mining history – Desert Gazette

Shoshone – Tecopa

10,000 BCE – 1700s
Native peoples, including the Southern Paiute and Western Shoshone, used the Tecopa, Shoshone, Resting Springs, and Amargosa River areas for thousands of years. Springs like Willow Creek and Ibex Springs supported seasonal camps and trade routes connecting the Mojave Desert to the Great Basin.

1829–1830
Antonio Armijo led the first successful trade caravan along what became known as the Old Spanish Trail. His route passed near Resting Springs and the future sites of Tecopa and Shoshone, helping establish a commercial corridor between New Mexico and California.

1844–1859
Resting Springs became an important stop on the Mormon Road, used by emigrants and freight teams. Conflicts occurred between Native groups and travelers. Chief Tecopa led local Paiute resistance before later reaching a peace agreement with settlers. In 1859, Lt. Williamson of the U.S. Army surveyed and recorded Resting Springs as a critical water stop.

1875–1880s
A mining boom brought the founding of Brownsville, later renamed Tecopa, near Willow Creek. Prospectors also worked claims at Ibex Springs, building stone cabins and hauling ore by mule. Resting Springs was reoccupied briefly as a supply stop. Tecopa declined after richer discoveries nearby.

1900
Quon Sing, also known as Ah Foo, developed China Ranch near Tecopa by irrigating fields along Willow Creek. He grew fruit and raised livestock, leaving a legacy that remains part of the landscape today.

1907
The Tonopah and Tidewater Railroad reached Tecopa and Shoshone. A new townsite, called the Tecopa Triangle, was built closer to the rail line. Mining resumed with easier access to markets.

1910
Shoshone was founded by “Dad” Fairbanks as a rail stop and supply point for nearby mines. It soon had a general store, schoolhouse, and housing for workers.

1920s
Mining activity increased at Ibex Springs. Shoshone continued to grow, and Tecopa Hot Springs began to attract visitors as a health retreat. The Shoshone post office was moved from the ghost town of Greenwater.

1930s
Women in Shoshone built the Flower Building for community events. Miners lived in hand-dug dwellings at Dublin Gulch. Mining at Ibex Springs continued at a small scale.

1957
Major mining operations in Tecopa ended. The town shifted toward tourism and retirement. Shoshone remained a traveler’s stop on the way to Death Valley.

1960s–1970s
Under the Small Tracts Act, new homes were built in Tecopa Heights. Ibex Springs was abandoned. Conservation efforts began to grow for the Kingston Range and Amargosa Basin.

1976
The area was included in the California Desert Conservation Area, giving it federal protection. Resting Springs was identified as a riparian habitat and cultural site.

1994
Death Valley became a National Park. Shoshone’s role as a gateway town increased. The Kingston Range and Nopah Range were designated as wilderness areas, preserving places like Ibex Springs.

2000s–present
The Amargosa Conservancy acquired and protected lands around Tecopa, China Ranch, and the river. Shoshone established a museum and promotes its heritage. Tecopa hosts annual events such as the Tecopa Takeover and Firehouse Fling. A public water kiosk was installed in Tecopa Heights. Ibex Springs remains accessible by high-clearance vehicle, with stone ruins and old mining structures still visible.

Two Sides of the Same Story:

Settlers and Seekers in the Mojave Desert

The Mojave Desert has always been a land of extremes—of survival and ambition, of quiet persistence and sudden booms. Two cornerstone texts help tell this story: “Pioneer of the Mojave” by Richard D. Thompson and “Desert Fever” by Vredenburgh, Harthill, and Shumway. Though they cover different periods and perspectives, together they trace the transformation of the Mojave from a sparse frontier to an industrialized desert landscape.

Pioneer of the Mojave introduces us to Aaron G. Lane, one of the first permanent settlers along the Mojave River in the 1850s. His crossing became a lifeline for travelers, freighters, and military expeditions. Lane’s story represents the early days, when survival hinged on access to water, good judgment, and cooperation with those passing through. His efforts in agriculture, trade, and hospitality helped anchor the Mojave as something more than space on a map.

But the story doesn’t end with the settlement.

Desert Fever picks up where the pioneers left off, charting the feverish rush for gold, silver, borax, and copper that swept across the California desert in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Boomtowns sprang up where campsites once stood. Trail stops like Daggett and Calico became freight hubs. Water from the Mojave River—once used to grow alfalfa—was now hauled to stamp mills and ore crushers.

Both books share the same landscape, but their characters have different goals. Lane and his peers sought stability. The miners and speculators who came later chased their fortunes, often leaving ghost towns in their wake. What links them is the land itself—unforgiving but full of possibility.

By exploring both books side by side, we see the Mojave Desert not just as a backdrop but as a central character in its own evolving history.

Suggested Section Links (for below this intro):

Pioneer of the Mojave → [Link to your Lane’s Crossing or full PDF/summary]
Desert Fever → [Link to chapter index or embedded content]
Related topics: [Mojave River history], [Daggett], [Panamint City], [Mining in the Mojave]

The Cushenbury Grade

The Cushenbury Grade is a steep and winding stretch of mountain road that climbs from the high desert of Lucerne Valley up to the pine-covered town of Big Bear Lake. Today, it’s part of California State Route 18, but long before pavement and guardrails, this canyon trail served miners, ranchers, and Native travelers through the San Bernardino Mountains.

Before roads were built, the Serrano people used footpaths through Cushenbury Canyon to move between desert and mountain environments. These routes followed natural contours through the rugged terrain and were later adopted by settlers.

By the 1860s and 70s, prospectors, cattlemen, and freighters were dragging wagons up and down this slope. During the gold boom in nearby Holcomb Valley, Cushenbury became one of the main north-side routes into Big Bear. It was grueling work—steep grades, loose rock, and no guarantee your wagon would make it to the top in one piece.

The canyon and grade took their names from the Cushenbury family, early settlers and cattle ranchers in the Lucerne Valley area. Their name stuck, and by the early 20th century, the area gained new attention, not for gold but for limestone.

In 1918, rich limestone and marble deposits were discovered along the grade. This sparked industrial interest, and by the 1950s, Kaiser Cement had developed a massive limestone quarry near the top. A narrow-gauge rail system carried raw material down the grade to a processing plant: even today, trucks loaded with cement rumble up and down the slope.

During the 1960s, the state upgraded the road and officially folded it into California State Route 18. This brought pavement, safety improvements, and better access to Big Bear from the desert side. Though safer now, the grade still features tight switchbacks and dramatic elevation changes, rising from about 3,000 feet in Lucerne Valley to over 6,700 feet at the top.

Today, the Cushenbury Grade remains a key route for both commerce and recreation. It offers expansive views of the Mojave Desert below and a sense of just how much effort it once took to reach the mountains. Whether hauling limestone or heading up for a weekend getaway, this road directly links two very different worlds—desert and alpine.

Timeline

Cushenbury Grade Historical Timeline

Pre-1800s:
Indigenous Serrano people use Cushenbury Canyon as a seasonal travel route between the Mojave Desert and mountain forests.

1860s–1870s:
Miners and ranchers began traveling through the canyon using rough trails to access Holcomb Valley and Big Bear. The steep terrain made it tough for freight wagons and livestock.

1880s:
A more defined wagon road is carved into the canyon wall. It’s still rough going—narrow, rocky, and dangerous—but it’s one of the few ways into Big Bear from the desert.

Early 1900s:
The Cushenbury family settles in the Lucerne Valley area, giving their name to the canyon and grade.

1918:
Limestone and marble are discovered along the canyon. As mining gains momentum, the area shifts from wagon trail to industrial corridor.

1950s:
Kaiser Cement develops a large limestone quarry near the top of the grade. A private rail system is built to haul material to the desert floor. This leads to improvements along the road.

1960s:
The state paves and upgrades the road, officially making it part of California State Route 18. It becomes a year-round access route to Big Bear Lake from the high desert.

1990s–present:
The Cushenbury Grade is heavily used by cement trucks and tourists. The steep climb and sharp turns remain challenging, especially in winter, but it’s a vital link between two different environments.