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Dentist Ken Fox sculpted this large statue of a prospector.
Roadsideamerica.com Report...
- Address:
- Lincoln Way, Auburn, CA
- Directions:
- Old Town Auburn, right at the I-80 eastbound off-ramp.
- Admission:
- Free.
California's Avenue of the Giants, Redwood Highway, big tree tourist attractions. Chandelier Drive-Thru Tree, Tour-Thru Tree, World Famous Tree House...
Roadsideamerica.com Report...
This is the second largest iron meteorite found in the U.S. The 6,070 pound meteorite was discovered in the Old Woman mountains in 1975 by three prospectors and was later verified by Dr. Roy Clarke of the Smithsonian Museum. The remote and extremely rugged terrain where it was found required the assistance of the U.S. Marine Corps, who removed it with a helicopter.
In 1980 the meteorite was transported to the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C. where a 942 pound piece was removed for scientific examination to determine its content and make-up. Removing the piece took 120 hours of sawing with a special garnet abrasive saw. The examination revealed that the four and one-half billion year old meteorite is composed of a rare combination of metallic elements never seen in combination before. The meteorite is on permanent display at the museum.
The largest iron meteorite found in the U.S. is the Willamette, found in an Oregon forest in 1902 and weighing 14.5 tons. It is on permanent display at the Hayden Planetarium in New York City.
[Phil Pasquini, 06/24/2010]2nd Largest Iron Meteorite In The U.S.:- Address:
- 831 Barstow Rd, Barstow, CA
- Directions:
- At the Desert Discovery Center. I-15 exit onto Barstow Rd/Hwy 247, then drive north two blocks. On the right.
- Hours:
- Tu-Sa closes at 4 pm (Call to verify) Local health policies may affect hours and access.
- Phone:
- 760-252-6060
- Big Bear Lake, California - Shoe Tree
The Big Bear Shoe Tree has a colorful history. It is also known as "The Old Hanging Tree," and was used many times for prospectors who jumped gold claims in the Holcomb Valley by Big Bear Lake. In fact, the lake itself was dammed by residents who remained after the gold strike of the early 1900s for energy so they could sieve water and gravel easily in the continuing hunt for gold. We still hear of people finding nuggets every spring in the area after the winter rain runoff.
Local Big Bear seniors keep de-shoeing the tree so that it retains that historical ghostly presence as a Hanging Tree.
[Diane Grooms, 08/31/2006]Shoe Tree Unloved by the Elderly:- Directions:
- On Hwy 18, near Baldwin Dry Lake, one mile from Big Bear Lake.
- Hours:
- July 2018: Reported gone.
- Status:
- Gone
Memorial to gold prospector and inveterate liar. It's really there, out in the desert. Honest.
Roadsideamerica.com Report...
- Address:
- Henderson Canyon Rd, Borrego Springs, CA
- Directions:
- 8 mi E on Hwy 22, couple miles past airport, as Pegleg Road curves east, fork left onto Henderson Canyon Road. Pile and monument is a few hundred yards on right.
- Admission:
- Free.
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