Mammoth Lakes in Mono County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)

Historic Knight Wheel

Photographed By Thomas O'Conor, June 7, 2006

1. Historic Knight Wheel Marker

Inscription. Originally hauled by mule teams from Mojave to Mill City in 1878 this Knight Wheel powered Mammoth Mining Company’s 20 stamp mill for processing gold ore until 1895, when it was relocated to Mammoth City.

This high pressure, low volume wheel was ultimately moved to it’s present location in 1902 and converted to an electric generating plant for the Wildasinn Hotel nearby. In the 1920’s, it also supplied electricity to Charlie Summer’s Mammoth Camp.

The adjacent structure housed the generator and is the oldest known building in Mammoth. The log cabin just north was also built in the early 1900’s.

Erected by Southern Mono Historical Society / Dempsey Construction Company.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Notable Buildings • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1878.

Location. 37° 37.901′ N, 118° 58.46′ W. Marker is in Mammoth Lakes, California, in Mono County. Marker is on Old Mammoth Road, half a mile west of Minaret Road, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Mammoth Lakes CA 93546, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Old French Trail (approx. half a mile away); Temple of Folly (approx. 0.7

Paid Advertisement

Click on the ad for more information.
Please report objectionable advertising to the Editor.

Click or scan to see
this page online

miles away); Margaret & Emmett Hayden Cabin (approx. 0.7 miles away); The Tavern (approx. 1.1 miles away); The White Fence at Old Mammoth (approx. 1.2 miles away); Old Mammoth Saloon (approx. 1.3 miles away); Mammoth City (approx. 1.7 miles away); The Mammoth Consolidated Gold Mine (approx. 2.9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Mammoth Lakes.

Also see . . . Knight Foundry. Also see Knight Foundry Marker - Amador County, California (Submitted on August 19, 2008, by Syd Whittle of Mesa, Arizona.)

Additional keywords. Mining Towns, Equipment

Historic Knight Wheel & Marker - Second Day Of Winter image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Thomas O'Conor, December 23, 2006

2. Historic Knight Wheel & Marker - Second Day Of Winter

Historic Knight Wheel - First Day Of Winter image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Thomas O'Conor, December 22, 2006

3. Historic Knight Wheel - First Day Of Winter

Historic Knight Wheel - Marker, Wheel & Generator House image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Thomas O'Conor, June 7, 2006

4. Historic Knight Wheel - Marker, Wheel & Generator House

Historic Knight Wheel image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Thomas O'Conor, June 7, 2006

5. Historic Knight Wheel

Notice the curved buckets on the edge of the wheel. This was the heart of Knight’s invention. “The fundamental principle he exploited is that if the water jets into the bucket at a velocity of 100 miles per hour, and the buckets are traveling by at 50 miles per hour, the water does a Uturn in the bucket and drops out at zero miles per hour. In other words, the buckets must travel at about half the speed of the water when the wheel is doing work. In theory and in fact, most of the water’s kinetic energy is thus passed on to the wheel.” — Amador Ledger Dispatch article.

Credits. This page was last revised on August 5, 2018. It was originally submitted on August 28, 2007, by Thomas O'Conor of Northridge, California. This page has been viewed 4,028 times since then and 69 times this year. It was the Marker of the Week September 16, 2007. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on August 28, 2007, by Thomas O'Conor of Northridge, California. • J. J. Prats was the editor who published this page.