Category: Destination4x4

Weepah Nevada – Esmeralda County Ghost Town

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The site of the last major gold rush in 1927, Weepah Nevada is a ghost town and gold mine site located in Esmeralda County. Named for the Shoshone word for “rain water”, the townsite was formed in 1902 when gold was discovered in shallow pockets by Indians. A modest rush of 200 people found their way to the small outpost, however the district would soon go dormant and stay that way for the next twenty five years.

Tents and autos parked along side during during the goldrush of 1927 - Leonard Trayner Collection - Paher
Tents and autos parked along side during during the goldrush of 1927 – Leonard Trayner Collection – Nevada Ghost Towns and Mining Gamps – Paher

Gold was rediscovered in March 1927 by Leonard Trayner and Frank Horton, Jr. from Tonopah. Initial assay results valued the ore at $70,000 per ton. News of this strike could not be kept quiet and spread out like wildfire across the nearby mining communities of the desert and beyond.

"Mail order miners" did not look the part of the desert prospecots like Shorty Harris. - Nevada Ghost Towns and Mining Gamps - Paher
“Mail order miners” did not look the part of the desert prospecots like Shorty Harris. – Nevada Ghost Towns and Mining Gamps – Paher

Twenty years prior would have seen an influx of wagons and horses bringing in the miners. Weepahs gold rush was powered by the newly available automobile. The auto powered the rush and the speed of the boom and within one week of the new of “gold” in Weepah, the town was bursting with over 1,000 people searching for their fortune in the hills. Many of these miners came via auto and were fully equipped and supplied well, often even driving new cars to the site an known as “mail order prospectors”. Soon, wooden frame houses rose above the older city which was comprised from a sea of tents. The town could be found from three roads, which were often jammed with autos as the towns population was between 1500 and 2000 people.

Regardless of production, reporters filed daily briefings and international newsreels informed the population of the ongoing modern gold rush. In April, the build boom continued with about 60 wooden framed buildings and over a dozen mining companies. Despite the promotion and news reels, interest in Weepah waned in July 1927. The last great gold rush in Nevada was over when the “mail order prospectors” broke camp and ran from the realities of the Nevadan desert.

Weepah Nevada Map

Town Summary

NameWeepah, Nevada
LocationEsmeralda County, Nevada
Latitude, Longitude37.931876389209,-117.5600734418
GNIS856169
Elevation6.165 Feet
Population1,500 – 2,000
Post Office

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Gideon Roberts

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Gideon Roberts was a minor but notable figure in the legend of the Lost Dutchman Gold Mine, a fabled gold deposit hidden in Arizona’s Superstition Mountains. Little is known about his personal life, as historical records provide sparse details, and he is primarily referenced in connection to the events surrounding Jacob Waltz’s death in 1891.

The Lost Dutchman’s Gold Mine

The Lost Dutchman Gold Mine is a legendary treasure shrouded in mystery, believed to be hidden in the rugged Superstition Mountains of Arizona. The tale originates from Jacob Waltz, a German immigrant known as “the Dutchman,” who allegedly discovered a rich gold vein in the mid-19th century but took its precise location to his grave in 1891. Over the years, the mine has become a focal point of American folklore, with countless prospectors, adventurers, and treasure hunters scouring the treacherous terrain for clues, guided by vague maps, cryptic stories, and supposed landmarks like Weaver’s Needle. Despite extensive searches, no verified evidence of the mine’s existence has been found, leading some to dismiss it as a myth, while others believe it remains concealed, protected by the mountains’ harsh conditions and the secrecy of its original discoverer. The legend persists, fueled by tales of danger, betrayal, and untold riches.

Early Life and Background

Virtually no verifiable information exists about Gideon Roberts’ birth, upbringing, or early life. Some accounts suggest he was a Phoenix local and possibly a miner by trade, as he owned a lot in Phoenix near Julia Thomas’ property around 1891. One source indicates he hailed from Trinidad, Las Animas County, Colorado, and spent winters in Phoenix, but this lacks corroboration. His age is also unclear, though some narratives describe him as significantly older than his associate, Dick Holmes, and possibly closer in age to Jacob Waltz, who was around 80 at the time of his death.

Role in the Lost Dutchman Legend

Gideon Roberts is most prominently mentioned in connection to the deathbed scene of Jacob Waltz, the German immigrant known as “the Dutchman,” who allegedly discovered the mine. In October 1891, Waltz was gravely ill with pneumonia and was being cared for by Julia Thomas in Phoenix. According to accounts, Thomas left to find a doctor and encountered Roberts and Dick Holmes, a young prospector, on the street. She brought them to her home to watch over Waltz. That night, on October 25, 1891, Waltz reportedly shared the location of his mine and bequeathed a box containing 48 pounds of rich gold ore to Holmes, with Roberts present as a witness.

Roberts’ presence during this pivotal moment lends credibility to Holmes’ claim to the gold and the mine’s clues, as he corroborated Holmes’ story. However, unlike Holmes, who spent years searching for the mine, there is no definitive record of Roberts actively pursuing it himself. Some sources speculate he may have been too old or lacked the means to undertake such a quest.

Later Life and Legacy

Details about Gideon Roberts’ life after 1891 are scarce. It is generally reported that he died shortly after Waltz’s death, though no specific date or cause is provided in most accounts. This lack of information has led to speculation about his role and even his existence, with some modern researchers questioning whether he was a distinct individual or conflated with other figures in the legend. For example, one source references a “Gideon O. Roberds” (note the spelling variation) as a possible identity, but this remains unverified.

Roberts’ legacy is overshadowed by more prominent figures like Dick Holmes and Julia Thomas, and he is often omitted from detailed retellings of the Lost Dutchman story. His brief role as a witness to Waltz’s final moments remains his primary contribution to the legend, adding a layer of intrigue to the conflicting narratives surrounding the mine’s location.

Historical Context and Challenges

The scarcity of information about Gideon Roberts reflects the broader challenges of the Lost Dutchman legend, which is riddled with contradictory accounts and unverifiable details. Most books on the subject focus on Waltz, Holmes, or later treasure hunters, leaving Roberts as a footnote. His fleeting presence underscores the elusive nature of the mine itself, which has captivated treasure hunters for over a century but remains undiscovered.

Callville Nevada – Colorado River Steamship Landing

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Callville Nevada is a ghost town and Colorado River Steamboat port, which is now submerged below the waters of Lake Mead. Bishop Anson Call founded and established a colony and warehouse on the Colorado River at the direction of the Mormon Leader Brigham Young. The settlement was located about 15 miles up river from the location of the future site of Hoover Damn.

Call's Landing or Callville looking toward the west as it appeared in 1926 - Photo courtesy of R. F. Perkins
Call’s Landing or Callville looking toward the west as it appeared in 1926 – Photo courtesy of R. F. Perkins
Bishop Anson Call, Mormon Colonizer, May 13, 1810 – August 31, 1890
Bishop Anson Call, Mormon Colonizer, May 13, 1810 – August 31, 1890

Callville was established on December 2, 1864 when Anson Call arrived on a small bluff over looking the Colorado River in the Arizona Territory. The settlement was located at the conjunction of the later named Callville wash and the Colorado River.

The founding of the settlement was the churches effort to expand trade routes and European immigration into Utah from the south. The small portgage and landing site was one of several along the Colorado including St. Thomas, Saint Joseph, Overton, West Point, Mill Point ( Simonsville ) and Rioville.

During the Civil War, the army of the United States garrisoned at the site, to protect the Colorado River Steamboats and serve as a landing point for army. In December 1865, the outpost had the honor to become the county seat for Pah-Ute County, Arizona Territory. The station was short lived and transferred to St Thomas just two years later.

In 1869, the army garrison was removed. Following the war, Congress redrew some of the state boundaries and the settlement in the Arizona Territory is moved to Nevada. From 1866 to 1878, the landing at Callville was the High Water of Navigation for steamboat traffic on the Colorado River, which is 408 miles from Fort Yuma. The town was abandoned in June 1869 when the Steamships discontinued service to the site.

Today, the town lies in under 400 feet of water. However, the water levels in Lake Mead are at an all time low, and St. Thomas is currently above water.

“Take a suitable company, locate a road to the Colorado, explore the river, find a suitable place for a warehouse, build it, and form a settlement at or near the landing.” 

Brigham Young instructing Anson Call, 1864

Town Summary

LocationCallville
LocationLake Mead, Clark County, Nevada
Latitude, Longitude36.1133128, -114.6888720
GNIS863773
Other Common NamesCall’s Fort, Old Callville

Callville Map

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Western Wallflower (Erysimum capitatium)

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A member of the mustard family, the Western Wallflower ( Erysimum capitatium ) is a brightly colored yellow flower which is quite common across the western United States, including Arizona, Utah and Nevada.. In European countries, the wallflower earned its name from a habit of growing on… you guess it, walls. More specifically stone, masonry or wooden fences. The name was transposed to the American species despite the fact the plants have no preference for walls.

Western Wallflower (Erysimum capitatium)
Western Wallflower (Erysimum capitatium)

Scientific Taxonomy and Categorization

  • Kingdom: Plantae
  • Clades: Tracheophytes, Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
  • Order: Brassicales
  • Family: Brassicaceae (mustard or cabbage family)
  • Genus: Erysimum
  • Species: Erysimum capitatum (Douglas ex Hook.) Greene (binomial name)

The species belongs to the tribe Erysimeae within Brassicaceae. It is a dicot angiosperm (eudicot) herb. Flora of North America recognizes two main varieties: E. c. var. capitatum (often called western or sanddune wallflower) and E. c. var. purshii (Pursh’s wallflower). Numerous synonyms exist due to high morphological variability and past taxonomic confusion with E. asperum (prairie rocket). Chromosome number is 2n = 36. The plant is categorized as a biennial or short-lived perennial herb (sometimes behaving as a winter annual in southern deserts), with a taproot and variable growth form depending on elevation and habitat.

Detailed Plant Description

Erysimum capitatum is a highly variable, taprooted herb that produces one to several erect, leafy stems (0.5–12 dm / 1.5–12 ft tall) arising from a basal rosette. Stems are often branched distally, coarse, and covered in stiff, appressed, forked or branched (malpighiaceous/dolabriform) hairs. The plant leaks a pungent, watery juice when damaged.

Basal leaves are simple, alternate, spatulate to narrowly oblanceolate or linear (2–27 cm long × 3–30 mm wide), with prominent midribs and margins ranging from entire to dentate or denticulate. Stem leaves are smaller, sessile, and angled upward. Leaves are typically deep green and hairy (rayed hairs vary by variety: mostly 3–7-rayed in var. capitatum; 2–3-rayed in var. purshii). Plants develop short to elongate caudices clothed in old leaf bases.

Growth habit and life cycle show plasticity: low-elevation plants are often taller, less branched biennials and more drought-resistant; high-elevation (alpine) plants are dwarf, multi-stemmed perennials. The species is early-seral, thriving in disturbed sites, and exhibits semelparity (single reproductive event) in dry lowlands versus iteroparity (multiple events) in moist high-elevation habitats.

Detailed Flower Description

Flowers are perfect, arranged in congested terminal racemes that elongate in fruit. Each flower is 2.5–3.8 cm wide with four distinct, rounded petals arranged in a cross shape (typical of Brassicaceae). Petals are usually bright yellow to orange (occasionally lavender, maroon, red, white, or purple in certain populations or high elevations); var. capitatum tends toward orange-yellow, var. purshii toward yellow. Flowers have four sepals, six stamens (tetradynamous: four long, two short), a stout style (up to 3 mm), and a superior ovary. They are fragrant and bloom primarily April–August (as early as January in southern ranges or to September).

Fruits are linear, narrow siliques (3.5–15 cm long × 1.3–3.3 mm wide), upright or nearly parallel to the stem, four-sided or slightly flattened, with prominent midveins. Each valve contains 40–80 seeds; siliques dehisce at maturity. Seeds are small, oblong (~1.5 mm), lightweight, and winged in var. capitatum. Pollination is required for full seed set; visitors include bees, flies, butterflies, and beetles.

Habitat

The western wallflower occupies diverse dry, open sites from valley bottoms to alpine summits. It prefers well-drained, sandy, gravelly, or rocky soils with low organic matter and fertility. Substrates include sandstone, granite, basalt, limestone, serpentine, dunes, and talus. It occurs in desert grasslands/shrublands, chaparral, pinyon-juniper woodlands, aspen groves, montane meadows, forest openings, sagebrush flats, and alpine tundra. Elevation range is sea level to 13,120 ft (4,000 m), with var. capitatum generally lower (0–5,600 ft) and var. purshii higher (3,280–13,120 ft). It tolerates full sun, drought, and disturbance (roadsides, burns, grazed areas).

Range and Distribution

Erysimum capitatum is one of the most widespread native North American wallflowers. Its range spans western North America from Alaska and Yukon Territory south through British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, and into northern Mexico (Chihuahua, Sonora, etc.). It extends eastward across the Great Plains to the Great Lakes region (Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, etc.) with scattered disjunct populations as far as Ohio and Tennessee. Var. capitatum has the broadest distribution; some California varieties (e.g., var. angustatum) are narrowly endemic and endangered. It has been introduced in parts of New England. Overall, it is considered secure (NatureServe).

This adaptable species plays ecological roles as a nectar source for pollinators (including butterflies), larval host plant, and early colonizer of disturbed or post-fire sites. It also provides forage for wildlife such as elk, deer, bighorn sheep, and small mammals.

Other Names

  • Coast wallflower
  • Douglas’ wallflower
  • Sanddune wallflower
  • Prairie rocket

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Notch-leaved phacelia ( phacelia crenulata )

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Notch-leaved phacelia ( phacelia crenulata ) is a lovely little purple wild flower which grows across the desert southwest from California to Texas. The plant is typically between three to twenty-four inches in height. The flower is also known by several different names including, notch-leaf scorpion-weed, notch-leaved phacelia, cleftleaf wildheliotrope, and heliotrope phacelia.

Notch-leaved phacelia
Notch-leaved phacelia

The Purple Notchleaf Phacelia, scientifically known as Phacelia crenulata (also called Notch-leaf Phacelia, Notch-leaf Scorpion-weed, or Cleftleaf Wild Heliotrope), is one of the most iconic annual wildflowers of the Mojave Desert. In Death Valley National Park—the hottest and driest place in North America—this species transforms barren landscapes into vibrant purple carpets during years with sufficient winter rainfall. It is especially prominent in “superbloom” events, where it blooms alongside bright-yellow Desert Gold (Geraea canescens) to create striking color contrasts on alluvial fans and valley floors.

As of March 2026, Death Valley is experiencing one of the best superbloom displays in a decade, with P. crenulata contributing heavily to the purple displays visible from areas like Badwater Road and Furnace Creek.

Taxonomy

  • Scientific Name: Phacelia crenulata Torr. ex S. Watson
  • Family: Hydrophyllaceae (Waterleaf family; sometimes placed in Boraginaceae)
  • Order: Boraginales
  • Higher Classification: Angiosperms (flowering plants), Eudicots, Asterids

The species includes several varieties that intergrade:

  • var. ambigua (rangewide, larger purple flowers)
  • var. crenulata (California to Utah)
  • var. minutiflora (smaller flowers, sometimes lavender-blue with white throats).

Morphological Description

Phacelia crenulata is an aromatic annual herb, typically 7–60 cm tall (up to 80 cm or ~30 inches in favorable conditions), with erect stems that are sparsely to densely covered in stiff, glandular hairs.

Leaves: Oblong, 2–12 cm long, with wavy, lobed, or distinctly notched/scalloped (crenulate) margins—giving the plant its common name “Notchleaf.” The basal leaves are largest; upper leaves become smaller and more reduced.

Flowers: Arranged in coiled cymes (scorpioid inflorescences) that uncoil as they bloom, resembling a scorpion’s tail. Individual flowers are bell-shaped, ½–1 cm long, with deep violet-to-purple petals (sometimes blue) and a white or pale throat. Stamens and style protrude prominently from the corolla.

Fruit: A small, rounded capsule containing several seeds.

The entire plant is glandular-hairy and emits a distinctive (sometimes unpleasant) scent.

Habitat and Distribution

Phacelia crenulata is native to arid regions of the southwestern United States (Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Texas, Utah) and northern Mexico. It has a rare antitropical (disjunct) distribution, also occurring in parts of South America (southern Peru, western Bolivia, northern Chile).

In Death Valley National Park, it prefers open, sandy, gravelly, or rocky soils on alluvial fans, foothills, and low-elevation desert washes. It commonly appears from mid-February to mid-April at lower elevations (below ~1,000 m), often in disturbed areas or alongside other desert annuals.

Ecology, Life Cycle, and Adaptations

As a desert annual, P. crenulata is an “ephemeral” species whose life cycle is tightly linked to winter precipitation. Seeds lie dormant in the soil for years and germinate rapidly after adequate rain, allowing the plant to grow, flower, set seed, and die before the extreme summer heat and drought return.

Key adaptations:

  • Glandular hairs that may reduce water loss and deter herbivores.
  • Coiled inflorescences that protect developing flowers.
  • Rapid phenology synchronized with brief windows of moisture.

It is highly valuable to native bees as a pollen and nectar source.

Note on human interaction: Like many phacelias, the plant can cause contact dermatitis (skin rash similar to poison oak) in sensitive individuals due to its glandular secretions. Avoid handling if you have sensitive skin.

Conservation Status

Phacelia crenulata is considered “Secure” by NatureServe and faces no major conservation threats. In Death Valley, it benefits from the park’s protection but remains sensitive to off-road vehicle traffic, climate-driven changes in rainfall patterns, and invasive species competition. It is a flagship species for public appreciation of desert biodiversity during superbloom events.

Summary

The Purple Notchleaf Phacelia exemplifies the resilience and beauty of Mojave Desert flora. Its vivid purple blooms, triggered by rare wet winters, turn Death Valley’s harsh landscape into a temporary floral paradise—reminding observers of the delicate balance of water, temperature, and life in one of Earth’s most extreme environments.

Key Viewing Tips for Death Valley (March–April 2026): Look along low-elevation roads and washes near Furnace Creek, Badwater, and the East Entrance for the best displays of purple P. crenulata mixed with yellow desert gold.

This report is based on botanical records from the National Park Service, botanical databases, and field observations during active bloom periods.

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