In the late 1930s and early 1940s, surging worldwide demand for tungsten led to the opening of several tungsten mines in the High Sierra above Bishop. Two small but relatively high-grade ore bodies were discovered on the west side of Mt. Tom, which would become the Hanging Valley Mine and the Tungstar Mine. Although both were located in very remote locations, at an elevation of almost 12,000 feet, the high wartime prices for tungsten and the quality of the ore made mining operations economically feasible.
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