Panamint City, California – A Hard-Broiled Hellhole
Panamint City, California, a name that conjures images of a lawless, unforgiving landscape, earned its reputation as one of the toughest and most volatile settlements in the American West. Emerging from the rugged terrain of Surprise Canyon in 1872, this silver boomtown quickly became synonymous with danger, opportunity, and the relentless pursuit of fortune. The story of Panamint City is a testament to the allure of precious metals and the lengths to which people would go to claim their stake in the wild, untamed frontier.
The genesis of Panamint City is a tale woven with threads of discovery, desperation, and dubious alliances. Prospectors William L. Kennedy, Robert Stewart, and Richard C. Jacobs, driven by the legendary promise of the Lost Gunsight Mine, stumbled upon significant silver deposits within the confines of Surprise Canyon. Their discovery, however, attracted unwanted attention. A group of bandits, using the remote area as a hideout after allegedly robbing a Wells Fargo stagecoach of $12,000, had been tracking the prospectors, hoping to capitalize on their find.
Faced with a precarious situation, the prospectors were essentially forced into a partnership with the outlaws. The bandits, however, were hindered by their fugitive status, unable to openly stake their claim. To circumvent this obstacle, they devised a plan that involved Nevada Senator John P. Jones, a prominent figure in the mining industry. The bandits presented Jones with rich ore samples, offering to sell him their claim in exchange for resolving their legal predicament.
Senator Jones, along with his colleague Senator William M. Stewart, also of Nevada, recognized the potential of the silver discovery. Known as the "Silver Senators" due to their extensive mining investments, they orchestrated a deal that granted amnesty to the bandit mine owners, but only after ensuring the stolen $12,000 was repaid from their share of the profits. This controversial agreement paved the way for the formal development of the Panamint City mining district.
With the legal hurdles cleared, Senators Jones and Stewart established the Panamint Mining Company, backed by a substantial capital stock of two million dollars. News of the silver strike spread rapidly, triggering a massive influx of prospectors and fortune seekers to the region. The Panamint Mining District was officially formed in February 1873, marking the beginning of a frenzied period of exploration and exploitation.
Wagonloads of tools, provisions, and hopeful individuals descended upon Surprise Canyon, eager to carve out their own piece of the silver bonanza. Prospectors quickly identified several rich lodes, including the Wide West, Gold Hill, Wonder, Wyoming, and Pine Tree, among dozens of others. The promise of wealth fueled the rapid growth of a settlement that would soon become known as Panamint City.
The nascent town of Panamint City sprang up along the narrow confines of Surprise Canyon. Fueled by the optimism of the miners, the town quickly developed into a bustling, albeit rough-and-tumble, community. By August 1873, a local newspaper quoted a resident expressing confidence in the camp’s future, praising the "intelligent and liberally inclined miners" who had gathered there. However, beneath the veneer of optimism lay a darker reality.
While some might have shared the resident’s optimistic outlook, the town was infamous for its lawlessness and violence. Shootings were a common occurrence, with over fifty reported during its short lifespan. By 1874, the population had swelled to approximately 2,000 residents. The town’s main street, a rutted and muddy thoroughfare stretching one and a half miles, was lined with around 50 buildings. These included more than a dozen saloons catering to the thirsty miners, the Bank of Panamint, a brewery, a hotel, a post office, and the offices of the Panamint News, which published its first issue in November.
Housing in Panamint City was as varied as its inhabitants. Some resided in simple log and rock huts, while others made do with tents. The local butcher shop’s wagon served a dual purpose, functioning as the town’s hearse, making frequent trips to the cemetery located in Sour Dough Canyon. The town was a melting pot of ambition, desperation, and danger, a place where fortunes could be made and lives could be lost in equal measure.
In August 1874, the completion of a road through Panamint Valley and up Surprise Canyon established vital connections with Los Angeles, facilitating the transportation of freight and supplies. Two stage lines commenced service to Panamint City in November 1874, further integrating the remote settlement into the broader transportation network. The Oriental Saloon, one of the town’s many watering holes, was even touted as "the finest on the coast outside of San Francisco," highlighting the town’s aspirations for sophistication amidst the rugged surroundings.
Interestingly, despite the town’s burgeoning economy, Wells Fargo declined to establish an Express office in Panamint City, likely due to the controversial deal struck between the senators and the bandits who initially discovered the silver deposits. This decision served as a reminder of the town’s murky origins and the undercurrent of lawlessness that permeated its existence.
As the town thrived, Senators Jones and Stewart continued to consolidate their control over the area’s resources. They acquired more mining claims, a stamp mill, and the Surprise Canyon Toll Road, solidifying their dominance over the local economy. In June 1875, their Surprise Valley Mill and Water Company commenced operations with a twenty-stamp mill. The mill processed ore from the Panamint mines, shipping silver averaging $80 to $100 per ton to markets on the west coast and in Europe.
The bandits who had played a pivotal role in the initial discovery of the silver ore remained in Panamint City, alongside numerous other outlaws who sought to profit from the mining boom without the arduous labor of working in the mines. Legend has it that these original bandits had planned to allow the senators to develop the mines and then steal the bullion during shipment. However, the experienced investors anticipated this threat and devised a clever strategy to thwart their plans.
Instead of casting the silver into easily manageable bars, the bullion was formed into large, cannon-like balls weighing over 400 pounds each. These massive ingots were impossible for a single horseman to carry, rendering them virtually unstealable. One story recounts an encounter between one of the original bandits and Senator William Stewart, during which the bandit complained that the huge ingots "weren’t fair." Stewart allegedly retorted, "You don’t expect me to feel sorry for you, do you?" This anecdote encapsulates the ruthless nature of the era and the constant struggle for power and wealth in the wild west.
Like other silver boomtowns, such as Cerro Gordo, the silver veins in Panamint City proved to be less extensive than initially anticipated. The town’s decline began in August 1875, when William Ralston’s Bank of California failed, just days after the Surprise Valley Mill and Water Company had opened its 20-stamp mill. The bank’s collapse shattered investor confidence, triggering a financial panic that reverberated throughout the region. T. S. Harris, the publisher of the Panamint News, printed his last issue on October 21, 1875, and departed for Darwin, California. That same year, hundreds of residents abandoned the town as rumors spread that the ore was nearly exhausted.
By 1876, two of the major mines in the area were depleted. A devastating flash flood swept through the canyon that same year, washing away much of the town and further accelerating its decline. The "Silver Senators" themselves were the last to concede defeat. However, after a serious stock market panic in May 1877, the Panamint mill closed, and the post office was shuttered, effectively signaling the end of Panamint City as a viable settlement.
Mining operations continued sporadically in the area for years to come. The post office reopened from 1882 to 1883 and again from 1887 to 1895. The Panamint mines were worked intermittently until 1926. Another brief revival occurred in 1946 when the American Silver Corporation leased 12 patented claims, 4 patented mill sites, and 42 unpatented claims. The company established a camp at Panamint and improved the Surprise Canyon road. However, most of the work focused on the Marvel and Hemlock claims, and no ore was reported being shipped. The American Silver Corporation filed for bankruptcy on March 22, 1948, marking the final chapter in the area’s mining history.
Today, little remains of the once-flourishing community of Panamint City. A few foundations and the crumbling smokestack of the Surprise Valley Mill and Water Company, constructed in 1875, serve as silent reminders of the town’s turbulent past.
Inyo County maintained the road to Panamint City until approximately 1983 when a series of cloudbursts completely washed out the road. Dedicated 4×4 vehicles could still navigate the path until it was permanently closed in 2001 due to a lawsuit filed by an environmental group.
Now part of Death Valley National Park since 1994, the ruins of Panamint City are accessible only via a strenuous five-mile hike from Chris Wicht’s Camp, located six miles northeast of the ghost town of Ballarat. The journey to this forgotten settlement is a testament to the enduring allure of the American West and the echoes of a hard-broiled hellhole that once thrived in the heart of Surprise Canyon.