Monte Cristo Gold Mine

The Monte Cristo Gold Mine is a gold mine in the San Gabriel Mountains near Los Angeles, California, USA.The Monte Cristo Gold Mine is part of the quest for mineral wealth in the San Gabriels. Many of the older tunnels and shafts are closed, and the 100-year-old machinery is no longer in operation. The mine has not been operated since 1942, but for over half a century it bustled with activity.The Monte Cristo Gold Mine is on the chaparral-coated slopes of Roundtop Mountain, around Mill Creek and Ootsark Canyon.The region in the Angeles National Forest of the San Gabriel Mountains has the Monte Cristo Campground and the Monte Cristo Ranger station operated by the United States Forest Service. Although the campground is open to the public, the Monte Cristo Gold Mine is private property and not open to the general public.HistoryLegend associates the Monte Cristo Gold Mine with the "Lost Padre" gold mine of mission days. Scholars question that such a mine existed, but the story has nevertheless persisted for over a century. The Pasadena Union on October 29, 1887 made reference to the Lost Padre gold mine and its wealth. It is said that the Indians who manned the mine revolted against the padres and removed all traces of the mine's existence.The first record of the discovery of gold in Los Angeles county was in 1834. From 1834 to 1838 the San Francisquito Canyon, Placerita Caceta and Santa Feliciana placers were worked by priests from the San Fernando and San Buenaventura missions. The placers of San Gabriel canyon were worked by priests and native Californians until 1848 when gold was discovered at Sutter's Mill by James W. Marshall. Reports of work on gold quartz veins in the Mount Gleason area indicate that the Monte Cristo mine was probably discovered very early.