Brent Underwood is an American entrepreneur and owner of Cerro Gordo Mines .
24-582: The Cerro Gordo Mines are a collection of abandoned mines located in Cerro Gordo in the Inyo Mountains , Inyo County , near Lone Pine, California . Mining operations spanned 1866 to 1957, producing high grade silver , lead , and zinc ore; and, more rarely, gold ore and copper ore . Some ore was smelted on site, but larger capacity smelters were eventually constructed along the shore of nearby Owens Lake . These smelting operations were
48-587: A hostel in Brooklyn. In December 2014 Underwood founded HK Austin, a hostel in Austin, Texas, with investors including Matthew Kepnes , after staying in 150 hostels across 30 countries. For 2015, HK Austin was the highest rated hostel in the United States. Underwood later became a partner in the marketing firm Brass Check. In February 2016, Underwood published a photo of his foot on Amazon as
72-528: A book titled Putting My Foot Down . The resulting article in the New York Observer received attention from a variety of media outlets and from authors including Neil Gaiman and Nick Bilton . Underwood was then offered a publishing contract from Thought Catalog to turn Putting My Foot Down into an expanded paperback version. The paperback version received attention from a variety of news outlets. In July 2018, Underwood purchased
96-713: A fire of undetermined origin but possibly electrical wiring failure, during a heat wave. Underwood has plans to rebuild it. He was isolated there for ten weeks in 2020, unable to leave due to the COVID-19 pandemic and a heavy snowstorm. As of February 2024, Underwood still resided in Cerro Gordo. His book "Ghost Town Living" was published in March 2024 In 2024, Penguin Random House published Underwood’s book, Ghost Town Living: Mining for Purpose and Chasing Dreams at
120-523: A majority of the richest and most productive mines in the area, including partial interest in the Union Mine. In 1868, Mortimer Belshaw arrived in Cerro Gordo (lit. "Fat Hill" in Spanish), attracted by the rich deposits of galena ore. After establishing a partnership with another stakeholder in the Union Mine, he brought the first wagon load of silver from Cerro Gordo to Los Angeles. In Los Angeles he
144-761: A source of silver for the nascent film industry in California. Cerro Gordo, the Belshaw House, and the Inyo Mine are featured in the season 19 episode of Ghost Adventures titled "Cerro Gordo Ghost Town", which aired in 2019 on the Travel Channel . In 2020, one of the town's owners, Brent Underwood, started a YouTube channel chronicling his intended development of the town into a functioning tourist destination and his exploration of mine tunnels. In 2024, he released his book "Ghost Town Living," about
168-535: The "zinc era" of Cerro Gordo. Brent Underwood and a host of volunteers have put together the Cerro Gordo Silver Run since 2023, its inaugural year. Remi Nadeau , a descendant of the family involved with the transport of ingots from Cerro Gordo across Owens Lake and by mule train to Los Angeles, has written books and articles on the period. In 2013, an episode in the series Artbound entitled "Agh20: Silver and Water" features Cerro Gordo's role as
192-403: The area for silver. Mining officially began in 1865 after its discovery by Pablo Flores; by 1867 the word had spread, and scores of prospectors had arrived seeking fortune. In 1866, local businessman Victor Beaudry had opened a store, as well as acquiring several mining claims, including partial interest to the lucrative Union Mine. By 1869, Cerro Gordo was the largest producer of silver and lead in
216-437: The beginnings of the towns of Swansea and Keeler . Most of the metal ingots produced here were transported to Los Angeles , but transportation difficulties hindered the success of the mines. Mining of silver and lead peaked in the early 1880s, with a second mining boom producing zinc in the 1910s. During its peak, Cerro Gordo was home to some 4,700 people and the site is known as a California ghost town today. Discovery of
240-588: The challenges and isolation of residing in the ghost town for four years. Cerro Gordo, California Cerro Gordo is a former settlement in Inyo County , California , United States , and was primarily a silver mining town based around the Cerro Gordo Mines . At its height, hundreds of dwellings dotted the landscape, while miners sought their fortunes. Cerro Gordo ("Fat Hill" in Spanish) got its name from Mexicans, who regularly searched
264-536: The former mining town of Cerro Gordo alongside the Cerro Gordo Mines for $ 1.4 million. The purchase included over 360 acres and 22 structures. Underwood stated plans to develop the town into an artist destination for tourists and group events, while maintaining the historic nature of the property. Since March 2020, Underwood has been living at Cerro Gordo full-time and has regular visitors. Visitors have included Jeff Goldblum , Cole Sprouse , G-Eazy , and others. The town's hotel burned down on June 20, 2020, in
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#1732779820974288-409: The general store and 336 acres (136 ha). The buyers, Brent Underwood and Jon Bier, purchased the property with additional Los Angeles-based investors. The American Hotel, an icehouse, and a residence were destroyed in a fire on June 15, 2020. Despite these challenges, Underwood says he is still committed to the project. In 2021, it was revealed the previous owners had sold the mining claims of
312-468: The intent to turn it into a tourist attraction, accessed by special permission. At that time, it had several vintage buildings, including the general store and 336 acres (136 ha). The buyers, Brent Underwood and Jon Bier, purchased the property with additional Los Angeles-based investors. The American Hotel, an icehouse, and a residence were destroyed in a suspected electrical fire on June 15, 2020. Despite these challenges, in 2021 Underwood said he
336-495: The mines, burning down much of the infrastructure. Falling silver and lead prices were the final straw, and most of the inhabitants left as quickly as they came. The town briefly came back to life for a few decades, starting in 1905, as it was used for zinc processing. The town was left mostly abandoned, save for a few caretakers who stayed behind. The ghost town of Cerro Gordo was purchased for 1.4 million dollars in June 2018 with
360-412: The nation; teams of mules would travel between Cerro Gordo and Los Angeles, California. In its peak, the town was home to several mines, hundreds of structures (most were of the ramshackle variety), bars, a general store, and hotel. The isolated nature of the town led to much lawlessness, as gunfights were recorded in its time. The prosperity of Cerro Gordo was short lived; by 1877 a fire raged throughout
384-418: The nearby area to K2 Gold Corp . There are plans to start a cyanide opencast mine using cyanide in the adjacent Conglomerate Mesa Formation area. As of March 17, 2022, K2 Gold Corp announced it is suspending a proposal to expand gold mining exploration and road building on California's Conglomerate Mesa Formation after the U.S. Bureau of Land Management required an environmental impact statement for
408-420: The ore. Businessman Victor Beaudry (younger brother of Los Angeles Mayor and developer Prudent Beaudry ) of nearby Independence, California , became impressed by the quality of silver mined at Cerro Gordo and opened a store nearby. He soon acquired several mining claims to settle unpaid debts and proceeded to have two modern smelters built. Beaudry continued acquiring mining rights from debtors until he soon owned
432-570: The project. The American Hotel was built in 1871 by John Simpson, and was the oldest standing hotel in California on the east side of the Sierra . On the morning of June 15, 2020, a fire destroyed the hotel and neighboring buildings. The owners plan to build a replica. The Belshaw House was built around 1868 by Mortimer Belshaw, developer of the Belshaw Blast Furnace . The Gordon House was built in 1909 by Louis D. Gordon, who began
456-574: The silver ore is credited to Pablo Flores, who began mining and smelting operations near the summit of Buena Vista Peak in 1865. Increasing migration to the area was met with resistance from the Native Americans , which limited early mining efforts. The establishment of Fort Independence allowed for the expulsion of native populations, facilitating the expansion of the mining town. These early miners employed relatively primitive techniques of open pits and trenches and used adobe ovens to smelt
480-509: The silver to tourists, while searching for a productive vein. The Cerro Gordo mines were the most extensive with more than 30 miles (160,000 ft; 48 km) of underground tunnels in the Cerro Gordo Mining District. The ghost town of Cerro Gordo was purchased in June 2018 with the intent to turn it into a tourist attraction, accessed by special permission. At that time, it had several vintage buildings, including
504-565: Was able to secure financing to build his own smelter that was superior to all other smelters at Cerro Gordo, as well as to build the first wagon road up the mountain. This road became known as the Yellow Road from the color of the rock that it had been cut through. By operating the Yellow Road as a toll road, Belshaw was able to earn income and control the shipments of silver from the mountain. Between 1879 and 1880 in Cerro Gordo district, 4,223 short tons (8,446,000 lb; 3,831 t) of ore
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#1732779820974528-494: Was found in Cerro Gordo and ore shipments begun, and by 1912, Cerro Gordo became the largest producer of zinc carbonates in the U.S. In 1916, the town became electrified, replacing the steam power that operated the machinery. In 1920, about ten miners still worked, mostly mining silver-lead ore. Mining had largely ceased by 1938. As of 2019, a former high school teacher was the only miner; the then-70-year-old had been collecting small amounts of silver underground since 1997, selling
552-486: Was raised and treated, $ 3,307 ($ 88,088 in 2021) gold bullion produced and $ 140,517 ($ 3,742,932 in 2021) worth of silver bullion produced. During its entire operating history from 1865 to 1949, mines produced over 35,000 short tons (70,000,000 lb; 32,000 t) of lead, 4,400,000 troy ounces (300,000 lb; 140,000 kg) of silver and 11,800 short tons (23,600,000 lb; 10,700 t) of zinc, with an estimated worth of over $ 17 million. By 1907, high-grade zinc ore
576-618: Was still committed to the project. Cerro Gordo is accessible by an 8-mile dirt utility road; use of a 4WD vehicle is recommended, but the road can be navigated in a 2WD vehicle. 36°32′16″N 117°47′42″W / 36.53778°N 117.79500°W / 36.53778; -117.79500 Brent Underwood After graduating from Columbia University , Underwood worked briefly for an investment bank in New York City . After one month, he quit and backpacked across Central and South America. Upon returning to New York, he founded
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