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YELLOW ASTER MINING & MILLING CO. (Rand Mtn. Mining Co.)
- 1920 thru Presen
Survey Number:
Owner: Leasing
Date of Discovery:
Leasing

May 15, 1920: ‘LOS ANGELES HAS BEEN SELECTED as the general place of business for the Yellow Aster Mining and Milling Company.” – Bakersfield Californian July 25, 1920: “J. M. DIKEMAN, formerly with the Yellow Aster mine at Randsburg, Calif., is with the Dives Mining company.” –Tombstone Epitaph May 4, 1921: “THE YELLOW ASTER WILL CLEAN OUT the old Goler Well. It … More
Posted in Randsburg, Randsburg Mines
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YELLOW ASTER MINING & MILLING CO. (Rand Mtn. Mining Co.)
- 1910 thru 1919
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Owner:
Date of Discovery:
The Glory Hole

January 9, 1910: “NEW EQUIPMENT for Aster. Two seven ton engines and 21 three ton cars have just been added to the equipment of the Yellow Aster mine. As the mine is projected into the hill it becomes necessary to move more waste than formerly and the engines and cars in use were found inadequate. The engines were ordered some … More
Posted in Randsburg, Randsburg Mines
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YELLOW ASTER MINING & MILLING CO. (Rand Mtn. Mining Co.)
- 1902 thru 1909
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Owner:
Date of Discovery:
Under Ground Mining

July 06, 1902: “The Randsburg News says that the Yellow Aster Company is finding “glory hole mining satisfactory and that four men by this method can loosen and disintegrate from 150 to 200 tons per day.” – San Francisco Call June 28, 1902: “With the exception of the Homestake mine at South Dakota, and the mines of Alaska, the two … More
Posted in Randsburg, Randsburg Mines
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YELLOW ASTER MINING & MILLING CO. (Rand Mtn. Mining Co.)
- 1898 thru 1901
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Owner:
Date of Discovery:
Major Development

January 31, 1898: “The Randsburg mines improve with depth. The Rand group, now incorporated under the name of the Yellow Aster Mining and Milling Company, is shipping per day from 50 to 75 tons of ore, taken from nearly a dozen different shafts, which runs, without sorting, from $25 to $75 per ton.” – The Sun March 3, 1898: “RANDSBURG, … More
Posted in Randsburg, Randsburg Mines
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JOHANNESBURG TOWNSITE ( SILVER CITY )
Survey Number:
Owner:
Date of Discovery:
“Laid out as a proper townsite, in
contrast to the higgledy-piggledy
building of her next-door neighbor,
(a fact she unabashedly called attention to now & then)." - Marcia Wynn, Desert Bonanza

January, 1897: “Joburg”, as it is known to the natives, owes its existence to the discovery of gold (and other valuable minerals ) in the hills of the Rand Mining District. The Johannesburg Milling and Water Co. laid out the town in December of 1896, with the anticipation of the arrival of the Randsburg Railroad, which occurred in December of 1897. The company … More
Posted in Johannesburg, Johannesburg Township
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Transportation of Johannesburg
Survey Number:
Owner:
Date of Discovery:
". . . transportation hub of the Upper Mojave Desert."

December, 1897: JOHANNESBURG was the transportation hub of the Upper Mojave Desert from the arrival of the Randsburg Railway in December of 1897 until the inauguration of railway services to the town of Trona in September of 1914. Freight was hauled to Randsburg from the railhead in Johannesburg and in the early days ore was hauled from Randsburg to Barstow. … More
Posted in Johannesburg, Johannesburg Transportation
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MINES OF JOBURG – INTRODUCTION
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"Born to Wander, Cursed to Stay and Dig."

December, 1896: GOLD MINING in the hills surrounding Johannesburg started before the thought of a town was even conceived. Claims such as the Eagle’s Nest, Fairy Prince, Fairy Queen, Hector, King Solomon, Magpie, Miranda, Pinmore, Rocket and Wasp, which made up the Ashford Group of Mines were all discovered in the 1895 –1896 time frame. In addition are the Val … More
Posted in Johannesburg, Johannesburg Mines
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Sunbeam Mill
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"This is where the really cool quote will go, yes siree, right here!"
October 7, 1937: “NOTICE OF CONSTABLES SALE OF REAL PROPERTY. No. 31215, IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA IN AND FOR THE COUNTY OF KERN. AMERICO RIZZARDINI, Plaintiff Vs. SUNBEAM MINING COMPANY, a corporation, Defendant Under and by virtue of an execution issued out of the Superior Court of the State of California, in and for the County … More
Posted in Johannesburg, Johannesburg Mills
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PARKER MILL
Survey Number: #12345
Owner: Frank Furter
Date of Discovery: December 12, 1889
"___pounding away day and night and giving good satisfaction'

May 19, 1900: “PARKER has started his own mill and is doing good work.” – Randsburg Miner June 19, 1900: “THE LITTLE 3-STAMP MILL of Parker’s is pounding away day and night and giving good satisfaction. Just now they are at work on a 50 ton lot from the Annex mine for Messrs. Mongomery and Mcginnis.” – Randsburg Miner … More
Posted in Johannesburg Mills
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KING SOLOMON MILL
Survey Number:
Owner:
Date of Discovery:
"This is where the really cool quote will go, yes siree, right here!"

April 23, 1915: “The King Solomon group of mines, comprising seven claims, were located in 1896 by the three Ashford brothers, Rhoda, Henry, and Harold, and are situated just east of the town, on the main road to Johannesburg. Having no money of their own to spend in developing the property they took in a Mr. Bull as … More
Posted in Johannesburg Mills
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WOOD’S AUTOMATIC DRY CONCENTRATOR MILL
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Owner:
Date of Discovery:
". . . will work a revolution in gold mining throughout the country."

August 2, 1897: “’Frank Cole, a prominent mining man of this city, has gone to Randsburg, where he will erect a dry concentrator plant of the Wood’s automatic pattern.” – The Herald August 25, 1897: “All the machinery for the Wood dry concentrator is on the ground here, and the work of getting it in position is proceeding … More
Posted in Johannesburg Mills
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PHOENIX aka OPERATOR CONSOLIDATED MILL
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Owner:
Date of Discovery:
". . .will largely help to bring this district to the front, where it should belong."

July 23, 1904: “IT IS REPORTED THAT THE PHOENIX MILL at Johannesburg has been leased by Mr. Burcham of the Yellow Aster Mining and Milling Company, and that it may be started up early this fall. It is also stated that five stamps will be added to the five already in place. The Boiler is and Erie 50 horse-power; the … More
Posted in Johannesburg Mills
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Pinmore aka Croesus Mill
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Date of Discovery:
"Squeezing cream out of old "Bessie" was alot easier that squeezing gold out of the ground."

July 11, 1897: “THE PINMORE, lying west of the Val Verde was bonded a few days ago for $10,000, but I did not learn to whom. They have a shaft down about 100 feet in this mine.” – Los Angeles Daily Times November 26, 1897: “ADJOINING THEM on the east is the Pinmore mine owned by the Ashford Mining Company, … More
Posted in Johannesburg Mills
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Red Dog Mill
Survey Number:
Owner:
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"This is where the really cool quote will go, yes siree, right here!"

AUTHOR’S NOTE, (BP 11/2010): Since we have ruins & tailings for only one mill adjoining the township, we assume the Red Dog Mill is the Johannesburg Reduction & Sampling Works by a new name; (as one fades from use as the other ascends). June 1, 1898: “VERY RICH ORE was milled at the Red Dog mill the past week. It … More
Posted in Johannesburg Mills
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Johannesburg Reduction and Sampling Works
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Owner:
Date of Discovery:
"___especially valuable to poor men___"

February 2, 1897: “WORES, the sampling works man of Tucson, Ariz. Left this morning but before going decided to locate his plant at Johannesburg, the company giving him a block ground containing sixteen lots as an inducement. This will be of much benefit to our camp. Every man who has a few sacks of ore, not enough for a milling, … More
Posted in Johannesburg, Johannesburg Mills
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Randsburg Mills
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Randsburg Mills
Posted in Randsburg
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Randsburg Mines
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Owner:
Date of Discovery:
Randsburg Mines
Posted in Randsburg
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MILLS OF JOBURG
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The story of Mining is of necessity the story of Milling; the process by which gold, silver, tungsten and other valuable metals are separated from worthless rock. ‘Hard Rock’, ‘Quartz’ Mills provided the needed crushing, pulverizing, wetting, treatment with mercury, cyanide, other chemicals in order to turn ore into bullion. Ore Mills were expensive propositions, usually requiring investments beyond the … More
Posted in Johannesburg, Johannesburg Mills
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Welcome
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'OLD WEST DAYS COMING SOON ( SEPT. 17, 2011) CLICK ON EVENTS FOR DETAILS"

Welcome to The Rand Desert Museum web site. Please use the navigation above to view historical information relating to specific areas. The links on the left are for information about the museum and other info which relates to the entire Rand Desert area. To view a larger version of ANY image on the web site, simply click it. Then click … More
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