Coso
Located within the confines of the United States Naval Weapons Center at China Lake, Coso was discovered in March 1860 by Dr. E. Darwin French who was looking for the Lost Gunsight Mine. His Butte Mining and Exploring Company quickly changed it's name to the Coso Gold and Silver Company. A group of prospectors who had been following French's expedition down from Oroville soon arrived, staked their claims, and the Coso Mining District was organized. This second group was led by Dr. Samuel Gregg George. W. I. Henderson, a member of this party discovered and named Telescope Peak, and was among the first white men to view the hot mud springs at Coso
Coso Juuction - 1927 Frasher photoOre found in 1860 by M. H. Farley, a prospector in French's party, assayed over $1,000 per ton in silver and $20 per ton in gold. By June 24, 1860, 500 men had stormed into Coso. In August, mines were being discovered with ore assaying $2,000 or more of silver per ton. This caused a flurry of stock promotion companies trying to raise capital for a district plagued by unfriendly Indians who for many years had visited the healthy hot springs, and probably feared their loss to white miners
After several battles with the Indians, and with the stockholding public having lost trust in Coso's riches, the Anglo miners abandoned Coso, leaving it to "Mexicans" who reorganized the district on March 23, 1868. The Coso Range experienced sporadic production during the l890s and again in the 1930s, though no activity approximated the fever of the l860s. However, $17,000 worth of cinnabar (mercury ore) was mined near Coso Hot Springs between 1929 and 1939. At the time of military land withdrawal, the area contained over 100 validated gold, silver, tungsten copper, zinc, and quicksilver mining claims, a rather large reserve of mineral wealth.
Timeline*
1860 - E. Darwin French enters the Coso area while searching for the Lost Gunsight Mine.March 1860 - The Coso Mining District begins to take shape.
June 24, 1860 - About 500 men are reported in the district.
1860s - Stock promotion, conflict, and declining confidence weaken the boom.
March 23, 1868 - Mexican miners reorganize the district.
1890s - Sporadic renewed production.
1929-1939 - Cinnabar is mined near Coso Hot Springs.
Notes*
Why Coso Matters:
Coso is significant because it shows how quickly a desert mineral discovery could produce a rush, a mining district, stock promotion, conflict, and abandonment. It connects several major themes of Mojave Desert and eastern California history: the Lost Gunsight Mine legend, early silver excitement, Native use of hot springs, later mercury mining, and the eventual withdrawal of mineralized desert lands for military use.Native People and the Hot Springs
Older mining accounts often described Native people in the Coso region as "unfriendly," but that wording reflects the viewpoint of incoming miners and investors. From the Native perspective, the arrival of prospectors threatened long-used springs, travel routes, food-gathering areas, and culturally important places. The conflict at Coso was not simply an obstacle to mining. It was part of the larger collision between Indigenous land use and Euro-American mineral expansion.Source Note
This entry is based on Desert Fever: An Overview of Mining History of the California Desert Conservation Area. Some wording in older mining sources reflects the attitudes of its time. This page preserves the historical sequence while updating the framing where needed.Dr. Darwin French
Darwin French was a physician, rancher, and desert explorer whose search for the Lost Gunsight Mine helped attach his name to Darwin, Darwin Falls, and the surrounding Mojave Desert landscape.*Added supplemental info