Off-road to The Old Dutch Cleanser Mine, Red Rock Canyon State Park, California

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The naturally-occurring white scouring powder called Old Dutch Cleanser. The Dutch Cleanser Mine, also known as the Old Cudahy Dutch Cleanser Mine, was founded in 1923 by the Cudahy Company. The Old Dutch Cleanser Company obtained its pumice from this mine from 1923 to 1947. A rail tram was later built to transport the pumicite to lower elevations where it would be transported to the southern pacific railroad a few miles to the south. Overall, the mine produced 120 thousand tons of cleanser powder before it was closed in 1947. Drive up Last Chance Canyon Road off Hwy 14 north of Red Rock Canyon State Park. 4WD is probably not needed. Cudahy Packing Company began operations at the Last Chance Canyon mine in 1923. Twelve men were employed to produce 100 tons of pumicite per week. Ore initially was lowered 475 feet down a rail tramway to loading bins in Last Chance Canyon. From there it was trucked seven miles south to a Southern Pacific siding at Saltdale, where it was loaded on rail cars for delivery to Los Angeles. The mine produced 120,000 tons of pumicite before it was closed in 1947.

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