Harmony Borax Works
Encyclopedia
The Harmony Borax Works are located in Death Valley
at Furnace Creek Springs
, then called Greenland. They are now within Death Valley National Park
in Inyo County, California
. It is on the National Register of Historic Places
.
deposits here by Aaron and Rosie Winters in 1881, business associates William Tell Coleman
and Francis Marion Smith
subsequently obtained claims to these deposits, subsequently opening the way for "large-scale" borax mining in Death Valley. The Harmony operation became famous through the use, from 1883 to 1889, of large Twenty-mule teams and double wagons which hauled borax the long overland route to the closest railroad in Mojave, California
.
During the summer months, when it was too hot to crystallize borax in Death Valley, a smaller borax mining operation shifted to his Amargosa Borax Plant in Amargosa
, near the present community of Tecopa, California
. The Harmony Works remained under Coleman's operation until 1888, when his business collapsed.
in 1890, to become the Pacific Coast Borax Company
with the 20 Mule Team Borax brand. Activity at Harmony Borax Works ceased with the development of the richer Colemanite
borax deposits at Borate in the Calico Mountains
, where they continued until 1907.
The Harmony Borax Works was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 31, 1974. They are part of the National Park Service
historical site preservation program in Death Valley National Park
.
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Death Valley
Death Valley is a desert valley located in Eastern California. Situated within the Mojave Desert, it features the lowest, driest, and hottest locations in North America. Badwater, a basin located in Death Valley, is the specific location of the lowest elevation in North America at 282 feet below...
at Furnace Creek Springs
Furnace Creek, California
Furnace Creek is a census-designated place in Inyo County, California, United States. The population was 24 at the 2010 census, down from 31 at the 2000 census. The elevation of the village is below sea level....
, then called Greenland. They are now within Death Valley National Park
Death Valley National Park
Death Valley National Park is a national park in the U.S. states of California and Nevada located east of the Sierra Nevada in the arid Great Basin of the United States. The park protects the northwest corner of the Mojave Desert and contains a diverse desert environment of salt-flats, sand dunes,...
in Inyo County, California
Inyo County, California
-National protected areas:* Death Valley National Park * Inyo National Forest * Manzanar National Historic Site-Major highways:* U.S. Route 6* U.S. Route 395* State Route 127* State Route 136* State Route 168* State Route 178...
. It is on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
Origin and Twenty-mule teams
After discovery of BoraxBorax
Borax, also known as sodium borate, sodium tetraborate, or disodium tetraborate, is an important boron compound, a mineral, and a salt of boric acid. It is usually a white powder consisting of soft colorless crystals that dissolve easily in water.Borax has a wide variety of uses...
deposits here by Aaron and Rosie Winters in 1881, business associates William Tell Coleman
William Tell Coleman
William Tell Coleman was an American pioneer. He was born in Cynthiana, Harrison County, Kentucky, and was educated at St. Louis University.-Committees of Vigilance:...
and Francis Marion Smith
Francis Marion Smith
Francis Marion Smith was an American miner, business magnate and civic builder in the Mojave Desert, the San Francisco Bay Area, and Oakland, California.Frank Smith created the extensive interurban public transit Key System in Oakland, the East Bay,...
subsequently obtained claims to these deposits, subsequently opening the way for "large-scale" borax mining in Death Valley. The Harmony operation became famous through the use, from 1883 to 1889, of large Twenty-mule teams and double wagons which hauled borax the long overland route to the closest railroad in Mojave, California
Mojave, California
Mojave is a census-designated place in Kern County, California, United States. Mojave is located east of Bakersfield, at an elevation of 2762 feet...
.
During the summer months, when it was too hot to crystallize borax in Death Valley, a smaller borax mining operation shifted to his Amargosa Borax Plant in Amargosa
Death Valley Junction, California
Death Valley Junction is a tiny Mojave Desert community in unincorporated Inyo County, California, at the intersection of SR 190 and SR 127, just east of Death Valley National Park. The zip code is 92328, the elevation is , and the population fewer than 20. The city limits sign reports a...
, near the present community of Tecopa, California
Tecopa, California
Tecopa is a census-designated place in the Mojave Desert, in Inyo County, California, United States. Tecopa is located south-southeast of Shoshone, at an elevation of . The population was 150 at the 2010 census, up from 99 at the 2000 census.One of Tecopa's popular features is its natural hot...
. The Harmony Works remained under Coleman's operation until 1888, when his business collapsed.
Frank M. "Borax" Smith
William Coleman's original holdings in the works were subsequently acquired by Frank M. "Borax" SmithFrancis Marion Smith
Francis Marion Smith was an American miner, business magnate and civic builder in the Mojave Desert, the San Francisco Bay Area, and Oakland, California.Frank Smith created the extensive interurban public transit Key System in Oakland, the East Bay,...
in 1890, to become the Pacific Coast Borax Company
Pacific Coast Borax Company
The Pacific Coast Borax Company was a United States mining company founded in 1890 by the American borax magnate Francis "Borax" Smith, the "Borax King".-History:...
with the 20 Mule Team Borax brand. Activity at Harmony Borax Works ceased with the development of the richer Colemanite
Colemanite
Colemanite is a borate mineral found in evaporite deposits of alkaline lacustrine environments. Colemanite is a secondary mineral that forms by alteration of borax and ulexite....
borax deposits at Borate in the Calico Mountains
Calico Mountains
The Calico Mountains of California are located in the Mojave Desert of San Bernardino County and Inyo County, California.-Geography:The Calico Mountains are geologically and historically colorful range that lie in a northwest-southeast direction, and are located just north of Barstow and Yermo, and...
, where they continued until 1907.
The Harmony Borax Works was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 31, 1974. They are part of the National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
historical site preservation program in Death Valley National Park
Death Valley National Park
Death Valley National Park is a national park in the U.S. states of California and Nevada located east of the Sierra Nevada in the arid Great Basin of the United States. The park protects the northwest corner of the Mojave Desert and contains a diverse desert environment of salt-flats, sand dunes,...
.
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External links
- NPS: Death Valley National Park - Harmony Borax Works of Death Valley website
- NPS: History of the Twenty Mule Teams website
- NPS: official Death Valley National Park website
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