Colonel Sherman Stevens

Colonel Sherman Stevens (1810–1887) was a prominent 19th-century American entrepreneur, miner, and businessman whose ventures significantly supported the booming silver mining operations at Cerro Gordo, one of California’s most productive silver-lead mining districts in the Inyo Mountains during the 1870s.

Born in New York and raised in Michigan, Stevens initially built wealth through banking, mining, and other enterprises in the Midwest. He later ventured westward, drawn by opportunities in California’s mining frontiers. Often addressed as “Colonel” (a title likely honorary or militia-related, common in the era for prominent figures), he became known for his resourceful and ambitious character.

In the early 1870s, the Cerro Gordo Mines—discovered in 1865 and peaking in production after 1869 under figures like Victor Beaudry and Mortimer Belshaw—faced a critical challenge. The surrounding region had been stripped of local timber and wood resources, which were essential for two main purposes: structural timbers to shore up mine shafts and tunnels, and charcoal to fuel smelters that refined silver-lead ores. Without affordable fuel and supports, operations risked slowing or halting, threatening the prosperity of Cerro Gordo, nearby Swansea, and Darwin.

Recognizing a lucrative niche, Stevens saw greater profit in supplying the mines rather than mining silver directly. In June 1873, he founded the Inyo Lumber & Coal Company and established a major operation in Cottonwood Canyon (Creek) high in the Sierra Nevada Mountains (around 9,500 feet elevation), west of Owens Lake. He constructed a sawmill there to harvest pine timber. A sophisticated flume system transported the cut lumber down to the valley floor, connecting to the Los Angeles bullion road.

The wood served dual roles:

• Much became mine timbers and building materials hauled to Cerro Gordo.
• The remainder was processed into charcoal in large adobe Cottonwood Charcoal Kilns (near present-day Cartago, California). These kilns, now a California Historical Landmark (#537), converted the wood efficiently for smelter use.

The charcoal was transported to Stevens’ Wharf on Owens Lake, loaded onto the steamer Bessie Brady (one of the lake’s iconic vessels), ferried across the water, and then wagon-freighted up the steep haul road to Cerro Gordo. This supply chain kept the mines operational during their peak years, when Cerro Gordo produced immense wealth (contributing to the growth of Los Angeles as a shipping and commercial hub).

Stevens invested heavily—by 1877, he had spent around $64,500 (a substantial sum)—building infrastructure including the mill, flume, kilns, and transport network. His enterprise supplied fuel and timber to Cerro Gordo’s smelters and shafts, sustaining production when local resources were exhausted.

His success was tied to the mining boom’s duration. When Cerro Gordo and Darwin declined sharply by around 1878 (due to falling ore grades, water issues, and market shifts), demand collapsed. Stevens lost nearly his entire fortune in the bust.

He passed away in 1887. Today, remnants like the Cottonwood Charcoal Kilns preserve his legacy, commemorating how entrepreneurs like Stevens enabled remote mining camps to thrive in the harsh desert environment of the Owens Valley and Inyo Mountains.

Stevens exemplified the opportunistic spirit of the American West—shifting from direct mining to infrastructure support for greater stability and profit, while ultimately sharing the risks of boom-and-bust cycles.