Boyer
Copper ore was first discovered in the Table Mountain district by Alva Boyer in 1861, bringing prospectors to the area. Among those was Charles Gilbert, who established the Cottonwood Ranch about 1872. In 1885, the ranch was acquired by Boyer, and in 1896 a post office was opened in his name, lasting until 1914. Boyer died in 1915, and the ranch was sold.
In 1966 the Boyer Ranch was purchased by Sheldon and Isabel Lamb, who held it until 1986 when it was purchased by the United States Navy during the vacation of Dixie Valley. Many ranch buildings have since been removed, and those remaining have been left to the elements. In addition to the ranch buildings, a few remnants of an unknown mercury operation from the 1960s or 70s are located nearby.
