Panamint City, CA (site)

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In 1873 silver chloride was discovered and the claim was named the Wonder of the World, this brought about the creation of the Panamint Mining District. Two Nevada Senators, John P. Jones and William M. Stewart, invested over $250,000 in buying up most of the original claims and formed the Surprise Valley Mill and Water Company. Both of these men had made considerable fortunes in the Comstock Lode and were known as the "Silver Senators".

The main street of Panamint City was a mile long and consisted of about 200 houses, a hotel, over two dozen saloons, a brewery, the bank of Panamint, and the office of the Panamint News. The local butcher shop's wagon also served as the town hearse. The population of Panamint City during its' peak was between 2000 and 3000.

Panamint was known as a rough and lawless place with over fifty shootings occurring during its short life of only around 3 years. Because of the constant threat of robbery, silver from the mill was cast into ingots weighing over 400 pounds so no one could carry them off.

It has been written that Panamint City was washed away in a great flash flood in 1876 carrying away over 200 of the towns inhabitants.

WRONG!!! interviews with locals who were there, and research done by Historian Richard Lingenfelter have concluded that Panamint City was washed away in 1901 by a flash flood long after it was deserted. Some of it's buildings had already been moved to Darwin after it was deserted.

Panamint City played an important part in California's history and makes for some very interesting reading, check it out.

The road to Panamint City was closed in Feb. 2001 due to a lawsuit brought against the BLM by "The Center For Biological Diversity".



This from the Saturday, January 9, 1875 Napa REGISTER [Napa, California] regarding Panamint City, California: THE NEW EL DORADO -- THE PANAMINT MINES PANAMINT, or Jonesville, as it is called by some, is situated in the Telescope mountains, Inyo county, California, about 180 miles eastwardly from Bakersfield, in Kern county, and 110 miles from Independence, county seat of Inyo county. Good roads leading to the mines from both places. Its elevation is about 4,800 feet above the level of the sea, at the head of Surprise canon. The road up the canon is a good natural grade, with an average rise of about 500 feet to the mile, and is being improved as fast as possible.
HOW TO REACH THE CAMP: The camps can be reached by three different routes: by rail to Bakersfield, and stage from there to Kernville and Indian Wells, where the road branches off from the Cerro Gordo route. The second route is by steamer and rail to Los Angeles, and by stage to Indian Wells, the rest same as by Bakersfield route. Third - by rail to Reno, Nevada, and Carson, and stage via Aurora to Independence. For the first named, see advertisement of the Bakersfield, Cerro Gordo, and Panamint Stage Line; and the last, Carson, Aurora, Independence, and Cerro Gordo, connecting at Lone Pine for Panamint.
LIVING AND WAGES: Living is reasonable, considering the distance to be freighted and the high price charged from Bakersville [sic], Los Angeles, and San Barnardino [sic] - 4½ to 6 cents per pound. Flour is $9 per hundred; bacon, 25 cents, coffee, 50 cents, sugar, 25 cents, potatoes, 10 cents, onions, 10 cents per pound; wood, $5.50 per cord. Feed for horses is quite scarce, and consequently high: Barley, 8 cents per pound by the sack, 10 cents per pound by the feed; hay 7 cents per pound by the bale, 8 cents by the feed. Lumber, none in camp. The last sold at $130 per thousand feet. Miners receive $3 per day and board, or $4 and board themselves; laborers, from $2.60 upwards, according to demand.
THE MINES: In this district are noted for the immense richness and width of the ledges on the surface. How they will hold out at a considerable depth is problematic, none of the mines being developed to a depth of more than fifty or sixty feet, at which depth they hold good. It is the opinion, however, of many mining experts that they will be permanent to a great depth. Among the principal mines are Jacob's Wonder, now being worked, the company employing some twenty-five or thirty men in the mine and around their mill. They have a small five-stamp mill for concentrating the metals, which they will be sent to San Francisco or some other point to be reduced. The mill is expected to commence running in a short time. Stewart's Wonder is another promising mine, but not worked at present. The Wyoming, Venus and Great Sunrise are being worked. The Mountain View, Esperanza, Hemlock, Panamint and Hudson River are among the prominent claims which are lying idle at present. There are numerous other mines in this district of great promise, but being held by men of small means are not developed sufficiently to attract much attention.

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