Aguereberry Camp

Gold was discovered in the hill here in 1905 by old-time prospector Shorty Harris and his greenhorn partner Pete Aguereberry, triggering a short-lived mining boom. The tent town of Harrisburg blossomed on the neighboring flats, and the surrounding hills still bear the scars of dozens of mines. Of all the prospectors and miners who toiled here, only Pete Aguereberry persisted, working this claim for forty years until his death in 1945. Basque by heritage and born in Mauleon, France in 1874, he worked his mine mostly by himself for four decades. Remarkable persistence, rather than financial success, made him one of the most famous prospectors in the Panamint Range.

California · United States