Golconda

[105]       

Golconda

Humboldt County
  40.94849, -117.48655

"So, normally as I write my journal, I like to sit at the actual marker for a bit of inspiration. In this case, I am parked well away from #105 for one reason only ... the owner's barking dogs. This is the first time I've ever been run away from a marker by a couple of canines. Moving on then ..." -- Journal Entry, February 2008

Along SR 789 (Getchell Mine Road) in Golconda
* Use Exit 194 from Interstate 80, then right on SR 789 *

Original Date Visited: 2/25/08

Signed: Both lanes of Interstate 80

Notes: You'd think for a middle-of-nowhere marker, finding this one would be a breeze. Spotting [105] can be tricky because it blends in perfectly with the old-town scene of Golconda. Use Exit 194 then turn right toward "Golconda." If you've gone past the old repair shop you've gone too far. Find this marker in front of a local's yard and don't be surprised if you're greeted by his harmless guard dogs. Like a few others in the system this one would be better moved to a more placid (and historically accurate) location such as the original Golconda Hot Springs Resort or maybe at the pavement end of SR 789.

  • Marker 105 plaque
  • Marker 105 represents the sleepy still-beating heart of Golconda. This one is a quick one right off I-80.

Exact Description:
Golconda is a one time Utah Territory mining town whose hot springs, a landmark on the California Emigrant Trail, were of more enduring fame than its gold and silver boom.

In 1868, Golconda became an ore shipping station on the new Central Pacific Railroad. Renewed activity in 1897 resulted in the narrow-gauge Golconda and Adelaide Railroad to the Adelaide mine. Golconda grew to 500 inhabitants by 1899, but the next year the mine and mill closed and railroad service ceased.

The hot springs (97 to 150 degrees Fahrenheit) flow at about 100 gallons per minute. A rare occurrence of tungsten in the silica deposit of a fossil vent, one mile east, was once mined. Active vents north of the railroad tracks were the site of a famous health resort hotel which burned in 1961.

[105]

A rare case of interstate signage.

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ELKO

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