The Boomtown of Skidoo, California
The story of Skidoo, California, is a quintessential tale of the American West, a narrative etched in gold dust, ambition, and the harsh realities of desert life. Situated on the borderline between California and Nevada, a stone’s throw from the legendary gold camps of Goldfield, Rhyolite, and Tonopah, Skidoo emerged in the early 20th century, fueled by the insatiable hunger for fortune and the promise of untold riches.
The year was 1909, and a wave of optimism washed over the burgeoning mining camp. As one editorial proclaimed, "California promised 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!" This vibrant declaration painted a picture of a thriving community, a stark contrast to the desolate landscape that cradled it. Within a year of its founding, Skidoo boasted over 30 tents, several sturdy frame buildings, and a surprising array of amenities, including restaurants, hotels, and even its own newspaper – testaments to the tenacity and resourcefulness of its inhabitants.
The genesis of this boomtown can be traced back to January 1906, when two wandering prospectors, John Ramsey and John "One Eye" Thompson, embarked on a slow, arduous journey up Emigrant Canyon, their sights set on the recently discovered gold strike at Harrisburg. The Panamint Range, though known since the 1850s to harbor gold and silver veins, had largely been overlooked, with early mining efforts focusing primarily on silver and lead. However, the dawn of the 20th century saw gold ascend to a highly prized commodity, igniting a new wave of exploration and exploitation.
Skidoo and Harrisburg, located approximately 5.5 miles apart, were direct beneficiaries of the Nevada bonanzas of Tonopah, Goldfield, and Rhyolite. Inspired by the rapid accumulation of wealth in these areas, the desert mining community yearned for more. Prospectors, driven by whispers of hidden treasures, began venturing westward across the unforgiving expanse of Death Valley, their eyes fixed on the rugged peaks of the Panamints.
The fateful trek of Ramsey and Thompson was abruptly interrupted by a rare and disorienting phenomenon – a dense fog that enveloped the Death Valley region. Lost in the murky light and fearing entrapment in one of the many surrounding canyons, the two prospectors decided to camp near Emigrant Springs, intending to resume their journey in the morning. As dawn broke, the fog dissipated, revealing nearby ledges with a promising hue. Intrigued, Ramsey and Thompson investigated, discovering a treasure that eclipsed their initial destination. They promptly staked several claims in the vicinity, forming the Gold Eagle Group, a series of rich ledges stretching north-south for approximately 1.5 miles, varying in width from two to twelve feet, and yielding an impressive $82 in gold per ton.
Maintaining secrecy until their claims were properly documented, Ramsey and Thompson managed to keep their discovery under wraps for a couple of months. However, the news of the strike eventually leaked, igniting a frenzy among miners who recognized the potential of these veins, likely connected to the same mineral belt that had fueled Panamint City’s prosperity decades earlier and was now proving so productive in the Harrisburg area. Hordes of miners descended upon Emigrant Springs, hoping to capitalize on the bonanza.
Although nestled within California’s borders, Skidoo soon fell under the influence of Nevada capital and enterprise. The pioneers of the Bullfrog Mining District, recognizing the area’s immense potential, injected their resources and expertise, transforming Skidoo into one of the most enduring and successful mining camps in Death Valley.
Ernest A. "Bob" Montgomery, a Nevada mogul, played a pivotal role in Skidoo‘s success. He swiftly acquired the original Gold Eagle Group of claims from Ramsey and Thompson. Other prominent figures, including steel magnate Charles M. Schwab, Senator Nixon, and George Wingfield of Tonopah, Nevada, also invested heavily in the area. The influx of prospectors nearly emptied Harrisburg, as fortune seekers flocked to the newly discovered riches.
Montgomery wasted no time in developing his Skidoo interests, envisioning a quartz mill to be operational by January 1907. While Emigrant Springs provided sufficient water for domestic use, a more abundant water supply was essential to power the milling plant. Consequently, water rights to the springs near Telescope Peak, situated at an elevation of approximately 7,400 feet, were secured from Fred Gray of Ballarat, with plans to convey the water by gravity pressure through a long pipeline to the mill and townsite.
To facilitate the transportation of construction supplies, Montgomery employed 20 men to construct a negotiable road from Emigrant Springs, with plans to increase the workforce to 75 and eventually 250 when the mill was operational. The Skidoo Mines Company spearheaded this initial development work, fueled by ambition and the promise of untold riches.
By July 4, 1906, a palpable spirit of optimism permeated the camp, manifesting in celebratory gunfire and gunpowder explosions in front of buildings adorned with bunting and flags. This optimism seemed justified, as arrangements were underway for an auto line to the district from Beatty, a stage line seemed imminent, a post office application had been submitted, mine options were being eagerly pursued, and several companies anticipated commencing production soon.
At the rechristened Eagle Mine, now known as the Skidoo Mine, construction activity surged, resulting in the erection of several lumber buildings, including a bunkhouse, cookhouse, boarding house with kitchen, an office, and a blacksmith shop, all strategically located on the hilltop above the mine workings.
Communication with Ballarat improved significantly with the establishment of a tri-weekly stage line. However, to unlock the camp’s full potential, a communication and transportation line with Rhyolite was deemed essential, necessitating extensive work on the Death Valley road, which, at that time, was too sandy to support loaded wagons. A telephone line to the Bullfrog Mining District was also considered crucial to keep mining men in Skidoo informed of the fluctuating stock prices.
From its inception, Skidoo exhibited a tendency toward organized and systematic development, a factor that undoubtedly contributed to its resilience during the challenging years ahead. The rapid influx of miners, some with families, necessitated the establishment of a townsite and the allocation of residential and business lots, marking the next logical step in the area’s growth.
By the end of August 1906, a townsite, initially referred to as Montgomery and later Hoveck, was platted east of the Skidoo Mine, serving as the center of milling operations. A post office opened under the name "Hoveck." However, neither "Montgomery" nor "Hoveck" resonated with the townspeople, and the townsite and post office were renamed "Skidoo" in 1907. Initially, the name "23 Skidoo," a popular early 20th-century slang term meaning "take off," was proposed. However, the postal service rejected the inclusion of "23" in the name.
Lots on Skidoo Street were snapped up almost instantly. While the approaching winter would delay new construction, significant and substantial frame buildings were planned for the spring. Adding to the mining excitement, a new gold strike occurred in the fall of 1906 on the north end of Sheep Mountain, an area that later revealed substantial deposits of copper ore. The Skidoo pipeline project progressed steadily, with the first pipe consignment arriving in mid-September. Seventy-five men were employed on the water system, and at the mine, the main shaft, already sixty feet deep, exposed magnificent ore rich with free gold. Work commenced on the road to Rhyolite, and hopes were high that Borax Smith’s railroad would extend westward from his Lila C borax mine.
In November 1906, the Skidoo News made its debut, operated by James G. Sterrett and Edwin S. Drury of Encampment, Wyoming. Soon, other businesses followed suit, including an engineering and assay office. The Kimball Brothers stage line began traversing the wagon road between Rhyolite and Skidoo, a water station was established at Stovepipe Wells, John Calloway initiated a six-horse bi-weekly stage from Ballarat, and plans were underway for an eating house and feed stable.
Mining conditions throughout Inyo County remained healthy during the closing months of 1906, with an estimated 150 miners working in the Emigrant District. Harrisburg experienced a resurgence due to the surrounding activity, and Ballarat thrived as the distribution point for supplies for an extensive mining section, encompassing not only the Wild Rose District but also the revitalized camps in the Darwin, Modoc, and Coso districts. To the north, numerous valuable copper properties in the Ubehebe and Saline Valley regions attracted significant attention. To the east, Greenwater, the site of a bonanza copper strike, drew investors from across the nation.
Over the next few months, slow but steady progress was made in improving conditions at the new camp. By early January, the first power hoisting plant was installed at the mine, and work continued on the road to Rhyolite. By the beginning of the year, Skidoo boasted 33 tents, several frame buildings, a prominent general mercantile store, a lodging house, a restaurant, a newspaper, and several saloons. Soon, the road to Rhyolite became navigable by motorcycle, stage, or auto. The Kimball Bros. stage line promptly initiated a five-day round-trip service from Rhyolite to Skidoo via Stovepipe and Emigrant Springs, with a one-night stopover at the former. A one-way fare cost $20, while the express rate was 5¢ per pound. Concurrently, a telephone line from Rhyolite was nearing completion to Stovepipe Wells. By March 1907, it was completed and extended nearly five miles up the Panamint slope toward Skidoo.
A new and highly profitable phase of activity commenced with the opening of leasing opportunities on the Skidoo Mines Company property to interested parties. The company planned to lease everything except the three big ledges on the Skidoo and the three on the Cocopah Mine that the company was actively working. The first shipment of gold bullion from the Skidoo Mine was anticipated before the end of July, an 80-stamp mill was projected to be operational by the summer, and the company offered to provide water and electric power to any surrounding properties that desired it.
In March, the Skidoo Bank and Trust Company established temporary quarters in the general store. However, due to numerous delays, the renamed Bank of Southern California did not open its doors for business until May. The future appeared so promising that stonemasons imported from Los Angeles were already quarrying the native white stone for use in a new two-story stone building that would house a large store and several business offices in addition to the bank. In February, the Panamint Artificial Ice Company was formed by Salt Lake parties, intending to divert water from the Telescope Peak pipeline to their $5,000 ice plant on four town lots. Two men already managing large businesses at Tonopah and Greenwater were planning the establishment of the Skidoo Lumber Company.
In March, Captain W. R. Wharton, a Pennsylvania capitalist and stockholder in the Skidoo Mines Company, purchased the Skidoo townsite and proceeded to plat a new residential addition to the east of the original townsite. He erected two portable houses, sold lots ranging in price from $100 to $1,000 each, and oversaw the development work on those promising claims within the townsite.
Skidoo‘s population soon reached 400-500 citizens, who were served by L. E. Thompson’s sizeable general merchandise store, four saloons, a meat market, laundry, bakery, newspaper, lumber yard, lodging houses, three restaurants, assayers, surveyors, a physician, lawyers, brokers, and more. Social activities were held in the Skidoo Club and in the more elite Panamint Club, which required an initiation fee of $100. By April, the town contained approximately 130 residences and business houses of frame, wood, and iron.
Because the Telescope Peak pipeline was not yet finished, water continued to be hauled in wagons from Emigrant Springs by a ten-horse team and sold for $4 a barrel or three to ten cents a gallon or higher to the townspeople. However, Skidoo and the surrounding Emigrant District were now accessible by stage from both Ballarat and Rhyolite, as well as by several private cars, including J. W. Calloway’s sixty-horsepower auto with a capacity for ten passengers. Another significant milestone in the town’s history was reached in the early spring of 1907 when Skidoo became connected to Rhyolite by phone.
Like Goldfield, Nevada, Skidoo was rapidly gaining renown for its leases. Alongside the Skidoo and Granite Contact mines, these were instrumental in proving the district’s richness. Estimates vary considerably regarding the number of men employed by the Skidoo Mines Company at any given time, ranging from 40-70 for April 1907 alone. By spring, several thousand dollars had been invested in the mining camp. The company headquarters were now housed in a fine building containing a large central office, a private office for the superintendent, a parlor, a bathroom, and several private bedrooms for employees. Other recent improvements at the campsite included a boarding house, bunkhouse, and another building, encompassing a reading room, officers’ dining room, and a lady cooks’ room.
By the middle of April, eight leases had been granted on the Skidoo Mines Company property, and mining investors from across the country were envisioning the immense profits to be made at Skidoo.
Among these investors were Captain W. R. Wharton, closely associated with Charles M. Schwab and his enterprises; Patsy Clark, the copper king involved in Greenwater mining; Captain John L. Armit of Colorado Springs, actively engaged in mining throughout the West; various officials of the John S. Cook & Co. Bank of Rhyolite, Nevada, and countless others.
In May 1907, the town of Skidoo appointed peace officers, a new road was proposed to Keeler, and the Skidoo Board of Trade was established. However, the summer brought frustrating problems on the Skidoo pipeline, and it would not be completed to Harrisburg until September. By the end of November, the pipeline was still two miles and one hill away from Skidoo.
By the end of the year, the Panic of 1907 was sweeping the country, forcing mines across the American West to close. However, Skidoo experienced only a slight reduction in population, maintaining a population of around 300 people.
The Skidoo Pipeline was finally completed at the end of the year, and 1908 witnessed continued positive and improving conditions. The immediate need for a school district was recognized, and work progressed on the Keeler-Skidoo Road. While Skidoo was not initially affected by the Panic of 1907 like many other camps, most available cash had already been utilized, making it difficult to secure additional capital.
During this period, tensions ran high, and doubts about the future temporarily strained tempers, culminating in the hanging of Joe "Hooch" Simpson. Simpson, a gambler from Reno who had resided in Skidoo for some time, was known for his grumpy disposition and excessive drinking. Convinced that James Arnold had wronged him, Simpson entered Arnold’s store and fatally shot him. Arnold, a founding father of the town and a well-liked individual, was mourned by the community. Simpson was immediately arrested, and only through the diplomacy of law enforcement officials was an immediate lynching averted. However, this was merely a temporary reprieve, as on April 22, Simpson was forcibly removed from confinement and summarily hanged from a telephone pole. News of the event spread quickly, and when journalists arrived from other areas seeking photographs, Simpson was re-hanged with grim satisfaction.
The late spring of 1908 saw the commencement of teaming between Owens Valley and Skidoo along a significantly improved route, and by May, the first stamp mills were crushing the high-grade rock at the Skidoo mill. In early June, the first gold brick from the Skidoo Mine, estimated to be worth $4,000, was transported to Rhyolite and then shipped to the mint by Wells Fargo express. Ten stamps were now in operation, and the full process at the mill encompassed crushing, amalgamation, and concentration, with cyanide to be added later. The second brick from May production was valued at $7,000. By the end of June, the mill was treating approximately thirty-five tons daily, with plans to increase to twenty stamps when the demands of the mine justified the additional expenditure. Meanwhile, ore bodies were increasing, and their average value remained steady.
By summer, the repercussions of the Panic of 1907 began to take their toll, resulting in lean business conditions – the bank failed, the Nevada stage line withdrew, and the Skidoo News ceased publication. Despite these setbacks, the camp still boasted a population of 150, and the Skidoo Mines Company maintained its output. Although Bob Montgomery had hoped that the Nevada-California Power Company would extend electrical service to Skidoo and other sections in the district south of Rhyolite, providing power for his mill and freeing up the water line for use by other mills in the area, this never materialized.
Due to the scarcity of mills in the vicinity, little mining activity occurred in Skidoo in the fall of 1908. While the Skidoo Mine continued operations and improvements, the town’s population dwindled by early 1909. In July, the Los Angeles Mining Review reported that the Skidoo Mine ranked second only to the Keane Wonder in production in California in 1909. All indebtedness of the Skidoo Mines Company had been cleared by this time, and the first dividend, totaling $50,000, was paid in July at five cents a share.
Despite the ongoing and successful development at the Skidoo Mine, it became increasingly evident that the town itself was declining, and in September 1909, the school district was closed.
When Frank Montgomery, nephew of Bob Montgomery, assumed management of the Skidoo Mine in the winter of 1909-10, a new era of productivity commenced. More assertive than his uncle, he divided the workforce, assigning half to development and the other half to supplying ore to the mill. This strategy soon led to the discovery of the most extensive and prosperous ore body. As a result, better returns were achieved, despite the company experiencing pipeline troubles. Although the mine maintained production for several years, monthly net profits gradually declined, interrupted only by an occasional banner year.
At the beginning of 1911, three producing companies and five producing lessees were operating on the Skidoo Mines Company property. July recorded the most extensive run in the mine’s history, generating $18,000. The company paid dividends in October 1911 and again in May 1912. By then, the company reportedly maintained an approximate production of $14,400 a month, earning net profits of around $4,800.
Production suffered a setback in January 1913 when the pipeline froze and burst in several places, necessitating the shutdown of the mill and the subsequent layoff of 40 miners. With future operations uncertain, most men left camp, leaving only a few lessees on the property. Undeterred, the company began the arduous task of repairing the pipeline. However, a more serious calamity befell the operation when most of the mill structure was destroyed by a fire of unknown origin on June 2, 1913. The loss amounted to a staggering $50,000, with only one battery of five stamps being salvaged. While parts of the old structure could be reused, a substantial amount of new material was required to modernize the mill. By October 1913, a new ten-stamp mill was commissioned, and a heavy winter yield was anticipated.
Production progressed well enough that another dividend was paid by July 1914, demonstrating the company’s resilience and the resources of its mine. By October, 35 men were again on the company payroll, engaged in exploration and development work. In 1915, the mine continued to make improvements, and the town of Skidoo still supported a small population, although several lots were being sold.
However, Skidoo‘s days were numbered. In September 1917, it was reported that the Skidoo‘s rich vein had pinched out, leading to the permanent closure of the mine, coinciding with the demise of Rhyolite and Greenwater around the same time. The post office closed the same year, and the iron and steel remnants of the mill and pipeline were dismantled and sold.
In January 1926, the Skidoo mines were reopened under different ownership, and work continued under various companies throughout the early 1940s. During the early 1950s, the tungsten boom swept through the Skidoo area, and although several hundred claims were staked, the ore was of low grade. Sporadic mining continued for several decades, leaving shafts, cuts, and tailings scattered throughout the area.
While the townsite no longer exists, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The area is dotted with mining ruins, equipment, shafts, and adits, and the old mill still stands, along with a cemetery. The site is located off Wildrose Road on an unpaved road that requires a high-clearance vehicle. The legacy of Skidoo, California, remains a testament to the allure of gold, the indomitable spirit of the American West, and the ephemeral nature of boomtowns.