Old Harmony Borax Works
On the marsh near this point borax was discovered in 1881 by Aaron Winters, who later sold his holdings to W. T. Coleman of San Francisco. In 1882 Coleman built the Harmony Borax Works and commissioned his superintendent, J. W. S. Perry, to design wagons and locate a suitable route to Mojave. The work of gathering the ore (called "cottonball") was done by Chinese workmen. From this point processed borax was transported 165 miles by 20-mule team to the railroad until 1889.
1971 register text, presented as a historical document. It uses the period's terms for Native people; the state's landmark listings still carry most of this wording, and the California Office of Historic Preservation maintains the program's current texts.
Many of these plaques have since been recast or their texts revised. The California Historical Landmarks program and its current texts are maintained by the California Office of Historic Preservation. California Office of Historic Preservation ↗
Stanford Libraries
Marker data: State of California, Department of Parks and Recreation, California Historical Landmarks (1971)
More markers nearby
- Death Valley Gatewayunder 1 mi
- Bennett-Arcane Long Campunder 1 mi
- Old Stovepipe Wellsunder 1 mi
- Burned Wagons Point19 mi
See your own family's places through time.
Start with your family tree