Cerro Gordo, which means "fat hill," has 22 structures remaining, including an abandoned hotel, church and bunkhouse. There’s a new sheriff in Cerro Gordo, the 19 th century mining town 200 miles north of L.A. that just sold for $1.4 million.. Shipping 1,000 tons of ore daily, Cerro Gordo became the largest producer of zinc carbonates in the entire United States. “When I first got out here, I was in a T-shirt and enjoying myself,” Underwood tells The Post. ... Yikes! Mr Underwood, 31, has been stuck in Cerro Gordo for about six months, after the road to the town got snowed in, in April and the coronavirus pandemic hit. Premium members have access to Google dynamic maps. I finally got up to Cerro Gordo last Saturday and took a tour of the town. 'I think I talk to myself through talking to the animals. Local accident news and more police or fire department information of Cerro Gordo, IL. He tells them about the history of Cerro Gordo, which was founded in 1865 and quickly grew to host a population of 4,500, and about mining, his great passion. He already ran out of bread and vegetables but hopes he has enough rice and canned tuna to sustain him until the snow thaws - though it is unclear when that will happen. Â, Adding to his incredible experience are the town's locals - the rumored spirits of people who died there and a pair of crows Underwood has come to see as friends. Â, Underwood was fascinated by Cerro Gordo's seclusion and its murderous history when he purchased it for $1.4million in 2018, Underwood went to visit Cerro Gordo last month in the early days of America's coronavirus lockdowns, with plans to stay for a week while its usual caretaker traveled to check on family. Numerous stone foundations indicate the extensive size of the mining operation. “I stay in the room with the child ghosts,” says Underwood, “but I have yet to see them.”. http://www.avflorist.com 661.948.6006 Gary and I finally drove the 8 vertical miles in his 4WD truck. But once the seams of silver ran dry, everyone left. By 1867, word of the silver at Cerro Gordo spread, “bringing flocks of new prospectors,” the website for the mining town says. During the coronavirus pandemic, he has been living there alone for the past month in his own personal ghost town. Underwood and Bier are pictured with actor Jeff Goldblum on the property last year, When he first visited Underwood was instantly struck by the town's deep history as well as the stunning landscapes that surround it, which have been featured in major motion pictures such as Iron Man starring Robert Downey Jr (above in the film), At one point, Cerro Gordo averaged a murder a week as miners put sandbags in their bunks to block stray bullets at nightÂ, One of the 22 19th century buildings inside Cerro Gordo is seen above in an Instagram photo, The photo above shows the inside of a refurbished saloon in Cerro GordoÂ, Underwood and his investor friend Jon Bier, owner of boutique public relations agency Jack Taylor PR, bought Cerro Gordo from family owners in July 2018 with plans to turn it into a tourist attraction.   Â, When he first visited Underwood was instantly struck by the town's deep history as well as the stunning landscapes that surround it, which have been featured in major motion pictures such as Iron Man.Â, He was also drawn to Cerro Gordo's long and bloody history. We are the primary law enforcement agency for all rural areas in Cerro Gordo County as well as Plymouth, Rock Falls, Dougherty, Swaledale, Thornton and Meservey. Cerro Gordo’s deadliest mine disaster struck in the early 1870s when a cave-in killed at least eight and as many as 35 Chinese miners. “And then it snowed for four days straight and now there’s no way to get out.”. 'Â, While he knew the stories hidden inside the town - Underwood never imagined experiencing its supposed hauntings first-hand the way he has in the past few weeks. The sale for the historic mining town of Cerro Gordo closed on Friday, July 13. These were intruded by granitic bodies, aplite dikes, and by innumerable andesitic and dacitic dikes of later age. Underwood snapped this photo one night during his isolation, For most of the two years he's owned Cerro Gordo, Underwood has visited every month but left upkeep in the hands of its caretaker of 21 years, Robert Desmarais.Â, As the coronavirus pandemic took hold in the US last month, Underwood agreed to look after the town for a week while Desmarais went to Arizona to check on his wife.Â, His stay was unexpectedly extended when the snowstorm hit.Â, 'When I first got out here, I was in a T-shirt and enjoying myself,' Underwood told the New York Post.Â, 'And then it snowed for four days straight and now there's no way to get out. “I try to respect their space.”. By 1867, word of the silver at Cerro Gordo spread, “bringing flocks of new prospectors,” the website for the mining town says. Search law firms at FindLaw. WWII veteran, 96, shaves his hair into a mohawk to bring joy... Former California mayor, 72, dies in a small plane crash... California doctor charged with fraud for selling 'COVID-19... Here’s how to help people impacted by Covid-19, Man forced to quarantine in ghost town with gruesome past. founded Cerro Gordo Water and Mining Company and acquired one--third interest in what would become the richest deposit of galena lead ore.[18] Together Belshaw and Beaudry set o. ut to both acquire the necessary infrastructure for mining and establish a class of laborers who would initiate operations at Cerro Gordo immediately. Website Design by Granicus - Connecting People and Government. I live up here full time and put all my time, energy, and money into the property in hope that more people can come visit and learn from this historic town. Privacy Notice The 32-year-old marketer took sheltering in place to the next level when he became trapped in a California ghost town he recently purchased. MASON CITY, Iowa - A 25-year-old man is facing charges after a two-vehicle accident Tuesday night left multiple people hospitalized. He bought Cerro Gordo, a former silver mining town with a murderous history, for $1.4 million in 2018. Cerro Gordo County Law Enforcement Center 17262 Lark Ave Mason City, IA 50401 Phone: 641-421-3000. Cerro Gordo is an abandoned mining town outside California. Brent Underwood purchased Cerro Gordo … Brent Underwood and Cerro Gordo's caretaker of 21 years, Robert Desmarais. Your California Privacy Rights Cerro Gordo Cerro Gordo, Inyo County. An advertisement for this new centerpiece of the Cerro Gordo mining camp ran in the Inyo Register with a date of June 15, 1871. A California Silver Rush in Cerro Gordo California staff June 15, 2018 0 Silver was discovered in Cerro Gordo (“Fat Hill”) in 1865 by Pablo Flores—the first major silver strike in Owens Valley and a defining feature of the Lone Pine Mining District. Cerro Gordo, California is an abandoned silver mining town tucked between the tallest mountain in the continental United States — Mount Whitney — … “When I do look at the news and I see how chaotic and terrible things are, there’s a part of me that isn’t in a huge rush to reenter the world.”, He also takes strength from the town’s history, knowing it’s weathered similar storms. “If I’m working through something at work, I’ll tell Jekyll about it,” he says. Conducting an interview on Reddit, Mr Underwood said the old town has around 50 kilometres of mining shafts which he explores for three or four hours every day. ', He said he also takes comfort in the fact that the town has survived several similar crises over the years, including the 1918 Spanish influenza pandemic. Â, 'It's been through many pandemics and it's still standing,' he said.Â, Underwood is spending his alone time hiking and doing maintenance in the town while taking inventory on artifacts he finds, He's also enjoyed exploring Cerro Gordo's abandoned silver mines, which he frequently features on his Instagram, Underwood is spending his alone time hiking and doing maintenance in the town while taking inventory on the various artifacts he finds in the process.  Â, He also manages five employees at his marketing firm, Brass Check, in Austin, Texas, remotely via satellite internet.Â, Occasionally he's found himself consulting with two new employees - a pair of crows Desmarais named Heckle and Jeckyll.  Â, 'If I'm working through something at work, I'll tell Jekyll about it,' he says. A Texas entrepreneur has been forced to quarantine in an abandoned California mining town with a sinister past after getting trapped there by a snowstorm. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. Cerro Gordo The Cerro Gordo is a lead, silver, and zinc mine located in Inyo county, California at an elevation of 8,501 feet. When news of the discovery reached the Comstock Lode, the rush to Cerro Gordo was on. But that will only get him to a 35-person town without grocery stores, and he’s found himself out of breath after snowshoeing for just several yards. “I think I talk to myself through talking to the animals.”. “It’s been through many pandemics,” including Spanish influenza, he says, “and it’s still standing.”. Nolan Nitschke Show More Show Less 2 of 21. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. A TV show called “Ghost Adventures” once investigated the town and found that it was haunted by the ghosts of two children who died after being trapped in a closet. Aside from monthly visits, Underwood has largely left it in the care of its full-time live-in caretaker of 21 years, Robert Desmarais. The problem is: There’s no running water and a snowstorm has him trapped. But that was about a month ago. ‘“If I don’t look at my phone or my computer, it’s like nothing happened,” he says. In the years that followed, lead and ore were also mined in … Screenshot: Cerro Gordo Given the current state of the world, moving to a remote mountain town isolated from the rest of humanity doesn’t sound like the worst idea. See pictures and video of its well-preserved buildings. ... Like most Western mining towns, Sarah Gordo has a complicated back story. In 1912, the Cerro Gordo group, whose property now consisted of tunnels and shafts and an aerial tramway connecting the mine with the narrow-gauge Southern Pacific Railroad at Keeler, was acquired by Utah mining men. At first glance, the town of Cerro Gordo doesn't look like much more than a town suited for Wild West reenactments. Underwood’s commitment to the Cerro Gordo restoration project has been tested mightily in recent months. Now, he’s stuck in his ghost town under five feet of snow. And by 1900, roughly $17 million in precious minerals had come from Cerro Gordo (adjusted for inflation, that number is closer to $50 million today). for the old Cerro Gordo mine. 1 of 21. There is no running water in Cerro Gordo’s weathered collection of old mining equipment, junked cars and 22 structures, some of them with walls insulated with newspapers. 'There's no draft, but things drop inside of houses', Underwood erected this snowman outside his bunkhouse to help keep him company in quarantine, Underwood says he appreciates being cut off from the coronavirus crisis gripping the nation. It was a major producer of silver, lead, and zinc, but over the last century, it has become a ghost town with only one resident — its groundskeeper. This story has been shared 104,400 times. Cerro Gordo, a barren but charming 19th century mining town nestled in California's Inyo Mountains, is currently on the market for just under $1million. Cerro Gordo was originally included in the Lone Pine Mining District established in 1866, but when federal mining laws were implemented in 1872, the area was reorganized into the separate Cerro Gordo Mining … Listed for $925,000 with Jake Rasmuson of Bishop Real Estate Rasmuson & Associates, the collection of abandoned properties includes a hotel, a bunkhouse, and several homes, … Underwood was vilified as a trust-funder who took over the mining town as some sort of hobby. Cerro Gordo Is TikTok's Favorite Ghost Town — With a Dark Past. But that doesn’t mean spooky things aren’t happening in Cerro Gordo during the lockdown. On Friday, the town was sold for … The particular details of the discovery are obscure, but it is thought that the first discoveries of silver ore … Cerro Gordo was founded in 1865 and was once the largest mining town in California. “That was a bit freaky,” he admits, but he believes the spirits are peaceful. Do Not Sell My Personal Information. We're happy to share a unique limited-edition collaboration between Roots of Fight and Cerro Gordo, one of the most successful mining towns in the pioneering days of the great American West. 111,674, This story has been shared 104,400 times. It’s Monday, which means a brand new episode of the... Post was not sent - check your email addresses! By 1884, the easy surface mining was exhausted and the big rush faded. Cerro Gordo came into existence as a small mining town after the discovery of silver in 1865. This story has been shared 111,674 times. Cerro Gordo was originally included in the Lone Pine Mining District established in 1866, but when federal mining laws were implemented in 1872, the area was reorganized into the separate Cerro Gordo Mining … He bought Cerro Gordo, a former silver mining town with a murderous history, for $1.4 million in 2018. The mean comments on social media platforms started the moment Cerro Gordo was sold. Jan 29 2019 Cerro Grande Mining Corporation Announced its Consolidated Profit and Loss for the Fourth Quarter and Year Ended September 30, 2018 with Comparatives for the Same Periods in 2017. 100% of the proceeds will go directly to rebuilding the American Hotel which was tragically lost June 15, 2020. The Cerro Gordo Mines are a collection of abandoned mines located in the Inyo Mountains, in Inyo County, near Lone Pine, California. 'Things are moving around, I'm seeing curtains move, I'm hearing things in the night,' he said. Underwood is passing the time fixing up and finding artifacts on the property, going on hikes and remotely managing his five employees in Austin, Texas via satellite internet — occasionally consulting with a pair of crows Desmarais named Heckle and Jekyll. 'There's no draft, but things drop inside of houses. The Inyo Mountains near Cerro Gordo comprise strongly folded and faulted sedimentary rocks ranging in age from Ordovician to Middle Triassic. Find top Cerro Gordo County, IA Construction Accident lawyers and attorneys. Departments & … The downstairs featured a big bar, ornate dining room, kitchen and sitting rooms, while men working a shift in the mines could rent a bed in … Cerro Gordo in its heydays. He’s been melting snow for water and while he’s out of bread and vegetables, he has enough rice and canned tuna to get him through until the snow thaws. The buyers want to renovate the buildings and host events. I had purchased my tour on line at the mine website, but you can also pay in cash once up there. The snowstorm struck soon after he arrived, making it impossible for him to get out. Departments & … With a murder a week in the 1860s and ’70s, bloodshed permeates its history. Brent Underwood's quarantine location: a California ghost town. Cerro Gordo was once a thriving, albeit violent, California mining town. Collection: Cerro Gordo Apparel 100% of the proceeds will go directly to rebuilding the American Hotel which was tragically lost June 15, 2020. Cerrogordo Accident. He bought Cerro Gordo, a former silver mining town with a murderous history, for $1.4 million in 2018. Kyrie Irving still refusing to play in Capitol riot aftermath. “As the world is trying to isolate themselves, there’s not much further isolation you can do than an abandoned ghost town,” he says. Unlike other mining towns in the Southwest though, Darwin held on to life for a long time. Brent Underwood has been snowed-in at a California ghost town for going on a month. 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All Rights Reserved “All I … Sure the other buildings will be 600 years old, but it will all be part of Cerro Gordo’s history. 'Â, While there is a pair of snowshoes at his disposal, Underwood said they're not of much use in the deep snow lining the steep seven-mile road leading to the nearest community, noting that he gets tired after a few hundred yards.Â, And even if he did make it that far, it wouldn't be of much help as that community of 35 people doesn't have a single grocery store.Â, The closest town with a grocery story, Lone Pine, is another 20 miles away - essentially unreachable by Underwood in snowshoes.  Â, Underwood and his investor friend Jon Bier, owner of boutique public relations agency Jack Taylor PR, bought Cerro Gordo from family owners in July 2018 with plans to turn it into a tourist attraction. In 1912 the Cerro Gordo group, whose property now consisted of tunnels and shafts and an aerial tramway connecting the mine with the narrow-gauge Southern Pacific Railroad at Keeler, which had absorbed the old Carson & Colorado Railroad, was acquired by Utah mining men. "Unfortunately fires are part of Western mining town’s history. Cerro Gordo is an abandoned mining town in central Inyo County. 12, 13, 23 & 24, T16S, R38E, MDM, at the site of the former town of Cerro Gordo (mining ghost town), 9.5 … It consists of a number of wooden buildings, the most imposing of which is the two-story American Hotel, once the center of town. A semi driven by 61-year-old Dean Jones of Owatonna Minnesota was southbound on R-44 and failed to stop for a stop sign at the intersection, colliding with a vehicle traveling eastbound on B-16 driven by 56-year-old Debra Kamp of Britt. “Anytime you’re in a town and expect to see nothing and hear nothing, when you do, your mind is on heightened alert,” he adds. A snowman Underwood built for company, and the stars. Cerro Gordo County Law Enforcement Center 17262 Lark Ave Mason City, IA 50401 Phone: 641-421-3000. Center: All that remains of the saw mill from which came Cerro Gordo's lumber and charcoal. The comments below have not been moderated. But more than mining accidents, the biggest killer is silicosis, an incurable lung disease caused by inhaling large amounts of silica dust. Cerro Grande Mining Corporation is a exploration company focused on acquiring, exploring, evaluating and developing new gold, copper and industrial mineral properties in central Chile.. “For the most part, I leave the ghosts alone and they leave me alone,” Underwood says. 'Â, The Discovery Channel TV series 'Ghost Adventures' investigated the 22-building town last year and determined that it was haunted by the ghosts of two children who died after getting trapped in a closet. Â, Underwood is now staying in the very same room where the child ghosts were detected, but claims he has yet to see them.Â, He said his wallet recently disappeared for two days before turning up at the town hotel, admitting that it was 'a bit freaky'. Â, But Underwood believes the spirits which inhabit the town are peaceful, and he's trying to 'respect their space'.Â, 'For the most part, I leave the ghosts alone and they leave me alone,' he said. Â, 'Anytime you're in a town and expect to see nothing and hear nothing, when you do, your mind is on heightened alert. Through talking to the animals ” including Spanish influenza, he has enjoyed the scenery and he even! Smelted on site, but larger capacity smelters were eventually constructed along the shore of Owens! 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