With the discovery of gold and silver in Nevada at Goldfield and Tonopah, the need for electric power for mining operations was fulfilled in September, 1905, by construction of a hydro-electric plant on Bishop Creek, which supplied 1,300 . . . — — Map (db m629) HM
Ballarat was born in eighteen ninety seven
following the discovery of the Radcliff Mine
in Pleasant Canyon.
Its namesake was the famous gold city
in Victoria Australia.
It was never a very large town.
It served Panamint Valley and Death . . . — — Map (db m159356) HM
The Big Pine Crocker Cemetery site was first used by pioneer families as
early as the late 1860s. The earliest dated surviving headstone is that of
Henry W. from 1875. Other undated headstones may be from
earlier burials. Research continues . . . — — Map (db m287260) HM
The Big Pine Veterans Memorial was established by the Big Pine Civic Club in the year 2000 to honor all veterans of the Owens Valley. The 80-foot tall pole proudly displays the "Stars and Stripes" with the California State flag and the POW/MIA . . . — — Map (db m54427) HM
On February 13, 1913, a small group of people from Los Angeles converged on
the newly completed Los Angeles Aqueduct intake in the Owens Valley. In a
modest ceremony that was captured on film and in photographs, they opened
the intake gates, . . . — — Map (db m287180) HM
Near this site lies the Intake of the Los Angeles
Aqueduct. The Aqueduct was constructed from
1907 to 1913 by William Mulholland, an Irish
immigrant and self-taught engineer; the 233-
mile long aqueduct would affect the future of
the Owens . . . — — Map (db m287581) HM
This Giant Sequoia is reported to have been planted to commemorate the opening of Westgaard Pass to automobile traffic. The tree was named in honor of President Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt. — — Map (db m54428) HM
Camp Independence soldiers needed a road to Waucoba-Deep Springs. In 1873 J. S. "Scott" Broder completed this road and collected tolls until 1900. In 1913 A. L. Westgaard led an American Automobile Assn. tour across here, seeking a new . . . — — Map (db m54425) HM
Zurich Station, formerly Alvord, was established in 1884 as a freight and passenger station on the Carson & Colorado Railway - known locally as "The Slim Princess."
Zurich was the main railroad station for Big Pine and points east. Its name . . . — — Map (db m92763) HM
This historic mining artifact is known as a track mucking machine. It dates back to the 1960s and was used by Union Carbide Corporation at the nearby Pine Creek Tungsten mine 20 miles North West of Bishop. During World War II and for some years . . . — — Map (db m78131) HM
On April 6, 1862, a battle took place around this site between newly arrived citizens of the Owens River Valley and the Paiute and Shoshone Indians, original inhabitants of the land. The reason for this battle is lost in obscurity, but brave men . . . — — Map (db m628) HM
Behind this plaque is the original road that went to the Bishop Creek Drainage. Built at the turn of the 20th Century, this road brought miners and supplies to the Wilshire Mine, known today as the Cardinal Mine.
Seven miles up this road was . . . — — Map (db m189377) HM
The Shooting
For the first time in many months the peace and calm of the town were disturbed by a succession of pistols shots last Saturday night. The shots were fired by Officer Plumley in arresting one Phillip Staiger for disorderly conduct . . . — — Map (db m78316) HM
This plaque is dedicated to commemorate: Bishop Airport &
Robert F. Symons, local mountain pilot & Dean of Sierra
Wave Soaring (1910-1958).
Robert Symons early flight & cloud studies brought the
Air Force & UCLA to chart the . . . — — Map (db m288227) HM
Construction of the First United Methodist Church of
Bishop was completed in August of 1908. It is the oldest
church still in use in Bishop. The building was designed by
Minnie M. Jackson, of Berkeley, who was only 24 years old. . . . — — Map (db m288219) HM
From Trail to Highway
Graded dirt roads grew out of old Native American use trails. These were adequate
for foot and horse traffic, as well as for the horse-drawn wagons that followed as this
isolated region was settled. The local . . . — — Map (db m287205) HM
Constructed by George Martin as
a store in Chalfant with material
salvaged from two Laws warehouses.
Moved to Laws in 1977.
Adopted by
Jamie and Leanna Albrecht Beaber
2024.
This building was
built with old
lumber from . . . — — Map (db m288485) HM
World's foremost conservationist. A founder and second director,
U.S. National Park Service. Born
Bishop, California, January 6, 1890,
near this monument. — — Map (db m288371) HM
Around the 1900's, Inyo County
provided a County Hospital and
working farm on 80 acres. It was
well established by 1920 with the
Sanatorium building plus several
additional residences, a hay
barn, and a small milking barn
which still . . . — — Map (db m287278) HM
This property, originally part of a saltgrass meadow and riparian woodland strip along the south fork of Bishop Creek,
was purchased by the City of Los Angeles in 1929.
In 1950, the Department of Water and Power leased this property to . . . — — Map (db m287990) HM
A native son of the Owens Valley, James
Douglas Birchim spent his childhood in
Independence and graduated from high
school in 1964. His college studies were
guided by an avid interest in entomology but
were cut short due to the Vietnam War. . . . — — Map (db m288119) HM
The geothermal spring water has been used for
recreational and healing purposes for many years.
Established in 1919, Phillip Keough envisioned the hot
springs as a first class health resort. During it's
heyday in the 1920's & 30's, the . . . — — Map (db m287886) HM
In 1883 the Carson and Colorado Railway Co. completed the building of the
narrow gauge line from Mound House
Nevada to Laws, which was originally
called Bishop Station. Laws was named
in honor of R.J. Laws, assistant superintendent of the . . . — — Map (db m288467) HM
In 1883 the Carson & Colorado Railroad was built between Mound House (near Carson City, Nevada) through Laws to Keeler, California, a distance of 300 miles. Laws Station was named in honor of Mr. R.J. Laws, Assistant Superintendent of the . . . — — Map (db m10333) HM
Near this location, on Oct. 1, 1871, escaped convicts Moses Black and Leander Morton were lynched by vigilantes to avenge the killing of Robert Morrison, a well liked Wells Fargo agent from Benton. Morrison was a member of the sheriff's posse who . . . — — Map (db m72571) HM
Manor Market's service to the local community as well
as long time visitors solidifies its place in history
as well as in the future.
Although the surrounding parcels have changed hands many
times, a portion was owned by Albert W. . . . — — Map (db m287826) HM
In the 1860's John Mc Gee settled
here and ran a successful ranch on
this property for many years. In
1934 the city of Los Angeles
purchased the property and leased
it to the Inyo Lumber Company who
operated a sawmill on this site. . . . — — Map (db m288067) HM
Mining has played a vital role in the local economies of
the Eastern Sierra beginning in the 1860s. Historically
significant mines include:
The Mine in the Sky
Twenty miles west of here lies the Pine Creek Tungsten . . . — — Map (db m288225) HM
The first white mans settlement in northern Owens Valley was built here in 1861 and two years later prospectors named it Owensville. It thrived for some time but in 1864, as mining in the White Mts. petered out the miners moved on to better . . . — — Map (db m2953) HM
Parcher's Rainbow Camp
Established in 1921 by Marie Louise and
Wm. C. Parcher. It was one of the first
summer resorts started on the east side
of the Sierra Nevada mtns.
Rainbow Pack Outfit
Established in . . . — — Map (db m288113) HM
Fifty years ago, the eastern edge of the Sierra Nevada was the site of intense atmospheric research to explore the cause and dynamics of the newly appreciated and powerful mountain wave phenomenon known locally as the Sierra Wave.
This . . . — — Map (db m156150) HM
Few mines are fortunate enough to be dry.
Many are wet mines and are forced to deal
with disposing of the natural ground water
that seeps, or pours, into the workings.
Dewatering a mine can be very costly.
This pump, made by the Deane . . . — — Map (db m288484) HM
In 1861, Samuel A. Bishop, his wife and party left Fort Tejon for the Owens Valley driving 650 head of stock. On August 22, Bishop reached a creek later named for him and southwest of this spot, established San Francis Ranch. There a peace treaty . . . — — Map (db m627) HM
When purchased by the City of Los Angeles in 1927, this property was an irrigated pasture
of native grasses and clover.
Prior to European settlement, however, the site was a small part of an area known as
"pitana patu," a . . . — — Map (db m288349) HM
The Slim Princess Engine 9 was built in 1909 and first saw service on the 36 inch narrow gauge rails (standard gauge is 4 feet 8 ½ inches) of the Nevada, California and Oregon Railroad. It came to the Mina Branch of the Southern Pacific in 1929 . . . — — Map (db m78315) HM
First Panel, Left:
Logging at Mono Mills
Circa 1850-1910
This mural illustrates the Kinneys and Summers (Ernests grandmother was a Summers) hauling logs.
The rig with the big wheels called Michigan Wheels is dragging the timber . . . — — Map (db m78320) HM
Some of the first European settlers into the eastern Sierra were the tireless
miners. These rugged individuals created towns that sprang up almost overnight.
Bodie, Monoville, Kearsarge, and Cerro Gordo became synonymous with wealth
and . . . — — Map (db m287991) HM
In August 1924 Matt Wilkenson opened the Kittie Lee Inn, which was named for his daughter. When William R. Whorff purchased it in 1925, the Kittie Lee became "the" place to stay for Hollywood's finest.
When Bishop Airport was a training . . . — — Map (db m72572) HM
A hybrid offspring of a male donkey, commonly known as a jackass, and a female horse. Characterized by long ears, a braying voice and short mane, this patient and sure-footed animal has been used as a beast of burden throughout the world. . . . — — Map (db m92729) HM
The early days of Inyo County presented many challenges to the original settlers, particularly for peacekeepers. The first sheriff, W.A. Greenly, served only one year. Many officials served only one or two years before resigning. Territorial and . . . — — Map (db m200934) HM
This turntable is what is known as an "Armstrong" turntable. In
other words, the turning power is the strong arms of a few
people. If the locomotive or car to be turned is balanced
properly on the table, four men can easily turn a 40 . . . — — Map (db m288469) HM
As the Nuόmό and Newe peoples, we are the
responsible caretakers of Payahuunadu (The
Place Where the Water Always Flows) since time
immemorial. Our cultural and spiritual beliefs
are rooted in a sacred relationship to the land.
For . . . — — Map (db m288224) HM
The Kittie Lee Inn was built in 1924 and was considered to be the height of luxury. During Hollywoods heyday of filming movies in the High Sierra, almost all of the great stars stayed here at one time or another. Will Rogers, Randolph Scott, . . . — — Map (db m78314) HM
In June 1873 Colonel Sherman Stevens built a sawmill and flume on Cottonwood Creek high in the Sierras directly west of this spot. The flume connected with the Los Angeles Bullion Road. The lumber from the flume was used for timbering in the mine . . . — — Map (db m33877) HM
In June 1873 Colonel Sherman Stevens built a sawmill and flume on Cottonwood Creek high in the Sierras directly west of this spot. The flume connected with the Los Angeles Bullion Road. The lumber from the flume was used for timbering in the mine . . . — — Map (db m52104) HM
The Salt Tram is an engineering and construction marvel for the turn of the century. It transported salt
from Saline Valley, over the Inyo Mountains and down to a processing station just north of the town of
Swansea at Owens Lake, where it was . . . — — Map (db m288824) HM
In the 1930s, this billboard directed travelers to the Coso Hot Springs resort, which was 10 miles to the east.
Molten rock, or magma, lies about five miles below the earth's surface. Groundwater
percolates through rock fractures, is . . . — — Map (db m195627) HM
We the Numu, (pronounced Noom, which is our word for people) known
now as Owens Valley Paiute, are native to the broad and beautiful valleys
here. What you see may look stark and dry, but long before the whites came,
we understood this land . . . — — Map (db m195037) HM
The town was named after Dr. E. Darwin French who explored the area in 1860 giving his name to the falls, canyon, and wash. First recorded mine, the Promontorio, was discovered by Rafael Cuervo October 1876. Darwin was the center of activity of the . . . — — Map (db m72567) HM
This building was originally built by the Pacific Coast Borax Company in 1924. The original name of the facility was Corkill Hall, and was the social center for Death Valley Junction between 1924 to 1948.
Between the years 1948 to 1967, Corkill . . . — — Map (db m78582) HM
This historic crossroad has been used by Indians, Clampers, Death Valley 49ers, ranchers, farmers, settlers and tourists. The town was originally called Amargosa. In 1907, the name was changed to Death Valley Junction. At this junction, the Tonopah . . . — — Map (db m78583) HM
There is gold in the hill in front of you, and old-
time prospector Shorty Harris and his greenhorn
partner Pete Aguereberry discovered it in 1905.
Their discovery triggered a short-lived mining
boom. The tent town of Harrisburg blossomed . . . — — Map (db m168072) HM
Here at Aguereberry Point you can see why
Death Valley is often described as a vast geologic
museum. Badwater Basin far below and the
peaks of the Panamint Mountains above are the
results of the land tilting along active fault lines;
the . . . — — Map (db m168023) HM
Among the first structures greeting visitors entering
the park from the west, these two stone buildings at
Emigrant were built to serve as a ranger station and
are a legacy of the Civilian Conservation Corps
(CCC). Created by President Franklin . . . — — Map (db m159295) HM
The foundations of the Ashford Mill
are set into the hillside directly ahead,
with the concrete walls of the office
building to the left framing the desert
beyond. Ore hauled down from the
Golden Treasure Mine five miles to the
east in . . . — — Map (db m89558) HM
Good Life in Badwater
Water is rare and precious in Death Valley. Imagine the disappointment when a surveyor mapping this area could not get his
mule to drink from this pool. He wrote on his map that the
spring had "bad water," and . . . — — Map (db m159465) HM
Near this spot the Bennett-Arcane contingent of the Death Valley '49ers, emigrants from the Middle West, seeking shortcut to California gold fields, were stranded for a month and almost perished from starvation. William Lewis Manley and John Rogers, . . . — — Map (db m159315) HM
Borax
Borates - salt minerals - were deposited in ancient lake beds that uplifted and eroded into the yellow Furnace Creek badlands. Water dissolved the borates and carried them to the Death Valley floor, where they recrystallized as . . . — — Map (db m80567) HM
Near this monument, Jayhawker group of Death Valley Forty-Niners, gold seekers from middle west, who entered Death Valley in 1849 seeking short route to mines of Central California, burned their wagons, dried the meat of some oxen and, with . . . — — Map (db m89481) HM
Through this natural gateway the Death Valley Forty-Niners, more than one hundred emigrants from the middle west, seeking a shortcut to gold fields of central California, entered Death Valley in
December, 1849. All suffered from thirst and . . . — — Map (db m167508) HM
Herman William Bob Eichbaum long dreamed of
building a resort hotel in Death Valley, convinced that
its beauty, mystery, and history would attract tourists.
Beginning in 1915, motion pictures, automobile companies,
and writers created . . . — — Map (db m195619) HM
In 1949, the government of California hosted
several statehood centennial celebrations across
the state. One such event was hosted here at the
mouth of Desolation Canyon in what was then
Death Valley National Monument. The . . . — — Map (db m275649) HM
Seeking to capitalize on the mystique of Death
Valley, early promoters attached dubious names
like "Devils Cornfield" to its strange and unusual
features. Thought to resemble bundled corn left
to dry in rows at harvest time, the root system . . . — — Map (db m195412) HM
Interbedded salt and water-bearing gravels are more than 1,000 feet thick beneath the Devils Golf Course. Great horizontal forces exerted by crystallizing salt, push these columns upward. Wind and rain carve them into fantastic shapes. — — Map (db m158905)
Crystallized salts compose the jagged
formations of this forbidding landscape.
Deposited by ancient salt lakes and shaped
by winds and rain, the crystals are forever
changing.
Listen carefully. On a warm day you may hear
a metallic . . . — — Map (db m302747) HM
A few structural remains and the nearby borax
windrows are the most visible reminders of
Eagle Borax Works, the first borax refinery in
Death Valley.
Businessman Isador Daunet founded the Eagle
operation on this site, producing borax by . . . — — Map (db m159313) HM
In 1926 H.W. Eichbaum obtained a franchise for a toll road from Darwin Falls to Stovepipe Wells, the first maintained road into the valley from the west. It changed the area from mining to tourism and brought about the creation of Death Valley . . . — — Map (db m149164) HM
Barker Ranch was built by
"recreational ranchers"
who moved to the desert to
enjoy the solitude and simplicity of living far from civilization, Bluch and Helen
Thomason moved to the
area in the late 1930s to try
their hand at gold . . . — — Map (db m238166) HM
From the very early days of tourism in Death Valley, visitors wanted to explore the geologic treasures found in Golden Canyon. Once a road travelled up the canyon, but now only remnants of asphalt remain and the route is now Death
Valley's . . . — — Map (db m195617) HM
Roy Journigan acquired this mill site in Emigrant Canyon shortly after passage of the 1934 Gold Reserve Act caused the price of gold to jump from $20 to $35 an ounce. His strategy was to operate a custom mill for local mines, so both he and the . . . — — Map (db m212389) HM
Good fortune inspired the name King of the Desert, coined for the Keane Wonder Mine by the Rhyolite Herald in 1911. The mine was discovered by Jack Keane and Domingo Etcharren in 1904. Producing over a million dollars in gold from 1904 to 1917, . . . — — Map (db m159260) HM
During the first two decades of this century the Keane Wonder Mine was the scene of major investment and development. The products of this labor were the riches - gold and silver.
About 1903, Jack Keane, prospector, discovered gold in this . . . — — Map (db m159264) HM
This was a mining boom town founded on wild and distorted advertising. 300
hopeful people swarmed here and a post office was established in August,
1926. In February 1927, the post office closed and the town died. — — Map (db m159527) HM
The Roaring '20s, like the 1990s and
early 2000s, fueled an age of excess and
speculation, setting the stage for Leadfield,
a town built on dreams of wealth.
Lead deposits attracted prospectors to Titus
Canyon as early as 1905, but . . . — — Map (db m195240) HM
Also known as Jayhawker's Well
or McLean's Spring.
It was here on December 27, 1849 that the Jayhawkers, the
"Mississippi Boys" and the Briers learned from their scouts
that no probable wagon route lay ahead. Their only
alternative was . . . — — Map (db m249821) HM
For years, these moving rocks were a mystery. The tracks prove to
everyone that rocks slide, and all believed that high desert winds
must surely play a role. Many theories were proposed, but no one
had ever seen a boulder slide across dirt or . . . — — Map (db m270309) HM
On the marsh near this point borax was discovered in 1881 by Aaron Winters who later sold his holdings to W. T. Coleman of San Francisco. In 1882 Coleman built the Harmony Borax Works and commissioned his superintendent J. W. S. Perry to design . . . — — Map (db m158971) HM
This waterhole, only one in the sand dune area of Death Valley, was at the junction of two Indian trails. During the bonanza days of Rhyolite and Skidoo it was the only known water source on the cross-valley road. When sand obscured the spot, a . . . — — Map (db m94591) HM
From the snowey heights of
the Sierras beyond the
deep shadows of Death Valley,
beloved and trusted by people
of all faiths. He led them
toward life's wider horizons.
He passed this way. — — Map (db m72566) HM
Indian rock carvings are found throughout
the Western Hemisphere. Indians living today
deny any knowledge of their meaning. Are they
family symbols, doodlings, or ceremonial
markings? Your guess is as good as any.
Ancient Archives . . . — — Map (db m159528) HM
The first resort on this site, originally named "Bungalette City," was opened on November 1, 1926. Owned and operated by Herman William (Bob) and Helene Eichbaum, this resort was the first attempt to provide full scale tourist services in Death . . . — — Map (db m103254) HM
Named after the famed Saratoga Springs in
New York state, the springs here create
open-water ponds that contrast starkly
with the hot, dry, desolate floor of Death
Valley. The first visitors to its refreshing
waters included resident and . . . — — Map (db m235621) HM
Flash Flood Scours Grapevine Canyon
On the night of October 18, 2015, heavy rains pounded Grapevine Canyon. Floodwaters roared out of the canyon mouth visible to the northeast and down the valley behind the ranger station. After . . . — — Map (db m195573) HM
Prehistoric Shores
Prehistoric Lake Manly, fed by melting
Sierra Nevada glaciers and surrounded by
trees, would have looked very different
from what you now see. With no exit from
the valley, the lake grew to a depth of 500 . . . — — Map (db m160793) HM
Bury me beside Jim Dayton in the valley we loved. Above me write: "Here lies Shorty Harris, a single blanket jackass prospector." - Epitaph requested by Shorty (Frank) Harris, beloved gold hunter, 1856-1934.
Here Jas. Dayton, pioneer, perished, . . . — — Map (db m159314) HM
You are standing in what once was downtown
Skidoo.
Unlike other Death Valley boomtowns, Skidoo
flourished for nearly ten years. At its height in
1907 it boasted 700 residents, a newspaper, bank,
school, and telephone service. The hundreds . . . — — Map (db m159370) HM
Powered by water piped from a spring high in the Panamint Range, the Skidoo Mill extracted gold from ore and was one of Death Valley's most profitable operations. Skidoo had the only water-powered milling plant in Death Valley.
The Skidoo . . . — — Map (db m159375) HM
The Skidoo Pipeline can be seen either north or south of this location. The pipeline, which ran from Birch Spring in Jail Canyon to the millsite 23 miles away, was completed in 1907 at a cost of $250,000. — — Map (db m159328) HM
Before
you is part of one of the largest military aircraft
training areas in the U.S. It has been used continuously since
the 1930s. Much of what is now the western portion of
Death Valley National Park was added under the condition
that . . . — — Map (db m194626) HM
Gold from the Eureka Mine sustained Pete
Aguereberry for 40 years. Historians estimate
that Aguereberry extracted about $175,000 worth
of gold (then valued at $20 per ounce) from
Providence Ridge during his lifetime.
Cashier Mill . . . — — Map (db m168029) HM
In front of you is a dry lake bed - a playa - the
flattest of all natural surfaces.
Fine mud and silt, eroded from the surrounding
mountain, compose the playa. Water washes across the
playa, suspending the sediments in a
shallow, . . . — — Map (db m235586) HM
"...a curious dry lake, almost a perfect oval in shape, and
resembling a racetrack. The illusion is heightened by the
fact that an extraordinary rock formation near it appears
to be a grandstand for spectators." -Phil Townsend Hanna,
"Some . . . — — Map (db m270302) HM
The beauty, silence, and solitude of Racetrack
Valley and its dry lakebed, or playa, are almost
unworldly. Adding to its appearance is the mystery
of the moving stones, which leave furrows in the
dried mud of the lakebed as a record of . . . — — Map (db m270316) HM
The faint two-wheel tracks of the wagon road heading
southwest to historic Stovepipe Well cross the modern
road at this point. Etched into the desert by freight wagons
and the Rhyolite-to-Skidoo stagecoach, the road followed
the footpath of . . . — — Map (db m253599) HM
For more than a century, the 20 Mule Team has been the symbol of the Borax industry on product labels, in history books, and on television. The status is well-earned; mule teams help solve the most difficult task that faced death Valley Borax . . . — — Map (db m194275) HM
Before you is vivid evidence of one of the geologic forces that shapes Death Valley. Unlike most geologic features, the age of Ubehebe Crater (u-bee hee-bee) is measured in thousands rather than millions of years; it is about 2,000 years old. . . . — — Map (db m167511) HM
Traces of civilization remain for a long time on the face of Death Valley. Here, on both sides of the paved highway, you can see tracks of wagons that rolled between the mining boom towns of Rhyolite, Nevada and Skidoo, California. — — Map (db m159209) HM
Independent from an early age, Louise Grantham moved from Ohio to California
in her twenties and, without training or experience, became a prospector. The fact
that this land belonged to someone else did not deter her.
In 1929, . . . — — Map (db m238062) HM
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