Banner, California facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Banner
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 Banner
Location in California
Banner
Location in the United States
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  California |
| County |  San Diego |
| Elevation | 836 m (2,743 ft) |
Banner (once called Banner City) is a small, unincorporated community in San Diego County, California. This means it's a place where people live, but it doesn't have its own local government like a city or town. It sits high up, about 2,743 feet (836 meters) above sea level, and you can find it along California State Route 78.
Contents
What's the Weather Like?
Banner has a pretty dry climate. This is because it's very close to the Anza-Borrego desert. Even though it's dry, Banner can sometimes get snow. This happens because it's located at a higher elevation. Usually, it's only a few inches of snow each year.
A Look Back: Banner's Gold Rush History
How Banner City Started
Banner City was founded in August 1870. A man named Louis B. Redman started it. It was located east of Julian. The town was important because it supported several gold mines nearby. These mines were part of the Julian Banner Mining District.
The town had a hotel, two stores, and three saloons. It also had stamping mills, which were machines used to crush rocks and get gold out. Banner got its name because a miner put an American flag on his claim. This reminded people of "The Star-Spangled Banner."
The Golden Chariot Mine
Most of the mining in Banner happened in Chariot Canyon. This is a small canyon next to the town. Some people even say that Banner's mines found more gold than the mines in the nearby town of Julian. The busiest time for mining was from 1870 to 1880.
In the fall of 1870, a miner named George V. King came to Banner. He had found that all the good mining spots in Julian were already taken. One day, while climbing in Chariot Canyon, King broke off a piece of quartz rock. He saw tiny bits of gold inside it!
King and some friends quickly claimed land next to each other. They started the Golden Chariot mine. This mine made $6,000 from its first five tons of gold. This made Banner famous across the southwestern United States. In its first year, the mine exported over $80,000 worth of gold.
Later, Mark McDonald and W. A. Whitney bought the Golden Chariot mine for $100,000. The new owners put in a 10-stamp mill. They also replaced the older, smaller mining equipment. Under their management, the Golden Chariot mine produced almost $2,000,000 worth of gold in ten years.
Other Mines and Challenges
Many other mines also operated in Banner. These included Ready Relief, Big Blue, Warlock, Antelope, and Chaparral. Together, these mines dug up millions of dollars worth of gold.
Bringing heavy machinery to the mines was very difficult. Workers had to lower the equipment down the Banner Gilbert Slide using stone sleds. In 1872, the Wilcox toll road opened. This new road made it much easier to get mining equipment into the area. A toll road is a road where you pay money to use it.
The Banner post office was open at different times. It operated from July 29, 1873, to November 24, 1876. Then again from December 5, 1876, to October 31, 1877. Finally, it was open from April 25, 1883, to December 28, 1906. After that, it moved to Julian.
Unlike Julian, Banner faced many challenges. The town suffered from big floods in 1874, 1916, and 1926. In the 1930s, a fire destroyed most of the old town. Today, there isn't much left of the original Banner City.
See also
In Spanish: Banner (California) para niños
