Chrysopolis (Greek for "city of gold") is a former settlement in

Inyo County Inyo County () is a county in the eastern central part of the U.S. state of California, located between the Sierra Nevada and the state of Nevada. In the 2020 census, the population was 19,016. The county seat is Independence. Inyo County is ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

. It was located on the east bank of the

Owens River The Owens River is a river in eastern California in the United States, approximately long.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed March 17, 2011, It drains into and through the ...

south of Aberdeen, at an elevation of 3819 feet (1164 m).

Geography

The town was founded in 1863, making it one of the earliest settlements in the Owens Valley. It was situated in the east of the valley, making it one of the more arid places in the valley. As the name of the town suggests, Chrysopolis had an industry based on gold mining.

History

Original town

Ever since the town was founded, Chrysopolis made its industry and economy based on mining. The area prospered briefly, but the population quickly declined because of both troubles with natives living in the region and its geographic isolation. These troubles were eventually resolved with the construction of a nearby fort, but by the time of its completion, more people were interested in the west side of the Owens Valley and left Chrysopolis behind. Although the town was abandoned, mining persisted in the region.

Mining boom and Chrysopolis

The town was revived in the

1900s File:1900s decademontage2.png, 335px, From left, clockwise: The Wright brothers achieve the Wright Flyer, first manned flight with a motorized airplane, in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, Kitty Hawk in 1903; A missionary points to the severed hand of ...

, when a boom in mining swept through the region. During this boom, more people got focused on the old Chrysopolis mining area. The event was short-lived, however. It had reached its end by 1910, and again people packed up and left.

Ruins

Most of the town is gone, but there are still several stone walls and structures and some mining tunnels.

References

Former settlements in Inyo County, California Owens Valley Former populated places in California Populated places established in the 1860s {{InyoCountyCA-geo-stub