Loretto - California Ghost Town

LORETTO

NAME: Loretto
COUNTY: Inyo
ROADS: 2WD
GRID #(see map): 3
CLIMATE: Warm summers, mild to cold w/occasional snow in winter.
BEST TIME TO VISIT: All year

COMMENTS: Situated on paved and dirt roads. BEWARE OF A DEEP, UNPROTECTED MINE SHAFT LOCATED SOUTH OF THE PAVED ROAD AT THE NIKKOLAUS-EUREKA MINE.
REMAINS: Stone walls, mine portals, modern machinery.

Loretto was a copper mining region that popped into existence in 1906. It bloomed briefly with its other copper belt neighbors Ubehebe and Greenwater. The town consisted of several dwellings and business housed in sturdy stone cabins and a population of around 150. Mining in the region dated back to around 1888 but no actual development work took place until the national copper boom during the first decade of the 1900's. Loretto even attracted the attention of steel magnate Charles Schwab, who also had holdings in it seems nearly every other mining town that popped up in the Death Valley area. A smelter was built, but the ore was found to be rich near the surface, but did not continue deeper. In the 1970's, the Bristlecone Copper Company built a smelter and smelted a few hundred tons of copper ore recovered from the mine dumps, but shut down in 1977. Submitted by: David A. Wright Great Basin Research Loretto, January 1, 2000 Courtesy David A. Wright Loretto, January 1, 2000 Courtesy David A. Wright Loretto, January 1, 2000 Courtesy David A. Wright Loretto, January 1, 2000 Courtesy David A. Wright Loretto, January 1, 2000 Courtesy David A. Wright Loretto, January 1, 2000 Courtesy David A. Wright	Mine workings at Nikkolaus-Eureka Mine. BEWARE OF UNPROTECTED SHAFT HERE! Cable from this hoist runs into the shaft, a stone tossed into it could not be heard hitting bottom. January 1997. Courtesy David A. Wright Great Basin Research Air compressor found at Nikkolaus-Eureka Mine. January 1997. Courtesy David A. Wright Great Basin Research Howard Grice stands admiring the view over Eureka Valley from the Nikkolaus-Eureka Mine. January 1997. Courtesy David A. Wright Great Basin Research View from the Nikkolaus-Eureka Mine overlooking the townsite of Loretto and other milling operations across canyon. January 1997. Courtesy David A. Wright Great Basin Research Remains of the Bristlecone Copper Company smelter, which operated during the 1970's. January 1997. Courtesy David A. Wright Great Basin Research Loretto townsite ruins. November 1995. Courtesy David A. Wright Great Basin Research Loretto Courtesy David A. Wright

Loretto was a copper mining region that popped into existence in 1906. It bloomed briefly with its other copper belt neighbors Ubehebe and Greenwater. The town consisted of several dwellings and business housed in sturdy stone cabins and a population of around 150. Mining in the region dated back to around 1888 but no actual development work took place until the national copper boom during the first decade of the 1900's. Loretto even attracted the attention of steel magnate Charles Schwab, who also had holdings in it seems nearly every other mining town that popped up in the Death Valley area. A smelter was built, but the ore was found to be rich near the surface, but did not continue deeper. In the 1970's, the Bristlecone Copper Company built a smelter and smelted a few hundred tons of copper ore recovered from the mine dumps, but shut down in 1977.

Submitted by: David A. Wright
Great Basin Research

Loretto, January 1, 2000
Courtesy David A. Wright

Mine workings at Nikkolaus-Eureka Mine. BEWARE OF UNPROTECTED SHAFT HERE! Cable from this hoist runs into the shaft, a stone tossed into it could not be heard hitting bottom. January 1997.
Courtesy David A. Wright
Great Basin Research

Air compressor found at Nikkolaus-Eureka Mine. January 1997.
Courtesy David A. Wright
Great Basin Research

Howard Grice stands admiring the view over Eureka Valley from the Nikkolaus-Eureka Mine. January 1997.
Courtesy David A. Wright
Great Basin Research

View from the Nikkolaus-Eureka Mine overlooking the townsite of Loretto and other milling operations across canyon. January 1997.
Courtesy David A. Wright
Great Basin Research

Remains of the Bristlecone Copper Company smelter, which operated during the 1970's. January 1997.
Courtesy David A. Wright
Great Basin Research

Loretto townsite ruins. November 1995.
Courtesy David A. Wright
Great Basin Research

Loretto
Courtesy David A. Wright

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