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Harmony Borax Works

Past Producer in Inyo county in California, United States with commodity Boron-Borates
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Sections on this page
  1. Identification information
  2. Geographic coordinates
  3. Site location context
  4. Geographic areas
  5. Commodities
  6. Materials information
  7. Host and associated rocks
  8. Nearby scientific data
  9. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  10. Links to other databases
  11. Bibliographic references
  12. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10023553
MRDS ID I000666
Record type Site
Current site name Harmony Borax Works
Alternate or previous names Old Harmony Borax Works

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -116.89395, 36.52636 (WGS84)
Location accuracy 500(meters)
Relative position IN THE PLAYA AT THE MOUTH OF FURNACE CREEK WASH IN DEATH VALLEY., Estimated Location, Probably Within 5 Seconds., Estimated Location, Probably Within 5 Seconds., Estimated Location, Probably Within 5 Seconds.

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Inyo(county)

California(state)

United States(country)

North America(continent)

Land(continent)

USGS map quadrangles

Beatty Junction(quadrangle 1:24,000 scale)

Beatty(quadrangle 1:100,000 scale)

Death Valley(quadrangle 1:250,000 scale)

Hydrologic units (watersheds)

Death Valley-Lower Amargosa(hydrologic unit)

Northern Mojave(hydrologic accounting unit)

Northern Mojave-Mono Lake(hydrologic subregion)

California(hydrologic region)

Federal lands

Death Valley National Park(National Park)

National Park NPS(Type of land area)

NPS(Federal land areas administered by NPS)

Geographic areas

Country State County
United States California Inyo

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Boron-Borates Primary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Ulexite Ore

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Chemical Sediment > Evaporite
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Holocene

Nearby scientific data

(1) -116.89395, 36.52636
ListMap

Economic information

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Past Producer
Commodity type Non-metallic
Deposit size Small
Significant No
Discovery year 1881
Discoverer Aaron And Rosie Winters
Production years 1882-1890

Comments on development

  • THE WINTERS' SOLD THEIR CLAIM TO W.T. COLEMAN FOR $20,000. ; ECON.COM: ULEXITE WAS DISSOLVED IN BOILING WATER; WHEN THE SOLUTION COOLED, BORAX WAS PRECIPITATED. IT WAS TOO HOT IN THE SUMMER FOR THE SOLUTION TO COOL SUFFICIENTLY TO PRODUCE BORAX, SO OPERATIONS WERE MOVED TO A DEPOSIT NEAR AMARGOSA DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS. THE ORE WAS HAULED BY 20-MULE TEAMS 165 MILES TO MOJAVE.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    MAJMUNDAR, H.H., 1988, BORATE MINING HISTORY IN DEATH VALLEY, INYO AND SAN BERNARDINO COUNTIES, IN GREGORY, J.L., AND BALDWIN, E.J., EDS., GEOLOGY OF THE DEATH VALLEY REGION: SANTA ANA, CALIFORNIA, SOUTH COAST GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY, INC., P. 365-371.

  • Deposit

    SMITH, G.I., 1985, BORATE DEPOSITS IN THE UNITED STATES - DISSIMILAR IN FORM, SIMILAR IN GEOLOGIC SETTING, IN BARKER, J.M., AND LEFOND, S.J., EDS., BORATES: ECONOMIC GEOLOGY AND PRODUCTION: NEW YORK, AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF MINING, METALLURGICAL AND PETROLEUM ENGINEERS, INC., P. 37-51.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-APR-91 Orris, Greta J. U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 04-NOV-94 Orris, Greta J. U.S. Geological Survey

Beyond USGS

Supplemental information added by qvyshift.com. Not part of the original USGS MRDS record.

Maps centered on this site

Authoritative California resources

These are landing pages for further research — the state agencies don't currently expose per-mine deep links.