Frank L. James discovered gold at the Desert Queen Mine in 1894, and ownership passed from him to others through murder, robbery, bank foreclosure, sale, and payment for back wages. Operating from 1895 to 1961, it was one of the most productive mines in the area, with the United States Bureau of Mines reporting a total production of 3,845 ounces of gold. Jim and Bill McHaney took over after one of their cowboys shot James, and although they were rumored to have made over two million dollars from the mine, an estimate of one hundred thousand or less is probably more accurate. The Desert Queen Mine included numerous shafts and tunnels, and the mining camp had housing and office facilities, a stamp mill, winches, and other structures associated with mining operations. Remains include two cyanide tanks, remnants of a cabin, parts of mining machinery, ore tailings, and mine shafts. The National Park Service covered the shafts for visitor safety and, in 1976, entered the Desert Queen Mine in the National Register of Historic Places as an excellent example of nineteenth century mining industry in southern California.