Darwin, located at foot of Mount Ophir, was established in 1874 when silver-lead was discovered in the nearby Coso Mountains. The town, named after Dr. Darwin French, peaked in 1876, when it had a population of more than a thousand and five ore furnaces. Many of the residents had came to Darwin from Cerro Gordo and Panamint City. A temporary shutdown in 1876 of the Defiance smelter, the town's largest, signaled the beginning of the end for Darwin. When Bodie and Mammoth City boomed two years later, the town emptied as the miners moved on to more fertile ground.

Darwin is easily located on road maps. To get there, turn onto Olancha-Darwin Road from CA-190 and drive for 9 km.

Post office

The "dance hall" (i.e. bordello)