Panamint City, California, Inyo County is a ghost town with a fascinating history that draws adventurers and history enthusiasts alike. Once a bustling silver mining town, Panamint City now stands as a testament to the boom-and-bust cycles of the Old West. Below is detailed information about the town.
County: Inyo County
Zip Code: Not available
Latitude / Longitude: 36.1100° N, 117.0950° W
Elevation: 6,350 feet (1,935 meters)
Time Zone: Pacific Time Zone (PT)
Established: 1873
Disestablished: 1877
Comments: Panamint City was founded in 1873 following the discovery of silver in the Panamint Range. This led to rapid growth as miners and entrepreneurs flocked to the area. It quickly developed a reputation for lawlessness, attracting a rough crowd of outlaws and fortune seekers.
The town boasted several saloons, a post office, and a newspaper, reflecting its prosperity. Panamint City is a ghost town in the Panamint Range, near Death Valley, in Inyo County, California Ghost Townlifornia, USA.
The official Board also knows it of Geographic Names as Panamint. Panamint was a boomtown founded after silver and copper were found there in 1872. By 1874, the town had a population of about 2,000. Its main street was one mile (1.6 km) long. Panamint had its own newspaper, the Panamint News.
Silver was the principal product mined in the area. The town is located about three miles northwest of Sentinel Peak. According to the National Geographic Names Database, NAD27 latitude and longitude for the locale are 36°07’06″N 117°05’43″W, and the feature ID number is 1661185.
This location’s elevation is identified as 6,280 ft AMSL. The similar-sounding Panamint Springs, California Ghost Townlifornia, is about 25.8 miles at 306.4 degrees off true north near Panamint Junction.
Remains: Today, visitors can find remnants of stone cabins, mining equipment, and the remains of the smelter. The most notable structure is the brick chimney of the smelter, which stands as a solitary monument to the town’s industrious past.
Access to the site requires a challenging hike, preserving its remote and historic atmosphere. Founded in 1873-74, the town grew to include many mills, saloons, stores, a red-light district, and a cemetery – all built along the uppermost end of Surprise Canyon. Panamint City was regarded as a “bad and wicked” town.
Because of Panamint City’s lawless reputation, Wells Fargo refused to open an office there. The senators solved the question of how to transport the silver bullion from the mines by casting it into 450-pound cannonballs, which were hauled to Los Angeles in an unguarded wagon.
Current Status: Panamint City is considered a ghost town, with no permanent residents. It is part of Death Valley National Park, drawing hikers and history buffs interested in exploring its storied past and rugged terrain.
Silver was discovered by William L. Kennedy, Robert L. Stewart, and Richard C. Jacobs, bandits who were using Surprise Canyon as a hideout. EP Raines, an early investor in Panamint mining, convinced a group of Los Angeles businessmen to build a wagon road and then moved on to San Francisco, where he met Nevada Senator John P. Jones.
Jones and the other Nevada Senator, William M. Stewart, created the Panamint Mining Company and bought up the larger mines. The two were quite famous for their heavy involvement in silver mining in Nevada, and their interest in Panamint started the boom.
Remarks: Despite its short-lived existence, Panamint City offers a compelling glimpse into the history of mining towns in the American West. Its remote location and the effort required to reach it add to its allure, making it a unique destination for those seeking adventure and a connection to the past.
Panamint City is the site of the largest and most elaborate group of Coso Painted Style pictographs. These pictographs indicate that Surprise Canyon was inhabited by Shoshone and/or Kawaiisu not long before the town was founded.
