There is an amazing home that was built in the early part of the 1900's in one of the most remote areas of the United States, Death Valley California. Today, this magnificent structure is a National Historic Monument. Scotty's Castle pictured below is a very interesting and quite unique stop for the California tourist interested in the mining history of the Death Valley California area. The fact that a castle in Death Valley was built is a one of a kind story. Death valley is noted as being the hottest, driest and lowest place in North America. Scotty's Castle is certainly off the beaten path but is a great stop if you're traveling through the region. The history of Death Valley produces many interesting tales.
A Twentieth Century Gold Rush
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| Courtesy NPS |
The strange story is about a man who roamed the southern California region at the beginning of the 20th century. This was a man who spent a lot of time in Death Valley California. His time was spent at his mine, a booming mine at that, but where it was located nobody really knew. Another thing about Death Valley is that some of the tales change over time. I originally came upon the story of Death Valley Scotty while reading a book from the library entitled Who Killed Chester Pray by author Nicholas Clapp. The book is a great read and I would highly recommend it for anyone interested in early 1900's mining in the Death Valley and western Nevada area. It's a nonfiction mystery "who done it" that's hard to put down once you begin reading it.
The man's name was Walter Edward Perry Scott who was born in 1872. At 16 years of age he joined Buffalo Bill's Wild West as a stunt rider. Walter spent twelve years touring with Buffalo Bill traveling all over Europe. Scotty, as he was called, quit the Wild West when he married and moved to Colorado to mine gold. That venture didn't work out. Walter then tried to rejoin Buffalo Bill's Wild West but was turned down. It seems while in the employ of Buffalo Bill Scotty conned a wealthy New Yorker out of money with a bogus mine scheme.
Actually, Death Valley Scotty built quite a big reputation involving lucrative mines. Gold prospecting in the late 1800's and early 1900's in Death Valley was quite active. The problem with Walter's mines however was that you couldn't find them. If this story sounds strange it's only because the life and legend of Death Valley Scotty was quite strange.
From Colorado, Scotty made his way to Death Valley California that was the site of much mining during the first years of the 1900's. Again, Scotty didn't have much luck. The peculiar thing was that while Scotty's eastern investors started smelling a rat and started to back out of their investments, Scotty was spending money right and left. None of the locals could figure out where the money was coming from nor did they have an idea where his fabled mine was located. Scotty's massive spending sprees continued.
Scotty finally ended up with one remaining investor who happened to be Albert Johnson who he met in 1904, a Chicago insurance company millionaire.
The two men couldn't have been more different. Johnson was a well respected and religious Chicagoan. Scotty on the other hand had a shady reputation which Buffalo Bill probably could attest to. Scotty was seen walking Death Valley alone with his mule while Johnson was involved in Chicago society.
At this point a bit of history regarding mining prospectors should be told. Some prospectors simply searched for mine claims that could be resold to investors because often times they didn't have the capital necessary to actually bring the ore up. After they sold their claims they simply moved on in search of the next claim. Others kept their claims and if necessary brought on partners to help with the expense of digging. Still others, and Scotty may have fit this category, were promoters whose chief aim was to secure investors for claims that sometimes didn't exist. In fact, the farther the investor lived away from the supposed mine site the better. A promoter of this type was helped a great deal by the wild stories of instant riches chronicled in the eastern press. This kind of promoter certainly had to have the talent of persuasion and apparently this was one of Death Valley Scotty's main attributes.
Scotty and Albert Johnson's Money
For years, the millionaire Albert Johnson sent thousands of dollars to Scotty. This explains Scotty's ongoing high living. After Scotty was never able to send gold to Johnson, the Chicagoan decided to take a journey down to Death Valley and see the mine for himself.
This of course was the phony promoters worst nightmare. Johnson's health wasn't the best in the world and Scotty thought that a few days in this rugged, hot and remote region would be enough to get rid his mark. What really happened was that the sunny, dry climate seemed to be good for Johnson's health and he ended up staying one month. As strange as this may seem, the two men formed quite a friendship even though Johnson never saw the fabled mine. It was apparent that he had been cheated out of money but for whatever reason the friendship stayed intact. Johnson apparently was so taken with the climate and his improving health, the fact that he lost money didn't seem to matter or at least that's what the tale is.
Albert Johnson and his wife came back to Death Valley for about ten years after his first solo visit, presumably during the winter months. It was during this time that they decided to build something a bit more comfortable to stay in while there. They tired of living in tents. Johnson's first permanent structures were fairly primitive. Johnson changed the design and started expanding his Death Valley vacation house.The design was of a Spanish-Mediterranean motif. It didn't take long at all for both the locals and the press out of Los Angeles to notice what was going on. Who would build a 2 million dollar house in the middle of Death Valley? Sounds like a good news story.
See our Western Trips articles on Goldfield and Rhyolite Nevada and Virginia City and the Comstock Lode
A Great Friendship and a Tall Story
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| Courtesy NPS |
Albert Johnson decided to go along with Scotty's story and told the press that he was Scotty's banker (in reality he sort of was) and that indeed the home was owned by Scotty. Walter was actually living on the Lower Vine Ranch in Death Valley but was able to fool both the locals and the press. Lower Vine Ranch is usually closed today but is sometimes available for guided tours during the winter months. Check with the Death Valley National Park rangers for details.
Unfortunately, Albert Johnson's due diligence was lacking as it was with his mining investment with Scotty, and later he found out that the home was erected on federal land. Johnson discovered his surveying error in 1931 and due to this and the start of the Great Depression, the construction was never finished. After the Johnson's lost a considerable amount of money in the stock market collapse they at times rented out the rooms in the uncompleted mansion. To this very day it remains incomplete. In regards to Walter Scott (Death Valley Scotty), after the Johnson's passed away, he was supported by the religious foundation who were heirs to the Johnson's estate. Death Valley Scotty passed away himself in 1954 and was buried on a hill near the mansion.
The National Park Service bought the property in 1970 from the religious foundation. This is what the Johnson's in their will had hoped would happen. Today, the U.S. National Park Service offers guided tours of this very unique site for a small fee. Directions and travel information to Death Valley National Park and Scotty's Castle are found on the NPS website.
Death Valley National Park as well as Scotty's Castle can be a very historical and fun stop during your California road trip. For those wishing to spend some time in beautiful Death Valley, the Ranch at Furnace Creek is a popular resort stopover. It was a working ranch in the 1880's and later the home of the famous twenty mule teams.
(Article copyright Western Trips. Photos and images in the public domain)
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