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Rare map of the gold mining regions southeast of Ensenada near the Santa Clara Valley, published in the San Diego Sun in March 1889.

The map shows the roads south from Tijuana to Ensenada and Santa Tomas, including the region identified as having Gold Mining prospects.

In the "Special Report From The Mines," there is an column account of a trip south to the Gold Mining District, which was likely intended as a promotional piece for the Geo. N. Hale Company.

The existence of gold in the northeastern part of La Baja had long been known. Old maps show the general location of gold-bearing districts in that territory lying in a direct line between San Diego and the mouth of the Colorado River, and due east of the Ensenada.

The first major gold strike was the Real del Castillo in 1872, locatd in the mountains thirty miles to the east of Ensenada, which brought drastic changes to all of Baja California. Real del Castillo became the seat of government, replacing Santo Tomas south of Ensenada. Meanwhile, the needs of the gold camp were many, and to meet them, two transportation networks were developed, by which some food, supplies, and equipment could be carried to Real del Castillo. Further provisions, as well as heavier mining equipment from San Francisco, and much passenger traffic, encouraged establishment and growth of the port of Ensenada. By the end of the decade there were nearly 100 inhabitants at Ensenada, who were served by a warehouse, and a customs house.

The second major gold strike in Baja California was the discovery of marvelously rich gold fields in the Santa Clara district, some sixty miles from La Ensenada de Todos Santos. Among the most important mines are the Elsinore, Asbestos, El Paso, Ulises, Centipede, Telemaco, Grandota, Graude, Encantada, Rattlesnake, St. David, Montezuma, Princesa, Cocinero, Aurora, Scorpion, Arabella, Lavina, Sunrise, and Rain-bow. Some of the most important mining companies were the International, the El Paso, the Independencia, and the Alamo.