Ghost Towns of California (A-B)

Ghost Towns Of California A B

118 Mile House, CA

County: Kern
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude: 35° 15′ 24″ N, 118° 2′ 11″ W
Elevation:
Time Zone: Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
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Disestablished:
Comments: 18 Mile House is a former settlement in Kern County, California. It was located just south of Cinco. 18 Mile House began as a travelers’ rest stop.
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Agua Fria, CA

County: Mariposa
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude: 37°29′06″N 120°01′13″W / 37.48500°N 120.02028°W / 37.48500 -120.02028
Elevation: 2,001 ft (610 m)
Time Zone: Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
Established:
Disestablished:
Comments: Agua Fria (formerly, Agua Frio, Agua Frie, and Aqua Fria) is an unincorporated community in Mariposa County, California. It is located 5.25 miles (8.4 km) northeast of Catheys Valley, at an elevation of 2001 ft (610 m). Agua Fria is the former county seat of Mariposa County located approximately three miles west of Mariposa, California.
Remains: Agua Fria was originally a mining camp of the California Gold Rush and was divided into Lower Agua Fria and Upper Agua Fria. Agua Fria means “cold water” in Spanish, and the name was derived from two springs of cold water about a quarter-mile below Lower Agua Fria (the main part of town). It may have been here that John C. Fremont’s men discovered gold in 1849 on his Rancho Las Mariposas. In 1850, it was a booming trade center and the final destination for many new arrivals in California. It was Mariposa County’s first Seat of Justice from February 18, 1850, to November 10, 1851. A post office was established on October 7, 1851.
Current Status: Agua Fria is a ghost town with little to see but grassy meadows. It is accessible via Agua Fria Road to Mount Bullion and the site of Princeton. It is also an alternate route into Mariposa. The site is private property and is a California Historical Landmark (#518).
Remarks: In 1853, a 6-stamp quartz mill was established in Upper Agua Fria. The camp boasted a hotel, express office, assayers, billiard room, bowling alley, monte and faro banks, about a dozen stores, numerous tents, and log cabins by the fall of 1850. The population started to decline by the mid-19th century, and the city suffered destructive fires and was never rebuilt. A post office operated at Agua Fria from 1851 to 1862.

Agua Mansa, CA

County: San Bernardino
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude: 34°02′31″N 117°21′50″W / 34.04194°N 117.36389°W / 34.04194 -117.36389
Elevation: 922 ft (281 m)
Time Zone: Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
Established:
Disestablished:
Comments: Agua Mansa (“gentle water”) is a former settlement in an unincorporated area of San Bernardino County, near Colton, California, United States.
Remains: The town was established in 1845 in Mexican Alta California. It was on the Santa Ana River, across from the Mexican-era settlement of La Placita. Agua Mansa and La Placita were the first non-native settlements in the San Bernardino Valley. Together known as “San Salvador”, they were also the largest settlements between Santa Fe de Nuevo México and the Pueblo de Los Ángeles in the 1840s.
Current Status: Now a ghost town, only the cemetery remains, it once was the largest settlement in San Bernardino County.
Remarks: In 1845, Don Juan Bandini donated parts of his land grant Rancho Jurupa to a group of Mexican colonists from Abiquiú in Santa Fe de Nuevo México — on the condition that they would assist in protecting his stock from local Indian raids. Ten of these families moved to 2,000 acres (810 ha) on the “Bandini Donation” on the east side of the Santa Ana River, forming the village of La Placita, while a second group colonized the west side of the river, forming the town of Agua Mansa. The group that formed Agua Mansa was led by Don Jose Tomas Salajar, and included Cristobal Slover and Louis Rubidoux.

Allard, CA

County: Kern
Zip Code:
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Time Zone: Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
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Comments: Allard is a former settlement in Kern County, California. It was located on the railroad 2 miles (3.2 km) west-northwest of Bealville.
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Alma, CA

County: Santa Clara
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude: 37°10′48″N 121°58′48″W / 37.18000°N 121.98000°W / 37.18000 -121.98000
Elevation: 551 ft (168 m)
Time Zone: Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
Established:
Disestablished:
Comments: Alma is a ghost town in Santa Clara County in California, United States. It lies beneath the waters of the Lexington Reservoir above Los Gatos. The location is latitude 37.18N and longitude 121.98W. It was 551 ft (168 meters) above sea level.
Remains: There are two different possible origins for the name of the town. The first is that the town was the location of a branch road that led to the New Almaden mine. The second, and more fanciful, the origin is that the town was named after a local prostitute. The original town name registered with the Postal Service in 1861 was Lexington. It was re-registered as Alma in 1873.
Current Status: Some foundational structures are only visible when the water levels drop in the reservoir, and some old roads and a bridge dating from 1926. The bridge can only be viewed when the water level is unusually low, such as in the summer of 2008 when construction on the dam lowered the water level to 7% capacity. Modern-day State Route 17 passes by the reservoir—beneath which lie the former towns of Lexington and Alma. A U.S. Weather Bureau cooperative weather station in Alma reported average annual rainfall of 22.60 inches (573.5 millimeters).
Remarks: The town was mostly demolished when the James J. Lenihan Dam was constructed there in 1952. Alma, at the time, had a population of fewer than 100 people. The town was an important rail stop for the logging industry in the Santa Cruz Mountains as well as a stop for vacationers heading to the coast from the Santa Clara Valley. Just north of Alma was the town of Lexington, which had greatly declined by the time that dam and reservoir were constructed. Alma had a stage stop, hotel, saloons, small agricultural operations, general merchandise store, and lumber mills, as well as other establishments. The South Pacific Coast Railroad served Alma between 1880 and 1940, providing service between Los Gatos and Santa Cruz via Wrights, also known as Wrights Station or Wright’s Station.

Amalie, CA

County: Kern
Zip Code:
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Time Zone: Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
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Comments: Amalie is a former settlement in Kern County, California. It was located 2.5 miles (4 km) southwest of Loraine. A post office operated at Amalie from 1894 to 1908, moving in 1902 and 1906.
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Amboy, CA

County: San Bernardino
Zip Code: 92304
Latitude / Longitude: 34°33′25″N 115°44′42″W / 34.55694°N 115.74500°W / 34.55694
Elevation:
Time Zone: Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
Established: 1883
Disestablished:
Comments: Amboy is an unincorporated community in San Bernardino County, in California’s Mojave Desert, west of Needles and east of Ludlow on historic Route 66. It is roughly 60 miles (97 km) northeast of Twentynine Palms. Prior to 2015, the town’s business district contained a post office, a historic restaurant-motel, and a Route 66 tourist shop.
Remains: Although Amboy was first settled in 1858, the town was not established until 1883. Lewis Kingman, a locating engineer for the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad, created the town as the first of a series of alphabetical railroad stations that were to be constructed across the Mojave Desert. In 1926, Amboy became a boomtown after the opening of U.S. Route 66. In 1938, Roy’s Motel and Café opened, which prospered due to its isolated location on the route. By 1940, Amboy’s population had increased to 65. Its growth was tied not only to tourists, but also to the Santa Fe Railroad over which freight trains still run today between Kingman, Arizona, and the BNSF Railway Barstow, California yard.
Current Status: During the Great Depression and World War II, tourism declined nationally. But the remaining travelers’ need for lodging, meals, and gasoline kept the town busy. The town remained this way until the opening of Interstate 40 in 1973, which bypassed Amboy. Two extinct volcanoes are located to the west of Amboy: Amboy Crater is a 6,000-year-old cinder cone volcano, made largely of pahoehoe lava, and Pisgah Crater, also a cinder cone volcano, is located near Interstate 40. Because of quarry operations, the crater is not as well preserved as Amboy Crater.
Remarks: Part of the 1986 motion picture The Hitcher with Rutger Hauer was filmed in Amboy while Roy’s was the setting for a 1999 television commercial for Qwest Communications. It was also used in Enrique Iglesias’ music video “Hero” and the film Live Evil. Owners Wilson and White maintained Amboy in weathered, unrestored condition for use as a motion picture film site. A large portion of the 2010 movie Beneath the Dark was filmed in Amboy. In 1993, Huell Howser visited Amboy during episode 410 of California’s Gold as part of his ongoing series visiting interesting areas of California. During the episode, he interviewed Buster Burris, the owner of Roy’s. The episode was aired on December 3, 1993, and also showed Wonder Valley in the Morongo Basin and the Amboy Crater.

Antelope House, CA

County: Calaveras
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude: 38° 5′ 17.52″ N, 120° 52′ 24.96″ W
Elevation:
Time Zone: Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
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Comments: Antelope House is a former settlement and wayside in Calaveras County, just across the Calaveras River from Jenny Lind.
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Artwell, CA

County: Kern
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude: 35° 13′ 41.2″ N, 119° 6′ 5.54″ W
Elevation:
Time Zone: Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
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Comments: Artwell is a former settlement in Kern County, California. It was located on the railroad 2.5 miles (4 km) south of Bannister.
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Ashford Mill, CA

County: Inyo
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude: 35°55′08″N 116°41′05″W / 35.91889°N 116.68472°W / 35.91889 -116.68472
Elevation: -121 ft (-37 m)
Time Zone: Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
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Disestablished:
Comments: Ashford Mill is a former mining town settlement in Inyo County, California. It was located in Death Valley, at an elevation of 121 ft (37 m) below sea level. The place is now protected ruins within Death Valley National Park.
Remains:
Current Status: The ruins of Ashford Mill in 1970. They have deteriorated substantially since. The original mill at the site was built in 1914 by brothers named Ashford. The ore was processed here from the Golden Treasure Mine 5 miles to the east in the Amargosa Range, and processed for further smelting.
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Asphalto, CA

County: Kern
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude: 35°18′17″N 119°36′03″W / 35.30472°N 119.60083°W / 35.30472 -119.60083
Elevation: 932 ft (284 m)
Time Zone: Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
Established:
Disestablished:
Comments: Asphalto is a former settlement in Kern County, California. It was located on the railroad 3 miles (4.8 km) northeast of McKittrick, at an elevation of 932 ft (284 m). Asphalto still appeared on maps as of 1932.
Remains: Originally the site of the Aguaje de La Brea a watering place on El Camino Viejo. The site has fossils in the asphalt deposits here, similar to other places in the vicinity of McKittrick. A post office operated at Asphalto from 1893 to 1894, and from 1898 to 1900, when service was transferred to McKittrick.
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Atolia, CA

County: San Bernardino
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude: 35° 18′ 53″ N, 117° 36′ 33″ W
Elevation:
Time Zone: Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
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Comments: Atolia is a town in the Mojave Desert near Randsburg, in northwestern San Bernardino County, California.
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Avena, CA

County: Inyo
Zip Code:
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Time Zone: Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
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Comments: Avena is a former settlement in Inyo County, California. It was located about halfway between Bishop and Round Valley. A post office operated at Avena from 1880 to 1885.
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Bagdad, CA

County: San Bernardino
Zip Code: 92304
Latitude / Longitude: 34°34′58″N 115°52′32″W / 34.58278°N 115.87556°W / 34.58278
Elevation: 755 ft (230 m)
Time Zone: Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
Established: 1883
Disestablished: 1970-72
Comments: Bagdad is a ghost town in the Mojave Desert, in San Bernardino County, California.
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Current Status:
Remarks: The town is known as the fictionalized setting of a novel and a motion picture called Bagdad Café. The movie was shot at the Sidewinder Cafe in nearby Newberry Springs, which has since been renamed the “Bagdad Café.” In 1990, CBS ran a television series Bagdad Cafe, for one season.

Balaklava Hill, CA

County: Calaveras
Zip Code:
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Time Zone: Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
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Comments: Balaklava Hill is a former settlement in Calaveras County, 2.5 miles (4.0 km) south of Vallecito. The place was named after the Battle of Balaklava in the Crimean War.
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Ballarat, CA

County: Inyo
Zip Code: 93592
Latitude / Longitude: 36°02′52″N 117°13′24″W / 36.04778°N 117.22333°W / 36.04778
Elevation: 1,079 ft (329 m)
Time Zone: Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
Established:
Disestablished:
Comments: Ballarat is an unincorporated community in Inyo County, California. It lies at an elevation of 1079 ft (329 m).
Remains: The town was founded in 1897. In its heyday—from 1897 to 1905—Ballarat had 400 to 500 residents. It hosted seven saloons, three hotels, a Wells Fargo station, a post office (that opened in 1897), a school, a jail, and a morgue, but no churches. Ballarat was a place for miners and prospectors in the area to resupply and relax. The town began its decline when the Ratcliff Mine, in Pleasant Canyon east of town, suspended operations. Other mines nearby also began to play out, and in 1917 the post office closed and all that remained were a few diehard prospectors and desert rats.
Current Status: Today, Ballarat is a virtual ghost town. It was founded in 1896 as a supply point for the mines in the canyons of the Panamint Range. A quarter-mile to the south is Post Office Springs, a reliable water source used since the 1850s by prospectors and desert wanderers. George Riggins, a young immigrant from Australia, gave Ballarat its name when he proposed it should be named for Ballarat, Victoria, in the heart of Australia’s gold country.
Remarks: Today, Ballarat has one full-time resident. As of June 2013 Rocky Novak and his dogs, Potlicker and Brownie, live in the town. Rocky runs the general store on afternoons and weekends to supply tourists and is working on repairing the water pipes that supply the town, for which he is paid by the government. Every summer, a woman named June and her son move into the former jailhouse/morgue. Ballarat is used as a meeting point for four-wheel-drive expeditions into the Panamint Range and Death Valley, and in winter up to 300 people camp on the grounds of the town. The town was recently used as a set to tell the story of the Ballarat Bandit.

Banta, CA

County: San Joaquin
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude: 37° 45′ 15.98″ N, 121° 22′ 10.99″ W
Elevation:
Time Zone: Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
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Disestablished:
Comments: Banta is a small unincorporated community in San Joaquin County, California. Historically, it was a major interchange point between the Central Pacific and Southern Pacific railroads. It was located on the route of the transcontinental railroad from Sacramento to the San Francisco Bay Area by way of the Altamont Pass and Niles Canyon before the Central Pacific bought the route of the California Pacific which ran north of the Carquinez Strait to Vallejo. The Central Pacific diverted the California Pacific line to Benicia, California, and established a railroad ferry between Benicia and Port Costa across the Carquinez Strait. Steve Perry, the former lead singer of the band Journey, once called Banta his home. His Alien Project rock group formed here in the mid-1970s. The ZIP Code is 95304, and the community is inside area code 209.
Remains: Banta’s historical sites include the Banta Inn, established in 1879. The Inn is well known in the area because some local residents believe it to be haunted.
Current Status:
Remarks: Steve Perry – former lead singer of the rock band Journey.

Barnes Settlement, CA

County: Kern
Zip Code:
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Time Zone: Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
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Comments: Barnes Settlement is a former settlement in Kern County, California. It was located a little west of Old River. The place was laid out by Thomas Barnes in 1859.
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Beeks Place, CA

County: Orange
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude: 33° 49′ 15″ N, 117° 38′ 18″ W
Elevation: 2,820 ft
Time Zone: Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
Established:
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Comments: Beek’s Place is a location in North Eastern Orange County California, elevation 2820ft. Beek’s Place is adjacent to ruins near the junction of Black Star Canyon and the Main Divide truck trail. It is approximately 8 miles from the Black Star trailhead, or about 6 miles from the Skyline Drive trailhead in Corona, California.
Remains: The ruins are what is left of a building belonging to a Mr. Joseph “Joe” Beek, who served as the Newport Harbor Master for a short time. In 1919, he obtained the franchise for the Balboa Island Ferry which remains in the family to this day. He also served as secretary of the California State Senate, until his death in 1968. Joseph Beek secured the rights from Newport Beach to establish the ferry service in 1919 to Balboa Island. He used a small skiff to transport passengers.
Current Status: Beeks Place is popular as a destination and stopover within the mountain bike community. Ride Details shown are for “up and down” as most riders do, however it is also the route to Four Corners or the Silverado Motorway. The ride goal of one-hour “gate to gate” from Blackstar Canyon Road is easily accomplished by seasoned mountain bike riders and a good climbing test of leg strength and endurance.
Remarks: The main cabin was built during the 1930s, and the smaller one shortly thereafter. They each had one room. The smaller one was built for a caretaker. Although the family only used it on weekends, sometimes a caretaker would live there for up to a few months at a time. The family still goes there on occasion, but due to constant vandalism and theft, it became impossible to maintain. All the coniferous trees were planted by the family. A system of cisterns can be seen around the area for water storage which made it possible to grow the trees. One cistern down from the main cabin was used as a swimming pool.

Belleville, CA

County: San Bernardino
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude: 34°18′4″N 116°53′3″W / 34.30111°N 116.88417°W / 34.30111
Elevation:
Time Zone: Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
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Comments: Belleville, California was a gold mining boomtown in the San Bernardino Mountains of San Bernardino County, California. The settlement grew up rapidly following the discovery of gold by William F. Holcomb in Holcomb Valley in early 1860. Which helped the town challenged the seat of San Bernardino County (which subsequently after the election in 1861 went to San Bernardino). Belleville was named after Belle, the first child born in the new town.
Remains: The first phase of mining was by small groups or individuals for placer gold, by people with claims along stream beds. With better transportation, more prospectors with equipment arrived in the area. When the Bear Valley Mining District was founded, quartz mining began. Stamp mills required to crush the rock were built at different sites in the valleys.
Current Status: It was a busy mining town for ten years, it was virtually abandoned before the end of the 19th century. It is now a ghost town.
Remarks: The gold rush in Holcomb Valley lasted about 10 years, from 1860-1870. Hard rock mining continued for decades more in the mountains. For example, Lucky Baldwin’s Gold Mountain Mine produced from 1860 until 1919.

Benita, CA

County: Kern
Zip Code:
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Time Zone: Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
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Comments: Benita is a former settlement in Kern County, California. It was located 31 miles (50 km) southwest of Delano. A post office operated at Benita from 1888 to 1889.
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Bennettville, CA

County: Mono
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude: 37° 56′ 15″ N, 119° 15′ 38″ W
Elevation:
Time Zone: Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
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Comments: Bennettville (originally, Bennett City and Tioga) is a former settlement and ghost town in Mono County, California. It was located on Mine Creek 4 mi (6.4 km) east-southeast of Mount Conness.
Remains: Mining began at the place in 1860. The first mine was renamed Tioga when the Great Sierra Consolidated Mining Company bought it. By 1878, there were many mines in the Tioga district. The mining remnants form part of the Great Sierra Mine Historic Site.
Current Status: The remnants of Bennettville consist of two commemorative plaques and two buildings on a hilltop, an assay office, and a bunkhouse both of which were restored in 1993.
Remarks: The Tioga post office operated from 1880 to 1881. The Bennettville post office operated from 1882 to 1884, that was Bennettville’s growth era. The name honored Thomas Bennett, a mining company president. The mining company transported tons of equipment to the site and spent $300,000 developing the town, but no gold of consequence was produced. Bennettville was a ghost town by 1890.

Bend City, CA

County: Inyo
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude: 36°49′09″N 118°07′50″W / 36.81917°N 118.13056°W / 36.81917 -118.13056
Elevation: 3,740 ft (1,140 m)
Time Zone: Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
Established:
Disestablished:
Comments: Bend City is a former settlement in Inyo County, California. It was located on the Owens River near the modern-day town of Kearsarge. Founded in 1863, Bend City was originally a mining camp. Bend City was the site of the first county bridge spanning the Owens River.
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Current Status: The 1872 Lone Pine earthquake changed the course of the river away from the townsite, which had already declined. The site is now registered as California Historical Landmark #209.
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Benton, CA

County: Mono
Zip Code: 93512
Latitude / Longitude: 37°49′09″N 118°28′35″W / 37.81917°N 118.47639°W / 37.81917 -118.47639
Elevation: 5,387 ft (1,642 m)
Time Zone: Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
Established:
Disestablished:
Comments: Benton (formerly, Benton Station) is a census-designated place in Mono County, California, United States. It is located 3 miles (4.8 km) east-northeast of the community of Benton Hot Springs and 32 miles (51 km) north of the community of Bishop, at an elevation of 5387 ft (1642 m).
Remains: Benton is in area codes 442 and 760 and ZIP code 93512. It is also known as Benton Hot Springs because of the hot springs it features. Benton was once a small mining town with up to 5,000 inhabitants. Many of the original buildings still remain, but the town has never completely died. The 160 acre (65 hectare) Benton Paiute reservation is in the vicinity with about 50 full-time residents. Benton is one of the oldest existing towns in Mono County. Benton was founded by the western Indians who came to make use of its hot springs. As the nearby towns of Bodie and Aurora grew in size and population, Benton soon became a check-point for travelers on the way south in 1852.
Current Status: The population was 280 at the 2010 census, up from 196 reported at 2000 by Mono County.
Remarks: Gold was discovered in the hills of Benton in 1862, and its population quickly grew. After hitting the initial strike of gold, not much more was found, but Benton’s profits were soon primarily from silver. Unlike other mining towns, Benton was able to provide enough for the town to thrive and flourish for approximately 50 years. Although most mining activities occurred between 1862 and 1890, the town never completely collapsed. The Carson and Colorado Railroad reached Benton in 1883.

Bestville, CA

County: Siskiyou
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude: 41° 18′ 2.52″ N, 123° 8′ 35.16″ W
Elevation:
Time Zone: Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
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Comments: Bestville is an unincorporated community on the North Fork Salmon River in Siskiyou County, California, just downstream from Sawyers Bar.
Remains: Bestville, now in Siskiyou County was a California Gold Rush mining camp, first in Trinity County (one of the original counties of California, created in 1850 at the time of statehood). Then in the now defunct Klamath County from 1851 to 1874. It was then within that part of Klamath County annexed to Siskiyou County.
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Big Blue Mill, CA

County: Kern
Zip Code:
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Time Zone: Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
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Comments: Big Blue Mill is a former settlement in Kern County, California. It was located 1 mile (1.6 km) north of Old Kernville and 2 miles (3.2 km) south of New Kernville. The town was named after the Big Blue Mine, where gold was discovered around 1861.
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Blue Mountain, CA

County: Calaveras
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Time Zone: Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
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Comments: Blue Mountain (also, Blue Mountain City) is a former settlement in Calaveras County, California, along Licking Fork, approximately 20 miles (32 km) northeast of Mountain Ranch. A post office operated in Blue Mountain from 1863 to 1864.
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Bodie, CA

County: Mono
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude: 38°12′44″N 119°00′44″W / 38.21222°N 119.01222°W / 38.21222 -119.01222
Elevation: 8,379 ft (2,554 m)
Time Zone: Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
Established: 1876
Disestablished:
Comments: Bodie (/’bo”di”/ BOH-dee) is a ghost town in the Bodie Hills east of the Sierra Nevada mountain range in Mono County, California, United States, about 75 miles (121 km) southeast of Lake Tahoe. It became a boomtown in 1876 and following years, after the discovery of a profitable line of gold, and suddenly attracted several thousand residents. It is located 12 mi (19 km) east-southeast of Bridgeport, at an elevation of 8379 ft (2554 m). The U.S. Department of the Interior recognizes the designated Bodie Historic District as a National Historic Landmark.
Remains: Also registered as a California Historical Landmark, the ghost town officially was established as Bodie State Historic Park in 1962. It receives about 200,000 visitors yearly. Since 2012, Bodie has been administered by the Bodie Foundation, which uses the tagline Protecting Bodie’s Future by Preserving Its Past. Bodie began as a mining camp of little note following the discovery of gold in 1859 by a group of prospectors, including W. S. Bodey. Bodey perished in a blizzard the following November while making a supply trip to Monoville (near present-day Mono City, California), never getting to see the rise of the town that was named after him. According to area pioneer Judge J. G. McClinton, the district’s name was changed from “Bodey,” “Body,” and a few other phonetic variations, to “Bodie,” after a painter in the nearby boomtown of Aurora, lettered a sign “Bodie Stables”.
Current Status: Today, Bodie is preserved in a state of arrested decay. Only a small part of the town survived, with about 110 structures still standing, including one of many once operational gold mills. Visitors can walk the deserted streets of a town that once was a bustling area of activity. Interiors remain as they were left and stocked with goods. Littered throughout the park, one can find small shards of china dishes, square nails, and an occasional bottle, but removing these items is against the rules of the park.
Remarks: The town was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1961, and in 1962 the state legislature authorized the creation of Bodie State Historic Park. A total of 170 buildings remained. Bodie has been named California’s official state gold rush ghost town. Visitors arrive mainly via SR 270, which runs from US 395 near Bridgeport to the west; the last three miles of it is a dirt road. There is also a road to SR 167 near Mono Lake in the south, but this road is extremely rough, with more than 10 miles of a dirt track in a bad state of repair. Due to heavy snowfall, the roads to Bodie are usually closed in winter.

Bondville, CA

County: Mariposa
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Time Zone: Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
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Comments: Bondville is a former settlement in Mariposa County, California. It was located on the south bank of the Merced River 1 mile (1.6 km) east of Benton Mills. A post office operated at Bondville from 1855 to 1860. The place was named after Stephen Bond, store owner.
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Borel, CA

County: Kern
Zip Code:
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Time Zone: Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
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Comments: Borel is a former settlement in Kern County, California. It was located 2.5 miles (4 km) southwest of Vaughn. A post office operated at Borel from 1904 to 1908. The name comes from the Borel Canal Construction Company.
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Bradford Siding, CA

County: Inyo
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude: 36° 35′ 0″ N, 117° 25′ 0″ W
Elevation:
Time Zone: Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
Established:
Disestablished:
Comments: Bradford Siding is a former settlement in Inyo County, California.
Remains: Bradford Siding was located on Tonopah and Tidewater Railroad, where a narrow-gauge line to Ash Meadows, Nevada branched from the mainline 6 miles (9.7 km) north-northwest of Death Valley Junction.
Current Status:
Remarks: The name honors Johnnie Bradford, who transported clay here.

Branson City, CA

County: San Diego
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude: 33°04′41″N 116°37′2″W / 33.07806°N 116.61722°W / 33.07806 -116.61722t
Elevation: 3,996 ft (1,218 m)
Time Zone: Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
Established:
Disestablished:
Comments: Branson City or Branson is a ghost town in San Diego County, California. It lies at an elevation of 3996 ft. It is located on State Highway 78 at its junction with Pine Hills Road, about one mile west of Julian.
Remains: Branson City was founded in August 1870 by a lawyer, Lewis C. Branson, west of Julian, along Coleman Creek, in the Julian Mining District. Branson City had a store, saloon, and a dance-hall, and also a post office from August 19, 1870, to October 13, 1870. Julian being closer to the lode gold being found in the hills farther upstream, supplanted Branson City, which was also more exposed to the elements than Julian and it soon disappeared.
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Brownsville, CA

County: Calaveras
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude: 38°7’43.2″N 120°26’31.02″W
Elevation:
Time Zone: Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
Established:
Disestablished:
Comments: Brownsville is a former settlement in Calaveras County, California, about 1 mile (1.6 km) east of Murphys. Brownsville, named for Alfred Brown, operated as a mining camp in the 1850s and 1860s.
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Buckeye Hill, CA

County: Calaveras
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude:
Elevation:
Time Zone: Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
Established:
Disestablished:
Comments: Buckeye Hill is a former settlement in Calaveras County, California, approximately 2 miles (3 km) east of Mokelumne Hill. It was founded by migrants from Ohio in 1849.
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Burkeville, CA

County: Kern
Zip Code:
Latitude / Longitude:
Elevation:
Time Zone: Pacific (PST) (UTC-8)
Established:
Disestablished:
Comments: Burkeville (also, Milltown and Millville) is a former settlement in Kern County, California. It was located 0.5 miles (0.8 km) north of Quartzburg. Burkeville began as a mining camp and was named for Edwin Burke, co-owner of the Big Blue Mine.
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How Many Ghost Towns Are In California?

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