kids encyclopedia robot

Greenwater, California facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Greenwater
Greenwater is located in California
Greenwater
Greenwater
Location in California
Greenwater is located in the United States
Greenwater
Greenwater
Location in the United States
Country United States
State California
County Inyo County
Elevation
4,288 ft (1,307 m)

Greenwater (formerly, Ramsey, The Camp, and Kunze) was an unincorporated community near Death Valley located in the eastern side of the Inyo County, California. It is now a deserted ghost town.

Geography

Greenwater is located 5.5 miles (8.9 km) north of Funeral Peak in the Funeral Mountains above southeastern Death Valley, at an elevation of 4288 feet (1307 m). It is now located within Death Valley National Park, north of Smith Mountain, and south of the Rand, California mining district ruins.

History

Greenwater was a mining town in the Mojave Desert that saw its rise and fall within the first decade of the 20th century.

The original townsite, 2 miles (3.2 km) west of the current site and called Kunze after its founder Arthur Kunze, was abandoned in favor of the current site, which was originally called Ramsey. A post office operated at Greenwater from 1906 to 1908.

Copper and water

Founded around a copper ore strike in 1905 the town of Greenwater was a short lived Death Valley community. So dry was its region that water had to be hauled into the town. The lucrative business of water barrel salesman fetched any entrepreneur $15 per barrel; in 1913 that equaled over $250 in 2004 dollars.

Eventually the town grew to 2,000 people and became known for a local magazine, The Death Valley Chuckwalla. By 1909 the copper mining had collapsed without ever turning a profit and the residents left town for other areas. Today, there is nothing left of Greenwater.

  • Official NPS Death Valley Ghost Towns


Images for kids

kids search engine
Greenwater, California Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.