No Ghosts Here...

A one-hour drive south on Hwy 95 took us to a rough gravel road due east through the desert. Another 30 minutes of bouncing and teeth grinding, and we finally arrived at
the Castle Dome Ghost Town and Mines. Although the drive was far from enjoyable, the destination was well worth the trouble.

The ghost town is spread out over 10 acres of desert, and is made up of some 35 buildings nestled at the base of the beautiful Sonora Mountains. There are several saloons (7 within a one-mile radius), two mercantiles, a barber shop, a doctor's office, schoolroom, two hotels and, of course, a brothel. What added to the enjoyment of our visit was that the buildings were full of great artifacts from the days of silver mining, and no ropes or baricades prevented us from entering any of the buildings and rooms. We could investigate to our heart's content.

Once we had spent all the time we wanted in the ghost town itself, we got back into our truck and drove the half-mile or so to the location of the mines. For obvious safety reasons, chain link fencing surrounds each of the gaping holes but, despite this, one can easily look down and imagine what these poor souls had to go through day in and day out in order to eke out a living.

According to legend, one miner spent 25 years mining in this town, convinced he would hit the mother lode. In a flash flood, another miner was trapped below, never to be seen again. Tradition was that when one miner died below, his boot was hanged just outside the mine to indicate the loss of one of their own. To add to their misery, mining was done by candlelight.  

The miners wore denims pants until they were so full of holes and candle wax, they were no longer of any use, at which time the pants were hammered to the drafty walls to prevent the cold wind from chilling their homes.

This was a very enjoyable day and we are happy to share some of our pictures with you. But should you ever find yourselves in the Quartzsite area, do take the time to see it yourselves.