlc map shows Volcano and many other historic sites. -43- ^2- �PaaNCH CORRAL, CilLIFORNIA Elton 0. Smith, born in 1901, has lived in French Corral all his life. His grandparents are buried in the He attended grammar school and hip-hZ cemetery west of town. school in the old school-community center, remodeled from one of French Corral’s boomstime hotels of the 1850^. There were 0 youngsters in his graduating class. We stood in front of the old school enjoying the late afternoonsun, visiting about the town as Slton knew It. "That screened-ln building in front of the school? 1^ feet — ’course It goes way on down. © There are benches in there — screens keep out the bugs— ’course it's leaning now. into it with their car." Someone ran Elton was the janitor at the school for a time, receiving $27.00 per year for his morning flre-building and evening sweejT^p. "We had a fancy bell up in that tower at one time, he pointed to the vacant tower. "had three hundred dollars kA * worth of silver in it — before they poured, they melted silver dollars right in it! Someone stole it. The bell broke loose^and they dropped it on the roof -- knocked a big hole in it. Sheriff got it back. Supposed to be locked up in the old Well^^argo building now. " �Concerning the boom years in French Corral, Elton Smith related some stories passed on to him by his parents, fifties. "There were ^00 people here in the Lots of hydraulic work going on. It was a wild place. then went wild on Sundays. ^days Men worked Lots of drinking ~ some men crawled home on their hands and knees." Elton pivoted to look toward the center of town.—"On the Fourth of July one year they dug a cannon in, set it right in the center of town, and a man named Bradford loaded it up. Everyone moved He had overloaded it, and it back, and Bradford set it off. blew his head off — rolled(4^ feet away, the head that isl He’s burled in the cemetery, head and all." I was tempted to ask if Bradford had moved in from Volcano. The town started in 18^9/^when a French settler built a corral to hold his mules. When placer gold was found in the San Juan Hidge, a town grew around the corral. Giant hydraulic guns tore the gold out of the surrounding hillsides. The Haker Act of 1888, one of this country's first environmental laws, brought hydraulic operations to a halt. French Corral faded rapidly. Now less than^^ people reside in the area. The map of Area 5 does not extend north far enough to Include French Corral. In lieu of a map, one can drive west of Grass Valley, through Rough and Ready to Casey Corner. Two miles west of Casey Corner, the Bridg^ port road exits to the right. About seven miles to the north �the road crosses the South Fork of the Yuba River at the site of the old town of Bridgeport, where an astounding wooden covered bridge still spans the river. French Corral is three miles beyond the bridge to the northeast. The present Bridgeport road was originally called the Virginia Turnpike, a toll'^^ad servicing the northern extreme of the mother lode. The bridge across the Yuba was an important part of that toll*^oad and remains as an ex*^ ample of the excellent workmanship of the era. Built entirely of wood, except for nails and bolts, the bridge clears the river in one cleany^unsupportedy^.2306foot span. It is the longest singletspan wooden bridge in the world, and it is a covered bridge to boot. Built by David Isaac Johnwood in 1862, with wood cut in his own sawmill, the bridge served for^^ years as a toll crossing, then for another (7^years as a public convenience. In 1971 it was closed to heavy traffic. A new highway bridge was built a short distance upstream. Recently the massive wooden bridge was declared a California Historical Landmark, and the Arae rij^ can Society of Civil Engineering declared it a National Historic Civil Snsrineering landmark. It is truly an amazing structure, A dozen miles to the northeast, near Camptonville, another wooden bridge spans the lesser width of Oregon Creek. This bridge, built in i860, has developed a mild swayback but �is still rated safe for 17,000tpound loads. The -bridtre was floated off its foundations when English Dara broke in 1883. It was pulled back in place, wrong end to, by ox teams. California has much to offer in the way of historic sijrhts. It abounds in ghost towns of all varieties. Its covered bridges are an unexpected bonus. MAP MOTS, y 15 minute The Grass Valley and Nevada City, Californla/»^ topographic maps show the area in excellent d e tail. SND CALIFORNIA ARCA 5 END CALIFORNIA y � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Norman Weis Manuscripts Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1971-1987 Description An account of the resource A collection of manuscripts by Casper College professor Norman Weis. <br /><br />This collection includes manuscripts of:<br /><em>Ghost Towns of the Northwest: Known and Unknown<br />The Starduster<br />Two-Story Outhouse<br />Helldorados<br /></em><br />Each manuscript contains written in edits by Norman Weis Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Norman Weis Language A language of the resource ENG Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Norm Weiss Manuscripts and Photographs, CCA 10.2003.01 WyCaC US. Casper College Archives and Special Collections. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Searchable PDF Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CCA 10.2003.01_Weis_Manuscripts Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Manuscript Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource <em>Helldorados</em> Part I: California Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <div class="element-text five columns omega"> <p><a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a></p> </div> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1975 Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Norman Weis Language A language of the resource ENG Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Norm Weiss Manuscripts and Photographs, CCA 10.2003.01 WyCaC US. Casper College Archives and Special Collections. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CCA 10.2003.01_Weis_Helldorados_Calif Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Searchable PDF https://caspercollege.cvlcollections.org/files/original/adab7d9919f3f7771b91320284e8728a.pdf adc4ee70e373bf7aea5df401e161bf2e PDF Text Text PAET II ARIZONA �fh re^ J SILVER KING, ARIZONA C. yf Grace Middleton is an uncommon woman. She is young in heart, old in wisdom, and sassy enough to tell you that her exact age is none of your business! Wrinkles have locked her face in pleasant expression, and her eyes hold an unfailing sparkle. She is willing to visit with an occasional tourist but quick to turn away anyone she suspects of souvenir hunting. She is the owner, manager*and sole resident of Silver King, 't Grace and her husband, Gordon, came west to Silver King in 19^9. They were seeking solitude and the opportunity to mine enough silver to maintain their chosen way of life, Gordon, a mining engineer, had figured the mine dump could be reworked. New extraction methods would make the lowzgrade a paying proposition. reject ore A small house was conV^ structed, using lumber from the old mine buildings, and sorting of the dump ore with a bulldozer was undertaken. Grace became adept with the dozer^and on occasion undertook some blasting on nearby claims. When her husband died, Grace decided to remain at Silver King. She may well own the distinction of having lived in the town longer than any other resident, even though she arrived there 75 years after the initial discovery. Her life 7 �is rugged — and she prefers It that way. She has no running water, gas^or electricity. A friend stops by periodically to and take her to town to shop replenish the water supply. She That contentment shows in her face, is content with her life. belying an age of fourscore and more. She possesses a great sense of history concerning her town and has Indeed been an integral part of that history for the past quarter century. In 1872 Pinal Ransre. the army undertook to build a road through One of the steep portions of the road became named after the general in known as Stoneman's Grade, command. Two soldiers, enlistments expired and happy to be free of the road crew, headed for the town of Florence. Near the foot of Stoneman’s Grade they noticed a peculiar outcrop One of them, named Sullivan, collected a few samples, of rock. remarking about their weight. In an attempt to crush the samples, he found that the rock tended to flatten rather than pulverize. Puzzled, but with an idea of what they might have found, the men took the sample^ with them. In Florence, Sullivan showed the samples to a friend, Charles Mason, and apparently left one chunk/sWlth htgi without revealing the location of the find, ) Sullivan went on west, and Mason quickly had the sample assayed. It proved to be nearly pure silver chloride. back along the soldiers' route Mason prospected but failed to locate the outcrop. Three years later. Mason and four friends were packing ore out of the Globe area when they were attacked by Apaches, -S' �One of the party was killed above Stonenian‘s Grade, and his body burled on the pass Owe o:^tho old roadscamp oven^ was utilized as a grave. After descending the grade, the mules were put to water. One of the animals strayed and was finally located on a knoll that held dark, dense outcrops of ore identi^ cal to those Sullivan had showed Mason years before* The four men filed equal claims, and Silver King was born. Two miles north, the Fortuna Mine opened up. An old Mexican wood hauler found that outcrop just under Fortuna Peak, while cutting wood for the Silver King. He sold it for $100,00 " $50 in cash, $50 in liquor. In 1881, after millions in silver had been extracted from the original discovery, a man named Sullivan appeared at the site. He had been west to earn a stake so biMi* he could come back to work his discovery. and town were built atop his find. To his amazement, a mine He was graciously offered a job in the mill. Mason and his friends eventually sold their shares in the mine. The first share went for $80,000^ and third for somewhat more. JPhe second The fourth partner held out for $300,000. Between 1875 and 1888 the Silver King Mine took $17 out -i^mlllion <»o3.1arB worth of silver. Most of it was refined at Pinal City. The stage carrying the bars was held up several times, the robbers escaping over the hills with the bars loaded �on mules. The company solved that problem by pouring the silver out in bars too heavy to be toted by man or mule. Silver Kiner at its peak boasted two hotels, a combination church-school-dancehall, several saloons, and residences for 200 families. Now one is hard pressed to find even the foundations of most of the buildings. The large two- story company headquarters still stands on a knoll overlooking the collapsed remains of the machine shop. Down the hill a bit are two sinsrle-story rock buildings with plastered ln-<^ side walls and tongue:andsgroovefj^ wooden ceilings. Near the rock buildings, on a low hill, stands a small group of frame buildings. Grace Middleton lives in one of these sunbleached structures near the entrance to town, a location necessary for the protection of her property. I happened to stop in tu " Just after she^^had a run-in with some hippies had made s©vgi*sl1 off with windows frames and all'J^ from one of the old residences on the grounds. Her tone was distinctly cool as she told me of the windows and the recent theft of her camera and battery radio. of the vandals. She had been quite abrupt in her treatment She stood in the shade of her doorway, surrounded by her numerous dogs of various breed, and told me of her troubles, slowly graduating to the history of the town and ending with an expression of her deep affection for the place. As I listened, I made friends with the dogs. �An hour later I was proud to be considered a friend of Grace Middleton, Queen of the Silver King. MAP NOTEj The Superior, Arlzona^United States Geological Survey 15 minute topographic map shows the area as it was in 19^8. The 7^ minute map of the same name shows the Silver King area as it appeared at a later date, and in somewhat greater detail. �SONORA. ARIZONA The old 1910 "Ray and Vicinity" map shows a number of satellite towns surrounding the coppertown of Ray. This map, revised in 191? to correct for changes in "culturef^ shows no highways, only graveled roads. The Ray and Gila Valley Railroad Line is shown most prominently. The rail line reached Ray via the Mineral Creek Valley and terminated in a tangle of switch yaixis and side tracks. The mining of copper in 1917 was predominantly, underground. A small open pit is shown between the "M and H" and the *^^bunal "*^hafts on the southwest slope of Humbolt Hill, The Ray, Madeline, Pearl Handle, Hecla, Sun, Flux, and Calumet X^iafts were all within the vicinity of town. The Burbank, Reed, Mineral, and Amanda j3?unnels bored into the hills a mile to the south. The settlement called Ray^^eadquarters of the Ray Mining Company) was established in 1881 and named after the Ray Mine, which had earlier been given that name in honor of its discoverer's sister, Ray. The town proper was built in 1909 by the Hercules Copper Company. By 1915 satellite residential towns^spruny up around Ray, j (^To the northwestwere Boyd Heights and Arnericantown. To the southwest, Sonora and Barcelona occupied the gentle slopes leading to Sonora Hill, �Sonora was the lara-est of the frrouo of satellites^ and^accordin«7 to the map, was composed of sixty-odd square blocks. The town was established in 1912 by the Mexican employees of the Hay Consolidated Copper Company and was named (as were a orreat many Mexican mininc- camps) after the Mexican Xtate of Sonora, on the Arizona border. Buildings lined the perimeters of the blocks. Courtyards were left in the center^ in typical Spanish style. In the center of town, a four-square-block area was reserved for the town hall. Smperor Hill once separated Ray and Sonora, but things have changed radically. The hill is now a deep pit, boundaries ef^h;^h havo encroach®^ uoon the sites of all four of the surrounding towns. have been leveled Barcelona and Sonora but are yet to be excavated. The found^ tions and street patterns are still readily visible. On Sonora Hill, Kenn^cott Copper, the present operator of the mine, ha^ built an overlook permitting a areneral view of the area. One had to stand on or climb over the fence in order to view the remains of the old towns}^ a practice frovmed on e by Kenn^cott, a short hike around the south side of Sonora Hill to the old water tank will provide an excellent view of both townsites. Just when the .town of Sonora was leveled, is indefinite ~ at least*'the^^State Archives could provide no record of the event. That it is leveled is certain, and it’s �only a matter of time before the huge maws of the lan^trippers eat their way through the site, removing all evidence of Sonora’s e existj^nce. MAP NOTSt The Hay and Vicinity, Arlzona^l910 United States Geological Survey topoccranhic/^^map shows all of the old towns mentioned. The 1964 Sonora and Teapot Mountain, Arizona^7^ minute maps show the same area, drastically changed by openx pit mining. �ARIZOMA ARSA 2 CL SAT OR, ARIZONA^ On the flats between Crazy Basin and Turkey Greek, overlooked by Townsend Butte and Hercules Hill, are the rem­ nants of the once thr Ivina- town of Cleat or Orlarlnally called Turkey, the town came Into exist /^nce In 1902 as a sldlna on the Prescott and Eastern Railroad The line was built southward from Mayer to the Grown King Mine first paralleling Cedar Canyon, then climbing abruptly for^^ tortuous miles to the mines Just under 7100sfoot Wasson Peak. At the lower end of the grade, near the point where the tracks crossed Turkey Creek, a siding was built to provide service for the nearby Golden Turkey Mine. Later the siding also served the Golden Belt, St, John’s, Gray Goose, Silver Cord, and Golden Pheasant >Mlnes, In 1903 the siding had accumulated a store, saloon, and a number of residences. That year the settlement was granted a post office under the name of Turkey. L. P. Neills ran the saloon and store. owned the town. He literally He wasn’t too happy being a towns owner, often stating that he would rather run cattle on his nearby spread than ride herd on his saloon patrons. James Patrie Cleator, sailor turned prospector, stopped by the saloon In 1905. Neills and Cleator, over a drink or two, developed a fast friendship. Within the day �they had formed a partnership which eventually found Cleator running the store and Silis the cattle. The town grew as new mines opened. Within a dozen years the population reached an estimated :^00. SSe old picture taken during this period g^»^wogp^ore than sixty substantial frame homes, with a second^ncountable group of residences in a poorly focused background. In 1925 the postal department, claiming confusion between Turkey and another similarly named post office, re quested a name change, James Patrie Cleator (pronounced Cleeter) was no doubt Instrumental in choosing the new name Soon CLEATOR replaced TURKEY on the saloon’s false front During the late twenties and early thirties, the mines closed down one after the other, stricken by the epidemic schoolhouse of the depression. During the thirties a rock was V/FA built with WrA*. labor, and the original schoo converted to a residence. When the railroad abandoned service in 1933, Cleator suffered a second shrinkage. away Most of the homes were hauled and the steel works of the mines scavenged for scrap, James Cleator became the sole owner of the remains of the town, and in 19^7 he decided to sell it ~ store, saloon residences.and all. He promptly placed an ad in the Arizona r ------------ Republic, The ad created a lot of interest and a sudden surge in business but failed to result in the sale of the town or �any part of it, James Cleator died In 1959. and his son took over the town. Today the store and a saloon remain with little chanye. The brands of yasollne and booze have changed. town now has 0 or T residents, according to a gentleman en joying a cold drink at the store. He explained that the population estimate had to remain Indefinite "cause you don't know when someone goln' to the big city ain't coming back." MAP l'TOTSs 01 eat or Is shown on the Mayer, Arizona 15 s United States Geological Survey topograohlc map �■AHIgJMA PITJTQ DlOgAIPriJir? .Mo. 70 • Grace Middleton, Queen ofSilver King^ * Mo. 71. Collapse o^^chine ^ed at «w Silver King Mine Is Imminent. . No. 72 . Company headquarters and guest house of the Silver King Mining Company x^as one of the first resident tlal buildings in Arizona to have electricity. . No. 73 • Hockcwalled and rocksroofed, this tiny house was once home to a hard-rock miner. • No. 7-^ . The remains of Sonora in the foreground will soon become e part of the expanding open pit of the Kenn^ott Mine. < No. 75* Undated photo shows the two main residential districts of Cleator. Hospital is at upper left. . No. 76 • The Cleator General Store as it appears todav^ �caow?^ KING, ARIZONA "Used to be more excitin bein’ there," claimed. gettin’ there than That’s what the olds-timer from near Mayer His description of the road to Crown King, along the old railroad grade. Included wild tales of driving the route in his Model A Ford. "Used to hang on the uphill side the tires on the rails off the ties," and keep nudgin’ so’s outside wheels wouldn’t drop His descriptions were liberally seasoned with strings of cuss words. Some combinations were as In^ ventlve as they were unprintable "When they took the rails up — that’s when it got J, X. a dam^site more hellish^" stated then proceeded to eX' plain about the switchbacks, "Those old switchbacks — they was the original switchbacks." He zigzagged his hands."They went like /A ' that — no turns. Just drove into it, stopped, threw the switch, then backed up to the next one, stopped, threw that switch, then pulled ahead to the next." He saw me taking notes, I answered that I intended to. rather stay unanimous." "You gonna print this?" "Well, in that case, I’d I told him I’d Vote for that. eyes took on a suspicious slant. His He paused, shifted his teeth, and then worked his way into another bunch of stories �Mostly the olds-timer talked about his prospectinc; days down in Nevada, around Gold Point. In the process of getting some information about Grown King, I ended up with so many stories about Gold Point that I determined to enter that town on my "must visit" list. I asked about the present condition of the road up to Crown King. "Tame " tame ~ wide as hell. Why they hauled a whole damn mill up there once, back when the road weren't so good." The road was a delight. The magnificent view never failed to calm the mild case of nerves generally encountered on precarious paths. Of particular note were the narrow one­ way rock cuts, unchanged from Wte railroading days. At first sight Crown Kino; did not appear to fit the description of a ghost town. Too many people wandered about, and too many cars passed by. It's only after a 001^^*^ plete tour that one can appreciate the number of old buildings remaining and subtract the effect of the remodeling and reuse of others. The general store is still in business, little changed for nearly 100 years. Most of its trade is seasonal, and most of the traffic consists of vacationers attempting to elude the ooo1 Arizona heat by escaping to the oot altitude of the Bradshaw Mountains. The old saloon looks exactly as an old saloon should. This venerable structure has had a number of names over the �door, the most recent being "Andersons’s and Van Tllborsr’s," Enough business remains in town to support a parts time barman, otherwise employed as a welder. It seems strange that a welder could make a living at his trade in this remote loca3^ tion, but dozens of smailt time mining operations are still perking in the area. Jury-rigged equipment, assembled from second^^nd parts, makes for frequent breakdowns and crood business for the bartender-welder. Gold was found in the Bradshaws in the early 1875?s. The rush that followed, termed the "Bradshaw Excitementf^ suited in the location of a number of paying mines. King was thought to be the finest The Grown but remained primarily a promoter's dream, due to the refractory nature (refusal to break down with heat) of the ore. The miserable nature of the ore was noted early, and only the best was sorted out and sent to Prescott by mule train Later the quality of the ore Improved, giving cause for a railroad to be built. As was usually the case, the railroewi brought prosperity to Grown King, and the population zoomed. There was no room for a roundhouse or circular turnaround. A triangular "back around" was built, utilizing the narrow creek beds that join at the towrCsite. The business part of town grew along one side of the triangle, and residences were built along the remaining legs. The Grown Kins: Mine closed tewn. in 1900. due to litigation. Gontinuing operations at the surrounding mines �kept the town and railroad solng. About 1910 Crown Kina: added two "used" saloons, the town of Oro Belle, a few miles to the south, had lately become deserted. Its two saloons were dismantled and hauled by mule back over the steep, narrow trail connecting: the two towns. He-/assembled, the access to hard liquor Improved, and the strict town rule agalns'^j weeks day drlnklna: became an unenforceable blue law. In the thirties, dumps at the Crown King Mine were S2.5 reworked. Assay reports showed that million In gold could be reclaimed. Porsrotten was the fact that this ore had been rejected as refractory. mill. Half a million was Invested In a new Fifty men were hlredAand the fading town of Crown King took on new life. Soon It was determined that the ore was resistant to the mill's best efforts. Managers were fired and new ones hired, yet the gap between assayed expectations and mill returns remained narrow — too narrow to allow profit. The mill closed. ' Some years later the post office was discontinued. Perhaps Crown King's most Interesting era was shortly after Its regular train service was curtailed. During this period It Is reported that autos, horses, foot traffic, and even occasional trains were using the same route. Automobiles frequently bounced down the ties, and passengers held their collective breath on the trestles. �The old duffer from Mayer had told me "you could scare hell out of you. look down throucrh those ties 200 feet And after they took up the rails betterl" the view got a daijlslte He gave me a cornering look, and I figured he was about to give my leg a calculated tug, "You know, we used to go up to the dance there every Saturday night. The guy drlvln* was supposed to stay sober, but we got to celebratin’ and didn’t keep count on him. We come down those tracks about dawn — ’course I wasn’t seeln’ too good, but I'd swear we passed that train on theswitchbackI" MAP MOTE: Crown King and surrounding sites are shown on the Crown King, Arlzona^l5 minute United States Geological Survey topographic map. Of interest are Lukes Hoist, Oro Belle, Fort Misery, and the Horse Thief Basin,Recreation Area. �OaO B3LLS. ARIZONA f Prom Grown Kin® In a half mile south. mile an excellent crravel road heads a branch heads west, and in another a Jeen road angles toward the south. A sign Indicates that Oro Belle Is^ that dlrectlon|^miles awayj'but also warns that passenger cars should not attempt It. It Is a fairly good Jeep road sized pickup. Actually but somewhat narrow for a full- I swallowed hard and often for two of thdse three miles, Oro Belle once occupied both legs of a swifcdhbaak. Now only a few shacks and tanks can be found on the uphill stretch. Across the gully and down the other side of the switchback are a number of old buildings, all of the ghostly qualitytotally befitting a completely deserted town. The most outstanding Is a large rock structure " probably the mine office and company store. It has fancy^embossed metal trim In both scroll and brick design. OnS wall leans out over the road, making It nearly Impassable. Behind this building, and Implying that more substantial buildings once existed. Is a rock wall more than 150 feet long. Built Into this wall Is a vault, Its door missing, reportedly stolen In the past few years. Apparently a bank or more company buildings once fronted the wall. To the south are several old frame buildings. one of them The cupola above would Indicate It had a need to expel un< wanted heat, which would make It an assay office a cook shack. or possibly �Somewhere alonsr the lower main street were located two saloons, a few stores, a deputy sheriff’s office, and a Justice of the peace court. For all law enforcement, it would be reasonable to assume that a sporting house or two also flourished here, although available history concerning the town makes no mention of such establishments. In the late iSpoTs >■ Georve P. Harrina:ton obtained title to some claims in the area. He shortly organized the Oro Belle Minlnsr and Milling Company stock. and proceeded to sell By 1900 the mines had proved their worth, and a mill was built to process ore from the Oro Belle and the Gray Eagle. The population of the town reached 200, with 100 of them miners. Forty men worked the day shift on the Oro Belle. Nearby, the Rapid Transit and Savoy ^nes were opera­ ting, although in & less spectacular fashion. A post office was granted the town, and the temporary name of Harrington was chancred to George Harrington proved to be Oro Belle. too nice a fellow, according to the company stockholders. They objected to his usinsr company funds to grubstake prospectors. He was fired, and a new boss was hired. of the penny-pinching variety Shortly, a revolt was mounted, and the new boss aA was given an ultimatum — better food and better pay work. Elsewhere burning of mills or no such miners' revolts had resulted in the and occasionally the suspension of the boss —A by the neck! ^66-- �The demands were granted, but^withln weeks, miners’ wases were cut back and the quality of the meals sank to a new low. The second revolt was more serious. were visible. The demands were restated. A few ropes The badly shaken manager conceded. He set off immediately to purchase fresh meat and produce. He never returned. Mines in the area reached the extent of their lodes in 1910. The good ore was gone, and the low;grade that was left wouldn’t pay wages, let alone milling fees. Soon both of Oro Belle’s saloons were dismantled and hauled muleback to Grown King. closed. In 1918 the post office The only signs of life now area few rattlers and a number of lizards]^"the latter frequently raising the pulse of visitors momentarily convinced they are confronted by the former. MAP NOTE* The Crown King, Arizona^15 minute United States Geological Survey topocrraphlc map shows Oro Belle and a vreat number of old mines in the surrounding mountains. �JEROME, ARIZONA Compared to deserted Oro Belle, Jerome is like Sunday on the freeway. However, the degree of desertion in the two towns is similar. deserted and Jerome ^0 Oro Belle is 100 per cent 98 per cent, having shrunk from its 1929 peak of 15,000 to its present two or three hundred stubborn souls, Glinfflng to the ^^rdecree slope of CleoT^' patra Hill, with its upper end ^00 feet higher than its 'r lower, the town comuactly occupies both sides of a number of switchbacks. The back side of a building may­ face one leg of the main highway, and the front will face another Since 1925, when a 25O:pound charge of dynamite was touched off underground, many of the buildings have been sliding slowly down the hill — some buildings at a three-eighths of an inch rate of 9^^* per month/ The Jail has slid a number of feet^ claim 300 feetj and across a highway. Three hundred ^3 -fl* feet is unbelievable, but so is the way people trust their houses to stay put and not slip down the hill in the middle of the night. Residents are seemingly unconcerned with their neoperpendicular life and continue to drive their automobiles into rooftop garages and climb down to their living rooms More than a thousand years ago the Tuzigoot Indians dug into the side of the hill to glean the brightly hued green and blue oxides of copper. The pigment was hicrhly valued as body ornamentation and pottery coloring. a The metallic content / �was not noted or valued, Sven the Spaniards who visited ths sites in the /Sixteenth Xentury failed to become in­ terested in the copper, for their Interest was gold. Several prospectors filed claims here in I876. M. A. Huffner and Angus (or August) McKinnon proved up on their claims then sold out to Territorial Governor Tritle for $2,000. The ^vernor sought financial help and found it in Sugene Jerome, a cousin of Winston Churchill. Mr. Jerome set down the stipulation that the town must bear his name. Previous to that time, the settlement had been called Eureka or Wade Hampton, for two of the earliest claims. The former was the Greek word for "I found it," name of the governor of South Carolina. and the latter the holdy^ ?f gffloo of CoTorr^r the State af jSauth Capelina,— First attempts to produce purs copper from the ore proved disappointing, and the mines were sold to William A, Clark, a Montana millionaire. Under his direction the United Verde grew to a profitable and complex operation. William Clark became one of the richest men in AmericaM and a United States Senator — and he did it, please note, in that order. At one time the town boasted ^grocery stores, houses of Joy, saloons, and two churches. The miners maintained their usual priorities. The population of Jerome began to decline during the depression, but in 1935 the Phelps Dodge Corporation �bousrht the operation foi"20 million. flollarcH Many thought the purchase ill-advised, but by 19^0, when the deposits thinned, the company had netted a profit oiJ’^UO million. The fis-ure seems substantial, but it represents only a small 4/ fraction of the sjfe billion ^&llai»n worth of copper, gold. silver^and zinc taken out of Cleopatra Hill MAP M0T3j Details of the town and its environs can be pinpointed, and an alls inclusive tour laid out, with the aid of the Clarkdale and Mingus Mountain, Arizona.15 minute topograohic maps. It seems only fitting that a town that sits on the steep slope that joins mountain to plainjJ^ls also found split in half ~ part on one map, the remainder on another. �STANTON, ARIZONA Pauline Weaver, In the year 1862 undertook to guide a group of prospectors Into the hills of central Arizona. He was a half-breed army scout temporarily off the payroll. His ability to negotiate and communicate with the Apaches made up for the fact that he had never been in the area before. One evening an antelope was shotbutchered camp set up beside a nearby creek. and This rather mundane series of events had happened before, but this time one little item would be added that would cause and Antelope Creek /yanother stream stream to be named Weaver Creek. above camp would become famous as 'Rich Hill.' The hill Two thousand miners would flood the vicinit:^and four towns would spring into being. party went in search. discovery. Their stock strayed.and some of the The event? As in many cases, the mules made the When the men found the stock they also found several thousand dollars’ worth of gold nuggets. The camp became permanent and was given the name of 'Antelope, ' later to be called the stage line passed through. change to Stanton at least murders. Antelope Station when Somewhat later that name would by means of a series of crimes, including In the meantime a town a few miles east, settled mostly by Mexicans, would be named in honor of Weaver. The town was to degenerate quickly into an outlaw hideout. Octave, �beyond Weaver, would yrow to a more substantial town, with the steadviny influence of a deep shaft bearing gold in quartz. Congress Junction, to the west, would grow up as a supply station for the Rich Hill Mining District, Charles P. Stanton arrived in Antelope Station, having recently been thrown out of a monastery on a morals charge. He obtained a decent Job in spite of his record but soon became disenchanted with his status as deputy county recorder and began to plot his way to success. He envied two successful storekeepers in the community, and by the diligent planting of rumors and countsr/^ rumors, he got Partridge and Wilson angry with each other. Things boiled over when a hOg got into Patridge’s cabin. , to the cabin Wilson was on his way oveg to apologize on behalf of his partner, the hog’s owner. Stanton saw his opportunity and tell that quickly had a Mexican cohort run toy^Partrldge tell hfan Wilson was gunning for him. Wilson dead on sight. As a result. Partridge shot He was tried and found guilty, part\ly on the basis of his confession^ which Stanton helpfully wrote out for him. Wilson’s partner, Timmerman, took over the store. Soon Timmerman’s body was found along the road, Stanton promptly moved the stage route so that it passed his own store, and erected a larcre sign which, in essence, renamed the town Stanton. �Charles ^Stanton was still not content. He now envied Barney ilartin, for Barney was still the staare agent, was told by some members of the Valenzuel gang Barney from Weavertown that he^better move out or he and his family would die. Barney sold out, packed up, and headed for Phoenix, leaving word with a good friend at Gold Water Station^"^^^ he would stop by on the way. When Barney failed to arrive, his friend. He found the charred re'^>^ Captain Galderwood, went in search. The Valenzuel gang was sus*>*’ mains of the wagon and family. pected, and Stanton was thought to be their leader. was tried for murder but found Innocent. that when Stanton finally died outlaw Stanton It is appropriate it was by the hand of another He had made advances toward and for "moral" reasons. Proilana, a young Mexican girl and close relative of Lucero, leader of a second gang in Weaver. Tom Pierson, on the way down from Crown King, reported that he met the fleeing Lucero. "I’ve killed Stanton and I’m headed for the border," stated Lucero as he rode past, "Stick around," hollered Pierson. "We’ll get you a reward." The ghost town of Stanton is about a mile and a half north and The" I’emainij lif.Atawtnin miles east of Congress Junction. north and Wo topographic maps are available for any of the towns in the vicinity. Three rather large buildings mark the site of the old town, but they have to be viewed from a distance. "Mo" signs* Mo Trespassing The area is surrounded with Mo Prospecting, Mo Piling of Claims �and^at an occupied residence a few hundred yards to the north a sign crowded In among more "No" signs proclaims, "Beware of the ^g. " I would have given ten bucks for a sign reading "Welcome to Stanton," and another five for the privilege of planting It at the outskirts of town. ) MAP NOTBi No United States Geological Survey topographic maps are available for the area. �W’SAVga, ARIZ JVA r Established in 1862 and all washed up by 19OO, the little town of Weaver led a short but varied life. was named in honor of the scout Pauline Weaver. It led the discovery party, Weaver was the half-breed son of a /White father and an Indian mother, the daughter of a tribal chief. Weaver was a highly respected army scout who had aided General Kearny in several Western campalcrns. Weaker died, reportedly from the shifting of a longsburied arrowhead, while asleep in an Indian camp on the outskirts of Camp Lincoln in 186?. Weaver was the biggest placer find in Arizona’s history. More than a million dollars’ worth of coarse gold was separated from the gravel^ of Weaver Creek, and untold smaller fortunes were literally picked off the vround on the upper slopes of Rich Hill. mlninpr peak. In 1888 the camp had reached its 9^ old photograph shows ^^substantial wooden buildings, a few rock and adobe structures, washers, and tents. By the 189^ large gravel: the goldtwashing business was fading, and hell-raising was taking over. long Before the town had the reputation of being an outlaw haven. In fact, it is claimed that no lawman dared set foot in Weaver, lest he disappear without a trace. Several gangs of outlaws operated out of the town in open fashion, frequently hired by outsiders like Stanton, to do some choice dirty work. Murders were common in town and seldom recorded. The cemetery �had a number of unmarked mounds, William Segna, in I898, had the honor of being the last murder victim in Weaver. (A He was a well-to-do saloon and mercantile operator — too well-to-do. Respectability returned temporarily in 1899 when However, due to a the town was granted a post office. sudden loss in population (everyone moved two miles away to Octave)^the post office was closed down in less than a year. The remains of Weaver can be found by traveling two miles east of Stanton, then taking a road north for a mile. The branch road to the north leaves the main road just short of the town of Octave. The old Weaver post office is still standing in pretty good shape. The building had two rooms customers, one for the postmaster. one for The rock walls are^^yU*\ thick, considerably reducing the available room inside insuring a cool environ. but The rock walls appear to have been laid up by two different workmen ~ one stout lesser strength. and and one of The rocks on the south side are huge^ and Jt- on the north are small. The doorway forms the demarkation. Several other rock buildings, an adobe structure with tin roof, two old frame mine shacks, and a concrete vault complete the standing remains. The vault is at the north end of town and seems to have been poured over a form shaped like a narrow-gai^e railroad car, then the form �removed from the inside. The form wood was narrow, fluted wainscoating, as evidenced by the fancy imprint left in the concrete. At the south end of town,on a hill to the east, stands the burned hulk of a small farmhouse. remains Alongside the is the charred trunk of a tree that once offered the home a moment of noon~day shade. -_________________________________________ / ) -Ar / MAP NOTSi Mo topographic maps are available for the area. �OCTAVE, ARIZONA C. 0. Carlson is presently the sole resident of Octave. You might call him a new-fangled type of olds timer. He used to prospect extensively. Now he has formed a company that plans to extract gold from the reject ore that makes up the waste dumps of the fabulous old Octave Mine. ^G^O.*^irn3rp=! a million in sold sits on the dump awaiting an efficient ex^ traction system. do the Job. In fact^he has applied for a patent on his newe style ball mill. unique. And he figures he’s got Just the gadget to It’s the drive mechanism that makes it The rear end and transmission of a @:ton truck wheels, tires and allis rammed up against the larsre armo'fr • j| ■ plate Krum. The air in the tires can be adjusted to achieve proper contact. ‘^^0.*^enjoys turning the driveshaft with one hand^««4 pointing out the easy rotation as a result. the drum makes "This mill will run 200 tons easy," he claimed. I didn’t ask if that was per hour, day^or week, but I sure had to agree it was a beautiful piece of eyeball engineering. "Of course," I pointed out, "that drum is going to be somewhat tougher to turn when you get a few tons of ore in it." Carlson figured, perhaps a bit optimistically, that he could drive the loaded mill with as little as horsepower. There is no such thing as a pessimistic inventor. Ore from the dump is to be treated first in a Jaw crusher, then put through the ball mill with '7^^ gallons of /O/ �water a minute added. The fine gold mixed with powdered rock will run out the end on_to a couple of fanners (shaker tables) finally, part of the gold will be gravlty5.separated and the remainder extracted by chemical means. is well-.acquainted with the history of the place and the exact condition of the old Octave Mine. Where he got his information is a mystery to me, and it differs from the published material one can dig out of p-brary. In several cases I have found •*0.^0.-^to be right and the published record in error. For example, one writer claims the town had a population of 3,000. Since others state that the entire district had only 2,000 at maximum, I*m inclined to put stock in Carlson’s claim that the town had about 500 residents, mostly Scandinavians. The diamond-shaped center of town was built-in 1897. built about 1900. water reservoir in the The buildings nearby were Now^just the rock foundations remain. The business district held a post office, mine headquarters, saloon, mercantlle^and grocery. ^^^Qso^ there wa^a school and a building that served as bank and stage station. ’*^.0.'"^ claims there were I50 men on the digging crew in the Octave feet Mine and that the mine was ^OOy^deep. Pumps ran continually to keep the bo^eg gpoo feet dewatered I "Of course the mine is flooded now ~ there's 20 miles of tunnels under that water, and I don’t guess it will �ever be pumped,” said Carlson. "See that hill over there? That's Rich Hill ~ richest hill in the world. Why, after a rain People you can walk up there and find nuggets. still search around that hill ~ find stuff too, especially just over the crest." now. Carlson was warming up to the subject "The geologists never did figure out how all those nuggets got to be found on top of the hill ~ supposed to "^pointed to the south. find 'em in the streams below. "See that peak? down there. That's Vulture Peak. Had a good ore body We're on a line between that mine and Rich Hill. That's why they found so much srold here." I asked how the snakes were. Carlson answered to the effect that they were real healthy.-^ "In fact, the damn things are so fat they're pink I They must be the most beaut i^ ful rattlers in the world.—and they don't buzz must have killed off all the buzzing kind and grew a crop that don't buzz I" is inclined to be outspoken on matters politi-^ cal. "It's that L»208 ~ you know. Law No, 208 that Roosevelt put through ~ that's what killed this mine ~ and those old tin heads in Congress soaked it all in. never should have stopped everybody from minin' gold — just 'cause they claimed it wasn't strategic." '^C.V).doesn't hold with core drilling either — "Why you can drill those little bitty holes all month and still �miss the vein. It’s crazy! May as well take your money to Vegas," There are some facts concerning the town that *^.^0,'**’ overlooked. He probably knows them^but just had more important things to say. Claimed as a placer in 1864, nothing much happened until the 1890^/^when someone saw the deeps mine potential. Eight men got together, bought the claim, and named the place Octave^ appropriate to the eight-way split. No Information is available as to how long the original eight held on to the claim. It would have meant a fortune for each, since somewhere between|^8 and|^15 million in gold was eventually ex^^ tracted from the Octave. The town proper was built between I896 and I9OI, The post office moved in from Weaver in I9OO, The mines were shut down in 1942, due to L-208, and in 1944 all the buildings were razed to save on taxes. Visible today are the huge yellow tailings of the mill, some foundations, some walls of the bullion room, the reservoir, and extensive multi(** leveled rock foundations. Across the knoll, under a modern power line, is a totally forsrotten cemetery. I had just visited the cemetery and was swinging back through the site of Octave to say goodbye to when I was hailed down by a nondescript old character in a battered pickup, "WheresW Rich Hill?" he asked. got to be around here somewhere." "It’s �Like an old hand and longrtime resident I waved toward the hill and hollered,"Your best bet for nuggets is just over the crest MAP NOTE* the area. too bad it ain’t rained lately." No topographic maps are presently available for �Iahizowa arsa 3 L J GOLDROAP, ARIZONA The road from Kinsman slants southwest with little ohanc:e in direction or elevation. accommodate a dry wash. Occasionally it dips to The native knows enough to slow down and check the wash for water. The tourist might plow into two feet of water at @ miles per hour, but he’ll only do it once. The resulting baptism quickly makes one a native. After to meander Pass, miles the road angles west and proceeds another miles up the slope to Sitgreaves ^50 feet above sea level. Its famed "100: mile view" is now marrf^ at mld^^stance by the smoke of a huge electrl> cal generating plant located on the Colorado River, As the road writhes its way down the west slope, signs of the abandoned town of Goldroad appear. there an old rock foundation. frame. Here a tunnel, Beyond these, a shaft and gallows The switchbacks become more frequent, and at one point, where the grade is particularly steep, most of deserted Goldroad is visible straight ahead and sharply below. Most of the remains are rock or adobe walls. Assured that the town would never come to life again, the owners decided in 19^9 to save the tax on surface improvements tlonally ^irned the town to the ground. and inten*"'^^ The Mexican part of �town, on the treeless flat to the west, survived in part, due to its adobe construction. Traces of gold were found here in 1863, The outcrops were low grade, and the prospectors moved on. The gold was there but remained hidden for another years. Jose Jeres (Jenerez, according to the February 1916 Los Angeles Financial Mews) was grubstaked by Henry Lovin of Kingman to the extent of $1,300. Jerez, or Jenerez, headed into the thoroughly workedsover region near Sitgreaves Pass, by the Old Fort Mohave Military Road. The stories vary ~ but Jose was either tracking a lost burro or tying one up when he stumbled across a knobby outcrop. He chipped some samples, then quickly laid out his claimy^and headed for Kingman Lovin wouldn’t believe Jerez when he learned the '•strike'* was in an area already tramped over by a thousand prospectors, and it wasn’t until Jerez started asking for another stake that Lovin decided to go look, Jerez was right, and excitedly the two of them proceeded to dig the required hole to prove up the claim. The vein held steady and strong. Word got out, and the rush was on. gone over thoroughly a second time. The ground was Two other paying shafts were developed. Meanwhile, Lovin and Jerez sold out for $25,000 each. Lovin also got the freighting and mercantile �concessions, which paid handsomely, Jerez drank his share and within a few years departed this world by swallowing rat poison. In 1901 there were ^00 people In town. In 1902 the boom was well under way, and a post office was opened under the name of Acme, In I906 the town reached Its peak. That year the post office was redesignated as Goldroad, It remained so until 1941, when Law 208 closed down the mine, the town^and the post office. Around the bend, and two miles on down the highway. Is the delightful old town of Oatman. Al^^ though not as dead as some ghost town buffs desire, one can couple It with the more: than^dead remnant of Goldroad and come up with an enjoyable tour. < # MAP NOTE: The town. Important mines, and cemetery shown on the Oatman and Mt. Nutt are minute United States Geological Survey topographic maps. Iti plfc i/ie ! �OATMAM, ARIZONA The geology of the area would excite even the most dejected prospector. the surface. Igneous intrusions stand boldly above Quartz outcrops abound/^ and where there is quartz, there is the likelihood of valuable mineralization. Iff Quartz, one of the last minerals to solidify upon cooling, often carries rare metals in its cracks and fissures. To the east of Oatman, the nearly whlje Elephant's Tooth and black Boundary Cone thrust their way above the horizon, sure signs of mineral separation and reliable indicators of valuable deposits nearby. The Vivian Mine was located in 1902 by Ben Paddock. A mine camp grew up around it^and in 1904 the post office of Vivian was established. The population reached 150^and the //2^ town boasted two banks, two stores, and a chamber of commerce. Discovery of rich gold ore in the Tom Reed Mine in 1908 brought the first boom. The town grew and became so respectable that a move was made to select a new name. They decided on Oatman, in honor of a family of pioneers who^ in 1851• The entire family was killed, had been attacked by Indians^ end %ho fa«H.y-igilloAy except for two girls and a boy. The girls were taken captive and the boy left for dead at the site of the massacre. A rescue party found the boy and^after years of effort^managed to free one of the girls. The other sister died captivity. �George W. Long had a theory about the veins around Oatman. He studied the shafts and tunnels in existence and determined that a healthy vein of gold ran north and south about 380 feet below ground. He formed the United Eastern Mining Company, which in 1913 bought up a number of claims that included the theoretical streak of gold. He was right. The vein was there — and at the depth predicted. With the Eastern and the Tom Reed both producing well (the Tom Heed averaged $70,000 in gold per month) the town boomed, and the area's population neared the 10,000 mark. Later a figure of 15,000 was claimed, but^was probably an exaggeration. With the best ore removed, the mines went into slow decline during the thirties. The town began to shrink. Its life was sustained by its location on Route 66, Even the *6^es*’*'p^sing through to California did their share to contribute to the survival of Oatman, But Law 208, passed by "those tin heads in Congress " to quote *^.0, Carlson of Octave, Arlzona^y^brought the rftmaipjng gold mining to a halt. hundred or so The number of residents dropped to one and in I968 fell to half that, or less than^^®®’^^ of its "honest" peak population. There are a few more folk living in Oatman now. In fact it may be on the comeback as a winter residence for reA tired trailerites^following the sun south for the winter fleeing the Arizona heat each summer. but �Ill Ths old Tom Heed Mine and Mill, long idle, has enough property remaining to warrant a caretaker. A few mines in the area are still operating:, either on a one: man basis or under strict secrecy. In one case the secrecy is maintained by a rif let carrying .guard. Wild burros make it a habit to visit town each day. Somewhere between © and of them wander in for a tour of the stores, poking their heads S?%oors and walking in if not met at the threshold. They like popcorn and dog food, and the tourists love to provide it^even at the risk of nipped fingers. The burros are b+wj. descendants of the pack animals They are not turned loose by retired prospectors. herd supremacy sometimes occur ° on^main street. Storekeepers close their doorsy.while visitors 7^ take cover and grab for their Instamatics. Occasionally samoles of high-grade ore appear in the glass showcases of the grocery store. I was offered a chunk about the size of a marshmallow. It was perlfa^s® gold. A You could easily scratch the yellow portion with a knife blade to check that it was not pyrite. The sample probably had an eighth of an ounce of gold in it. was tlO. Too high, I figured, and passed it up. The price Later, half-jA way to Kingman, it dawned on me that^at the present $180 an ounce, that sample was probably worth twice the asking price. //^ �J MAP NOTE* The Oatman, Arizona.7| minute United States / Geological Survey topographic map shows Oatman and part of Gold road. �MIM3HAL PARK, ARIZONA/ You can see the plume of dust from miles away, SM»^ the closer you approach, the more it seems to rise from the exact site of the s^host town of Mineral Park, A mile away you can hear the hum and clatter of heavy machinery. On a rise to the south of the suspiciously smoothy^broady^gravel road is an old roofless adobe building, doubtless a remnant of Mineral Park, Just around the bend the noise becomes suddenly louder, and the field of view is filled with signs of "progress The Duval Mine and Mill is operating at a level that would have been beyond the imagination of residents of Mineral Park ninety years ago. The site is a study in contrasts. On the left side of the road are the pitiful wrecks of three or four buildings, some mill foundations, one head frame about to collapse, and an old wooden separation tank. From these relics you can look across to the monstrous mine dump of the Duval, matched only in size by the massive mill below. Periodically the ugly sound^ of rocks falling causes one to look quickly about. The trucks are dumping rock over the dump a mile away, and boulders the size of barrels roll hundreds of feet down the man-made talus slope, A brief hlstory,to match the meager extent of the Z remains, starts with the town being laid out in 1870 near a �^tstamp mill. months. There were (2/ saloons In operation within^ The biw boom of the 188^^ found many adobe and frame buildlnajs built on both sides of a wide main street. A flay^p^e stood at the uphill end. An old picture shows waaon ruts forming a series of figure eights as people drove to the front^ of each store^ then cut across to one on the other side of the street. In 1884 the population was 700 and Increasing. There were two newspapers and a Ghlna^^wn. Strangely, there were no banksand no churches. evident. Perhaps a basic truth was Without one, perhaps you have a lesser need of the other. When the Atlantic and Pacific tracks were laid along a route justmiles away. It was found that ore of lesser A* quality could be mined. The town took on new life — tempor^ly. Soon a junction town popped Into existence at the loadlnv site. Within three years that town exceeded Mineral Park In size. An election showed that the majority approved of the new town as the county seat. Mineral Park refused to give up the records. The new town went on to A midnight raid solved, the problem. become a success L * MAP WOTSi they named It Kingman. -------------------- hmmW ■kUHL.aWL.il. IB IB UU WUi — The 1939. 15 minute Chloride, Arizona, United States Geological Survey topographic map shows the site of Mineral Park, but gives no Indication of the present mining complex. �Silver was found here in 1892, and hy 1894 the White Hills Mining Company had built a towi^^a mill and had dug miles of tunnels. The mines were paying hand"^^ somely, and the fifteen hundred residents in the area didn’t mind the occasional gully washer that rushed down the IThlte Hills and floated away an outhouse or two. What they did mind was the shortage of drinking water and its ”hauled-ln’' price I The White Hills Mining Company fell into financial dlfficult^^and an English outfit took over in 1895, A 0xmile pipe brought springwater to town and supplied the needs of a new(^:stamp mill. Most of the water went to the mill, and the town folk still felt the shortap:e. In two years the original owners regained the property^due to the English outfit's inability to make theta? payments. A big promotional effort was started, and the town experienced its best year. Then, with thinning veins and promotional claims unfulfilled, the mines and White Hills began to fade. A bad flood wiped out much of the town. Men caught 200 feet underground could not climb out against the water and debris pouring in. Luckily, the shaft went deeper and acted as a reservoir, or the men would have been trapped and drowned. V �The post office closed in 191^, but by then most of the town had been moved away or had collapsed from flood­ damaged foundations. Until recently, several old shacks still remained, stubbornly fighting the pull of gravity. A new retirement village, built a few miles beyond the site, did little to protect the meager remains. In 197^ the last shack collapsed to a point where its eaves touched the ground. The cemetery has a number of graves, each lined with rocks, a few replete with accidental barrel cactus head/^ boards. The ultimate Insult to a dead town is sickenlngly evident there. Two graves have been dug up and robbed. One of them was that of a child. _____________________5k MAP NOTSj , Arizona, The White Hillsyyl5 minute United States Geological Survey topographic map shows the site. ARIZO^^^^ � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Norman Weis Manuscripts Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1971-1987 Description An account of the resource A collection of manuscripts by Casper College professor Norman Weis. <br /><br />This collection includes manuscripts of:<br /><em>Ghost Towns of the Northwest: Known and Unknown<br />The Starduster<br />Two-Story Outhouse<br />Helldorados<br /></em><br />Each manuscript contains written in edits by Norman Weis Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Norman Weis Language A language of the resource ENG Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Norm Weiss Manuscripts and Photographs, CCA 10.2003.01 WyCaC US. Casper College Archives and Special Collections. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Searchable PDF Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CCA 10.2003.01_Weis_Manuscripts Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Manuscript Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource <em>Helldorados</em> Part II: Arizona Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <div class="element-text five columns omega"> <p><a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a></p> </div> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1975 Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Norman Weis Language A language of the resource ENG Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Norm Weiss Manuscripts and Photographs, CCA 10.2003.01 WyCaC US. Casper College Archives and Special Collections. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CCA 10.2003.01_Weis_Helldorados_Ariz Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Searchable PDF