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| Landmark #182 | Imperial County | Visited: Sept. 16, 2013 | Plaque? YES! 🙂 |
| What is it? | A plaque at an RV park marking the discovery of gold in the area! |
| What makes it historical? | THE GUIDE SAYS: Pete Walters of Ogilby discovered the first gold vein at Gold Rock on January 6, 1884. From his Little Mary Claim began a gold camp which reached its peak development between 1893 and 1899 as Hedges, with 3,200 residents. Nearly closed, 1900-10, it was reopened as Tumco, 1910-13, and worked intermittently until 1941. Tumco has long been a California ghost town.
OTHER TIDBITS: Surprisingly, gold had been discovered here 22 years before Mr. Walters found his vein! A mule had wandered off from an emigrant train, and its owner found a gold nugget while searching for the mule! The ore here quickly ran out, which meant the original American Girl and Gold Rock mines only ran for 25 years! Mining resumed in 1910 under The United Mining Company (T.U.M.Co), but the ore was never again as good as it was in the beginning. The time had come to get the heck out of the hot desert mines! |
| How can I Help the Helpers? | HERE’S HOW:
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| Where is this place? | LISTED DIRECTIONS: On Gold Rock Ranch Rd 1.0 mi E of County Hwy 834 9.0 mi N of I-8 4.5 mi NE of Ogilby, CA 92283 ANNOTATIONS: From Los Angeles: ~257mi (414km) — 4.3hrs |
| When should I go? | Whenever the mood strikes you! |