Trona, San Bernardino County, California

San Bernardino County

06-80518

Trona, California is a mining community and census-designated place about 270 km north-east of Los Angeles. Trona has 2742 inhabitants and zip code 93562nd Trona is located on the eastern side of the Panamint Valley near the Panamint Range.

History

Looking for Gold John W. Searles and his brother found in 1862 a rocks with shimmering crystals near the Panamint Mountains. They took the rock, but without knowing what it is exactly. It was not until ten years later, they discovered by chance that it was the crystals were borax ( Na2B4O5 (OH ) 4.8H2O ) is, the most important borate mineral. In the aftermath tried numerous companies reduce there occurring minerals such as borax, sodium carbonate, potassium carbonate and sodium sulfate, and refining.

The name comes from the Trona Trona Californian Company (later American Trona Company), which built 1900 two factories mineral recovery and 1913 a 50 km long railway line ( Trona Railway ) and a company settlement.

In 1924, a so-called Lartigue Monorail to the magnesium reduction was built. The cargo was transported from the Crystal Hills to the loading Trona.

After a wave of dismissals of chemical plant American Potash and Chemical Corp.. in the 1990s, there was only the mining company Searles Valley Minerals Inc. as a major employer. It gradually disintegrated the infrastructure and the social life of the city. To date, most residents moved away and many of the remaining residents were dependent on the drug crystal meth.

Film

The feature film Trona and Land of Plenty, both from 2004, playing part in the settlement.