Hedges, California facts for kids
Hedges, also known as Tumco, is a special place in Imperial County, California. It's a ghost town, which means it was once a busy mining town but is now mostly deserted. It sits in the Cargo Muchacho Mountains, near a dry riverbed called Tumco Wash. This area is about 617 feet (188 meters) above sea level. You can also find the Hedges Cemetery nearby.
History of Tumco
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People have been mining for gold in the Cargo Muchacho Mountains for a very long time. The Spanish started mining here in the early 1780s. But a conflict called the Yuma Revolt stopped their work.
Mexican miners returned to the area after 1823. They continued to search for gold before 1848. The name of the mountains comes from this time. These miners often used simple methods like "dry washing" to find gold. They also used tools called arrastras to crush the gold ore.
In 1853, an exploration team saw many quartz veins in the mountains. These veins are where gold is often found. However, large-scale mining by Americans didn't begin until 1877. This was when the Southern Pacific Railroad built tracks nearby.
The town of Ogilby was founded in 1877. It became a key stop for the railroad. Ogilby was also the main place to get supplies for the mines and camps in the Cargo Muchacho Mountains.
How Gold Rock Became Tumco
Hedges started as a mining camp called Gold Rock. Peter Walters discovered the Gold Rock Mine in 1884. He soon sold his claim to other developers. They renamed the mine the Golden Cross in 1892.
In 1893, the Golden Cross Mining and Milling Company began to develop the area more. They brought in a stamp mill, which is a machine that crushes ore to get the gold out. The mining camp grew into a town. It was named Hedges to honor C. L. Hedges, a leader of the company.
In 1910, the town was renamed Tumco. This new name came from The United Mines Company. This company bought the Gold Cross mining company. The Tumco Mine was active from 1892 to 1917. It also operated again from 1937 to 1942.
In the late 1800s, Hedges had thousands of people living there. By 1942, only about 30 people remained. Today, the Tumco Historic Mine is managed by the Bureau of Land Management.
California Historical Landmark
The Tumco Mines are recognized as a California Historical Landmarks. This means they are an important part of California's history. The landmark sign tells us:
- NO. 182 TUMCO MINES - Pete Walters of Ogilby discovered the first gold vein at Gold Rock on January 6, 1884. From his Little Mary Claim began a gold camp which reached its peak development between 1893 and 1899 as Hedges, with 3,200 residents. Nearly closed, 1900-10, it was reopened as Tumco, 1910-13, and worked intermittently until 1941. Tumco has long been a California ghost town.
