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.
Ranching and Mining. . 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.
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. Marker 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.
Dry land farmers homesteaded the high valleys of the east Mojave during the 1910s-40s. Homesteader Harry Trehern built this store in Nipton to serve homesteaders, Trehearne, and ranchers.
Photographed By Denise Boose, May 18, 2015
6. Ranching and Mining Marker
Water tank for the Ox cattle Company on Lanfair Road.
Photographed By Denise Boose, May 18, 2015
7. Ranching and Mining Marker
Cowboys of the Rock Springs Land & Cattle Company, the biggest operation in the east Mojave until it broke up around 1930.
Photographed By Denise Boose, May 18, 2015
8. Ranching and Mining Marker
Photographed By Denise Boose, May 18, 2015
9. Ranching and Mining Marker
Mule team hauling ore to smelter at Valley Wells from Copper World Mine, circa 1900.
Photographed By Denise Boose, May 18, 2015
10. Ranching and Mining Marker
During World War II, Kaiser operated theh Vulcan Mine in the Providence Mountains. Iron ore from the mine was used to make stell for Liberty Ships crucial to the war effort. Top: Miners used a drill to create a hole for blasting. Middle: Ore was trucked nine miles to Kelso where it was loaded onto trains for shipment to a Fontana, California steel mill. Bottom: Cooks at the Vulcan Mine.
Credits. This page was last revised on April 25, 2023. It was originally submitted on May 31, 2015, by Denise Boose of Tehachapi, California. This page has been viewed 278 times since then and 14 times this year. Photos:1. submitted on April 25, 2023, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. 2, 3, 4. submitted on May 31, 2015, by Denise Boose of Tehachapi, California. 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. submitted on June 1, 2015, by Denise Boose of Tehachapi, California. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.