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Death Valley National Park
Geology Image Gallery - Mining
Reagan with Boraxo

One of the Many uses of borax

Photo from NPS archives.

This picture is from a commertial for Borateen, a laundry detergent. The actor in the commercial is ex-president Ronald Reagan.

Cottonball

Borax "cottonball"

Photo from NPS archives.

Cottonballs are fibrous nodules of ulexite and proberite (sodium and calcium borate minerals) that form on the surface of some of Death Valley's salt pans. Cottonball basin was the site of Death Valley's first borax production.

Group of borax miners.

Group of Borax Miners

Photo from NPs archives.

A picture from Harmony Borax Works, the first borax mining active in Death Valley.

Harmony Borax Works

Harmony Borax Works

Photo from NPS archives.

Click here to go the the Harmony Borax Works virtual field trip stop.
Harmony Borax Works

Harmony Borax Works

Photo from NPS archives.

Click here to go the the Harmony Borax Works virtual field trip stop.
Harmony Borax Works today

Harmony Borax Works today

Photo by Scott Olson, NPS.

Death Valley National Park in 1906.

Death Valley National Park

Photo by Kunze, from NPS archives.

Death Valley National Park in 1906.
Town of Skidoo 1906.

Death Valley National Park in 1906

Town of Skidoo from NPS archives.

The discovery of gold at Skidoo in the early 1900's sparked Death Valley's third mining period.
Click here to see more pictures of historic and recontructed Harmony Borax Works.
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