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A Brief Chronology of the Mineral King Road Cultural Landscape

by Thomas L. Burge, Archeologist
Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks
June 2007

  1. Cabin permittees and other interested community members meet in 1986 and form the Mineral King Preservation Society (MKPS), a non-profit, public benefit corporation with an emphasis on preserving the natural and cultural resources of the Mineral King area of Sequoia National Park. A key focus of the society was to seek the National Register listing of historic cabins within the Mineral King Valley. The “Honeymoon Cabin” (also known as the “Point Cabin”) in East Mineral King received early emphasis and was restored in 1988 and 1989. Additionally, a contextual history and description for a proposed Mineral King Historic District was prepared by historian John Elliot (1994). Several draft National Register nominations were produced between 1990 and 1996, shifting between an initial focus on the cabin communities to a more inclusive “multiple properties” focus following input from the State Historic Preservation Office.

  2. Historian Chris Brewer is retained by the MKPS and drafts a nomination for a National Register district entitled “Mineral King Historic Cabin District” (August 1, 1997). The proposed district focuses on the cabin communities at Cabin Cove, West Mineral King, and East Mineral King. The majority of the cabins are personal property on public land, administered via special use permits issued by the National Park Service (NPS). The private community of Silver City declines to be included in the nomination.

  3. In 1996, the NPS begins work on a new General Management Plan (GMP). In its role as the land manager, the NPS proposes a broader landscape approach for the Mineral King area; this approach includes documenting not only the three cabin communities but also the Mineral King Road itself and associated structures, buildings, and sites. The proposed boundaries of the landscape district begin at the road’s juncture with State Highway 198 and extend to the trailhead parking lot in Mineral King Valley (nearest the “Honeymoon Cabin”). The boundaries also extend to subsume several trails in the upper valley, including trails to the Empire Mine, Timber Gap, Eagle Lake, and the White Chief Mine. Some discontiguous sites and structures were also identified as potential contributors to the landscape district, including, two mines, four dams, and several historic archeological sites. The resulting “determination of eligibility” report is entitled “The Cultural Landscape of Mineral King, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks” by Ethan Carr and Steve McNiel (January 25, 1999).

  4. The Acting State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO), Daniel Abeyta, offers review comments and seeks clarification on the Carr and McNiel report (April 16, 1999). At about the same time, the County of Tulare (relative to the county portion of the Mineral King Road) and the private community of Silver City decline to be included in the landscape nomination. Walt Disney Productions, with ownership of two parcels and one cabin within East Mineral King, does not object to the proposed inclusion of their “Honeymoon Cabin”.

  5. Largely in response to the SHPO review comments, a supplement to the Carr and McNiel report is prepared for the NPS. It is entitled “Supplement to Determination of Eligibility for the National Register of Historic Places – The Cultural Landscape of Mineral King – Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, Tulare County, California” by Thomas F. Nave (November 1999). Mr. Nave is a private, historic preservation consultant. Portions of the proposed landscape district that fall outside of the boundaries of Sequoia National Park are removed from consideration (e.g., the county road segment) as well as the up-valley dams maintained by the Southern California Edison Company under special use permit with the NPS. The newly defined Mineral King Road Cultural Landscape District now starts at the park boundary (Lookout Point area) and extends to the upper valley at East Mineral King. The landscape district extends to 30 feet on both sides of the road’s centerline and expands at various points to include historic buildings and structures (e.g., the Honeymoon Cabin, Lookout Point Residence and Garage, and concrete water tanks from the Civilian Conservation Corps era).

  6. The paperwork for Mineral King Road Cultural Landscape District (MKRCLD) nomination is prepared by consultant T. Nave and submitted by the NPS during the spring/summer of 2000. The nomination is reviewed by the SHPO, the Federal Preservation Officer for the NPS, and the Keeper of the National Register. Following the respective reviews, the landscape district is formally determined eligible for listing by the Keeper in August of 2000.

  7. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks and the Mineral King Preservation Society (MKPS) is signed in March 2003. The two parties agree to cooperate on historic preservation needs for that portion of the landscape district that falls within the special use permit and private cabin tracts. Five general themes for cooperation are listed: historic preservation efforts, education efforts, information sharing, research efforts, and volunteer activities. The agreement is to be in effect for no more than five years from the final signature (03-08-03) and is set to expire automatically upon approval of the new General Management Plan (GMP) for the parks.

  8. March 2003, the parks and the MKPS produce “A Guide to Repair and Maintenance Of Historic Summer Homes Within The Mineral King Road Cultural Landscape District”. The guide’s author is consultant T. Nave and the guide is co-published by the parks and the MKPS. Its direction is derived from the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards and Guidelines (36CFR68).

  9. The MKRCLD is formally listed in the National Register on October 27, 2003. The listing includes 59 buildings (for example, Lookout Point Ranger Residence and Garage, Atwell Mill Ranger Residence and Garage, 6 of 7 cabins in Cabin Cove, 26 of 35 cabins in West Mineral King, and 23 of 24 cabins in East Mineral King). Four structures are also included in the landscape district (that is, the road itself and three concrete water troughs).

  10. The National Parks and Restoration Act of 1978 is amended in an Omnibus bill in late 2004 to: (1) eliminate the requirement that private cabins within Mineral King be relinquished after 25 years or upon the death of the owner of record at the time of the 1978 act, and, (2) grants renewals or extensions of leases or permits to heirs, successors, and assigns.

  11. Two brass plaques recognizing the landscape district are installed by the NPS along the Mineral King Road and the district is officially dedicated on August 25, 2005 by Acting Superintendent Russel J. Wilson. The plaques note that the MKRCLD “…represents a cultural landscape that reflects the growth of recreational activity in California from 1915 to 1941”.

  12. Spring 2007, the MKPS, Mineral King District Association, and NPS draft a one page form entitled “Checklist for Routine Repair and Maintenance Work on Special Use Cabins within the Mineral King Road Cultural Landscape District, Sequoia National Park”. The checklist is informed by the language found in Nave’s (2003) Guide (cited above at number 8) and is designed for use by cabin permittees pending the NPS’s future preparation of a “Cultural Landscape Preservation Plan”. The preparation of the preservation plan is identified in the GMP’s preferred alternative and is to be pursued following the signing of the Record of Decision (ROD). The checklist is sent to the SHPO for review and comment with the hope that the form can be used with the start of the 2007 season.


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