Willow Creek and Gold Valley Mining Camps of California
Nestled in the harsh, unforgiving landscape approximately ten miles south of Greenwater, California (a winding 15 miles by road), lies a region once teeming with the hopes and dreams of prospectors: the area encompassing Willow Creek and Gold Valley. This arid expanse became the stage for a miniature version of the Greenwater boom, a fleeting but fervent chapter in the history of California’s mining legacy. The story of these camps is a testament to the allure of precious metals, the struggle for survival in a desolate environment, and the boom-and-bust cycles that defined the American West.
The narrative of Willow Creek and Gold Valley is inextricably linked to the scarcity of water in the region. In the unforgiving expanse of Death Valley, water was more valuable than gold itself. Ironically, the initial significance of Willow Creek wasn’t tied to a rich mineral deposit but to the discovery of a reliable water source. In August 1906, as the Greenwater boom reached its zenith, news spread of a freshwater spring located in the area. Prospectors, weary from their arduous search for riches, estimated that the spring could sustain 3,000 to 4,000 people. This discovery served as a siren call, drawing more hopefuls to the area. Willow Creek, with its precious water, offered a lifeline in the parched southern reaches of Death Valley. Even if the dream of striking gold or copper remained elusive, the prospectors could at least be assured of survival, spared from the ever-present threat of dehydration.
The presence of a viable water source, coupled with the fervor of the Greenwater boom, rapidly transformed Willow Creek. Prospectors swarmed the area, driven by the hope of finding their fortune. It wasn’t long before copper deposits were discovered near the spring, further fueling the burgeoning excitement. By the end of August 1906, a makeshift camp had sprung up around the spring, and claims were being staked at a feverish pace. While the copper deposits in Willow Creek were generally considered less lucrative than those in Greenwater, the Bullfrog Miner newspaper, ever eager to promote the latest boom, enthusiastically declared, "Willow Creek Is the Latest!" This proclamation captured the prevailing optimism and the ripple effect of the Greenwater boom, which was now extending into the Willow Creek area.
The spirit of optimism and speculation, which had propelled Greenwater to prominence in such a short time, rapidly permeated the Willow Creek and Gold Valley area, triggering a smaller but nonetheless significant boom. By the close of September 1906, the influx of prospectors was substantial enough to justify the establishment of a freight line from Kingston, the newest station on the Tonopah & Tidewater Railroad. Ambitious mining promoters from Rhyolite, Nevada, recognized the potential of the new territory and quickly moved in. Among them was Senator T. L. Oddie, a prominent figure who secured a significant number of copper claims. Chet Leavitt, another eager entrepreneur, also arrived from the Lee-Echo District. In addition to staking numerous claims, Leavitt announced the formation of a townsite company, intending to capitalize on the boom by developing the town of Copper Basin. The first mining company in Willow Creek and Gold Valley, the Greenwater Pasadena Copper Mining Company, was incorporated in September and promptly put six men to work on its 40 claims. The Bullfrog Miner reported that "very high-grade copper ore was uncovered and that there was quite a rush from Greenwater to the discovery scene."
October 1906 witnessed T.L. Oddie’s active engagement with his newly acquired property, investing $30,000 to expand his holdings. On October 4th, he formally incorporated the Greenwater Arcturus Copper Company, boasting a substantial capitalization of $3,000,000. Oddie’s activities attracted a wave of competition. Within a few weeks, the Greenwater Willow Creek Copper Company was incorporated on November 12th with $2,000,000, followed by the Greenwater Baltic Copper Mining Company on November 14th, capitalized at $1,000,000. These incorporations provide a glimpse into the frenzied activity surrounding the development of this new mining area. The rapid transfer of wealth is underscored by one individual’s purchase of five copper claims for $25,000, while the Greenwater Baltic acquired its four claims near the headwaters of Willow Creek for a staggering $75,000. The initial rush of miners into the Willow Creek and Gold Valley region created competition for townsite locations.
Fueled by the excitement surrounding the copper strikes, a fierce competition for prime townsite locations erupted. In November 1906, the townsite of Willow Creek was established near Willow Springs, strategically located adjacent to the property of Oddie’s Greenwater Arcturus Copper Company. Surveyors were immediately dispatched to lay out a pipeline connecting the spring to the new townsite, and a pump was ordered to ensure a reliable water supply. E. E. Mattison, the promoter of the new townsite, wasted no time in advertising in the Rhyolite newspapers, promising prospective residents an "ample water supply" and convenient telephone and telegraph connections. Lots were offered for sale at prices ranging from $150 to $250 each. The townsite battle was swift and decisive. With the official opening of the Willow Creek townsite, Chet Leavitt’s Copper Basin quickly faded into obscurity, effectively folding overnight.
The copper boom in Willow Creek mirrored the trajectory of the Greenwater boom, continuing at a moderate pace through the remainder of 1906. On November 30th, the Busch brothers of Rhyolite, Nevada, announced the formation of the Greenwater Amalgamated Copper Company, which controlled 15 claims in the district. Sales of other claims continued apace. One enterprising prospector managed to sell 15 claims for $30,000 in cash, leveraging their proximity to Senator Oddie’s Greenwater Arcturus properties. Other claims were bought, sold, and traded, and several incorporated mining companies, such as the Greenwater Pasadena and the Greenwater Amalgamated Copper, began development work. By the close of 1906, it was reported that Willow Creek was "going to make a flourishing camp." The burgeoning townsite already boasted three stores, two lodging houses, and three saloons, indicative of the rapid growth and the influx of people drawn by the promise of riches.
The initial fervor surrounding the copper boom subsided during the winter months, and the various mining companies settled into the arduous task of prospecting and ore extraction. The copper belt in the Willow Creek and Gold Valley region was relatively small, which led to a decline in prospecting activity in the area. The Greenwater Arcturus, Senator Oddie’s company, maintained a steady work pace through the early months of 1907, while other companies operated more sporadically. The Greenwater Amalgamated Copper Company, for instance, ceased operations after barely a month and was never heard from again. Similarly, the Greenwater Willow Creek Copper Company never even commenced work.
Despite the decline in activity, several more mining companies were incorporated in the area, including the Greenwater Clinton Copper Mining Company, the Nevada Greenwater Mining, Milling and Smelting Company, and the Greenwater Guggenheim Copper Company. This last company, however, had no affiliation with the well-known Guggenheim family and was promptly denounced by the Death Valley Chuck-Walla as an outright fraud, as the three claims it purported to hold in Willow Creek did not exist. The company quickly ceased advertising its nonexistent mine and disappeared from the scene.
By the end of March 1907, with the Greenwater Pasadena, the Greenwater Arcturus, the Greenwater Baltic, and the Greenwater Clinton mining companies actively engaged in development work, a resident confidently proclaimed that the Willow Creek section would prove to be one of the richest copper mines around Greenwater. As April transitioned into May, the district settled into a routine, with its companies focused on locating and extracting copper deposits. Willow Creek presented the image of a small, promising suburb of Greenwater. However, the situation took an unexpected turn in May 1907 when the Greenwater Baltic Mining Company discovered a high-grade silver-lead streak on its property.
While copper had been the initial draw, the discovery of silver injected new life into the Willow Creek and Gold Valley mining district. The discovery of silver sparked a renewed rush to Willow Creek. Within a week of the announcement of the strike on the Baltic property, the Bullfrog Miner declared that a "Wild Rush Is On to Willow Creek." New claims were staked, and several more silver strikes were reported. A new wave of prospectors swept through the area, searching for silver indications that had been previously ignored in the initial rush for copper. The Greenwater Copperhead Company was formed based on silver-lead indications on its claims, and numerous smaller silver mines were opened. Volunteers began working on a wagon road to improve access to the camp.
The Bullfrog Miner reported in mid-May, "Willow Creek Still On The Boom. The New Camp Is Assuming City Proportions." The paper predicted that telegraph and telephone lines would soon be established, and a water company had been organized to pipe water from Willow Springs up to the townsite. The Tonopah & Tidewater Railroad, recognizing the increased freight traffic to the re-booming area, added Willow Creek to its new timetable as a freighting point, with teams connecting the townsite to Tecopa Station. The revived boom also prompted existing copper companies to re-evaluate their holdings, conducting new assays of their ore to identify traces of silver or gold that had been previously overlooked. By the end of May, with both new and established companies actively working, the Willow Creek District appeared exceptionally prosperous, brimming with promise for the future. A petition was circulating in the area for a new post office, and there was even talk of using the pure water of Willow Creek to establish a brewery.
However, at the same time that the new gold and silver finds were attracting prospectors to the territory, some of the older copper mines were beginning to shut down, as the rich surface copper streaks thinned out with depth, mirroring the experience at Greenwater. The Greenwater Pasadena Copper Mining Company ceased operations in late May, followed by the Greenwater Copperhead Company in early June. The Greenwater Baltic, the Greenwater Arcturus, the Nevada Greenwater, and the Greenwater Clinton continued to work, however, as most of them had discovered enough traces of gold or silver on their properties to warrant further development.
Even with the closure of some mines, the Willow Creek townsite continued to be described as prosperous. In June, Harry Ramsey and O. B. Clover made a surface strike of gold about four miles southeast of Willow Spring. The gold, which assayed at $200 per ton, led Ramsey and Clover to proclaim that they had finally found the "Real and only Breyfogle Mine." With the promise of riches, the Bullfrog Miner soon predicted that the Willow Creek and Gold Valley area would "undoubtedly distance Greenwater in a short time." The Inyo Register reported that the "Latest reports from the scene of the new strike in the Willow Creek District indicate that the surface showing is the richest ever discovered in this desert region, if not in the world."
The new rush resulted in the opening of numerous small mines, as well as the reintroduction of townsite battles. The Goldsworthy brothers, responsible for one of the larger gold strikes, announced the formation of the Gold Valley townsite. The Inyo County Board of Supervisors approved the plat of their townsite, which revealed an immense camp of 96 blocks, with over 1,200 lots surveyed and ready for sale. As August continued, more gold strikes were reported, and two wise prospectors, capitalizing on the new rush fever, sold their gold claims for $50,000. The rush to the new gold section of the district threatened to eclipse the older copper section entirely, and the Greenwater Arcturus closed down on October 5, as did the Nevada Greenwater Mining, Milling and Smelting Company.
By the end of that month, it was clear that gold had replaced copper in the Willow Creek District, "not because they don’t have copper," said the Bullfrog Miner, "but because copper is down to 15¢ a pound and gold is $248 a pound." The paper counted 14 gold strikes in the district. Most of the miners and prospectors, wary of the boom-and-bust cycle of the Greenwater mining companies, were attempting to work their properties without outside financing. It was a prudent decision, given the Greenwater bust and the Panic of 1907, which made it difficult to attract investment dollars for new districts and unproven mines. Despite these challenges, several new gold mining companies were incorporated in the fall of 1907, including the Sunset Gold Mining Company in late September, the Willow Creek Gold Mining Company in mid-October, and the Willow Creek Combination Mining and Milling Company in late November. The latter company, however, was unable to attract investment and never began operations. Miners forged ahead, and the new gold district looked good, considering the times. Gold Valley added a lodging house and a barbershop to its list of businesses, and the Bullfrog Miner called it "a considerable mining settlement."
The Greenwater Times stated in early November that only the collapse of the Greenwater District and the effects of the Panic of 1907 kept Willow Creek and Gold Valley from truly booming. "If it were any other time than now, you would see one of the greatest stampedes in Willow in history, but it is hard to interest people in the way conditions are at this time." There were 35 gold strikes and 20 silver-lead strikes on record, and many properties were being worked, although most were small operations.
Since the lack of financing prevented most mines from incorporating and using investors’ dollars, the district turned to the leasing system, where the owner would rent his property to anyone willing to work it in return for rent or a percentage of the ore. Leasing work was slow and tedious, and the district settled down in the late fall of 1907. The Rhyolite Daily Bulletin noted in late November, "While the financial depression has affected Willow Creek to a certain extent, the showing is such that work will be continued on many properties."
The new town of Gold Valley was not growing fast, although it had eclipsed the townsite of Willow Creek. The Rhyolite Herald reported late in December that accommodations at Gold Valley were limited to ten or twelve tents, a store, and a saloon. As 1908 began, the copper section of Willow Creek was entirely dead, and the only copper companies still operating were those that had subsequently discovered gold or silver.
As the new year started, the district looked as good as possible, considering the depression following the panic. One of the district’s lessees was about to ship out high-grade gold ore, and none of the new gold locations made the previous fall had been allowed to lapse. The Willow Creek Gold Mining Company considered adding a dozen more men to the payroll and building a 15-stamp mill for the mine.
Though development work was slow, the two townsites benefited from the rapid collapse of the Greenwater District. The Rhyolite Daily Bulletin reported that "what buildings remain in Greenwater are being torn down and moved to Gold Valley and the Willow Creek town." With the influx of Greenwater migrants, Gold Valley experienced some growth and, by the end of March, was described as having a population of about 70, with about 20 tent and frame buildings under construction. With its new prosperity, the citizens of Gold Valley applied for a post office, and the Gold Valley Mercantile Company finished and moved into its new building. Then, in late May 1908, one of the biggest lessees in the district made the first shipment of ore. Approximately 25 tons of ore was shipped out, at an estimated worth of around $300 per ton. Despite this shipment, the Bullfrog Miner noted that "Very little outside interest is being manifest in the district." However, the newspaper noted, "When times get better, Willow Creek will make a noise-like a velocity."
Unfortunately, times did not improve, and the Willow Creek and Gold Valley District began to decline. The mines began to close down. The Willow Creek Gold Mining Company ceased operations early in July, and most independent operators were forced to follow. The isolation of the Death Valley mining districts took its toll, for the expense of mining, transportation, and living in a desolate region made mining all but the highest grades of ore impractical. The Rhyolite Herald reported in December that several tons of shipping ore had been taken out of the Greenwater Baltic Mine during the fall of 1908 and that numerous outfits were going back into the district to perform their annual assessment work necessary to retain title to their claims.
Although most prospectors retained their titles through 1909, and the Greenwater Baltic even performed annual work to retain its property through 1910, the Willow Creek District was dead, a victim of hard times, isolation, and insufficient ore. Most miners left the area during the fall of 1908, and the rest left early in 1909. Today, little remains of the Willow Creek and Gold Valley District.