[5] Silver was discovered by Prospectors William Ledlie Kennedy, Robert Polk Stewart, and Richard C. Jacobs, who were forced to form a partnership with a gang of six stage robbers who had followed them when they returned to stake their claim.

[6] EP Raines, an early investor in Panamint mining, convinced a group of Los Angeles businessmen to build a wagon road and then moved on to San Francisco, where he met Nevada Senator John P. Jones.

[citation needed] Founded in 1873–74, the town grew to include many mills, saloons, stores, a red light district, and a cemetery – all built along the uppermost end of Surprise Canyon.

Surprise Canyon Road was hard-closed with a locked gate by the Bureau of Land Management in May 2001 as a result of a lawsuit brought about by the Center for Biological Diversity, the Sierra Club, and Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility.

A "Stipulation Agreement" written into the terms of the closure stated that the BLM must complete an "Environmental Impact Statement" (EIS) to determine further allowed use of the road.

[3] Much of Panamint City and Surprise Canyon were added to Death Valley National Park in 1994, with the exception of the land, buildings, and road that are still private property.

The cherry stem of Surprise Canyon Road and Panamint City was created by Congress to insure future public access to this historic town, and private property in the area.