Ghost Towns of Mariposa Co., CA, W

Ghost Town USA’s

Guide to the Ghost Towns, Mining Camps,

and Other Formerly Inhabited Places in

MARIPOSA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.

Locations beginning with W

WALLOUPA

A “phonetically spelled” version of Guadalupe.

WASHBURN MINE

Located at Bridgeport, which was on Agua Fria Creek and White Rock Road, about five miles southwest of Mariposa. Discovered and operated by Henry, John and Edward WASHBURN in the 1860s, this mine was located on Mariposa Creek at Bridgeport. Henry operated a general store as well as the mine, and also built the second road to Yosemite in 1875. He later moved to Wawona and operated the stage station there.

WASHINGTON FLAT (#1)

This 1850s era placer gold mining camp was located on the north side of the Merced River east of Bagby near “Bond Flat.” It was flooded out in 1859 when FREMONT built a dam on the Merced River at Ridley’s Ferry. Exact location not determined.

WASHINGTON FLAT(S) (#2)

This c1850 placer gold mining camp was located on the Merced River near Horseshoe Bend. It is under the waters of Lake McClure. Actual location not determined.

WASHINGTON MINE (#1)

...SEE Jenny Lind Mine

...SEE Hornitos for a listing of the mines in that area.

WASHINGTON MINE (#2)

Located in the Saxton Creek area of the Whitlock Mining District (see below). Actual location not determined.

WAWONA

Built in the 1870s, this resort hotel and stage station on the road to Yosemite was taken over by the Yosemite Park & Curry Company in 1934.

…SEE Way Stations (below) for a listing of the various way stations in Mariposa County.

WAY STATIONS

Throughout the gold country there were numerous roadhouses, inns/lodges, stage stations, railroad stations and other “Way Stations” to allow a traveler a place to stay, eat a meal and spend the night. Listed below are some that were located in Mariposa County. For details follow the links to the appropriate alphabetic listing pages.

· ACORN INN

· AHWAHNEE HOTEL

· BAGBY

· CLARK’S STATION

· COLD SPRING STAGE STATION

· COUGHRAN RANCH STAGE STATION

· DeLONG’S STATION

· DUDLEY’S STATION

· GOFF’S STATION

· GREEN’S STORE

· HUNT’S STORE

· McCAULEY STAGE STATION

· SAVAGE’S CAMP

· SAVAGE’S TRADING POST (#1)

· SAVAGE’S TRADING POST (#2)

· SAVAGE’S TRADING POST (#3)

· SNOW CREEK RANCH …SEE Clark’s Station

· SUMMIT INN

· TIMBER LODGE

· WAWONA …SEE above

· WEBB STATION …SEE below

· WHITE & HATCH’S STAGE STATION …SEE below

WEBB STATION

This old way station (see above) is located west of Lake McClure, on the Merced Falls Road, 5.7 AIR miles north-northeast of Merced Falls (Merced Co.).

WEST RUTHERFORD MINE

This old mine was located in the Clearinghouse Mining District. Actual location not determined.

WEST WESTFALL AREA COPPER MINES

(My term until I find the actual name of the mining district -- GBS)

In the southwestern part of the county, west of West Westfall Road, between Mariposa Creek and Preston Road, a group of copper mines were active from the 1860s-1880s. Some of these mines include:

· COPPER HILL MINE

· GOODVIEW MINE

· GREAT NORTHERN MINE

· GREEN MOUNTAIN

· GREEN MOUNTAIN SMELTER

· JOHNNIE GREEN MINE

· LAST CHANCE COPPER MINE

· LOOKOUT MINE

· POCAHONTAS MINE

· SAN JOSE MINE

· WHITE ROCK MINE #1 … SEE below

WHISKEY FLAT

This 1850s era gold mining camp was located in Sherlock Gulch, two miles north of Whitlock, in the Whitlock Mining District (see below).

WHITE & COMPANY SAWMILL

…SEE Bexter White & Company’s Sawmill

WHITE & HATCH’s SAWMILL

This 1862 era sawmill was located about a quarter mile from the White & Hatch Stage Station, which was near DeLong Creek and SH 49, 1.1 miles east of the Chowchilla River crossing between Usona and Elliot Corner. An active dispute over ownership of nearby land between them and neighbor Charles DeLONG resulted in the mill being seriously damaged by a harrow tooth driven into a tree, which ended up wrecked one of their saw blades.

WHITE & HATCH’S STAGE STATION

This 1859-60s era stage station/stopping point was located about a quarter mile from the White & Hatch Sawmill and Delong’s Station, which was along DeLong Creek and SH 49, 1.1 miles east of the Chowchilla River crossing between Usona and Elliot Corner.

…SEE Way Stations (above) for a listing of the various way stations in Mariposa County.

WHITE PORPHYRY GROUP

This is a group of 1870s-era gold mines located in the Cat Town Mining District. Actual location not determined.

WHITE ROCK MINE (#1)

This copper mine was located in the West Westfall Copper Mines area (see above), 0.6 AIR miles west of White Rock Road, at a point 2.4 AIR miles southwest of the junction of White Rock/West Westfall roads, and 7.2 AIR miles south of Cathey’s Valley.

WHITE ROCK MINE (#2)

In the Granite Springs Mining District, which is located in the upper northwest corner of the county, straddling the Tuolumne County line, north of Lake McClure. Most of the gold mines in the district closed down by the 1930s. Actual location of the mine is not determined.

WHITLOCK

AKA – Farmer’s Hope, Whitlock Creek, Whitlock Gulch

This 1850s-early 1900s placer and hard rock mining town was located in Whitlock Gulch, 3.5 miles northwest of Mariposa. The camp had a post office from Mar 15, 1899-Oct 31, 1910. In 1858 there were three stamp mill complexes with a total of 20 stamps operating. In 1863 a 12-stamp mill was built. It was in the heart of the Whitlock Mining District (see below).

WHITLOCK CREEK

...SEE Whitlock (above)

WHITLOCK GROUP

…SEE Whitlock Mines (below)

WHITLOCK GULCH

...SEE Whitlock (above)

WHITLOCK MINES

AKA – WHITLOCK Group

This hard rock gold mine group was consolidated from the Whitlock and Alabama Mines. It was located east of the Whitlock Creek road, 3.5 AIR miles northwest of Mariposa. It was part of the Whitlock Mining District (see below). They yielded $500,000 in gold.

WHITLOCK MINING DISTRICT

Located in the Sherlock Creek-Whitlock Creek area, centered in a large area about five miles north of Mariposa and west of SH 140, there were a large number of productive gold mines located here. Placer mining occurred here from 1849-early 1850s, followed by hard rock mining from the mid 1850s-1870s. There was also a lot of activity in the 1930s-1942. Several mines were active into the 1960s.

For details on the below listed mines, follow the links to the appropriate alphabetic listing pages.

· ALABAMA MINE

· ARTRU MINE

· B & B MINE

· BUENA VISTA MINE

· BUFFALO MINE (#2)

· CHAMPION MINE (#2)

· CHANCE MINE

· COLORADO MINE

· DILTZ MINE

· FARMERS HOPE MINE

· GEARY MINE

· GOLDEN KEY MINE

· KID SAXON MINE ...SEE Schroeder Mine

· KING & HARBOR’S SAWMILL (#1)

· KING SAXON MINE ...SEE Schroeder Mine

· KING SOLOMON MINE (#1)

· LANDRUM MINE

· LITTLE CHARLIE MINE

· MINER’S HOPE MINE

· MOCKINGBIRD MINE

· MOHAWK MINE

· NUTMEG MINE

· ORO GRANDE MINE

· OUR CHANCE MINE

· PADDY McCANN MINE

· PERMIT MINE

· PIONEER MINE

· QUEEN SAXON MINE ...SEE Schroeder Mine

· RAYSEED MINE

· REX MINE ...SEE Schroeder Mine

· ROOSEVELT MINE

· SAXTON CREEK

· SCHROEDER MINE

· SHERLOCK’S DIGGINGS

· SPREAD EAGLE MINE

· SULTANA MINE

· WASHINGTON MINE (#2) …SEE above

· WHISKEY FLAT …SEE above

· WHITLOCK GROUP …SEE Whitlock Mine (above)

· WHITLOCK MINE …SEE above

· WORK YOUR OWN DIGGINGS MINE …SEE WYOD (below)

· WYOD MINE

· YELLOW METALS MINE

WHITLOCK SCHOOL

This one-room school was located 1.6 miles northwest of the junction of Sherlock/Whitlock roads, near the junction of Whitlock/Lyons Gulch Road. Saloons and a mill were located nearby.

WILLIAMS MINE

One of a dozen or so gold mines located at Hite’s Cove. Actual location not determined.

WINDY GAP

Listed in CHAMBERLAIN’s The Call of Gold as one of the unique place names in the Coulterville-Yosemite Road region. No location is given. I assume it would be somewhere between Coulterville and Yosemite Valley.

WOODLAND SCHOOL

Location not determined.

WORK YOUR OWN DIGGINGS MINE.

…SEE WYOD Mine

WORMAN’S SAWMILL

Russell & Dan WORMAN built a sawmill at an undisclosed location in 1919.

WYOD MINE

AKA – Work Your Own Diggings Mine

One of several dozen mines located in the Sherlock-Whitlock area in the Whitlock Mining District (see above). Actual location not determined..

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