Near Mountain Pass in San Bernardino County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)

Ranching and Mining

Photographed by Craig Baker, April 23, 2023

1. Ranching and Mining Marker

Inscription. Gold and silver discoveries during the mid-1800s brought hundreds of prospectors trekking across the eastern Mojave. Ephemeral camps sprang up throughout the desert as miners discovered copper and silver in nearby mountains. Ranchers moving into high, grassy valleys, exploited the market for beef created by the miners, and soon diveloped commerical operations. The Sourthern Pacific Railway crossed the Mojave in 1883, giving ranchers access to larger markets east and west, and their operations expanded. Ranching and mining continue today.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1883.

Location. 35° 26.149′ N, 115° 42.086′ W. Marker is near Mountain Pass, California, in San Bernardino County. It is on Interstate 15 26 miles south of Primm, on the right when traveling south. Located at Valley Wells Rest Area on the south-bound side of Interstate 15. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Nipton CA 92364, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Greater Los Angeles,

in the Mojave Desert,

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in the Peninsular Ranges,

and specifically in the Transverse Ranges.

It is also in the American Southwest.

Globally, it is in North America,

on the Ring of Fire,

in the Pacific Rim,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain

and also Mexico’s Alta California.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 12 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Who Has Lived Here? (here, next to this marker); Railroads Revolutionize Transportation (here, next to this marker); Movement in the Desert (here, next to this marker); Modern Highways (a few steps from this marker); Western Expansion (a few steps from this marker); Valley Wells (within shouting distance of this marker); Footprints in Time (approx. 0.2 miles away); Teutonia Peak Trail (approx. 11.8 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Mountain Pass.