Swansea Near Keeler: The Forgotten Silver Furnace That Connected Cerro Gordo to Owens Valley

KEELER, Inyo County — November 10, 2026. One of the most overlooked chapters of Owens Valley mining history is preserved not in a large museum, but in the state register of historical landmarks. California Historical Landmark No. 752 identifies the site of the Owens Lake Silver-Lead Company’s furnace near Keeler and the former settlement of Swansea, where ore from the region’s mines was processed during the nineteenth-century silver boom.

What California’s official historical register records

The California Office of Historic Preservation’s Landmark 752 entry says Colonel Sherman Stevens built the Owens Lake furnace and mill in 1869 and that they operated until March 1874. James Brady took over their operation in 1870 for the Silver-Lead Company and established Swansea. It was named for a Welsh industrial center known for metal smelting.

The landmark text says that during this period, the Swansea furnace and a second one at Cerro Gordo together produced approximately 150 bars of silver, each weighing 83 pounds, per 24 hours. That is the historical landmark’s combined figure—not a claim that Swansea alone produced that quantity every day throughout its operation.

Where the landmark is recorded

The California State Parks record places the landmark about 3.1 miles northwest of Keeler, roughly 300 feet west of State Highway 136 near postmile 9.5. That is a historical location description, not a promise of safe visitor parking, maintained paths or permission to enter adjacent land. Anyone interested in visiting should first verify the road shoulder, property boundaries and current conditions with the relevant agencies.

How this connects to Cerro Gordo

Cerro Gordo, high in the Inyo Mountains east of the Owens Lake basin, became a major source of silver and lead. Mine output had to reach furnaces and markets across difficult desert terrain. Swansea was part of that wider industrial network, illustrating that the mining story extended far beyond the mountaintop ghost town. Contemporary mining remains and transport routes also relate to Owens Lake, where historical water levels and the lake’s later drying changed the landscape.

The current owner-operated Cerro Gordo visitor page separately states that the privately owned mountain town is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., without an appointment or admission charge, while recommending four-wheel drive for the steep eight-mile dirt road. Swansea’s historical landmark status does not extend those visitor rules to the former furnace location.

What survives—and what we cannot confirm

The state register identifies the historic industrial site and its historical significance. This report has not independently inspected the surviving furnace, verified public entry conditions, or confirmed any preservation work planned for late 2026. A historical site can be important even when it is not an organized tourist attraction or an active town. Visitors should never enter unstable mine openings, remove artifacts, cross fences or drive off designated routes.

More reporting for Keeler residents and visitors

Keeler News also covers the living Owens Valley community, regional services and Owens Lake dust controls. For visitors focused on the better-known mountaintop destination, read California58’s separate Cerro Gordo history and current visitor information. The state landmark registry is the primary source for the Swansea furnace’s dates and location.

Primary sources: California Historical Landmark No. 752 — Furnace of the Owens Lake Silver-Lead Company; Cerro Gordo Mines — official visitor information. California58 is independent of State Parks and the site’s private owner.

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