Tag: Panamint Valley

Panamint Valley, nestled in the Mojave Desert of California, is a strikingly rugged and desolate landscape, stretching approximately 65 miles in length. Encircled by towering mountain ranges like the Panamint Range to the west and the Cottonwood Mountains to the east, this valley forms a dramatic basin with a floor that lies well below sea level. Its arid, stark beauty is accentuated by salt flats and occasional dry lake beds, creating an otherworldly atmosphere that contrasts sharply with the azure skies above. The area is not only a geological marvel but also holds historical significance, having been traversed by Native American tribes and later by explorers during the California Gold Rush era.

Asa Merton Russell “Panamint Russ” 

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Asa Russell, also known as “Panamint Russ”, was a prospector and mine owner is the Butte Valley Area of Death Valley National Park, California.

Asa Merton Russell "Panamint Russ" in front of the Geologist cabin - Courtesy of Desert Magazine April 1955
Asa Russell “Panamint Russ” in front of the Geologist cabin – Courtesy of Desert Magazine April 1955

Russell started his mining career in the 1930 working in the Butte Valley area of the Panamint Mountains. The miner found gold high up the side of old Manly and began mining operation. Asa Merton Russell first established a camp, known as “Russell’s Camp” for his mining operations and registered several claims in the area from 1933 to 1947. Russell developed the springs nearby into a water source to supply the camp with drinking water, irrigation for trees and even vines of Concord Grapes. A five hundred gallon water tank is added to the system in the late 1950’s or 1960’s

The concord grapes are doing well, too. Twenty-five years ago coming through Riverside, California, I stopped at a nursery and bought a half dozen bare-root size, wrapped them in a newspaper, laid them on the running board with a wet gunny sack and today they are 20 feet of beauty.

Life on the Desert – by Panamint Russ – Desert Magazine, April, 1955

Asa Merton Russell retired from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power in May of 1960. This event probably coincided with the previously mentioned 500-gallon water tank and water system expansion. Upon his retirement, Russ moved full time to his “Russell’s Camp” located on the site of the Ten Spot Mill. The miner operated his “Lucky Strike” mine from 1930 to 1974.

References

Carl Mengel – Panamint Valley Miner

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Carl Mengel was a prospector and miner in Panamint Valley, located in Death Valley National Park, California. He lost a leg in a mining accident, and continued to mine. He is the namesake for Mengel Pass in the Panamint Range. His ashes and prosthetic leg are buried on top of Mengel Pass in Death Valley National Park.

Carl Mengel with dog "Whitey at his home in Butte Valley, April 1940. Photo courtesy of DEVA NM.
Carl Mengel with dog “Whitey at his home in Butte Valley, April 1940. Photo courtesy of DEVA NM.

Carl Mengel was born in San Bernardino, California, in 1868. After various attempts at mining, farming, and fishing for a living, Mengel moved the Butte Valley region of Death Valley in the early 1900s. He is said to have purchased the Oro Fino Claim in Goler Wash in 1912, and later found even richer deposits there

Mengel was an early prospector in the Butte Valley area and contemporary and friend of such well-known Death Valley personalities as Shorty Harris and Pete Aguereberry. The site is located about one-half mile south of Anvil Spring and commands a grand view over Butte Valley toward the Amargosa Range on the east side of the salt pan.

.In October 1924 Mengel filed on several claims south and west of Anvil Spring: Topah Numbers. 1-4, Topah Extension, and Mah Jongg Numbers. 1-6. He died in 1944 and his ashes were put in a stone cairn atop Mengel Pass approximately fifty feet outside the boundary of Death Valley National Monument.

After his death the claims located by Mengel in Butte Valley underwent numerous resales through the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. The Topaz (Topah) Extension, Topaz (Topah) No. 1, and part of the Topaz (Topah) Extension claims were later amended and located as the Greater View Springs, Greater View Springs No. 1, and Greater View Springs Millsite, respectively.

References

Charles Ferge “Seldom Seen Slim” – A Ballarat Prospector

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Charles Ferge "Seldom Seen Slim"
Charles Ferge “Seldom Seen Slim”

Charles Ferge “Seldom Seen Slim” is the last of the known prospectors who lived in the town of Ballarat located in Death Valley National Park, California.

Seldom Seen Slim, named Charles Ferge, was born in Illinois on October 21st 1881. Slim came to Ballarat sometime between 1913 and 1917 not long after the town was abandoned by the miners seeking their fortunes elsewhere.

Ferge became the last resident of Ballarat and had a reputation as a recluse with a cantankerous side. He survived in one of the harshest landscapes living on his own in his town of Ballarat. It is said that he lived in every remaining building of the ghost town. His focus was mining and he just needed enough money to survive as a desert prospector. Slim only needed enough money to buy necessities of food, tobacco for his pipe, water, gas for his car and clothes.

When the water source in Ballarat dried up due to a dropping water table, Slim would haul water into the town using jugs from other sources miles away. The scarcity of water would only allow the man to bathe a few times per year.

While is is the sole citizen of Ballarat, the town had no running water, no electricity or any other services He became an unofficial curator for the ghost town. Slim would often tell stories to visitors and sell them souvenirs of gold ore.

Seldom Seen Slim died of cancer in 1968 in Trona, California. He is buried on “Boot Hill” in Ballarat and his greave is a popular place to stop.

Me lonely? Hell no! I’m half coyote and half wild burro.

Charles Ferge “Seldom Seen Slim”

References

Charles Milles Maddox

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Charles Milles Maddox AKA Charlie Manson was a serial killer and most of the bad parts of the Old Testament sort of criminal. He briefly lived in the Panamint Mountains on the western edge of Death Valley National Park.

The booking photo of the dimunutive Charles Milles Maddox. Inyo County October 1969.
The booking photo of the dimunutive Charles Milles Maddox. Inyo County October 1969.

Introduction

As a preface, I would like to say that I have been extremely reluctant to include Maddox on my website. I do not wish to glorify him in anyway. Growing up in the 1970s, just a few miles from the La Bianca house, I can not remember when I first heard of Manson. Our family loved the 395 highway and knew some law enforcement officers in Lone Pine, Inyo County.

Long Story Short

Most books and movies of Manson tend correctly focas on the Tate-La Bianca murders. In summary, Manson, a career criminal, is release from prison. He meets young women and uses the girls to attack young men with sex a drugs. Over the coarse of about two years, he forms them in a cult of followers who live at Spahn movie ranch.. On August 9th and 10th, 1969, Manson orders these followers to slaughter 7 people in their homes.

After the murders, the family cult moves to Barker Ranch in Goler Wash, in Death Valley. It is here that he is captured for vandalizing some earth moving equipment and auto theft. Once captured, he is connected to the murders in Los Angles, tried and convicted by Vincent Bug

Panamint Charlie

Myers Ranch, Panamint Mountain
Myers Ranch, Panamint Mountain

Mansons original destination is the Myers Ranch in the Panamint Range. In October, 1968, he started to look for a desert location to move his “brood”. He choose the desert because “Out there, things aren’t so crazy”. (Ironic) One of his followers is Cathy (Cappy) Gilles is a grand daughter of Bill and Barbara Myers. “Cappy” obtained permission from the family matriarch for her and some girls to come up and stay at the ranch. One can not help to wonder if the true purpose of moving them to the Panamint mountains is to further isolate his followers from society.

Additionally, Manson supposedly discussed operating out of Barker Ranch with the owner Arlene. He convinced her he was a musician working on a record and would maintain the property for her. He gave her a Beach Boys gold album in payment, which would undoubtably prove his claims of being a musician. Between 40 acres at Myers Ranch and 5 acres at Barker, he had control over 45 acres of property in the sparsely populated Panamint Mountains.

The family stayed in Goler Wash from October 1968 to about January 1969. The family of nineteen people travelled using a school bus to the mouth of Goler wash, and would hike in with supplies up the ranch house. During this time, they made regular trips back down to Los Angeles or over to Las Vegas. The family would regularly shop for supplies in Ballarat which still had a small population and general store.

In the winter months of 1969, Manson and his followers returned to Los Angeles. They stayed at several other locations beside the infamous Spahn movie ranch. During this time, they continued to steal cars, deal drugs, probably prostitution and all in all anything to make money and “acquire” supplies.

Desert Deterioration

Barker Ranch - The building complex was heavily vegetated with trees, with a sparsely planted understory. Note the Charles Milles Maddox bus in the left hand side of the image. View northwest, 1969 (DEVA collection). - NPS
Barker Ranch – The building complex was heavily vegetated with trees, with a sparsely planted understory. Note the Manson bus in the left hand side of the image. View northwest, 1969 (DEVA collection). – NPS

After the Tate-La Bianca murder in August of 1969, Charles Milles Maddox and his cult travelled back up to Goler Wash. This time he setup operations around Barker Ranch. Paul Watkins was a former follower who left the family before the murders. His book is fascinating.

Prior to Charlies arrival, Watkins and some prospectors where living at Barker Ranch. Watkins received guidance from a prospector named Crockett who helped Watkins leave the family. Manson knew of Crockett’s influence over Watkins and recognize an adversary. Upon his arrival, Manson asked permission to enter the area. As Watkins et al where living in Barker Ranch, the Manson Cult moved into the Myers Ranch.

Over the next few weeks, Charlie Manson continued his mental downward spiral. At the time, the neighbors at Barker Ranch knew Charlie was dangerous, however did not know about his guilt in the Los Angeles Murders. Crockett would have philosophical conversations and push the boundaries of Manson. This prompted the unstable Manson to come visiting the occupants at Barker ranch in the middle of the night. On at least two attempts he was caught trying to sneak into the ranch house while the occupants slept. He was greeted with the muzzle of a shotgun and left into the night.

Manson is said to have driven around the area of the Panamint mountains and Death Valley looking for a hole in the earth. These excursions opened the door into the capture of the psychopath. During this time he continued to prepare for a racial war he thought was coming.

Investigation

Jim Pursell at the Manson Trial, L.A. Superior Courthouse, 1970
Jim Pursell at the Manson Trial, L.A. Superior Courthouse, 1970

The beginning of the end for Manson started with a report of a fire on a Michigan front loader out at Racetrack valley. The front loader was moved to the playa in Race Track Valley to repair damage to the playa surface by off-roaders. On September 19th, 1969, Manson ordered the some family members to burn the machine because he construed it to be the device of environmental damage. Oddly enough, it was there to repair environmental damage…. This decision by Manson set in place a series of events which led to his capture and a life time in jail.

Inyo County officials were extremely upset about the loss of their newly acquired $35,000 earth moving equipment. They quickly dispatch officers and launched an investigation.

Park Rangers arrived at the scene of the fire sometime later. They noted several tire tracks leading away from the fire. One set of tire tracks belonged to a Toyota Land Cruiser. Follow up investigation included reports of a Red Toyota Land Cruiser driving around in the area. It was reported this Red Land Cruiser is driven by some hippies who lived up at Barker Ranch.

October 9th, 1969

On October 9th, CHP Officer Jim Pursell and Park Ranger Dick Powell drove up to Barker Ranch approaching from Mengel Pass. They ran into two of Mason’s girls and lacking evidence moved on down Goler Wash. In doing so, the came across Brooks Poston and Paul Crocket. When questioned why he was hauling supplies for the groupd Crocket replied, ‘‘I think my life might depend on it.’

The two men are instructed to return to Barker Ranch. On questioning about Manson, Brooks and Crocket told the two men about the families activity. According to Paul Watkins, Crocket left the ranch for fear of Manson was going to attract law enforcement. This event s probably because Crockett told law enforcement. Pursell noted that a VW was hidden beneath a purple nylon parachute beneath a trash heap. nd recorded the VIN number.

The two men left the ranch again and travelled down Goler Wash they stopped at a draw. Dick Powell started up the draw and was soon within a group of naked young women, one of who is Squeaky Fromme. Fromme claimed to be part of a girl scout troup from San Francisco and with no other evidence, the two officers continued down the valley.

A Series of Raids

Enroute to Trona, the two law enforcement officers found out over the radio that the car was stolen and a predawn raid is slated for the following morning. Looking forward to a long night, the two men hand dinner in Ballarat before parking at the mouth of Goler Wash.

October 10th

The first raid took place on October 10th, 1969. Just before dawn, a small task force made up of officers from the California Highway Patrol, Inyo County Sheriff’s Department, and the National Parks Service maneuvered into position around Barker Ranch. The cult members had pilled rocks up along the road, which necessitated the officers travel on foot.

At first, it seemed the operation was a success. The task forced found several stolen cars and dune buggies. Weapons suchs a pistol, knives, food, gasoline, and other survivalist supplies confirmed that the cult was building a stronghold in the desert for the long haul. They arrested three men, ten girls, and two babies, one of them just a few weeks old. A count of the number of sleeping bags informed the task force they had not captured everyone involved.

October 12th

On the evening of October 12, the small force of park rangers headed back to Barker Ranch. From an observation point, the witnessed four people walking towards the cabin and entering the building. One of the people is covered head to tow in a buck skin outfit and obviously the leader.

The task forced stormed the ranch with guns drawn. The ordered the occupants inside to raise their hands. They met no resistance. The man dressed buckskin is nowhere to be found.

Charles Milles Maddox Capture

Barker Ranch, CCharles Milles Maddox’s hiding place Vernon Merritt III Time & Life Pictures/Shutterstock
Barker Ranch, Charles Manson’s hiding place Vernon Merritt III Time & Life Pictures/Shutterstock

Following the raid, Jim Pursell search for the buckskin man. He enters the bathroom where is sees a very small cabinet. The door is slightly open and he notices a few long hairs sticking out. In the failing evening light, armed with a candle and a .357 revolver, Pursell noticed some fingers wiggling inside.

Pursell later recounted “I put the candle way down, and this figure starts unwinding and coming out. How he got into that cupboard, I’ll never know. He’s not big. I’ve had a lot of people ask me, ‘Why didn’t you shoot the son of a bitch?’ But again, we really didn’t know what we had, and you can’t just shoot somebody that climbs out of a little cupboard, and says [cheerily], ‘Hi! I was pointing the gun at him and told him exactly what I wanted him to do, and what not to do. ‘Make one wrong move and I’ll blow your head off.’ I ask his name, and he said, simply, ‘Charlie Manson.’ Right off. I led him out to the guys outside”

The raid of October 12th lead to arrest of six males and three more females. All in all the bravery of the CHP, INYO Sheriffs and Park Rangers led to the apprehension, conviction and sentencing of one of the worlds most notorious people, Charles Milles Maddox. The cult or family that Manson started literally killed many and ruined the lives of hundreds of people. The story of Mansons life in the Panamint Mountains of Death Valley is more fascinating that the typical most people will understand and his activities in Death Valley are far larger than “Barker Ranch.”

Manson’s Locations in and around Death Valley

Ballarat, California - Marriedtofilm at English Wikipedia - Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons by Malafaya using CommonsHelper.

Ballarat California – Inyo County Ghost Town

Ballarat, California Located in Inyo County, Ballarat California is a ghost town which supposedly has a few residents living their dream within the town. Ballarat…
This image, taken circa 1940, shows the main residence, workshop, retaining walls, and ornamental vegetation. Note the windmill located behind the workshop. View north (DEVA collection) - NPS

Barker Ranch

Thomason/Barker Ranch is a five-acre property within Death Valley National Park. This historic site is located off of Goler Wash in the southern Panamint Range…
Myers Ranch, Panamint Mountain

Myers Ranch

Myers Ranch is a privately owned ranch located in Goler Wash in the Panamint Mountains of Death Valley National Park, California. The forty acre ranch…
The Racing stones.

Racetrack Valley

TeaKettle Junction lets you know you are starting to get close to the Racetrack. Racetrack valley is a rough graded road which departs the Ubehebe…
Looking down at the Lippencott Mine Road from the Lippencott Mine, with Saline Valley in the distance.

Warm Springs Road

A short side trip from the Saline Valley Road to the Saline Valley Warm Springs in Death Valley National Park, California. The road is used…

References

Skidoo California – Inyo County Ghost Town

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Skidoo, California, once a bustling gold mining town in the early 20th century, now stands as a ghost town within Death Valley National Park. Located in Inyo County at an elevation of 5,689 feet, Skidoo epitomized the boom-and-bust cycle of mining communities in the American West. Its history, marked by rapid growth, innovative engineering, and eventual decline, offers a glimpse into the challenges and ambitions of desert mining during the gold rush era. This report explores Skidoo’s origins, development, key events, and legacy, drawing on historical records and contemporary accounts.

Skidoo, CA 1907
Skidoo California, 1907

Origins and Establishment

Skidoo’s story began in January 1906, when prospectors John Ramsey and John “One-Eye” Thompson, en route to the gold strike at Harrisburg, were halted by a rare fog near Emigrant Spring. When the fog lifted, they discovered promising gold-bearing ledges, leading them to file claims for what became the Gold Eagle Group. News of their find spread, and Bob Montgomery, a prominent mining figure from Rhyolite, purchased these claims for $100,000, fueling the rapid development of the area. Initially named Hoveck after Matt Hoveck, the Skidoo Mine’s manager, the town was renamed Skidoo in 1907, inspired by the popular slang phrase “23 skidoo,” meaning to leave quickly or take advantage of an opportunity. Local lore suggests the name also referenced the 23 miles of pipeline bringing water to the town, though this remains speculative.

Right here on the border line between California and Nevada, just a few miles from arid within speaking distance of Nevada’s big, bonanza gold camps of Goldfield, Rhyolite, Tonopah, California promises to give birth to the most wonderful gold mines America has yet produced . . . . Here the golden goddess is again singing her siren song of enchantment and California is again beckoning to the world with a finger of gold: and the world is listening, and looking, and coming–TO SKIDOO!

Rhyolite Herald, 4 January 1907

Boom Years (1906–1917)

Skidoo quickly grew into a thriving community, peaking at around 700 residents by mid-1907. The town boasted advanced amenities for its time, including a post office (established as Hoveck in 1906 and renamed Skidoo in 1907), a telephone exchange, the Skidoo News newspaper, a school with 29 students, four saloons, three restaurants, and the Southern California Bank of Skidoo. Stagecoach connections to Rhyolite and Ballarat, along with private automobiles, linked Skidoo to nearby settlements, while a telephone line to Rhyolite facilitated communication.

The Skidoo Mine, operated by the Skidoo Mines Company, was the town’s economic backbone, producing approximately 75,000 ounces of gold—valued at over $1.5 million at the time—between 1906 and 1917. The mine’s success was bolstered by two remarkable engineering feats. First, Skidoo hosted the only milling plant in the Death Valley region powered almost entirely by water, using a gravity-feed system to separate gold from ore. Second, a 23-mile pipeline, constructed by Bob Montgomery, transported water from springs near Telescope Peak to the mill, an extraordinary achievement given the desert’s harsh terrain. The pipeline’s scar remains visible today, and watering stations along its route supported prospectors exploring the region.

By 1907, over 100 men were employed at the Skidoo mines, and development costs exceeded $300,000. The town’s prosperity attracted attention, with the Rhyolite Herald proclaiming in January 1907, “California promises to give birth to the most wonderful gold mines America has yet produced… TO SKIDOO!” However, the national financial panic of 1907 strained the town, particularly impacting the Southern California Bank of Skidoo, which faced creditors and operated out of cramped quarters in a grocery store.

Cook's horse-drawn wagon at Death Valley's gold mining camp, Skiddo.
Cook’s horse-drawn wagon at Death Valley’s gold mining camp, Skiddo.

Notable Events

Skidoo was relatively peaceful compared to other mining camps, but it was not without incident. In April 1908, Joe Simpson, a gambler with a notorious reputation, attempted to kill the Southern California Bank’s cashier, Dobbs, and murdered James Arnold, a popular local butcher. With no jail in Skidoo, Simpson was held in a cast-iron building under guard. An armed mob demanded his release and lynched him from a telephone pole, an event that underscored the town’s rough justice.

Another challenge came in 1913, when the pipeline froze and burst, followed by a fire that destroyed much of the original stamp mill. The Skidoo Mines Company swiftly rebuilt a ten-stamp mill, adding five more stamps by 1915, but these setbacks foreshadowed the town’s decline.

The Skidoo Mine is located 65 miles north of Trona, California, at 6500 ft. elevation. The property was established in 1906; the mill erected in 190?. The mill burned and was reconstructed in 1913. Owner: Skidoo Mines Co., Skidoo, CA. C. W. Cross, president, and Crynski , superintendent .

Two systems of quartz veins occur in a pegmatite granite. The main vein system strikes M-SE and the other E~W. The veins average from 18″ to 2 ‘ in width, with a maximum of 4’.

The ore is free milling and values average about $15.00 per ton. Ore is hauled to the mill through tunnels. The mill equipment consists of: ten 850-lb. stamps, five 1150-lb. stamps and amalgamation tables. Table tailings run to the cyanide plant and precipitated in zinc boxes. The mill is operated by water conveyed in an 8″ pipeline 21 miles
from Telescope Peak. The pipe was installed at a cost of over $200,000, 35 men were employed at the mine mill. Total production to date over $1,500,000,

California State Mining Bureau’s “Report of State Mineralogist,” 1915-16, Report XV:
Rare Air Photograph of Skidoo California Taken from the air in 1923
Rare Air Photograph of Skidoo California Taken from the air in 1923

Decline and Abandonment

Skidoo’s fortunes waned as its gold veins diminished. By early 1909, the town’s population began to decline, and the school district closed in September 1909. In July 1909, the Los Angeles Mining Review reported that the Skidoo Mine was California’s second-most productive, clearing all debts and paying a $50,000 dividend. However, the town itself was depleting, and by 1917, the rich vein had “pinched out,” leading to the mine’s permanent closure. The post office shut down the same year, and the mill and pipeline’s iron and steel components were dismantled and sold.

Sporadic mining resumed in the 1920s and 1930s under new ownership, and a tungsten boom in the early 1950s brought renewed activity, though the ore was low-grade. These efforts left behind shafts, cuts, and tailings, but the townsite itself was abandoned, with the last buildings gone by the 1980s. Today, Skidoo is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, with the Skidoo Stamp Mill—stabilized by cables and maintained by the National Park Service—standing as the most prominent remnant.

Legacy and Modern Significance

Skidoo’s brief existence encapsulates the transient nature of mining boomtowns, driven by the allure of gold and undone by the exhaustion of resources. Its innovative water-powered mill and pipeline highlight the ingenuity required to sustain life and industry in the unforgiving Mojave Desert. The ghost town, accessible via an 8-mile unpaved road off Wildrose Road, attracts visitors who explore its mining relics, including the stamp mill, adits, and scattered debris like rusty cans and glass fragments. The surrounding hills, with over 1,000 mine entrances, evoke the frenetic activity of Skidoo’s heyday.

Tripadvisor reviews reflect mixed visitor experiences. Some find the site underwhelming, noting the absence of town structures and the challenge of the rugged road, recommending high-clearance vehicles. Others praise the stamp mill and the sense of history, emphasizing the need to continue past the townsite to reach the mill. The site’s remoteness and stark landscape amplify its haunting appeal, inviting reflection on the ambition and impermanence of Skidoo’s past.

Conclusion

Skidoo, California, rose and fell within a decade, leaving behind a legacy of resilience and adaptation in one of America’s harshest environments. From its accidental discovery in 1906 to its abandonment by 1917, Skidoo embodied the hope and hardship of the gold rush era. Its engineering achievements, preserved ruins, and place on the National Register of Historic Places ensure its story endures, offering a window into the fleeting dreams of a desert boomtown.

Town Summary

NameSkidoo
LocationInyo County, California
Latitude, Longitude36.4355016, -117.1475604
GNIS1656631
Elevation5689 ft / 1734 m
NewspaperSkidoo News
National Register of Places74000349

Skidoo Trail Map

Resouces