Friday 26 September 2014

Old West Photo Friday: Prospectors in California

I love this shot. Even though you can't see too much detail of these grizzled old prospectors, you can see what they're up against. They're making their way along the Campo Trail in Devil's Canyon, California, in 1904.

While at this late date they wouldn't have had to worry about hostile Indians, there were still plenty of bandits, scorpions, and poisonous snakes around. Not to mention the rough terrain and merciless sun. I wonder whatever happened to these guys? Did they strike the Mother Lode or fade into obscurity, poor and worn out? There are no names attached to this photo so I guess we'll never know.


Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons.

3 comments:

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

That is a cool old photo.

Donna Volkenannt said...

Cool photo, Sean.

If those mountains could talk, imagine the stories they could tell.

D.G. Hudson said...

Reminds me of The Treasure of the Sierra Madre with Bogie. I like looking at old western photos, too.

I don't read westerns per se now, but I do like mysteries set in the southwestern US, and Indian stories and legends too.

Looking for more from Sean McLachlan? He also hangs out on the Civil War Horror blog, where he focuses on Civil War and Wild West history.

You can also find him on his Twitter feed and Facebook page.