California Rand Silver Mine
Article and pictures by Natasha Petrosova
Red Mountain, CA located within Rand Mining district in San Bernardino County. Before becoming Red Mountain the town was known as Osdick. Osdick was founded in a summer of 1919, during near by town's Randsburg third boom. Pete Osdick was one of the first miners in town and wanted the town to be named after him. Another miner , W.H. Williams who also discovered California Rand Silver Mine felt that the town should be named Hampton after his middle name. Both men applied for a Post Office and Pete Osdick won in February 1922. The area officially became known as Osdick.
During first four years of operation , The California Rand Silver Mine , also known as Kelly Mine would produce seven million dollars in ore. It was one of the richest mines in California. Charles Moroney , General Manager, said about the Mine " Drifts 104 feet, raises thirty-two, and cross cuts 111. Values across and along the vein for a distance of twenty feet or more will average about $2.40 in gold and 60 ounces of silver”. The production continued till 1929 until the price on silver dropped significantly. It as estimated that mine's total production was over $12 million dollars.
By the year of 1929 city of Osdick had many names including, "Sin City", "Inn City", "Never Inn" etc.. Finally, the postal service decided to put a stop to naming disputes and named the town Red Mountain, which remained since.
Besides having the most impressive silver mines in the country, Red Mountain was also famous for it's "sins". One could get a drink in any business except Post Office during prohibition. The only time Red Mountain was ever "dry" was when they were tipped off about an upcoming raid. The Ku Klux Klan was actively protesting drinking. KKK was the only ones who opposed the famous party atmosphere in Red Mountain.
Red Mountain was also famous for its prostitution. It has been noted that prostitutes that worked in the brothels were high-class and beautiful. They kept themselves clean and were a great company. The Annex, Little Eva's, The Monkey House, The Northern, The Owl, The Pacific, The Red Onion and the Silver Dollar are just a few of well-known houses of ill repute.
Red Mountain was also famous for Gambling. Anywhere you could get a drink you could find a game as well. The advertising slogan just about covers it and its pretty accurate "Where every night is Saturday night and every Saturday night is 4th of July" .
Red Mountain continued production till 1929 when the price for silver dropped significantly. The bands from Los Angeles still would come out for a night or two to perform and party and the area continued to live on.
Today most of Red Mountain stands in ruins. The city has about 100 residents. All the bars, brothels , mines, casinos, hotels are long closed. California Rand silver mine sits above the town fenced to preserve the history and keep unsuspecting victims from the danger of arsenic poisoning. Red Mountain is a fascinating place to explore if you go there try to imagine that those streets were once bustling streets.
Red Mountain abandoned General Sore
Inside the General Sore
Red Mountain the ruins
Inside the ruins
California Silver Mine surroundings
The old Cabin
Junk cars
Interior of abandoned cabin
Some people still live around California Silver Mine in those houses
those houses have occupants
California silver Mine the surroundings
California Rand Silver Mine Fenced: Danger Arsenic 
Abandoned cabin
more ruins
junk cars graveyard
References:
Southern California Best Ghost towns: Practical Guide, by Philip Vaney :
https://books.google.com/books?id=A8s_7zGgQRAC&pg=PA69&lpg=PA69&dq=pete+osdick&source=bl&ots=5okN2YEepR&sig=y5QQBfMX5z8XeedqI73k28eYLv4&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjpjbydpNvOAhWGMSYKHQCXBnEQ6AEINzAE#v=onepage&q=pete%20osdick&f=false
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