Cerro Gordo And The American Hotel

The oldest Hotel east of the Sierra Nevada range, the American Hotel was all but dead until 1991. Built in 1871 by Englishman John Simpson, the hotel was made to serve the large mining population at Cerro Gordo. It wasn't until 1916 that the hotel would see electric light, and she has lived through earthquakes, fires, gale force wind, ice and bullets.



************The Old American Hotel, Cerro Gordo, CA**************************







While no overnight guests are allowed to stay anymore, you can still have a hearty meal here. Accomodations are available overnight in a couple of period "ghost town" homes like Belshaw House.



*****View to the Owens Valley from Cerro Gordo**************







Cerro Gordo (fat hill) was first a native american encampment. Stumbled upon by several Mexican miners and trappers, the Indians quickly killed all but two of them. They were made to swear never to return, but after a couple of years they did just that. The Cerro Gordo mining operations began, and copper and silver ore wer being removed at an alarming rate. The city of Los Angeles at the time was simply known as "El Pueblo," a small Mexican military outpost (the garrison stood roughly where the failed LA School Board's GIANT eye-sore of a school complex still sits abandoned after hundreds of millions of dollars of taxpayer money). The silver ore that flowed from that mountin all but funded and founded the very existance of what was a stage coach stop in a rural farm town, with little water or resources. Cerro Gordo's operations resulted in a stage lines, then train tracks, then a huge Owens Valley Water Project that would provide LA it's life blood....water.
The Mexicans utilized the area for years until a white trapper and miner rolled upon the operation, and took his nugget to Nevada. The rush was on. Located just a few miles and 5,000 feet above the town of Lone Pine, the town quickly exploded. Over thirteen million dollars in ore was said to be removed from here, and in the 1870's, that was some big money. Today, the town is privately owned.




*****Mortimer Belshaw, mine investor/owner***************************




You can make reservations to stay in Belshaw House overnight, or one of the many other buildings made to take visitors. Bring a camera and a mountain bike and enjoy this area in very early or late winter, when the temps aren't too bad either way. This is one of the best preserved Ghost Towns in California, with many buildings still appearing to be ready to go back to work.




*****Belshaw House is available for overnight accomodations****************