Fairmont Butte - A Goldless Graveyard in Mojave

In the barren wastelands of Antelope Valley, west of Lancaster, California, Fairmont Butte is more than a hill of rough terrain. It's a burial ground for vanishing aspirations, an epitaph to the bygone days of mining, and a chilling reminder of what could have been. Once it bragged of rich gold veins. But with the construction of the Los Angeles Aqueduct, Fairmont Butte morphed into a quarry. With spades, the city hollowed out the valuable tuff - a rock rare as German Trass or Italian Pozzolana. This tuff, sourced from Fairmont Butte, was a highly coveted ingredient for cement and plaster. Yet, beneath its surface, the real treasure eludes discovery, still clinging to a secret from its golden age.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons