Skidoo- California Ghost Town

SKIDOO

NAME: Skidoo
COUNTY: Inyo
ROADS: 2WD
GRID #(see map): 3
CLIMATE: Desert
BEST TIME TO VISIT: Winter

COMMENTS: 7 miles north of Emigrant.
REMAINS: No structures remain.

In 1906, two prospectors got lost in rare Death Valley fog while enroot to Harrisburg. They stumbled across gold-bearing ledges. The town of Skidoo formed around this area and in 1906 the Skidoo post office was opened. By 1907 Skidoo had more that 500 residents. By 1917 one mine is reported to have produced 1.5 million in gold. Today no structures remain, only a few fallen buildings and the ruins of the stamp mill as well as a few graves. Courtesy Stanley Paher. Application for money order in the name of Mrs. F.G. Thisse of Skidoo. Her husband, Frank G. Thisse, was the Justice of the Peace in Skidoo for many years. David A. Wright collection. Meal ticket for Skidoo Mines Co. David A. Wright collection. The Rhyolite to Skidoo stage. Probably that of Kimball Brothers of Rhyolite, who ran stage lines to many Death Valley area locations. On display at Furnace Creek, California. Courtesy David A. Wright The Skidoo Mill ruins. Sept. 28, 1998. Courtesy David A. Wright Great Basin Research John LeMoigne, a Death Valley area prospector, with his burros in Skidoo in 1915, during the camp's dying days. David A. Wright collection. Copy of the April 25, 1908 SKIDOO NEWS with headlines screaming out the approved lynching of Joe Simpson. Courtesy David A. Wright Collection From SKIDOO NEWS, February 1, 1907. From D.A. Wright collection From SKIDOO NEWS, February 1, 1907. From D.A. Wright collection From SKIDOO NEWS, February 1, 1907. From D.A. Wright collection From SKIDOO NEWS, February 1, 1907. From D.A. Wright collection From SKIDOO NEWS, February 1, 1907. From D.A. Wright collection From SKIDOO NEWS, February 1, 1907. From D.A. Wright collection Skidoo Mill Gear Courtesy Bill Cook Skidoo Mill Courtesy Bill Cook Skioo Mill Leaching Tanks Courtesy Bill Cook Skidoo Shadows Courtesy Bill Cook Location of pictures to the right Courtesy Kevin Larson Location of pictures to the right Courtesy Kevin Larson	The town of Skidoo. Courtesy Stanley Paher. Line shack of the Skidoo water pipeline, located about 10 south of Skidoo in Nemo Canyon. Sept. 28, 1998. Courtesy David A. Wright Great Basin Research Skidoo townsite. There is virtually nothing left larger than a 1-gallon tin can left in the townsite of Skidoo. Sept. 28, 1998. Courtesy David A. Wright Great Basin Research View east over townsite. Even the street grid of town has been covered in sagebrush. When I visited the townsite last in 1990, the grid of streets could still be faintly seen. Compare this scene with that historical photo courtesy of Stan Paher on this same page. View taken Sept. 28, 1998. Courtesy David A. Wright Great Basin Research Immediately west of the Skidoo townsite is the mining area, littered with hazardous mines and shafts. Sept. 28, 1998. Courtesy David A. Wright Great Basin Research Joe Simpson, who was the victim of California's last lynching. Simpson was a co-owner of the Gold Seal Saloon in Skidoo, who also was heavily involved in area mining scene. Simpson murdered Jim Arnold, Skidoo's leading citizen, during a drunken rage. Three days later, on April 22, 1908, Simpson died at the hand of persons unknown by "strangulation" by a "rope with a slip knot on." [Quotations from Inyo County death certificate]. Legend says that due to visiting press reporters from Los Angeles, Simpson was dug up two days later and this photo taken for benefit of Los Angeles newspapers. However, research has shown that this photo was taken by Dr. McDonald, a physician in employ of the Skidoo Mines Company, who exhumed Simpson to conduct an autopsy so as to inspect the effects that syphilis has on the brain (Simpson was known to have the disease due to his love of the red light districts). McDonald took this photo of Simpson strung up from the cross beam of a tent, then beheaded Simpson, opened the skull and inspected the brain. He then boiled the flesh off the skull, set the remains on an ant pile for several days, then kept the skull as a curiosity. The skull eventually ended up in nearby Trona as a doctors office decoration for years, then ended up in a private collection; where it still is to this day. Courtesy David A. Wright Collection From SKIDOO NEWS, February 1, 1907. From D.A. Wright collection From SKIDOO NEWS, February 1, 1907. From D.A. Wright collection From SKIDOO NEWS, February 1, 1907. From D.A. Wright collection From SKIDOO NEWS, February 1, 1907. From D.A. Wright collection From SKIDOO NEWS, February 1, 1907. From D.A. Wright collection Skidoo in the snow Courtesy Bill Cook Skidoo Stamp Mill Courtesy Bill Cook Skidoo 1960 Courtesy George R. Larson Skidoo 1960 Courtesy George R. Larson Skidoo 1960 Courtesy George R. Larson

In 1906, two prospectors got lost in rare Death Valley fog while enroot to Harrisburg. They stumbled across gold-bearing ledges. The town of Skidoo formed around this area and in 1906 the Skidoo post office was opened. By 1907 Skidoo had more that 500 residents. By 1917 one mine is reported to have produced 1.5 million in gold. Today no structures remain, only a few fallen buildings and the ruins of the stamp mill as well as a few graves. Courtesy Stanley Paher.

Application for money order in the name of Mrs. F.G. Thisse of Skidoo. Her husband, Frank G. Thisse, was the Justice of the Peace in Skidoo for many years.
David A. Wright collection.

Meal ticket for Skidoo Mines Co.
David A. Wright collection.

The Rhyolite to Skidoo stage. Probably that of Kimball Brothers of Rhyolite, who ran stage lines to many Death Valley area locations. On display at Furnace Creek, California.
Courtesy David A. Wright

The Skidoo Mill ruins. Sept. 28, 1998.
Courtesy David A. Wright
Great Basin Research

John LeMoigne, a Death Valley area prospector, with his burros in Skidoo in 1915, during the camp's dying days. David A. Wright collection.

Copy of the April 25, 1908 SKIDOO NEWS with headlines screaming out the approved lynching of Joe Simpson.
Courtesy David A. Wright Collection

From SKIDOO NEWS, February 1, 1907. From D.A. Wright collection

Skidoo Mill Gear
Courtesy Bill Cook

Skidoo Mill
Courtesy Bill Cook

Skioo Mill Leaching Tanks
Courtesy Bill Cook

Skidoo Shadows
Courtesy Bill Cook

Location of pictures to the right
Courtesy Kevin Larson

The town of Skidoo. Courtesy Stanley Paher.

Line shack of the Skidoo water pipeline, located about 10 south of Skidoo in Nemo Canyon. Sept. 28, 1998.
Courtesy David A. Wright
Great Basin Research

Skidoo townsite. There is virtually nothing left larger than a 1-gallon tin can left in the townsite of Skidoo. Sept. 28, 1998.
Courtesy David A. Wright
Great Basin Research

View east over townsite. Even the street grid of town has been covered in sagebrush. When I visited the townsite last in 1990, the grid of streets could still be faintly seen. Compare this scene with that historical photo courtesy of Stan Paher on this same page. View taken Sept. 28, 1998.
Courtesy David A. Wright
Great Basin Research

Immediately west of the Skidoo townsite is the mining area, littered with hazardous mines and shafts. Sept. 28, 1998.
Courtesy David A. Wright
Great Basin Research

Joe Simpson, who was the victim of California's last lynching. Simpson was a co-owner of the Gold Seal Saloon in Skidoo, who also was heavily involved in area mining scene. Simpson murdered Jim Arnold, Skidoo's leading citizen, during a drunken rage. Three days later, on April 22, 1908, Simpson died at the hand of persons unknown by "strangulation" by a "rope with a slip knot on." [Quotations from Inyo County death certificate]. Legend says that due to visiting press reporters from Los Angeles, Simpson was dug up two days later and this photo taken for benefit of Los Angeles newspapers. However, research has shown that this photo was taken by Dr. McDonald, a physician in employ of the Skidoo Mines Company, who exhumed Simpson to conduct an autopsy so as to inspect the effects that syphilis has on the brain (Simpson was known to have the disease due to his love of the red light districts). McDonald took this photo of Simpson strung up from the cross beam of a tent, then beheaded Simpson, opened the skull and inspected the brain. He then boiled the flesh off the skull, set the remains on an ant pile for several days, then kept the skull as a curiosity. The skull eventually ended up in nearby Trona as a doctors office decoration for years, then ended up in a private collection; where it still is to this day.
Courtesy David A. Wright Collection

From SKIDOO NEWS, February 1, 1907. From D.A. Wright collection

Skidoo in the snow
Courtesy Bill Cook

Skidoo Stamp Mill
Courtesy Bill Cook

Skidoo 1960
Courtesy George R. Larson

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