Desert Messenger

14 www.DesertMessenger.com February 4, 2015 READER'S OASIS BOOKS 690 E. Main - Quartzsite (one block east of Family Dollar) 928-927-6551 Dave's DIESEL DIAGNOSTIC SERVICE David Atherton 605-999-0720 • Pat Atherton 816-797-5460 Located at Quartzsite Marketplace 50 E. Kuehn DIESEL ENGINE MAINTENANCE CLASSES Nov., Dec. & Jan. • Limited Space Sign up fee. Call for information hey RVers! Stylists: Wilma, Lonnie & Lois Headhunters II "The Best Little Hairhouse" in Quartzsite! Cuts - Styles - Perms Colors - Walk-ins- Early Appointments WELCOME BACK SNOWBIRDS & Lonnie! 395 N. CENTRAL (Hwy. 95) Quartzsite "Where getting your hair done is fun!" 928-927-3543 "The Best Little Hairhouse" Wilma Mon. Tues. Wed. by Appointment Lois Wed. & Thurs. Lonnie Tues. & Thurs (starting Nov. 11th) ADVENTURES WITH ROCKS The desert around Quartzsite is full of gold, copper, and other minerals. Both Lode and Placer deposits are found in the Plomosa and Dome Rock Mountains surrounding Quartztsite, and between the Dome Rock area and La Paz there are several working mines and numerous claims in this mineral- rich area. Situated in between these mountain ranges is the LaPosa Plain crisscrossed with washes that are liter- ally saturated with gold bearing gravel. Gold was fi rst mined in the Quartzsite area, historically at least, in the La Paz Valley around 1862. La Paz was a short-lived, early gold mining By Jenn Jedidiah Free for RocksInMyHead™ If you find it, they will come - Quartzsite mining - then and now town The town was settled in 1862 before Arizona was offi cially declared a United States territory. Placer mining in this part of Arizona closely followed the discovery of the La Paz diggings. According to early records, in Janu- ary of 1862, Capt. Pauline Weaver was trapping along Colorado River, and at times would stray off into the moun- tains on prospecting trips for gold. After Indians living in the area showed him some gold nuggets they had found in the area, he organized a party to ex- plore the mountains in the location the Indians told him. The party recov- ered $8,000 in nuggets within a short period of time. Within no time at all a rush to La Paz Valley had begun and hundreds of miners were prospecting in the Dome Rock Mountains. The town of La Paz was established and soon became the supply hub for the entire mining District. At its peak in 1864 the population was about 1,500. The placers on the east side of the Dome Rock Mountains have been worked intermittently since the 1860's. The deposits at La Cholla and the Middle Camp have been worked on a small scale throughout this century. Early production is unknown, but the extensive diggings remaining from the early workers indicate that pro- duction was large. The Plomosa plac- ers were actively mined during the 1910's by compa- nies using large- scale drywashing machines, and these operations attracted much attention from mining men at the time. The resulting litera- ture described the gravels and mining techniques in great detail. Howland Bancroft published the fi rst descriptions of the mines, prospects, and geology of the Northern Plomosa district in 1911 following a visit to the area in 1909. At the time of his visit, two mines, the Little Butte and the Blue Slate, were the largest in opera- tion. Eventually the district totaled 12 named mines. The placers worked by the Yuma Consolidated Co. and the Plomosa Placer Co. during the period 1915-16 were cemented gravels as thick as 140 feet; the gold was concentrated at various horizons in the gravels. These placers were steadily mined by individual drywashers until the 1950's. From the 1930's until 1941, the La Cholla placers were the most active in the area. Large-scale operations by the La Posa Development Co. at the Arizona Drift mine during the period 1939-41 accounted for most of the placer production. Today, the Dome Rock , La Paz, and Plomosa placers are still full of gold waiting to be discovered. A prospec- tor seeking to fi nd treasure here today has a wealth of information available through history from old books and maps. Historical accounts are often painstakingly accurate. Many times, early prospectors and miners mapped or journaled about the mineral bear- ing areas they discovered. Some old maps, archives, and writings contain a wealth of informa- tion on productive deposits. Books, maps, videos and reference guides also help to build a knowledge base and a foundation for under- standing and learn- ing while out in the fi eld. Geological surveys provide detailed information on known mineral deposits, and topo maps show land use, boundaries, roads, trails, and loads of other useful information to help the prospector locate his treasure. And with 4-wheel drive vehicles, GPS, modern equip- ment, and convenient and comfortable camping accomodations, think of how much easier it is to prospect today than it was 100 years ago! For books, maps and other resources on mineral deposits in and around Quartzsite come to RocksInMyHead, Space A37, at Rice Ranch, phone: 605-376-8754. We also have a great selection of prospecting supplies, tools, and equipment available, as well as information on local ghost towns, and gold, gemstone, and mineral de- posits. We are open from 10-5, 7 days a week, and online 24-7 at www.RocksInMyHead.com. La Paz Ghost Town

• Cover