Vulcan Mine Historic District: Cultural Landscape Inventory, Mojave National Preserve, National Park Service

Brown, Fred; Owens, Erica; Bennett, Amanda; Hartzler, Bob; Sherraden, Catherine

The proposed Vulcan Mine Historic District is a 437‑acre district near the heart of Mojave National Preserve. The district is significant at the national level under Criterion A for its association with events that have contributed to the broad patterns of American history as the largest source of iron in California during World War II, providing material for the first large‑scale steel plant west of the Rockies. The period of significance is 1942 to 1947, covering the duration of active iron mining by Kaiser Corporation. Mojave National Preserve is located in southeastern California in the Mojave Desert. The Historic District is located in the southwestern quadrant of the preserve, where vegetation is sparse and low‑growing. Cacti and thorny shrubs are conspicuous, but many thorn‑less shrubs and herbs are also present. Eons of erosion by wind and brief, but powerful seasonal rains have significantly influenced the natural landscape as well as mining development. Generally, the Vulcan Mine Historic District is comprised of the main mining complex where ore was extracted from an open pit, a transportation corridor that connects it to Kelso, and the loading ramps at Kelso used to transfer the iron ore to railcars. The mining complex includes the large open pit, waste rock pile, associated operational and residential areas, and a system of roads and terraces. The 9‑mile Vulcan Mine‑Kelbaker Road originally constructed by Kaiser still follows its original alignment and connects to the historic, earthen loading ramps at Kelso. Because of the temporary nature of mining in the Vulcan Mine Historic District, mining features were not intended to outlast the brief spurt of mining activity that occurred from 1942 to 1947. All of the buildings were removed in 1949 when mining operations ceased, leaving only foundations and footings to mark their former locations. Some roads and other features located in washes have been disturbed by storm events. However, most features, such as the open pit, waste rock pile, foundations and footings, main roads, and the loading ramps are stable. Overall, the cultural landscape retains integrity as a historic district conveying a large‑scale mining operation associated with World War II‑era mining. The Vulcan Mine appears today much as it did during the period of significance and retains its historical integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling and association. Contributing resources include the residential area foundations and footings, crusher plant foundations, cap and fuse house, magazine storage structure, Kelso loading ramps, Vulcan Mine Road, and the mining complex circulation network. The historic character of the Vulcan Mine Historic District is still evident in the following landscape characteristics: natural systems and features, spatial organization, topography, circulation, buildings and structures, and archeological sites. Based on the evaluation of these characteristics, the cultural landscape at Vulcan Mine was found to exhibit key patterns, relationships, and features that convey the historical significance of the district.

Vulcan Mine Historic District: Cultural Landscape Inventory, Mojave National Preserve, National Park Service

Series

Collections