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Corn Springs is a palm oasis situated in the Chuckwalla Mountains of the Colorado Desert in Riverside County, California, United States, seventeen miles southeast of Desert Center. Native Americans relied on the springs, and they engraved many
, United States Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management. Retrieved 2010-06-13. At times, there was enough surface water for gardening by the springs. The Indians also utilized the fruit of the palms. Early white visitors found feral corn plants in the vicinity, giving the spring its present name. In the late 19th century, miners came to the area and used the water for processing their gold ore. The most notable resident of the spring was Gus Lederer, the self-proclaimed "Mayor of Corn Springs". Lederer lived at the spring until 1932, when he died from a
A BLM-run campground, with a well for drawing water from the spring, was established nearby. One mile past the camp ground is a miner's cabin and the remains of one of the mills. Edward Wodetzki and family mined this area until the early 1980s. At the time they had numerous gold, silver, and iron ore claims. More mines and cabins are located further up the road.
petroglyphs
A petroglyph is an image created by removing part of a rock surface by incising, picking, carving, or abrading, as a form of rock art. Outside North America, scholars often use terms such as "carving", "engraving", or other descriptions ...
on the rocks in the area. In the late 19th century, miners in the area also relied on the springs, and they established the Corn Springs Mining District in 1897.Gunther, Jane Davies (1984). ''Riverside County, California, Place Names; Their Origins and Their Stories''. Riverside, CA: Rubidoux Printing Company. pp. 132–134. LOC Catalog: 84-72920.
The springs were added to the United States National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
in 1998.
History
The springs were used for thousands of years by nomadic Native Americans. The Chemehuevi, Desert Cahuilla and Yuma bands frequented the spring and carved elaboratepetroglyphs
A petroglyph is an image created by removing part of a rock surface by incising, picking, carving, or abrading, as a form of rock art. Outside North America, scholars often use terms such as "carving", "engraving", or other descriptions ...
in the nearby rocks. Some of the oldest rock art is over 10,000 years old.Corn Springs Campground, United States Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management. Retrieved 2010-06-13. At times, there was enough surface water for gardening by the springs. The Indians also utilized the fruit of the palms. Early white visitors found feral corn plants in the vicinity, giving the spring its present name. In the late 19th century, miners came to the area and used the water for processing their gold ore. The most notable resident of the spring was Gus Lederer, the self-proclaimed "Mayor of Corn Springs". Lederer lived at the spring until 1932, when he died from a
black widow spider
''Latrodectus'' is a broadly distributed genus of spiders with several species that are commonly known as the true widows. This group is composed of those often loosely called black widow spiders, brown widow spiders, and similar spiders. Howeve ...
bite, and was subsequently buried at Aztec Wells". Following Lederer's death in 1932, the land passed into public domain and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) established a campground.
A BLM-run campground, with a well for drawing water from the spring, was established nearby. One mile past the camp ground is a miner's cabin and the remains of one of the mills. Edward Wodetzki and family mined this area until the early 1980s. At the time they had numerous gold, silver, and iron ore claims. More mines and cabins are located further up the road.
Geography
The area is located on the USGS ''Corn Spring, California'', 7.5-minute quadrangle (1981) at latitude/longitude . Over 60California Fan Palm
''Washingtonia filifera'', the desert fan palm, California fan palm, or California palm,Flora of North America Association. ''Flora of North America: North of Mexico Volume 22: Magnoliophyta: Alismatidae, Arecidae, Commelinidae (in Part), and Zi ...
s surround the spring. Typically there is no surface flow, but the wash that drains the area is named the Corn Springs Wash.,
The spring is dynamic, and for unknown reasons the amount of water coming to the surface has fluctuated widely over the years. The source of the water is unknown – very little rain falls in the area, and the nearest body of water is the Colorado River
The Colorado River ( es, Río Colorado) is one of the principal rivers (along with the Rio Grande) in the Southwestern United States and northern Mexico. The river drains an expansive, arid watershed that encompasses parts of seven U.S. s ...
, over 40 miles to the east.
The spring can be reached via Corn Springs Road from Chuckawalla Valley Road just off Interstate 10, about halfway between Indio and Blythe.
References
External links
* {{National Register of Historic Places Oases of California Springs of California Colorado Desert Bodies of water of Riverside County, California Archaeological sites on the National Register of Historic Places in California National Register of Historic Places in Riverside County, California Mining in Riverside County, California