Clair Camp CA

Clair Camp, CA

In 1896 Henry Ratcliff made a rich strike high on the ridge above Pleasant Canyon, in the Panamint Range. This became the Ratcliff Mine, and others soon followed, including the World Beater Mine. A mining camp formed in the canyon, eventually taking the name Pleasant City. A stamp mill there processed ore from the mines. When the town of Ballarat was formed, most of the canyon residents moved there. In 1903 the Ratcliff Mine gave out, putting an end to Pleasant City and Ballarat.

In 1930 W.D. Clair began working tailings from the Ratcliff Mine, and also built a tramway to the nearby Anthony Mine. The remaining structures in the canyon became known as Clair Camp, and were in the Clair family until the 1970s.

In 2012 someone purchased both the Ratcliff and World Beater Mines, and refurbished and modernized one of the cabins at the camp. This apparently didn't last long due to washouts and vandalism. By 2022 the site had become trashy, with lots of litter and dumped appliances. The BLM had the site cleaned up, but unfortunately a lot of the good, historic stuff was removed along with the trash and junk.

I visited Clair Camp, CA several times in the late 1980s through the 1990s. I returned there in August 2024 and was saddened to see that many of the historic structures are completely gone, and others are just fragments.

This is what the mill at Clair Camp looked like in 1990.

This is what the mill at Clair Camp looked like in 2024. The two ore bins are still there, as well as the ball mill and a few other items. The mill building is gone, and much of the equipment is gone with it.

Another view of the mill in 1990. This is looking up the stairs on the east side of the structure.

Another part of the mill in 1990. This is on a mid-level of the structure, showing some of the equipment and piping that has since been removed. The wooden platform still exists in 2024. It is one of the two structures commonly referred to as "loading docks".

Another view of the mill in 1990. This is on a mid-level of the structure, showing some of the equipment and piping that has since been removed.

Here's a view from the other side of the structure seen in the previous two photo, as it was in 1990. The metal A-frame supported a rotary mechanism, possibly for stirring a tank. However, the tank seems to be missing.

Another scene from 1990. This cyanide tank is still there, but everything around it has been removed.

Closeup of the cyanide tank.

Another view of the west side of the mill structure in 1990. All of this is gone now, including that building in the background.

The ball mill as it was in 1990. This equipment is still there, but the building around it is gone.

Here's a view of the upper section of the mill building, as seen from the west in 1990.

The boilers in 1990. These were still mostly the same in 2024.

Approaching the mill ruins in 2024. The boilers are on the left.

Another view of the boilers in 2024.

Some pipes are gone and a few other things have changed since 1990, but the boilers are still substantially the same in 2024.

An aerial view of the mill ruins in 2024. The mill building is gone, along with much of the equipment.

An aerial view of the upper ore bin at the mill site in 2024.

A view of the mill site in 2024.

A view of the mill site in 2024. The structure made of heavy timbers in the background is the lower ore bin, and the remains of a stamp mill. In front of that is a ball mill.

Another view of the ball mill in 2024.

Here's a closer look at the ball mill.

The west side of the mill ruins in 2024. The ore bin is on the upper right. Attached to the ore bin are the heavy vertical timbers of the original stamp mill. On three of the timbers, the bottom half has been cut off, apparently to make room for the ball mill in later years.

Looking up at the stamp mill frame, with the ore bin behind it.

Here's a closer view of the bearing plates on the stamp mill frame. The mill's cam shaft rested on these bearings.

The cyanide tank in 2024. In the background on the left is an old device for processing the ore, possibly an agitator.

A large machine that was used in the processing of ore, possibly an agitator.

Another view of the cyanide tank in 2024.

Closeup of the stirring mechanism on the cyanide tank.

The cyanide tank in 2024. All of the mill structure that once surrounded this tank is gone now. In the background is one of the two surviving buildings.

There are two small buildings of corrugated metal on the lower level of the mill site. These are the only two building still intact in 2024.

Here's an aerial view of the two small buildings on the lower level of the mill site. These are the only buildings still intact in 2024.

Two old loading docks.

Another aerial view of the mill site in 2024.

An aerial tram was used to bring ore down from the mine, way up on the top of the ridge in the background (arrow). The lower arrow indicates the location of a tram tower.

Here's a closer look at the tram tower.

A second tram tower farther up the slope has collapsed.

Looking down at the mill site from the vicinity of the tram tower. Two of the tram cables can be seen leading to the ore bin. At the top of the photo is the lower terminal of the tram.

This was the lower terminal of aerial tram from the Ratcliff Mine at Clair Camp.

Here's another aerial view of the mill site.

Some of the buildings that were still standing in 1990, as seen from the vicinity of the mill. Going from left to right: Only the foundation remains of the first building. The chimney is all that remains of the second building. There is no trace of the third building. Only a section of stone wall remains of the fourth building.

These few stone wall segments are all that remains of the stone building seen in the previous photo from 1990.

Another view of the stone building ruins. This structure was still intact in 1990.

This stone chimney is all that's left of the second building in that shot from 1990.

This wooden water tank was already leaning precariously in 1990. It collapsed just a few years later. In 2024 I spotted the remaining pile of iron bands and decaying wood.

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