Cerro Gordo Mines
The Cerro Gordo Mines are a collection of abandoned mines located in Cerro Gordo in the Inyo Mountains, Inyo County, near Lone Pine, California. Mining operations spanned 1866 to 1957, producing high grade silver, lead, zinc ore, and more rarely gold ore and copper ore. Some ore was smelted on site, but larger capacity smelters were eventually constructed along the shore of nearby Owens Lake.
Cerro Gordo Mines and ghost town in 1980 | |
| Location | |
|---|---|
Cerro Gordo | |
| Location | near Keeler, California |
| State | California |
| Country | United States |
| Coordinates | 36°32′16″N 117°47′42″W |
| Production | |
| Products | silver, lead, and zinc |
| Type | underground |
| Greatest depth | at least 1,100 ft (340 m) |
| History | |
| Discovered | 1865 |
| Opened | 1866 |
| Closed | 1957 |
| Owner | |
| Company | Brent Underwood |
These smelting operations were the beginnings of the towns of Swansea and Keeler. Most of the metal ingots produced here were transported to Los Angeles, but transportation difficulties hindered the success of the mines. Mining of silver and lead peaked in the early 1880s, with a second mining boom producing zinc in the 1910s.
During its peak, Cerro Gordo was home to some 4,700 people and the site is known as a California ghost town today.