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Bennettville,California
Located In The Sierra Nevada Mountain Range
Mickey Shortt, who moved to the area from North Carolina a few months ago, was our Yosemite National Park tour guide to the
old mining town of Bennettville, California. We were actually outside of the park but through a special arrangement, Mickey who is
very knowledgeable and has a love of birds, ended up being our tour leader for the trip.
In the photo to the left he is explaining to us the difference in types of pine trees that are located at this elevation of
almost 10,000 feet.
The Sheepherder Lode as it has been named was first discovered in 1859 by Doc. Chase as he and others were prospecting in the
area near Tioga Lake. On a shiny tin can lid he left his name and location marking the mine, along with a broken shovel. The men
then left the area and proceeded over to Aurora on the East side of the Sierra Range. Chase discovered a mine that made him famous
and rich. He never went back to the Sheepherder mine near Tioga Lake although the ore was supposedly assayed to be loaded with
silver.
Bill Brusky is the sheepherder for who the mine is named after, discovered the old lid in 1874 that Doc. Chase had left there many
years ago. Four years then went by without much happening at the mine until in 1878 another assay was done and it too came back
saying the ore was just loaded with silver ! Brusky then filed four claims along Tioga Hill of 1,500 feet apiece. He then sold the
claims to the Great Sierra Consolidated Silver Company.
After selling stock shares
to investors back East and having more assays done the group decided to sink a mine from the top of the hill down to the main vein
of ore many feet below. Their plan was to work the mine even in the winter at this location of over 10,000 feet at the top of the
hill. Stone buildings were constructed to weather the winters and lower down on the hill, on a slight rise some buildings of wood
were constructed which was the beginning of Bennettville.
The building in the photo at the left is the 'Barn' which has been restored by the National Park Service. This is the first thing
you see of the 'town ' as you make your way around a corner to see this view.
As managers came and went along with different major investors the drilling
kept going farther down trying to reach the main vein.
During this time no ore was found that could be processed profitably.
Above Photo, Photo Credit: Annie Best of Midpines,California
The photo on the left is
inside the 'Barn'.
Finally in 1881, new major investors were brought in once again, because the vein was just loaded with silver, and new managers
came onboard to steer the mine in a new direction. They decided to drill into the side of the hill to reach the main vein of ore.
The first push was to be 500 feet into the side of the hill and wide enough for a double track system to be installed. Finding
digging by hand was going way too slow, eight tons of equipment was brought in so air tools could be used. With all the work going
on, a town started to take shape although no plat map was filed or a layout of the streets was conducted.
People had predicted that the 'town' could grow to about 50,000 people !
Above Photo, Photo Credit: Annie Best of Midpines,California
Looking out the barn toward
the mine.
Tailings can be seen to the left of the tall pine tree in the middle of the photo.
Again in 1882 more assays were done, with one report coming back saying that the ore is so rich that they would have to downplay
it or investors would not believe it ! During this time the Directors decided to construct a road all the way to Big Oak Flat, 56
miles away !
Looking from the mine back
to Bennettville.
The low lying area between the mine and the 'town' would be full of water in the Spring as the snows melted off of the
mountain.
By the end of October, 1883 the miners had driven almost 1,200 feet into the mountain without hitting the vein. After spending
over $56,000 on the road and over $300,000 on the mine without striking it rich, the company ran out money.
In early 1884 more money was coming in from the shareholders after being told wealth was right around the corner.
But in July with the tunnel at almost 1800 feet and further promises that they were real close to the main vein, the money was
used up and no more money was to be given to the mine as the investors were tired of empty promises as they had nothing to show
for the huge investments they had made into the company.
The entrance to the mine !
That went back 1784 feet into the side of the mountain .
With the failure of this company that others had been watching intently before working their claims in the area or on the same
mountain, the town of Bennettville slipped slowly into obscurity as people realized a town of 50,000 was never going to happen.
Welded containers laying
around outside the mine today.
What they were used for is up for speculation.
The mine changed ownership a couple of times from 1884 to 1954, but no large scale mining was ever to be undertaken again. Then in
1954 the last owner donated the mining equipment that was left, to Yosemite National Park.
Above Photo, Photo Credit: Annie Best of Midpines,California
More equipment left lying
around as nature tries to reclaim it.
Bennettville today is sought
after by hikers, miners, rock club members and other folks who have heard of the mine
as they seek to learn the early history of the Tioga Pass area.
As we leave Bennettville, after
spending an enjoyable day their with friends, walking and poking among the rocks and making snowballs (Yes, up at this elevation
there is still snow to be found !), we take one more look out of another of the windows in the barn at Mount Dana, second highest
peak in Yosemite National Park, just a few miles from this mining town that really never ever grew into a town.
By the way, after all the work that went into this mine and maybe coming so tantalizing close to making everyone rich after
boring 1,784 feet into the side of a mountain, our tour guide, Mickey Shortt told us
no silver was ever recovered for the time and investment in the mine !
We could not have written this story without Alan Patera's excellent book, Bennettville and the Tioga Mining District.
To read more about Bennettville or other books Alan has written:
Western Places
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