Pete Aguereberry
Death Valley prospector/miner. Pete Aguereberry: The Man Who Loved the DesertPete Aguereberry was born in France in 1874, part of a hardworking Basque family. As a boy, he read stories about gold discoveries in California and dreamed of joining the adventure. At age 16, he got his chance—his father finally let him set sail for America in 1890.
Life wasn’t easy at first. Pete didn’t speak English and worked all kinds of tough jobs to get by—sheepherder, ranch hand, stage driver, even handball player. By 1902, he’d made his way to Goldfield, Nevada, where mining was booming. A few years later, in 1905, he headed into Death Valley—right in the middle of summer. Nearly dying from the heat, he was rescued by a man named Oscar Denton at Greenland Ranch.
Pete recovered quickly. Within weeks, he teamed up with well-known prospector Shorty Harris. While traveling together, Pete found a gold-rich ledge. He claimed the north side of the hill; Shorty took the south. Soon, a mining camp sprang up and was supposed to be called Harrisberry—but Shorty told folks it was Harrisburg, and the name stuck.
By August 1905, over 300 people had moved to Harrisburg, and the gold ore was worth up to $500 a ton. Pete’s part of the strike became the Eureka Mine. A legal fight over the mine dragged on until 1909, when Pete finally gained full control.
From 1907 into the 1930s, Pete worked the mine almost entirely by himself. He built a two-room cabin in 1907 near the mine, which he lived in until his death in 1945. The simple structure, with a stove and refrigerator, still stands. Nearby are two more cabins—one for guests and another with an unknown purpose.
Pete didn’t just mine—he shared. In his later years, he loved giving tours, showing off the view from a high point above Death Valley that he proudly called “The Great View.” That spot is now known as Aguereberry Point.
He is buried in Lone Pine, California—a quiet end for a man who spent his life chasing gold and beauty in the desert.
Also see:
Aguereberry Camp
Old-time prospector Shorty Harris and greenhorn Pete Aguereberry found a promising looking ledge in the Panamint Mountains. Pete stayed behind and started ...Aguereberry Point
It is easy to see why Pete Aguereberry enjoyed sharing this spectacular view with others. From this point in the Panamint Mountains on the west side of ...Shorty Harris
Old-time prospector Shorty Harris and greenhorn Pete Aguereberry found a promising looking ledge in the Panamint Mountains. Pete stayed behind and started . ...Roads in Death Valley
21.5 mile paved road. RVs, trailers, and buses over 25 ft. not allowed due to narrow canyon and roadway. Provides access to Skidoo, Aguereberry Point, and ...Death Valley Ecology
There is temporary ponding on playas, or dry lake beds. < previous - Mojave Desert - next >, Looking east across Death Valley from Aguereberry Point in the ...Timeline of History of the Mojave Desert
1893 C. Hart Merriam conducts a biological study of Death Valley 1905 - Pete Aguereberry and Shorty Harris discover what turns out to be the Eureka mine.Jack Keane
Mining in Death Valley, Prospectors & Miners Pete Aguereberry · Shorty Harris · Jack Keane · Johnny Lang Sunrise on Clark Mountain across the Ivanpah Valley ...Death Valley Photos
Aguereberry Camp. 40 year residence of Pete Aquereberry. Aguereberry Point. Scenic views from above Death Valley in Panamint Mountains.Eureka Mine - Death Valley
Pete Aguereberry nearly died trying to cross Death Valley in June 1905. He was found and nursed back to health and lived to work his claim in the Eureka Mine ...Scenic view points in and around the Mojave Desert
Desert Scenic Views & Vistas. Aguereberry Point · Death Valley - North Mojave · Dante's View · Death Valley - North Mojave · Padre Crowley Point · Death Valley ...Prospectors in the Mojave
Mining in Death Valley, Prospectors & Miners Pete Aguereberry · Shorty Harris · Jack Keane · Johnny Lang Sunrise on Clark Mountain across the Ivanpah Valley ...Ballarat Ghost Town
Pete Aguereberry. He was found and nursed back to health by Oscar Denton, the caretaker for the Greenland Ranch, and just a month later was headed up to ...Death Valley Ghost Towns
Nevertheless, Pete Aguereberry, one of the original strike finders, spent 40 years working his claims in the Eureka gold mine. Harrisburg was a tent city that grew ...Aguereberry Point Area Geology
En route from the pavement, you will travel over Quaternary gravels, past outcrops of the Mesozoic Skidoo granite and then through upper Proterozoic sediments of ...
Pete Aguereberry
Pete Aguereberry emigrated from the Basque region of France at the age of 16 in 1890, with the goal of experiencing the California gold region. Beginning in 1905, he prospected in the Death Valley region, where he and Shorty Harris made the gold discovery that led to the Harrisburg camp. From 1907 to the 1930s, Aguereberry worked the Eureka Mine, almost single-handedly. Aguereberry died in 1945 and is buried at Lone Pine (Desert Staff 1984:27). His cabin at the Eureka Mine, built in 1907, remains standing (Coolidge 1985; Pipkin 1982); the cabin and the Eureka Mine are interpreted by the U.S. Department of the Interior National Park Service (NPS n.d.). He is representative of the many prospectors who, arriving decades after the Gold Rush, explored the California deserts, making a few notable discoveries and working small-scale mines as a source of income.Mining in the Southern California Deserts - BLM