Greenwater, California
Encyclopedia
Greenwater — formerly, Ramsey, The Camp, and Kunze — was an unincorporated community
near Death Valley
in eastern Inyo County
, California
. It is now a deserted ghost town
.
above southeastern Death Valley, at an elevation of 4288 feet (1307 m). It is now located within Death Valley National Park
, north of Smith Mountain
, and south of the Rand, California
mining district ruins.
in the Mojave Desert
that saw its rise and fall within the first decade of the 20th century.
The original townsite, 2 miles (3.2 km) west of the current site and called Kunze after its founder Arthur Kunze, was abandoned in favor of the current site, which was originally called Ramsey. A post office operated at Greenwater from 1906 to 1908.
strike in 1905 the town of Greenwater was a short lived Death Valley
community. So dry was its region that water had to be hauled into the town. The lucrative business of water barrel salesman fetched any entrepreneur $15 per barrel; in 1913 that equaled over $250 in 2004 dollars.
Eventually the town grew to 2,000 people and became known for a local magazine, The Death Valley Chuckwalla
. By 1909 the copper mining had collapsed without ever turning a profit and the residents left town for other areas. Today, there is nothing left of Greenwater.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
near Death Valley
Death Valley
Death Valley is a desert valley located in Eastern California. Situated within the Mojave Desert, it features the lowest, driest, and hottest locations in North America. Badwater, a basin located in Death Valley, is the specific location of the lowest elevation in North America at 282 feet below...
in eastern Inyo County
Inyo County, California
-National protected areas:* Death Valley National Park * Inyo National Forest * Manzanar National Historic Site-Major highways:* U.S. Route 6* U.S. Route 395* State Route 127* State Route 136* State Route 168* State Route 178...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. It is now a deserted ghost town
Ghost town
A ghost town is an abandoned town or city. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it has failed, or due to natural or human-caused disasters such as floods, government actions, uncontrolled lawlessness, war, or nuclear disasters...
.
Geography
Greenwater is located 5.5 miles (8.9 km) north of Funeral Peak in the Funeral MountainsFuneral Mountains
The Funeral Mountains are a short, arid mountain range in the United States along the California-Nevada border approximately 100 mi west of Las Vegas. The mountains are considered a subrange of the Amargosa Range that form the eastern wall of Death Valley.The Amargosa Desert lies along the...
above southeastern Death Valley, at an elevation of 4288 feet (1307 m). It is now located within Death Valley National Park
Death Valley National Park
Death Valley National Park is a national park in the U.S. states of California and Nevada located east of the Sierra Nevada in the arid Great Basin of the United States. The park protects the northwest corner of the Mojave Desert and contains a diverse desert environment of salt-flats, sand dunes,...
, north of Smith Mountain
Smith Mountain (Death Valley)
Smith Mountain, , is a peak in the Amargosa Range in Death Valley National Park in California.It is named after Francis Marion "Borax" Smith, of the local Pacific Coast Borax Company enterprise.-See also:*20 Mule Team Borax*Harmony Borax Works...
, and south of the Rand, California
Rand, California
Rand is an unincorporated community in Kern County, California.It is located on the Southern Pacific Railroad north-northwest of Randsburg, at an elevation of 2690 feet in the Mojave Desert....
mining district ruins.
History
Greenwater was a mining townMining town
A mining community, also known as a mining town or a mining camp, is a community that houses miners. Mining communities are usually created around a mine or a quarry for the extraction or smeltering of ore.-United States:...
in the Mojave Desert
Mojave Desert
The Mojave Desert occupies a significant portion of southeastern California and smaller parts of central California, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah and northwestern Arizona, in the United States...
that saw its rise and fall within the first decade of the 20th century.
The original townsite, 2 miles (3.2 km) west of the current site and called Kunze after its founder Arthur Kunze, was abandoned in favor of the current site, which was originally called Ramsey. A post office operated at Greenwater from 1906 to 1908.
Copper and water
Founded around a copperCopper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
strike in 1905 the town of Greenwater was a short lived Death Valley
Death Valley
Death Valley is a desert valley located in Eastern California. Situated within the Mojave Desert, it features the lowest, driest, and hottest locations in North America. Badwater, a basin located in Death Valley, is the specific location of the lowest elevation in North America at 282 feet below...
community. So dry was its region that water had to be hauled into the town. The lucrative business of water barrel salesman fetched any entrepreneur $15 per barrel; in 1913 that equaled over $250 in 2004 dollars.
Eventually the town grew to 2,000 people and became known for a local magazine, The Death Valley Chuckwalla
Chuckwalla
Chuckwallas are large lizards found primarily in arid regions of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Some are found on coastal islands...
. By 1909 the copper mining had collapsed without ever turning a profit and the residents left town for other areas. Today, there is nothing left of Greenwater.