From Wasteland to Wonderland - Zabriskie Point - Death Valley National Park, CA - Signs of History on Waymarking.com

The sign is located at the Zabriskie Point overlook, originally constructed by the Pacific Coast Borax Company in 1930, three years before Death Valley became a National Monument.

The marker recounts the transition of Death Valley from mining to tourism.

Marker text reads:

Mining comes and goes with fluxuating demand for minerals, but the
draw of the desert is eternal. By the 1920's, borax mining had slowed and the Pacific Coast Borax Company began looking for other uses for its holdings in Death Valley. The elegant Furnace Creek Inn first opened for business in 1927 with great success.

In a move to preserve the frontier nature of the desert and to attract more guests to the inn, the borax company initiated the move to protect Death Valley. It became a National Monument in 1933 and a National Park in 1994. The transition from mining to tourism proved to be the saving grace for the mining company and Death Valley.

Group that erected the marker: National Park Service Address of where the marker is located. Approximate if necessary: Zabriskie Point Death Valley NP, CA USA 92328 URL of a web site with more information about the history mentioned on the sign: Not listed

Visit Instructions:
Take a picture of the marker, preferably including yourself or your GPSr in the photo. A very detailed description of your visit may be substituted for a photo. In any case please provide a description of your visit. A description of only "Visited" or "Saw it while on vacation" by anyone other than the person creating the waymark may be deleted by the waymark owner or the category officers.

Recent Visits/Logs:

Date Logged Log   09/26/2020 stevepre2 visited it