Greenwater, California facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Greenwater
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 Greenwater
Location in California
Greenwater
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | Inyo County |
| Elevation | 4,288 ft (1,307 m) |
Greenwater was once a small community near Death Valley in Inyo County, California. It was also known by other names like Ramsey, The Camp, and Kunze. Today, Greenwater is a deserted ghost town, meaning no one lives there anymore.
Where is Greenwater?
Greenwater is found in the Funeral Mountains. This area is above the southeastern part of Death Valley. It sits at an elevation of about 4,288 feet (1,307 meters). Today, Greenwater is part of the Death Valley National Park. It is located north of Smith Mountain.
The Story of Greenwater
Greenwater was a mining town that appeared and disappeared quickly. It was active in the early 1900s. The first official records of Greenwater are from 1904. Some people thought it might have started earlier, but there's no proof.
The very first town site was called "Kunze." It was named after its founder, Arthur Kunze. This first site was about 2 miles (3 km) west of where Greenwater ended up. People later moved to the current Greenwater site, which was first called "Ramsey." Greenwater grew enough to have its own post office from 1906 to 1908.
There was also a nearby "tent city" called Furnace. It was founded by Patrick Clark. Furnace was a busy place around 1905. But by 1907, most people had left. The residents of Furnace eventually moved to Greenwater.
Copper and Water
Greenwater was founded because people found copper ore there in 1905. It was a very dry place. Water had to be brought in from 28 miles (45 km) away. Selling water was a very good business. One barrel of water could cost about $15, which was a lot of money back then!
Many companies started mining copper in Greenwater. The first ones were recorded in May 1906. The last ones were mentioned in September 1909. There were too many companies in a small area, about 56 in total. Some of these companies were not honest. This made it hard for the copper mining to succeed.
At its busiest, Greenwater had about 2,000 people. The town was known for a local magazine called The Death Valley Chuckwalla. This magazine even helped expose the dishonest companies. By 1909, the copper mining business failed. It never made a profit. Everyone left town to find work elsewhere. Today, nothing is left of Greenwater.
Images for kids
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Dantes View @ Death Valley National Park, California
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Greenwater California campsite.
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General view of Greenwater, California, showing the world's greatest copper belt, mountains and mines. (1906)
