Gold Town, California, Tuolumne County is an intriguing ghost town that once thrived during the California Gold Rush. Its history echoes the dreams and ambitions of those who sought fortune in the golden hills. Below is detailed information about the town.
County: Tuolumne County
Zip Code: Not available
Latitude / Longitude: Approximately 37.9821° N, 120.2397° W
Elevation: 2,461 feet (750 meters)
Time Zone: Pacific Time Zone (PT)
Established: Mid-19th century (exact date not available)
Disestablished: Not available
Comments: Gold Town was one of many settlements that sprang up during the frenzy of the Gold Rush era. It attracted prospectors and entrepreneurs keen to capitalize on the region’s rich gold deposits. The town was part of the larger network of mining communities that developed in Tuolumne County, contributing to California’s rapid economic growth during that period.
Gold Town is a former settlement in Kern County, California Ghost Townlifornia. It was located 9.5 miles (15 km) north of Rosamond, at 2713 ft (827 m). Fleta, California is 0.62 miles northeast of Gold Town. Mojave, California Ghost Townlifornia is 1.44 miles to the north. Gold mines exist within 2 miles to the north and south of Gold Town.
These mines include the Golden Queen Mine and Elephant Eagle Mine on Soledad Mountain south of Gold Town and the Whitmore Mine and Treasure Mine on Standard Mountain north of Gold Town. The KHXT-FM (Mojave) radio tower, at an elevation of 3,028 ft (923 meters) above sea level, is 1.56 miles southeast of Gold Town. The California Aqueduct Road is located about 5 miles to the west of Gold Town.
Remains: Some structural remnants of Gold Town, such as dilapidated buildings and mining equipment, might still be visible. The area is largely overgrown, and access to certain parts may be limited due to private ownership or natural reclamation.
From the early 1900s to the 1980s, the Golden Queen Mine was active on and off, using an open pit, underground works, and heap leaching. Over the years, about 100,000 tons of tailings were created. Due to erosion, some of these tailings reached the alluvial fan surface. The tailings contain elevated levels of arsenic.
“Significant potential human health risks to the community and regional environmental impacts may have resulted from the release of arsenic-bearing tailings into the waters of the state and airborne sources.” according to the Bureau of Land Management.
Current Status: Abandoned; Gold Town is classified as a ghost town. It is not maintained as a historical site or tourist destination, and much of it has been reclaimed by nature.
Today, Gold Town exists only as a grid of dirt roads and a few abandoned buildings and mines in the desert of the California State Route 14. Silver Queen Road is the main paved road that connects Gold Town to California State Route 14.
Remarks: Gold Town’s history serves as a sign of the transient nature of boomtowns that arose during the Gold Rush. While actual remains may be sparse, the town’s story is preserved through historical records and memories of California’s mining heritage.
Visitors and historians interested in the Gold Rush era can explore the broader region to gain insights into this pivotal time in American history. Construction has begun to re-open the Golden Queen Mine. Commissioning is planned for 2015.
This is part of the Soledad Mountain Project. Open-pit mining, cyanide heap leaching, and Merrill-Crowe processes will be used to recover gold and silver from crushed, agglomerated ore. The heap leach pad for the mine will be located near Gold Town, according to Kern County Planning and Community Development Department.
