Harrisburg and the Eureka Mine

Pete Aguereberry, 1906

Sparks are bound to fly when two big names find the same gold. This was the case in July of 1905, when Pete Aguereberry and Shorty Harris, two of the largest names in the entire desert (Shorty Harris was responsible for Rhyolite, Skidoo, the Eureka Mine, Keane Wonder, Greenwater, and many others) decided to team up. Of course, there is speculation of the way it started.

Pete's version of the tale goes as such: the two partnered up to escape the summer heat by prospecting up in the Wildrose area of the Panamint Mountains, but Harris wanted to attend the Independence Day party at Ballarat. They arrived in Harrisburg Flats via Blackwater Canyon's Dry Fork, the shortest trail between Furnace Creek and the mountains. Harris was farther ahead, being on horseback, and Pete had time to stop at a ledge of gold. Examining the ore he chipped off, it contained free gold, gold that does not require cyanide or mercury to separate it from ore. They divided up the ridge, Harris taking claims on the north and Aguereberry taking claims on the south. This came to be known as Providence Ridge.



In time, the two split up. Both made their way separately to Ballarat, Shorty spreading news of the find, and Pete looking for an investor. Shorty managed to start a rush on the property the duo had staked upon his return to "Harrisberry," and had a difficult time keeping his property from being jumped. At this point, Harris decided he would take the credit for the find and tell people that he was forced to share it with Pete. The Rhyolite Herald proclaimed:

"Pete and Shorty have not flipped coins to determine who is actually responsible for the strike, but the credit is generally given to Shorty, perhaps from previous achievements."

Whatever the truth, it was here that one of the largest finds of the Wildrose Mining District took off.

Soon the surrounding hills for three miles in each direction were peppered with claim monuments as the immensity of the quartz ledge was discovered. Free milling gold was valued $90 to $200 per ton of ore. A noticeable decrease in nearby populations demonstrated how attractive this boom was, and the merchants in Ballarat saw huge profits from supplying Harrisbury.

By August, local watering holes became supply depots, and over 200 claims had been filed in the area. Outside interest led to the formation of the Cashier Gold Mining Company, headed by O. L. Ingalls. Perhaps the most exciting news to the area was that of incoming saloon supplies. The company brought in an engineer to survey the land and drive a tunnel at the foot of the ridge to hit the quartz vein. Of note is that the engineer opened an engineering firm, the first such firm in the Panamint Mountains. By October of the same year, still 1905, money had been appropriated to build a mill and by December other nearby claims had hit it big.

Cashier Mill and Pete, 1916

The discovery of Skidoo nearby had slowed the activity at Harrisburg, and now only forty men (still a lot for a mine) still worked at the site. In May of 1906, Harris boasted of "his find" and established interest in nearby Emigrant Spring mining, due to attention shifting away from Providence Ridge. Skidoo exploded into existence, and the famed twenty three mile pipeline passed within a quarter mile of Harrisburg.  The mill was built in 1909, after three years of contemplation and increasing profits.

Shorty Harris had separated himself front he operation when he sold out early in the operation, so Aguereberry was left to stand alone. In 1909 he merged his Eureka with Casheir's property, cementing himself as sole owner. Time passed, and Aguereberry worked his extensive claims until his death in 1945. At this time, his heirs largely neglected the property. Several men performed the necessary work to keep the property until 1958, when it turned over to the NPS. The claim that brought attention to the northern Panamints, to the largest finds of the age at Skidoo, lay quiet after over fifty years of hard work and activity.

Harrisburg as it appears today.

Inside the guest cabin.

Looking across the courtyard. Pete's house is on the left, and the out shed is across the way.

Pete's old car, straight six engine.

The remnants of the Cashier Mill

The Eureka Mine entrance as it appeared in 1978. At the right of the shot is the blacksmith's anvil stump. The site looks much the same today. The ridge and area around it are hollow with tunnels and shafts, and all of them are now heavily grated with half-inch steel.