Category: Destination4x4

Pete Aguereberry – A Panamint Valley Miner

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Pete Aguereberry was a prospector and miner who operated around Death Valley National Park, for whom Aguereberry is named. Born in the Basque Region of France on Oct. 18, 1874, Jean Pierre “Pete” Aguereberry sailed to America with his fater in 1890.

Pete Aguereberry
Pete Aguereberry

Aguereberry struggled to learn the English while working an assortment of odd jobs to make a living. He worked as a handball player, sheepherder, cattle driver, milk truck driver, ice delivery man, ranch hand, and stage driver. A a stage driver he found his was to Goldfield, Nevada around 1902.

A few years later, he and fellow miner Frank “Shorty” Harris struck gold at Harrisburg Flats, 55 miles southeast of Lone Pine on July 1, 1905. Aguereberry worked the the northern edge of a ledge, while Harris worked the southern side. Within a month, over 20 different groups were working the area which later became Harrisburg. Aguereberry transformed that claim into the Eureka Mine, which he worked until his death on Nov. 23, 1945 at Tecopa Hot Springs at age 72.

Aguereberry is perhaps best known for the road he built to Aguereberry Point so visitors could enjoy its spectacular view of Death Valley.

Though he wished to be buried at the point in Death Valley, government officials, citing the 1933 monument status of Death Valley, denied his final request. Augereberry’s remains were buried in Lone Pine. A plaque in Lone Pine, California honors the life and memory of Pete Augereberry. Pete is remembered amount friends as a modest, hardworking, honorable man and a true legend of Death Valley.

References

Cook Bank Building

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The Cook Bank Building is the most iconic image and popular images of the Rhyolite ghost town, in Nye County, Nevada. When John S. Cook built his bank to three stories, it inspired John Overbury to add a third floor to his Overbury building located just down Golden Street. The structure is centrally located in the remains of the town, and photographically, very interesting. Partially for this reason, the structure is a common choice for filming locations, and even appeared in an Alanis Morissette music video.

Rhyolite, Nevada photo by James L Rathbun
Rhyolite, Nevada photo by James L Rathbun

The Cook Bank is to most iconic building in Rhyolite and one of the most photographed ruins in Nevada.

John Cook and his brother started the John S. Cook & Company Bank in Goldfield, Nevada in January 1905. Later that same year the opened a new branch in Rhyolite. The banks first location was in a rented building on Main Street. After buying a lot on Golden Street, construction of the Cook Bank Building in the spring of 1907.

One of four banks in Rhyolite, the Cook Bank Building was by far the finest. Build of poured concrete, the building was three stories tall and had a basement that housed the Post Office. The interior was finished with marble staircases and mahogany accents. It also boasted modern conveniences such as electric lights and indoor plumbing

Despite its opulence, the Cook Bank was open less that two years. In the summer and fall of 1907, a financial crisis, often referred to as the Knickerboxer Crisis, caused banks across the country to go bankrupt. By 1910, the Cook Bank was closed and John Cook had sold off all of the building’s fixtures.

Since the closured of the Cook Bank, the building has appeared in many movies including: The Air Mail, The Arrogant, Cherry 2000, The island, Delusion, Ramona!, The Reward, Wanderer of the Wasteland, Six-string Samurai, Rough Rider’s Round Up, Bone Dry, Ultraviolet and more..

BLM Plaque – Rhyolite, Nevada
Cook Bank Building, Rhyolite Nevada, Photo marked 1908 and "Courtesy of the Nevada Historical Society"
Cook Bank Building, Rhyolite Nevada, Photo marked 1908 and “Courtesy of the Nevada Historical Society”

Cook Bank Building Map

References

Porter Brothers Store

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The Porter Brothers store is a ruined storefront on the main street in the ghost town of Rhyolite, Nye County, Nevada. The Porter Brothers were like many other merchants, following and chasing the latest news of gold strikes and boom towns. The Porter Brothers built their building in 1906 at a cost of $10,000 and it close four years later, in 1910.

Porter Brothers store front in Phyolite, Nevada - Photo by James L Rathbun
Porter Brothers store front in Rhyolite, Nevada – Photo by James L Rathbun

Like many merchants of the time, the Porter Brothers, Hiram and Lyman, moved from mining camp to mining camp, following reports of booms and strikes.

In 1902, the opened a painting business in San Francisco. Following the rich gold strikes in southern California, they opened mercantiles in Johannesburg, Ballarat (near Death Valley), Beatty, and, or course, Rhyolite.

Originally, the brothers bought lot on Main Street in 1905 and operated out of a canvas tent, but they soon ran out of room. They then bought a second lot on Golden Street, next of many of Rhyolites important commercial buildings.

Construction of their new building began in 1906. It used local stone and took four months at a cost of $10,000.

Before moving their operations from Main to Golden, they threw a huge three-day sale and held a public date, complete with an orchestra, in the new finished Golden Street building.

The Porter Brothers Store was very popular. In 1906, it was the go-to destination for Christmas shopping. This was due to its amazing displays that rivalled those of the major cities. In fact, the store was the largest employer in Rhyolite aside from the mines.

Unfortunately, even the popular store was not immune to the downturn that would decimate Rhyolite’s businesses; it closed in 1910. Hiram, however, would stay in Rhyolite another nine years, serving as the town’s postmaster until the post office closed on September 15, 1919.

BLM Plaque – Rhyolite, Nevada

Porter Brothers Store Front Sign, Rhyolite, Nevada. Photo by James L Rathbun
Porter Brothers Store Front Sign, Rhyolite, Nevada. Photo by James L Rathbun

Porter Brothers Store Map

Overbury Building

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The Overbury building is a general office building built by John Overbury, in Rhyolite, Nye County Nevada in 1906. The building was one of two three story buildings, and the largest stone building located within Rhyolite. The location of the building in about one block from the better known and more photographic Cook Bank Building.

Overbury Building, Rhylote, Nevada. - Photograph by James L Rathbun
Overbury Building, Rhylote, Nevada. – Photograph by James L Rathbun

John Overbury, a native of Orange, New Jersey, came to Nevada in 1902 and made his fortune in the early days of the Tonopah Mining boom. Like many of this peers, he came to Rhyolite hopping to be a part of the new. big boom. Local newspapers chronicled Overbury’s arrival in “a small Oldsmobile.” The next spring, he ordered a second Oldsmobile, and per the Rhyolite Herald, drove author Jack London down from Goldfield and our to Death Valley.

Construction of the Overbury building began in 1906; it was complete in June 1907. The structure was 45 feet wide by 80 feet long and cost somewhere between $45,000 – $60,000 to build.

The building was meant to be two stories tall; however, after John Cook began constructing a three-story building, Overbury quickly changed his mind and his building became three stories tall.

The Overbury Building was one the the first general purpose buildings in Rhyolite and the largest stone building. As one of the more prominent commercial hubs in town, it was fully equipped with fireproof shutters, an automatic sire suppression system, and private bathrooms.

At its height, the building housed a stock brokerage firm, the First National Bank of Rhyolite, a dentist, and attorney’s offices.

Like many of the other grand buildings in town, the Overbury Building was abandoned in 1910, and much of it was dismantled by 1924.

BLM Plaque, Rhyolite, Nevada

Overbury Building Map

References

Wild Burrow ( Equus africanus asinus )

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The Wild Burro (Equus asinus), also known as the feral donkey or ass, is a resilient equid that has become a fixture in the harsh landscapes of the desert Southwest United States. Introduced by Spanish explorers in the 1500s and later released or escaped during the mining booms of the 19th century, these animals have adapted to arid environments where few large herbivores can survive. Often viewed as both an ecological challenge and a cultural icon, wild burros are managed by agencies like the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and U.S. Forest Service due to their impacts on native vegetation and wildlife. With their sure-footed gait and ability to endure extreme conditions, they exemplify adaptation in one of North America’s most unforgiving regions.

Wild Burrow photographed in Beatty, Nevada - Photo by James L Rathbun
Wild Burrow photographed in Beatty, Nevada – Photo by James L Rathbun

Classification

The wild burro belongs to the kingdom Animalia, phylum Chordata, class Mammalia, order Perissodactyla (odd-toed ungulates), family Equidae, genus Equus, and species asinus. Native to North Africa, where it is known as the African wild ass, the species was domesticated thousands of years ago and introduced to the Americas. In the southwestern U.S., all populations are feral, descended from domestic stock released or escaped over centuries, and are classified as herbivores and non-native mammals. They share the Equidae family with horses and zebras, exhibiting similar social and grazing behaviors but with distinct adaptations for arid survival.

Physical Description

Wild burros are sturdy, medium-sized equids, standing approximately 4 to 5 feet (1.2 to 1.5 meters) tall at the shoulder and weighing around 350 pounds (159 kg), though sizes can vary. They have a robust build with long, erect ears (up to 10 inches or 25 cm) that aid in heat dissipation and hearing, a short, upright mane, and a tail ending in a tassel. Coat colors range from gray and brown to black, often with a lighter underbelly and muzzle, and a distinctive dark dorsal stripe or shoulder cross in some individuals. Their hooves are narrow and tough, suited for rocky terrain, and they possess a digestive system efficient at extracting nutrients from low-quality forage. Key adaptations include the ability to tolerate up to 30% body weight loss in water and replenish it quickly (in as little as 5 minutes), making them exceptionally suited to desert life.

"Wanderers of the Wastelands" vintage postcard of an unknown prospector and his burros. | Courtesy of Orange County Archives.
“Wanderers of the Wastelands” vintage postcard of an unknown prospector and his burros. | Courtesy of Orange County Archives.

Behavior

Wild burros are primarily diurnal, active during the day for foraging, but shift to nocturnal patterns in hot summers to avoid midday heat, resting in shade during peak temperatures. They form small, loose social groups of 2–10 individuals, often consisting of females and young with a dominant male, though home ranges overlap without strict territorial defense. Unlike wild horses, stable female bands are less common, and males may compete for access to females. They are sure-footed, navigating steep and rocky terrain with ease, and exhibit seasonal movements: concentrating near water and riparian areas in summer for shade and hydration, then dispersing to open shrublands in cooler months. Burros communicate through braying—a loud, distinctive “hee-haw”—and body language, and they can be curious toward humans but are generally wary. Their presence can impact ecosystems by altering vegetation and competing with native species like bighorn sheep for resources.

Food Sources

As herbivores, wild burros employ a mixed feeding strategy, acting as both grazers and browsers depending on availability. Their diet primarily consists of grasses and forbs when abundant, but they readily switch to browse such as shrubs, Mormon tea (Ephedra spp.), palo verde (Parkinsonia spp.), plantain, and other desert vegetation. This adaptability allows them to thrive on low-protein, fibrous plants, with their efficient digestive systems breaking down tough material. They require access to water but derive some moisture from succulent plants. In the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts, they consume a wide variety of species, contributing to their success in barren terrains but also leading to overgrazing concerns.

Breeding

Breeding in wild burros occurs year-round, with a peak in mating from May to July, aligning with optimal forage conditions. Gestation lasts about 12 months, resulting in births primarily from May to July the following year. Females (jennies) typically produce one precocial foal (colt or filly) per pregnancy, often every other year, though annual births are possible in favorable conditions. Foals are born weighing around 50–70 pounds (23–32 kg) and can stand and nurse shortly after birth. Sexual maturity is reached as yearlings, but full breeding often begins at 2–3 years. Recruitment rates hover at 20–25%, with low natural predation contributing to population growth. During parturition, females seek cover in brush or riparian areas. Lifespan in the wild can reach 25 years, aided by few diseases or predators.

Habitat and Range

Wild burros inhabit arid and semi-arid deserts, including sagebrush, creosote bush scrub, desert riparian zones, washes, Joshua tree woodlands, and pinyon-juniper areas, from below sea level to elevations up to 8,000 feet (2,450 meters). Key requirements include access to water within 10 miles (16 km), shade for thermoregulation, and diverse vegetation for foraging. They prefer sloping, rolling terrain over steep slopes and localize around water sources in summer, with home ranges varying from 2–22 square miles (5–70 km²) based on season and resources. Their range spans the desert Southwest, including California (e.g., Mojave Desert, Death Valley), Arizona, Nevada (e.g., near Austin), New Mexico, Utah, and parts of Texas, with populations estimated at around 20,000. Managed herds exist on public lands, with ongoing conservation efforts to balance their presence with ecosystem health.

Classification

Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Mammalia
Order:Perissodactyla
Family:Equidae
Genus:Equus
Species:E. africanus
Subspecies:E. a. asinus

References