NOONDAY CAMP

NAME: Noonday Camp
COUNTY: Inyo
ROADS: 2WD
GRID: 1
CLIMATE: Hot summer
BEST TIME TO VISIT: Anytime 		COMMENTS: East of Tecopa on the Furnace Creek road, or north from Cima Road exit of I-15
REMAINS: Mill, foundations, and the vault
Located due east of present day Tecopa on the San Bernardino/Inyo county line lie the remains of a mining community that went by several names - Brownsville, Mill City, Tecopa, Noonday City, Upper and Lower Noonday Camp. Established by the Finley Company in the 1940's to support the nearby War Eagle, Noonday and Columbia lead mines. The site was taken over by the Anaconda Copper Company, who constructed the lead ore concentration mill during 1947-1948. The mill's large water tank marks the location. Near the now rapidly deteriorating mill and debris pool is the site of Lower Noonday also known as "Married Mans Camp". 18 to 20 foundations can be found buried in the brush, along with a small graveyard, the slag from the 1870's smelter and a few adobes. Across the Western Talc road and up the arroyo is a cliffside dugout dwelling. A water pipe ran from the well to Upper Noonday. Along Furnace Creek Road is Upper Noonday Camp, or "Single Mans Camp". Used by Anaconda's employees from 1949 until 1957, and then Western Talc's employees until 1972. It was abandoned, scavenged by the locals, and torn down in 1978 which makes this a relatively young ghost town. Foundations of the supervisors and guest houses, several slabs that supported the kitchen, boarding house, and bunkhouses are evident, along with a lot of debris. Prominent is the cinder block vault that held the script currency the miners could use at the company commissary. Roads from this site go to the Noonday and War Eagle mines, worth the exploration. A bit farther back on the Western Talc road is the talc mine, a large white open pit. The remains of the mining operation can be found, collapsed timber structures, foundations, slabs, rock walls, and equipment mounting (generator? compressor?) pads. Lead mining ended in 1957 when the U.S. Govt reached it's strategic stockpile goal, the Tecopa and Darwin lead mines - which worked three shifts during the war years - closed. Talc went out of favor due to it's asbestos content. Visible from Highway 127 and the Old Spanish Trail are the landmark Tecopa bins, built in 1944. One was for lead, the other talc. The lead ore was trucked to the UP siding at Dunn and shipped to smelters in Utah. Submitted by: Bill Cook


Already a Ghost Town but still standing
Courtesy Bill Cook


Anaconda Mill
Courtesy Bill Cook


Anaconda Mill a few years ago
Courtesy Bill Cook


Anaconda Mill April 08
Courtesy Bill Cook


Boarding House
Courtesy Bill Cook


Bunkhouse Debris
Courtesy Bill Cook


Cliffside dugout near Lower Noonday
Courtesy Bill Cook


Upper Noonday guest house remains
Courtesy Bill Cook


Anaconda Lead Mill
Courtesy Bill Cook


Anaconda mill foundations
Courtesy Bill Cook


Anaconda mill water tank
Courtesy Bill Cook


Upper Noonday Camp early 70's
Courtesy Bill Cook


Upper Noonday Camp company office
Courtesy Bill Cook


Once processed 75 tons or lead ore per day
Courtesy Bill Cook


Upper Noonday showers
Courtesy Bill Cook


Supervisors and guest houses, early 70s
Courtesy Bill Cook


Supervisors house April 08
Courtesy Bill Cook


Steps to supervisors house
Courtesy Bill Cook


Tailing pond remains
Courtesy Bill Cook


Tecopa bins one for lead the other talc
Courtesy Bill Cook


Upper Noonday the vault
Courtesy Bill Cook


Upper Noonday Camp
Courtesy Bill Cook


The vault held company script currency
Courtesy Bill Cook


Upper Noonday self destructing
Courtesy Bill Cook


Western Talc equipment mounting pad
Courtesy Bill Cook


Western Talc  building remains
Courtesy Bill Cook


Western Talc mine
Courtesy Bill Cook


Western Talc building slabs and walls
Courtesy Bill Cook

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