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| Wall Street Mill Tracks |
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| Trail to Wall Street Mill |
The eight hikers that began their afternoon at Barker Dam continued out to the old Wall Street Mill. There is a trailhead located for the mill at the Barker Dam trailhead parking lot. So, we started hiking across the desert at the base of the granite rock piles on our left. The trail was easy and soon we connected with the parking lot trailhead designated for the mill hike. At this point, the trail became wider and very sandy at times.
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| Well at Mill |
The information sign at the trailhead for the mill reads as follows:
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| John Inspects Old Well |
At the edge of the Wonderland of Rocks sits the Wall Street Mill, the finest example of a gold processing mill remaining in the park. A two-stamp mill, the building that covers it, the well that supplied it water, and the well pump all remain.
During the Depression, the mining regions here experienced a second gold rush. As miners arrived, long-time rancher-miner Bill Keys recognized the need for a gold processing mill.
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| Mill Stamp |
In 1930 he bought the Wall Street Mill site, which had an existing well. Keys gathered the stamp mill and other machinery from area mine and mill sites to assemble his mill. For a fee, he processed ore for small-mine operators. When the gold was removed from the ore, it went back to the miner, to a smelter in Mojave, or to the U.S. Mint in San Francisco. Keys ran the mill on an as-needed basis, last using it in 1966. ~ Joshua Tree National Park
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| Wall Street Mill |
We hiked on out to the mill site and, as promised, it seemed to be in very good shape for a ruin. There were also three very old cars on the trail and at the site that provided extra entertainment. After taking our snack break at the mill, we returned to the Barker Dam trailhead the way we came.
2.5 miles; 250 feet elevation gain; 1.5 hours
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| Joshua Tree National Park |
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| Does anyone know how to get this thing started? |
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