Big Bear, CA
I quiet mountain community full of back country adventure.
Ashford Mill Site
Ashford Mill Site is a historic mining ruin located in Death Valley National Park, California. It represents one of the many short-lived gold mining operations that dotted the region during the early 20th century, embodying the boom-and-bust cycles typical of desert prospecting in one of the harshest environments in North America.
Location and Setting
The site lies on the valley floor along Badwater Road (California State Route 178), approximately 28 miles (45 km) west of the Shoshone entrance to the park. The associated Ashford Mine (also known as the Golden Treasure Mine) is located about 5 miles (8 km) east in the Black Mountains, roughly 3,500 feet (1,067 m) higher in elevation within Ashford Canyon. The mill was strategically placed on the valley floor to process ore trucked down from the mine. Today, visitors find concrete foundations, scattered debris from machinery, and the crumbling walls of a former office building. The site includes parking, picnic tables, scenic viewpoints, and vault toilets. Nearby Shoreline Butte displays ancient wave-cut terraces from the prehistoric Lake Manly.
Discovery and Claim Acquisition (1907–1910)
In January 1907, prospector Harold J. Ashford arrived in the Death Valley region, drawn by recent gold strikes at the nearby Desert Hound Mine. He noticed that the Keys Gold Mining Company had failed to perform required assessment work on several claims in the Black Mountains. Ashford relocated (re-staked) the claims under mining law and began working them. The Keys company did not discover the issue for nearly two years. In January 1910, they sued to reclaim the property, but a judge ruled in Ashford’s favor, securing title for him and his brothers, Henry and Lewis. The Ashfords worked the mine intermittently from 1910 to 1914 but achieved only modest results.
Development and Mill Construction (1914–1915)
In November 1914, the Ashford brothers leased the mine to wealthy Los Angeles residents B.W. McCausland and his son Ross. Under their leadership, the operation expanded dramatically. They drove a 180-foot tunnel, developed approximately 2,000 feet of underground workings, and employed up to 28 men at peak. The lessees invested over $125,000 in infrastructure, including construction of a 40-ton-capacity mill on the valley floor in 1915. The mill featured a jaw crusher, a 10-foot Lane mill, a Wilfley concentrating table, and a Diester slime table. Ore was trucked five miles down the mountain for processing before shipment to a smelter. The mill became operational by late August 1915. A popular (but unverified) local legend claims that a double shipment of cement arrived during construction; rather than return the excess, the McCauslands used it to build the durable concrete foundations and office that still stand today.
Operations, Decline, and Initial Closure (1915)
Despite extracting an estimated $100,000 worth of gold ore, the operation proved unprofitable. The ore grade was too low to cover the enormous costs of extraction, processing, and transportation across the remote desert terrain. Operations ceased in September 1915, only weeks after the mill opened. The McCauslands withheld lease payments, leading the Ashfords to file a lawsuit that yielded no compensation. The mill and mine then lay idle for more than a decade.
Intermittent Later Activity (1926–1941)
Brief revivals occurred over the following years. In 1926, four men worked the mine briefly before abandoning it again. In 1935, the Ashfords leased the property to Golden Treasure Mines, Inc., which reopened the mine and shipped high-grade ore to Shoshone via the Tonopah & Tidewater Railroad. High trucking costs limited profitability; total production through 1938 was valued at no more than $18,000. The Ashfords briefly operated the mine themselves in 1938, shipping 38 tons of ore. Later that year they leased it to Bernard Granville and Associates of Los Angeles, who installed a short aerial tramway to consolidate ore from scattered workings. The operation employed about 10 men but produced no recorded shipments and ceased by 1941. The Ashfords retained ownership but performed no further significant work. Over its entire history (1910–1941), the mine yielded just enough gold to sustain the brothers in basic supplies and legal fees.
Legends, Myths, and Cultural Significance
Early tourists were drawn by colorful legends surrounding the mine, including a story that the Ashford brothers sold it for $50,000 to a Hungarian count, who then resold it to B.W. McCausland for $105,000. An old wooden interpretive sign at the site perpetuated this tale for decades. However, National Park Service records describe these stories as more intriguing than factual. The site nonetheless symbolizes the persistent yet often futile quest for riches in Death Valley’s extreme environment.
Abandonment and Preservation
The mill was never reopened after 1915; its wooden walls, windows, and most machinery were removed or decayed over time, leaving only the concrete foundation and debris. The nearby office building survives as crumbling concrete ruins. The Ashford Mill Site was incorporated into Death Valley National Monument (later National Park) and is preserved today as a historic resource. The mine site higher in the canyon contains collapsed shacks, bunkhouses, headframes, and tramway remnants from the 1930s–1940s era, accessible via a strenuous hike up Ashford Canyon (the old road is washed out).
Visiting the Site Today
The Ashford Mill Site remains a popular roadside stop along Badwater Road. A short walk reveals the ruins and interpretive signage (the older legend-bearing sign may still be present). It offers a poignant reminder of the human ambition and environmental challenges that defined early 20th-century mining in the American Southwest. The site is open year-round, though summer heat and flash-flood risks in the canyon require caution. No artifacts should be disturbed, as the area is protected within the national park.
Desert Five-Spot (Eremalche rotundifolia)
The Desert Five-Spot (Eremalche rotundifolia) is a striking annual wildflower commonly observed in Death Valley National Park, particularly during favorable bloom years following sufficient winter rainfall.
Scientific Taxonomy
- Kingdom: Plantae
- Phylum: Tracheophyta (vascular plants)
- Class: Magnoliopsida (dicotyledons)
- Order: Malvales
- Family: Malvaceae (mallow family, which includes hibiscus and cotton)
- Genus: Eremalche
- Species: Eremalche rotundifolia (A. Gray) Greene
This species is a dicotyledonous annual herb native to desert regions.
Description
The desert five-spot is a low-growing annual herb typically reaching 8–60 cm (3–24 inches) in height. It has an erect, sparsely branched stem (often simple or branched only at the base) covered in bristly hairs; stems are frequently reddish-brown. The leaves are distinctive: rounded to kidney-shaped (reniform), 1.5–6 cm broad, with toothed or crenate margins, and borne on long petioles. Leaves are green (sometimes with reddish phases) and covered in short bristly hairs.
The most striking feature is the flower: bisexual, cup- to globe-shaped, with five overlapping petals 15–30 mm long. Petals are rose-pink to lilac or purplish-pink, each featuring a prominent dark red-to-purple spot at the base that serves as a nectar guide for pollinators. When fully open, the petals curve slightly inward, forming a nearly spherical “lantern” shape (hence the occasional nickname “Chinese lantern flower”). The center reveals a ring of light pink stigmas surrounding smaller stamens. The calyx has 5 lobes, and three small bractlets subtend it. After flowering, the plant produces a schizocarp fruit that splits into 25–35 wafer-like segments.
Note on identification: Do not confuse it with the unrelated “five-spot” (Nemophila maculata), a white-flowered plant of the Sierra Nevada and foothills with purple spots at the petal tips.
Blooming Period and Behavior
Flowering occurs primarily from March to May, with peak displays in the lower desert elevations from mid-February through mid-April, depending on winter rainfall. In Death Valley National Park, it is a signature wildflower during “superbloom” years (such as the notable events following heavy rains).
The flowers exhibit daily nyctinastic movement: they open in the morning (or midday) to reveal the vivid red spots and close at night or late afternoon. Leaves also show diurnal movement to optimize sunlight exposure. The red basal spots on each petal function as “runways” directing bees and other insects to the nectar at the flower base, aiding pollination. The plant thrives in years with adequate winter precipitation and is one of the more sought-after desert wildflowers for its vivid color contrast against the arid landscape.
Range and Distribution
Eremalche rotundifolia is native to the Mojave Desert and Colorado Desert (part of the Sonoran Desert region) in the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. It occurs in southeastern California (including Death Valley National Park and Anza-Borrego Desert State Park), southern Nevada, western Arizona, and extends slightly into Utah. In California it is found primarily in the Desert bioregion (excluding the high Desert Mountains). Elevation range is approximately -50 to 1,500 m (-164 to 4,921 ft), though it is most common between 50 and 1,200 m.
Habitat and Ecology
This species prefers open, sunny sites in dry desert scrub, desert flats, sandy or rocky washes, alluvial fans, and open stony areas. It grows best in fast-draining, gravelly alkaline soils and is frequently associated with creosote bush scrub communities. In Death Valley National Park it appears on lower-elevation alluvial fans, foothills, and along roadsides (e.g., Badwater Road areas) following sufficient winter rains.
As an annual, it completes its life cycle quickly after winter rains, producing abundant seeds that remain dormant in the soil until the next favorable season. It provides nectar for native bees and supports larvae of certain butterflies and skippers (including confirmed hosts for Northern White-Skipper and Common Checkered-Skipper).
The desert five-spot is a beautiful and iconic Mojave Desert wildflower, particularly celebrated in Death Valley for its glowing pink blooms and striking red-spotted “lantern” flowers during spring displays. Its presence is highly dependent on winter precipitation, making it a highlight of rare superbloom events.
Pebble Pincusion (Chaenactis carphoclinia)
Scientific Name: Chaenactis carphoclinia A. Gray (primarily var. carphoclinia in Death Valley and most of its range)
Scientific Taxonomy
- Kingdom: Plantae
- Clade: Tracheophytes (vascular plants)
- Clade: Angiosperms (flowering plants)
- Clade: Eudicots
- Clade: Asterids
- Order: Asterales
- Family: Asteraceae (Sunflower or Daisy family)
- Genus:Chaenactis (pincushions or dustymaidens)
- Species:Chaenactis carphoclinia A. Gray
Common names include Pebble Pincushion, Pincushion Flower, and Straw-bed Pincushion. Two varieties exist: the widespread var. carphoclinia (smaller plant, common in Death Valley) and the rarer var. peirsonii (larger, limited to southern California’s Santa Rosa Mountains).
Description
Pebble Pincushion is a native annual forb/herb that grows from an erect, branching stem (usually one main stem) reaching 4–16 inches (10–40 cm) tall, occasionally up to 2 feet (60 cm) in favorable conditions. The stems are whitish-pubescent (hairy).
Leaves are green, mostly linear, and pinnately dissected or lobed (basal leaves highly divided and wither early; cauline leaves smaller with slender petioles), up to 4–10 cm long.
The inflorescence consists of 1–several small discoid flower heads (no ray flowers) per stem, each 0.25–1 cm wide. Heads feature white to pinkish-tinted disk florets with enlarged outer corollas and prominently exserted (protruding) anthers. Flat, sharp-pointed phyllaries (bracts) line the heads and often appear reddish. The fruit is a small achene tipped with a scaly pappus.
The plant resembles other desert Chaenactis species (e.g., Esteve’s Pincushion), but is generally smaller with multiple cream-to-white heads per stem.
Blooms
As a desert annual, Pebble Pincushion germinates after winter rains and blooms primarily in spring (January/February/March through May or June, depending on elevation and rainfall). In Death Valley, it is a signature species during “superbloom” years, often peaking in March–April alongside other desert annuals. The flowers are visited by bees, butterflies, and other small insects for nectar and pollen.
Range and Habitat
Pebble Pincushion is native to the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. Its range spans Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Baja California, and Sonora—primarily in the Mojave Desert, with extensions into the Sonoran Desert, southern Great Basin, and northwestern Chihuahuan Desert. Elevations range from 300–6,200 feet (90–1,900 m).
It thrives in rocky, gravelly, or sandy soils, including washes, open plains, mesas, slopes, and flats within desert shrublands. In Death Valley National Park, it is commonly found in gravelly washes and rocky areas (e.g., near Emigrant Pass, Badwater, and Mosaic Canyon), where it can form dense displays after sufficient winter precipitation. Seeds may be consumed by birds, small mammals, and desert tortoises.
Pebble Pincushion growing in typical Death Valley habitat—gravelly washes with mixed desert annuals under clear desert skies.
This hardy annual plays a key role in desert ecosystems as a quick-response bloomer that stabilizes soil and supports pollinators and wildlife following rainy periods.
San Francisco Chronicle newspaper of Jan. 13, 1895
The San Francisco Chronicle article published on January 13, 1895, titled something along the lines of “A Mine in the Superstition Mountains” (or variations like “A Mine in the Superstition Mountains–The Half-told Tale of an Old Miser–Afraid to Return to the Source of His Mysterious Wealth”), played a pivotal role in popularizing and shaping the modern legend of the Lost Dutchman Gold Mine.
Written by freelance writer and prospector Pierpont C. Bicknell (often abbreviated P.C. Bicknell), this piece is widely regarded by historians and researchers of the legend as one of the earliest—if not the earliest—nationally distributed accounts that crystallized many of the core elements associated with the tale today. Jacob Waltz (the German immigrant prospector nicknamed “the Dutchman,” despite not being Dutch) had died in Phoenix in October 1891, and local Arizona newspapers had mentioned his alleged rich mine and search efforts by associates like Julia Thomas and the Petrasch brothers as early as 1892 (e.g., in the Salt River Herald). However, Bicknell’s 1895 Chronicle article elevated the story from regional rumor to broader public fascination.
Key Content and Contributions from the Article
Bicknell’s piece drew heavily from accounts circulating in Arizona, likely including details from Julia Thomas (who cared for Waltz in his final days and attempted to locate the mine). It presented the mine as a real, extraordinarily rich gold deposit hidden in the Superstition Mountains east of Phoenix (then in Arizona Territory). Notable elements introduced or emphasized include:
- A description of the mine’s location tied to landmarks in the Superstitions, within a roughly 5-mile radius of Weaver’s Needle (a prominent rock formation that became iconic in later tellings).
- References to a hidden tunnel or shaft in a gulch, concealed by bushes, with a two-room rock house or cabin in a cave (sometimes described as “caverna con casa” or rock cabin in a cave) on the opposite slope.
- Clues about accessing the site via a gulch, with the mine featuring rich gold ledges where flakes of nearly pure gold could be picked off.
- The narrative framed around Waltz as an “old miser” who revealed partial details on his deathbed but was too fearful or infirm to return himself.
- Broader claims of the mine’s “fabulous wealth” and consistency of witness/testimony pointing to a specific area.
These details aligned with earlier local reports but were packaged dramatically for a wider audience, making the story more compelling and clue-oriented.
Role in the Legend’s Development
The article’s significance lies in its dissemination and influence:
- It is often credited as the first major national exposure of the “Lost Dutchman” story, helping transform a local Arizona prospector’s tale into a widespread American legend of hidden treasure.
- Bicknell reportedly syndicated or republished elements of his work; the piece was reprinted in outlets like the Kansas City Journal (February 17, 1895), spreading it further across the U.S.
- It introduced or solidified motifs that later writers and treasure hunters built upon, including connections to the Peralta family (Mexican miners allegedly massacred by Waltz or others to claim the site—though some sources note this link may have been embellished by Bicknell or absent in pre-1895 accounts), deathbed revelations, hidden cabins/tunnels, and Weaver’s Needle as a key reference point.
- Historians (such as Tom Kollenborn and others studying Superstition Mountains lore) trace much of the persistent “clue” tradition directly to Bicknell’s descriptions, which influenced later searchers like Adolph Ruth (whose 1931 death in the mountains involved directions derived from this 1895 article).
While earlier mentions existed in Arizona papers (e.g., around Julia Thomas’s 1892 search), Bicknell’s Chronicle publication is seen as the catalyst that launched the legend into enduring popularity. It arrived at a time when tales of lost mines captivated the public during the waning years of the frontier era, fueling decades of expeditions, books (like Barry Storm’s Thunder God’s Gold), films, and ongoing searches—despite no verified discovery of the mine.
In summary, the January 13, 1895, San Francisco Chronicle article did not invent the story but was instrumental in standardizing its details, providing searchable “clues,” and propelling it from obscure regional folklore to one of the most famous lost-mine legends in American history.
One of Arizona’s Lost El Dorados
A Mine in the Superstition Mountains
The Half-told Tale of an Old Miser
Afraid to Return to the Source of His Mysterious Wealth.
Phoenix (A.T.), Jan. 9–That there exists an undiscovered gold mine of fabulous wealth near a point in the Superstition Mountains not more than fifty miles from Phoenix has long been an article of faith among a number of mining men in a position to sift the mass of evidence accumulated during the past twenty years. The facts and individual statements, although emanating from widely diverse sources and furnished by persons who could have had no possible communication with one other, all agree in a remarkable manner as to the description of the mine, and, what is still more convincing, are unanimous in indicating a particular quarter of the mountains in question as the place of its location. In a gulch in the Superstition mountains, the location of which is described by certain landmarks, there is a two-room house in the mouth of a cave on the left side of the slope near the gulch. Just across gulch, about two hundred yards, is a tunnel, covered up and concealed in the bushes. Here is the mine, the richest in the world, according to Dutch Jacob. Some distance above the tunnel on the side of the mountain is a shaft or incline that is not so steep but can climb down. The shaft goes right down in the midst of a rich gold ledge, where it can be picked off in big flakes of almost pure gold
San Francisco Chronicle newspaper of Jan. 13, 1895
Painted Lady Butterfly (Vanessa cardui)
The Painted Lady Butterfly (Vanessa cardui) is one of the most widespread and fascinating species of butterfly, often called the “cosmopolitan” butterfly due to its exceptional global distribution.
Scientific Taxonomy
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Class: Insecta
- Order: Lepidoptera
- Family: Nymphalidae (brush-footed butterflies)
- Genus: Vanessa
- Species: cardui (Linnaeus, 1758)
It belongs to the tribe Nymphalini within the subfamily Nymphalinae.
Description
The adult Painted Lady is a medium-sized butterfly with a wingspan of approximately 2–3.5 inches (5–9 cm), typically around 5.1–7.3 cm from wing tip to wing tip.
The upperside of the wings is predominantly orange-brown to pinkish-orange, with darker bases. The forewings feature a prominent black apical (tip) area adorned with prominent white spots and a white subapical bar along the leading edge. The hindwings display a submarginal row of five small black spots, sometimes with blue scales. The wing edges are distinctly scalloped.
The underside is more subdued and mottled with patterns of black, brown, gray, and some red-orange, featuring four small submarginal eyespots on the hindwing (a key distinguishing feature from similar species like the American Lady, Vanessa virginiensis, which has two larger eyespots).
Larvae (caterpillars) are grayish-brown with darker ends, a yellow dorsal stripe, and branched spines along the back and sides. Eggs are pale green with vertical ribs.
Behavior
Painted Ladies are highly migratory and fast-flying, capable of speeds up to 25–30 mph (40–50 km/h). They are strong, directional fliers that often use favorable winds.
Males defend territories against other males. In warmer climates, mating can occur year-round, though it ceases during colder periods. Adults are avid nectar feeders, visiting a wide variety of flowers (especially taller perennials), while larvae are polyphagous herbivores feeding on over 100 plant species, with favorites including thistles (Cirsium and Carduus), mallows, and other composites.
Their most remarkable behavior is long-distance migration, which is multi-generational (no single individual completes the full round trip). In North America, they overwinter in warmer southern regions (such as Mexico or the southwestern U.S. deserts) and move northward in spring, often triggered by rainfall and host plant availability, reaching as far as Canada and occasionally Alaska. In Europe and Africa, they undertake even longer journeys, including a documented 9,000-mile (≈14,500 km) round trip from tropical Africa to northern Europe (near the Arctic Circle) and back, spanning up to six generations. Southward return migrations often occur at high altitudes (over 500 meters), making them less visible. Migration appears driven primarily by environmental cues (e.g., weather, resource availability) rather than strict genetics.
Range
Vanessa cardui is the most widely distributed butterfly species in the world, found on every continent except Antarctica and Australia (though a related species, the Australian Painted Lady, V. kershawi, occurs there).
Its range spans:
- North America (from subarctic Canada and southeastern Alaska south through the continental U.S. and Mexico)
- Central America
- Europe
- Asia
- Africa
- Various oceanic islands
It inhabits diverse open habitats including fields, meadows, prairies, gardens, deserts, and disturbed areas, up to elevations of around 3,900 meters in some regions. Populations fluctuate dramatically with outbreaks occurring in some years due to favorable conditions for breeding and migration.
This adaptable, highly mobile species exemplifies resilience in the face of varying climates and habitats.