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rhintransit
Super Nomad
Posts: 1588
Registered: 9-4-2006
Location: Loreto
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Old Manganese Mine...more info?
Old Manganese Mine...more info?
thanks to Pompano for his recent post "Day on the Cortez..." I'd like to know more about one particular photo/site, that of the old manganese mine at
the tip of the Conception Bay Peninsula, so am starting a new thread rather than doing a hijack of that post.
I spent several days camping at the area two years ago, but no one in our party could come up with much history of the mine. a geologist in the group
had found the name of the company but drawn a blank when researching it. for some reason we all assumed it was part of the US war effort. Pompano
refers to it as "THE OLD MANGANESE MINE…WWII VINTAGE...ORE WENT TO THE GERMAN’S WAR EFFORT…CLOSED WHEN THEY WERE DEFEATED"
and from David K:
Quote:
Originally posted by David K
Thank you very much Roger! I specially enjoyed seeing the magnesium mine... I had not seen photos of it before. First heard about it in Jim Hunter's
1977 book 'Offbeat Baja'.
I don't have access to that book but I'd like to know more about the history of the mine. the ruins there are quite extensive, it must have been a big
operation. are there Nomads out there who can tell us about it?
reality\'s never been of much use out here...
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mulegemichael
Super Nomad
Posts: 2310
Registered: 12-24-2007
Location: sequim,wa. and mulege
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Mood: up on step
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all i've heard is it's the "snakiest" place in baja...not my favorite place to camp...tom and patti, our local favorite travel writers, might have a
lot more insight into the history of the place.
dyslexia is never having to say you\'re yrros.
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rhintransit
Super Nomad
Posts: 1588
Registered: 9-4-2006
Location: Loreto
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will post a few photos from the trip, which was in 2008, longer ago that I remembered. the site is spread out over a lot of territory; the tailings
are extensive, and the housing (best guess) areas are fairly distant from the central area. some really interesting 'what would that have been?'
structures, etc, all spread out, such as a really neat very large patio type area overlooking the sea on the bluffs north. here's a shot of the main
area...
reality\'s never been of much use out here...
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Marc
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 2747
Registered: 5-15-2010
Location: San Francisco & Palm Springs
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Mood: Waiting
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Do you have a GPS reading??
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64490
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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I have read here on Nomad of people in Mulege that lived out there (as kids) when the mine was in operation.
Perhaps use Nomad search... and just enter Manganese...?
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64490
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Marc
Do you have a GPS reading?? |
Hi Marc, I am heading to bed now, but until I get to it, use Google Earth... the mine is near the tip of the Concepcion peninsula, and on the Cortez
(east side) coast... at the end of the road.
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mcfez
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8678
Registered: 12-2-2009
Location: aka BN yankeeirishman
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GERMAN’S WAR EFFORT
Yeah....that caught my attention too. I thought the Mexican Govt had set up certain posts throughout the land in WWW to prevent the bad boys from
taking over. My research showed zero too.
http://www.geoscienceworld.org/
[Edited on 3-2-2011 by mcfez]
Old people are like the old cars, made of some tough stuff. May show a little rust, but good as gold on the inside.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64490
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Since Mexico was a Allied Country (on our side), I think any manganese went to us rather than Germany... An ore ship would be east target for a sub or
destroyer to hit returning to Germany, as well.
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Pompano
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8194
Registered: 11-14-2004
Location: Bay of Conception and Up North
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Mood: Optimistic
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My information came from Blackjack many years ago.
Of course, JW had a macabre sense of humor around a campfire.....
Do you want me to research it further amongst some elderly historian types in Mulege? It will cost you a beer.
I do what the voices in my tackle box tell me.
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bajaguy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9247
Registered: 9-16-2003
Location: Carson City, NV/Ensenada - Baja Country Club
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Mood: must be 5 O'clock somewhere in Baja
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I'm in.....
Would be interesting to know more info
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rhintransit
Super Nomad
Posts: 1588
Registered: 9-4-2006
Location: Loreto
Member Is Offline
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Pompano
My information came from Blackjack many years ago.
Of course, JW had a macabre sense of humor around a campfire.....
Do you want me to research it further amongst some elderly historian types in Mulege? It will cost you a beer. |
would like to know more, I'm in for a beer or two.
here's another photo to whet the appetite...from the beach where we camped.
reality\'s never been of much use out here...
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bajalou
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4459
Registered: 3-11-2004
Location: South of the broder
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I think this is it.
[Edited on 3-2-2011 by bajalou]
No Bad Days
\"Never argue with an idiot. People watching may not be able to tell the difference\"
\"The trouble with doing nothing is - how do I know when I\'m done?\"
Nomad Baja Interactive map
And in the San Felipe area - check out Valle Chico area |
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rhintransit
Super Nomad
Posts: 1588
Registered: 9-4-2006
Location: Loreto
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| Quote: | Originally posted by bajalou
I think this is it.
[Edited on 3-2-2011 by bajalou] |
yes, that's it...we climbed some of the trails where they/someone had mined the ore, you can see faint indications on the hills. on the other side of
the hills is evidence of other structures, maybe living quarters or something.
here's another interesting shot of ???
[Edited on 3-2-2011 by rhintransit]
reality\'s never been of much use out here...
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mcfez
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8678
Registered: 12-2-2009
Location: aka BN yankeeirishman
Member Is Offline
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Pompano
My information came from Blackjack many years ago.
Of course, JW had a macabre sense of humor around a campfire.....
Do you want me to research it further amongst some elderly historian types in Mulege? It will cost you a beer. |
That be great if you could dig around for info...
Old people are like the old cars, made of some tough stuff. May show a little rust, but good as gold on the inside.
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Barry A.
Select Nomad
Posts: 10007
Registered: 11-30-2003
Location: Redding, Northern CA
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Mood: optimistic
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Not directly related, but in my research I came across this:
Of possible interest???
http://agoracom.com/ir/BajaMining/profile
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rhintransit
Super Nomad
Posts: 1588
Registered: 9-4-2006
Location: Loreto
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bump...someone out there must have some information
reality\'s never been of much use out here...
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rockman
Junior Nomad
Posts: 97
Registered: 11-30-2003
Location: Port Hadlock, WA & Loreto BCS
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There are several references to the Gavilan mine which produced manganese (not magnesium) for the US war effort during WWII. At that time, more than
6,000 people worked at the mine. It was operated by a Mexican subsidiary of the Homestake Mining Co. Lessened post-war demand diminished the
output, and the mine closed when a hurricane devistated much of the infrastucture in 1946. Although many of the foundations and concrete floors still
survive, all of the equipment was salvaged and moved to other operations. The ore consisted of veins of pyrolusite, traces of which can still be
picked up. There are great campsites, but the drive from the west side of the peninsula to the east can be quite challenging. High clearance is
mandatory.
Best References:
Baja Explorer magazine (Later called Baja Life), Nov-Dec, 1991. Article by Bob Vinton.
Manganese on Punta Concepcion, by James Noble, Calif Inst of Tech, in Economic Geology, v45#8, Dec, 1950.
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1bobo
Nomad
Posts: 116
Registered: 2-5-2010
Location: Mulege
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There was a Ford Explorer type SUV and a 9 passenger van parked on the beach just south of the mine on Thursday. The van might have been 4WD,
probably was, but wasn't "tricked out" like some. So maybe the road isn't too bad.
I have some small pieces of ore I was told came from one of the mines. Very dark gray, almost black, and very heavy.
There are large concrete "deadmen" on the hills, and no evidence (that I've seen) of pier structures in the water, so likely they cabled the ore to
ships standing offshore. Must have been interesting to witness.
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wessongroup
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 21152
Registered: 8-9-2009
Location: Mission Viejo
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Mood: Suicide Hot line ... please hold
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Thanks much... amazing what happens here with a question...
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64490
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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| Quote: | Originally posted by rockman
There are several references to the Gavilan mine which produced manganese (not magnesium) for the US war effort during WWII. At that time, more than
6,000 people worked at the mine. It was operated by a Mexican subsidiary of the Homestake Mining Co. Lessened post-war demand diminished the
output, and the mine closed when a hurricane devistated much of the infrastucture in 1946. Although many of the foundations and concrete floors still
survive, all of the equipment was salvaged and moved to other operations. The ore consisted of veins of pyrolusite, traces of which can still be
picked up. There are great campsites, but the drive from the west side of the peninsula to the east can be quite challenging. High clearance is
mandatory.
Best References:
Baja Explorer magazine (Later called Baja Life), Nov-Dec, 1991. Article by Bob Vinton.
Manganese on Punta Concepcion, by James Noble, Calif Inst of Tech, in Economic Geology, v45#8, Dec, 1950. |
Thanks Norm, I will see if I have that edition of the Baja Explorer magazine.
I always thought it was interesting that Erle Stanley Gardner never mentioned the mine when he explored the Concepcion Bay Peninsula in 1966. He made
it a mystery to be solved in his 1967 'Off the Beaten Track in Baja'. Perhaps if he revealed there was a mine out there it wouldn't seem like he was
the first to explore the area?
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