Death Valley National Park Off The Beaten Path Tips by Yaqui Top 5 Page for this destination

Panamint City Historical Marker Other Points of Interest Review

This is new marker and is next to the other two markers on this route. It was not here the last time we pass through here. It is neat because they put a cooper tube to act as a telescope and point where the Panamint City mine was located in the mountain.

It reads:
Rich silver ore was discovered in December 1872 at the head of Surprise Canyon 12 miles northeast of here. The United States Senators for Nevada, John P. Jones and William Morris Stewart, invested in and promoted the camp which drew a peak population of 2000 to the steep, mile-high canyon. Wells Fargo refused to serve the lawless camp, and bullion was shipped out in 400-pound cubes to deter thieves, to connect his Santa Monica property with the Mines Jones build a half-mile pier and began a railroad, which reached only as far as Los Angeles. Jones and Stewart floated 15 stocks on the San Francisco mining exchange with a face value of over $61 million, on July 4, 1876the camp celebrated a new 30-stamp mill, and strings of ore cars moved at full speed. The celebration ended 20 days later when hours of heavy rain flooded the Panamint Peaks and sent a wall of water down Surprise Canyon's Main Street, wiping out cabins, stores & saloons to end the boom. One of the departing miners, Isadore Daunet, crossed the summit and discovered cottonball Borax at Furnance Creek.
Plaque Dedicated November 9 2002
By Yerba Buena No.1 Slim Princess, Billy Holcomb & Platrix Chapters of the Ancient and Honorable Order of E Clampus Vitus in cooperation with the Death Valley 49ers.

Billy Holcomb Plaques No. 102

It is located along Trona-Wildrose Road (Highway 178) off a dirt road off of Panamint Valley road west of Death Valley. Look for the Historical Markers

Ballart Historical Marker #2 Other Points of Interest Review

The Marker Reads:

3.5 miles east of this point lies Ballarat. Established in 1897 as a mining camp and supply center for gold and silver mines located on the western slope of the Panamint Mountains. It was named after a well known gold producting area in Australia boasting a population of nearly 500. It has Wells Fargo station, post office, school house, jail, morgue, 3 hotels, and 7 saloons. When the Ratcliff Mine suspended operations in 1905. Ballarat began to rapidly decline. After the post office closed in September of 1917 became a ghost town.

Billy Holcomb Plaques No. 102

It is located along Trona-Wildrose Road (Highway 178) off a dirt road off of Panamint Valley road west of Death Valley. Look for the Historical Markers

Ballarat - Ghost Town Other Points of Interest Review

In 1897 Radcliffe mining produced 15,000 tons of gold ore from 1898-1903. Ballarat was named after Australian gold camp and home of 400 people. It boasted a community of 7 saloons, 3 hotels, Wells Fargo station, post office, school, and a morgue. It lacked a Church, oops! Soon like others started to decline when the mine ended its operation. Businesses folded up and people moved on, except those hardy inidividuals who were determine to continue mining on their own or just because they called it home like die hard Frank "Shorty" Harris who remained till his death in 1934 and Charles "Seldom Seen Slim" Ferge in 1968. The evil Manson family even left their mark here with some graffiti behind while hiding out at the Barker ranch just south of here.

There is a store here and its popular for the 4x4er's who like to use the trailer park.

Ballarat is privately owned and the only structures left are several adobe ruins and a cemetery, which is neat to explore.

It is located off a dirt road off of Panamint Valley road west of Death Valley Highway 178. Look for the Historical Markers

Phone: (760) 786-2387

Website: http://www.nps.gov/deva