Randsburg mining district: Part III: Ransdburg - A Living Ghost Town

Article and Photography by Natasha Petrosova

Today , Randsburg is a living Ghost Town where people are nice and antiques are cheap.  It accounts for about 200 Residents.  Near by towns Johannesburg and Red Mountain also have full-time residents, 50 and 100 respectively.  The whole area really comes to live once a year on the  third Saturday of September when Ransburg holds its annual "Old West Days" event. Hundreds of people attend the event each year and this sleepy town in Mojave desert comes to live  full of fun and enjoyment .   It was our second time visiting Randsburg.  The first time we came here about a week prior to the event.  We walked empty  streets , took pictures and did not meet any residents.  Businesses were close and it seemed that the town was deserted.  This time , we came back for an event.  The town was full of people and businesses were open.    We enjoyed live music , classic car shows , watching square dancers and last but not least  old west gun show demonstrations.  This event is a lot of fun for a whole family.   It  is free to attend and even parking is free.   We met a few locals.    Most of Randsburg residents are seniors.     The owner of a Photo Studio , Tom O' Donell, told us stories about working in the mines.  We asked him about life in Randsburg.  Tom told  us that in order to live here , so far from everything, one must be able to do everything on his/her own.  There is no service to call to come and fix the problem.  Electric problems, plumbing etc, has to be fixed by residents.  Of course, he added, for a few beers the neighbors would come and help, but you can not always depend on neighbors, you have to be self-sufficient.  Tom makes everything he can by himself , he even prepares his own batter.   

Randsburg serves as a stop for numerous explorers, photographers , and tourists.  Randsburg is definitely a place to see and visit .  It is impressive  how this area still goes on .  What i like the best about Randsburg is that the residents did a great job keeping a town exactly how it was a century ago.  It's a good feeling to walk around a town while feeling a local pride and that you are welcome here.  Randsburg residents take a pride in sharing their colorful past with visitors, living in the houses as electrical as they are.  The gold petered, so did the population but the town's spirit continues to live on.  

right before turning to Randsburg there this antique shop in Johannesburg with funny figures

A wagon that takes visitors around the town 

Classic Car show

Try the hamburgers , so yummy!

 is not she a keeper? 

A visitor and an old man 

Your pets are welcome too ! 

 Square dancers

Randsburg's residents are dressed up for an event 

am old cabin 

Antique store 

Randsburg's resident is dressed up asCharliee Chaplin for an event

getting ready for a gun show

Randsburg's church still active 

Car Show

I was excited  to see this sign since i am from Long Beach myself 

Main street in Randsburg

OH the gun show 

someone will get killed here 

two are down 

and back from the "dead" 

more shooting 

Abandoned cabins in Randsburg

intreior

 

Randsburg Mining District: Part II: Red Mountain-The Sin City

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