Valley Wells

Valley Wells is a census-designated place in Inyo County, California. Prior to 2010, for census purposes it was part of Homewood Canyon-Valley Wells CDP. As of the 2020 census, Valley Wells had a population of 0. The town is now registered as California Historical Landmark #443; in 1849, several groups of midwestern emigrants settled here to secure water from nearby Searles Lake. The California Historical Landmark reads:

NO. 443 VALLEY WELLS - In this area, several groups of midwestern emigrants who had escaped from hazards and privations in Death Valley in 1849 sought to secure water from Searles Lake. They turned northward and westward in despair when they discovered its salty nature, and with great difficulty crossed the Argus and other mountains to reach settlements of Central and Southern California.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0) — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valley_Wells,_California