History Furnace Creek, California

furnace creek in 1871

the timbisha native americans inhabited known furnace creek oasis centuries.

greenland ranch established william tell coleman borax company in 1883. named after green alfalfa fields planted @ location. weather station established @ ranch in 1891. greenland ranch renamed furnace creek ranch in 1933.

the timbisha tribe live @ death valley indian community reservation here. timbisha people provided many of artisans , builders construct original fred harvey company resort buildings, indian village, , park service structures. 1 of first tribes secure tribal status through bureau of indian affairs federal acknowledgment process.

in present times, federally recognized death valley timbisha shoshone band of california, majority residents of furnace creek s permanent population @ tribe s reservation, death valley indian community.

furnace creek formerly center of death valley mining , operations pacific coast borax company , historic 20 mule teams hauling wagon trains of borax across mojave desert.

on afternoon of july 10, 1913, temperature of 134 °f (56.7 °c) recorded @ greenland ranch. temperature stands highest ambient air temperature ever recorded @ surface of earth. (a report of temperature of 58 °c (136.4 °f) recorded in libya in 1922 later determined inaccurate.)