Category: Destination4x4

Acoma, Nevada – Lincoln County Ghost Town

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Ghost Towns of Lincoln County, Nevada
Ghost Towns of Lincoln County, Nevada

Acoma is an extinct ghost town and former railroad siding in Lincoln County, southeastern Nevada, in the United States. Located at approximately 37°32′54″N 114°10′21″W (elevation 5,528 ft / 1,685 m), it sits in the arid Great Basin landscape of Clover Valley, near the Utah border and west of Beaver Dam State Park. A variant name is Acoma Station.

Origins and Naming

The name “Acoma” was likely transferred from the historic Acoma Pueblo (“Sky City”) in New Mexico. In the Keres language, it roughly translates to “people of the white rock,” possibly referencing local light-colored rock formations.

Early Development (1904–1910s)

Development began in spring 1904 when the Utah and Eastern Copper Company initiated mining in the area. The first settlement formed around 1905, coinciding with the completion of the San Pedro, Los Angeles & Salt Lake Railroad (later part of the Union Pacific) through the region.

Acoma functioned primarily as a railroad siding and support point:

  • A section house was built to house maintenance workers.
  • It supported ore shipments (especially copper) from nearby mines, including prospects in adjacent Utah areas.

A post office operated from 1905 to 1913, marking the town’s formal (if modest) establishment and serving as a lifeline for supplies and communication in this remote desert outpost.

Economy and Industry

Early focus: Railroad logistics and copper mining/shipping from regional prospects (e.g., connections to Utah’s Goldstrike Mining District). Operations were small-scale.

Later activity: The Acoma Mining District became known for perlite extraction from volcanic tuff deposits (mid-20th century onward). Sites like the Acoma Mine (also called Pulcepher and Comstock) produced granular perlite for uses in insulation, filtration, and agriculture. Reserves were estimated in the millions of tons, but production remained intermittent and small-scale.

The economy reflected typical Lincoln County patterns: short-lived resource booms tied to railroads and minerals in a harsh, arid environment.

Population and Community Life

Acoma never grew large. In 1941, it had a recorded population of about 15. Earlier peaks (likely in the 1910s) were probably in the dozens, consisting mainly of railroad workers, miners, and a few families.

Life was rugged and isolated, typical of early 20th-century Nevada desert outposts, with reliance on the railroad for connection to the outside world.

Decline and Abandonment

The post office closed in 1913 as initial railroad and mining momentum waned. Population declined further amid broader economic shifts, including post-WWI adjustments and the Great Depression. By the mid-20th century, Acoma was fully abandoned as a town, though limited perlite mining continued sporadically in the district.

Today, it is a classic Nevada ghost town with minimal or scattered remnants (e.g., old section house ruins) in a remote high-desert setting under Bureau of Land Management oversight. No permanent residents remain.

Historical Context in Lincoln County

Acoma formed during a period of railroad expansion and mineral prospecting in eastern Nevada. Lincoln County itself has deep roots, from ancient Native American habitation (Southern Paiute and others) to Mormon settlements in the 1860s and mining booms (e.g., Pioche). Acoma represents the smaller-scale, railroad-dependent outposts that dotted the landscape in the early 1900s, many of which faded quickly.

Its story embodies the boom-and-bust cycle common to Nevada’s mining and rail communities.

Sources: Primarily drawn from historical geographical dictionaries, mining records, and Lincoln County historical overviews. For visits, note the remote location requires proper preparation (4WD recommended, no services).

Gunfight Involving William F. Keys

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Incident Overview

On May 11, 1943, a fatal Gunfight Involving William F. Keys, occurred in what is now Joshua Tree National Park, near the county line between San Bernardino and Riverside Counties, California. The incident involved William (Bill) F. Keys, a cattle rancher and miner, and Worth Bagley, a former deputy sheriff and neighboring rancher. The conflict resulted in Bagley’s death, with Keys claiming he acted in self-defense.

William F. Keys reenacts the scene of the fatal shooting of Worth Bagley - Photo NPS
William F. Keys reenacts the scene of the fatal shooting of Worth Bagley – Photo NPS

Background

William F. Keys and Worth Bagley were neighbors engaged in a long-standing feud over a property line dispute and Keys’ use of a road on the contested land. The disagreement had escalated over time, creating significant tension between the two men. Bagley, leveraging his past experience as a deputy sheriff in Los Angeles County, was known to be assertive, while Keys, aged 63 at the time, was a well-established rancher in the region.

Details of the Gunfight

  • Date and Location: May 11, 1943, on or near Bagley’s property in the Joshua Tree area.
  • Events Leading Up to the Incident: The exact circumstances immediately preceding the shooting are not fully detailed in available records, but the ongoing property dispute was the primary catalyst. The confrontation likely occurred when Keys and Bagley encountered each other, possibly during a heated exchange over the disputed road or land boundaries.
  • The Shooting: According to Keys, Bagley posed an immediate threat, prompting Keys to shoot him in self-defense. The precise sequence of events, including who initiated the confrontation or whether Bagley was armed, remains unclear from available sources. Bagley was fatally wounded and died at the scene.
  • Aftermath: Hours after the shooting, Keys turned himself in to law enforcement in Twentynine Palms, California, asserting that he acted to protect himself. The legal outcome of the case is not specified in the provided records, but Keys’ decision to surrender suggests he sought to justify his actions through the legal system.

Investigation and Legal Context

  • Law Enforcement Response: Local authorities in Twentynine Palms processed Keys’ surrender and likely conducted an investigation into the shooting. Given the self-defense claim, the investigation would have focused on corroborating evidence, such as witness statements, the presence of weapons, and the physical scene.
  • Historical Context: The incident occurred in a remote, rugged area during a time when disputes over land and resources were common in rural regions. Self-defense claims in such conflicts were often evaluated based on limited evidence and the credibility of the individuals involved.

Analysis

The gunfight reflects the challenges of resolving property disputes in sparsely populated areas with limited law enforcement presence. The feud between Keys and Bagley underscores how personal animosities, combined with competing economic interests, could escalate to violence. Keys’ claim of self-defense suggests he perceived a credible threat, but without detailed records of the investigation or trial (if one occurred), it is difficult to assess the validity of his account.

The incident also highlights the cultural and legal norms of the era, where individuals often relied on personal means to settle disputes, sometimes with deadly outcomes. The lack of clarity in the historical record about the legal consequences for Keys indicates either a resolution in his favor or minimal public documentation of the case.

Conclusion

The gunfight between William F. Keys and Worth Bagley on May 11, 1943, was a tragic outcome of a prolonged property dispute in the Joshua Tree region. Keys’ self-defense claim and subsequent surrender to authorities suggest he sought to justify his actions, but the absence of comprehensive records limits a full understanding of the event. This incident serves as a case study of how personal and economic conflicts in rural settings could lead to fatal confrontations, shaped by the social and legal dynamics of the time.

Source

Information for this report is drawn from the National Registry of Exonerations, detailing the incident involving William F. Keys and Worth Bagley.

Ragtown, Nevada – Churchill County Ghost Town

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Ragtown Nevada is ghost town and Nevada State Historical Marker number nineteen. The town and Nevada State Historic Marker are located in the Churchill County, Nevada. The town was located about eight miles west of Fallon Nevada. Originally, the town was located near Leeteville, but later is relocated to its historic location. Today, nothing remains of the old settlement.

Ragtown Nevada
Ragtown, Nevada

The site which will become Ragtown started in 1854 as a station along the Humboldt Overland Trail. The station is located on a small ranch and the site is the first watering hole for travelers west of the dry alkali Forty Mile desert. The Forty Mile desert is one of the most notorious sections of the transit and the site of many tragedies. Travelers would rest and recoup from the journey along the northern bank of the Carson River before starting for the Sierra Nevada. The name Ragtown comes from the clothing hung to dry from the women doing their laundry.

During the late 1850’s, small structures are built from willow poles and canvas as temporary shelters for travelers. A summer seasonal population is comprised of traders, gamblers and those of less notable reputation. Samuel Clemmons visited Ragtown in 1861 on his way out west.

A flood in 1862 destroyed all of the structures and disinterred some 200 graves. The site is temporarily abandoned until the Reese River Excitement in 1863 started a renewal. By the late 1860s a post office is established and the small population of farmers worked the area. The location is bypassed with the establishment of the Central Pacific rail service.

Today, nothing remains of Ragtown beyond a historic maker.

Nevada State Historic Marker Text

Ragtown was never a town. Instead, it was the name of a most welcome oasis and gathering point. This mecca on the banks of nearby Carson River received its name from the appearance of pioneer laundry spread on every handy bush around.

The Forty Mile Desert, immediately to the north, was the most dreaded portion of the California Emigrant Trail. Ragtown was the first water stop after the desert. To the thirst- crazed emigrants and their animals, no sight was more welcome than the trees lining the Carson River.

Accounts tell of the moment when the animals first picked up the scent of water—the lifted head, the quickened pace, and finally the mad, frenzied dash to the water’s edge. Then, emigrants rested for the arduous crossing of the Sierra Nevada that lay ahead.

In 1854, Asa Kenyon located a trading post near Ragtown, offering goods and supplies to travelers during the 1850s and 1860s. Ragtown was one of the most important sites on the Carson branch of the California trail.

HISTORICAL MARKER No. 19
STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICEC
HURCHILL COUNTY MUSEUM COMMITTEE

Nevada State Historical Markers identify significant places of interest in Nevada’s history. The Nevada State Legislature started the program in 1967 to bring the state’s heritage to the public’s attention with on-site markers. Budget cuts to the program caused the program to become dormant in 2009. Many of the markers are lost of damaged.

Historic Photos

Desert Lake, near Ragtown, Western Nevada, ca. 1867 by Timothy H. O'Sullivan
Desert Lake, near Ragtown, Western Nevada, ca. 1867 by Timothy H. O’Sullivan

Pony Express

Townley identifies Ragtown as a station between Old River and Desert Wells. Like other stations on the “Stillwater Dogleg,” Ragtown probably functioned briefly as a Pony Express station in the summer and fall of 1861 and as an Overland Mail Company stage stop from 1861 to 1868. L. Kenyon and his family managed station operations at the site for nearly fifty years. The station’s name supposedly came from the common site of freshly washed travelers’ clothing spread out to dry on surrounding bushes.

Ragtown Summary

NameRagtown, Nevada
LocationChurchill County, Nevada
GNIS
PopulationTransitory, Seasonal, 50
Post Office186X –
Elevation4,029 feet
Nevada State Historic Marker19
Latitude, Longitude39.5057,-118.9215
NPS Pony Express Station160
Next Westbound StationDesert Wells Station
Next Eastbound StationNevada Station

Nevada State Historic Marker Map

References

Colorado Mining District

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The Colorado Mining District, also known as the Eldorado (or El Dorado) Mining District and later associated with the Nelson mining area, is located in southern Clark County, Nevada, within Eldorado Canyon in the Eldorado Mountains. The canyon runs eastward from near modern Nelson (approximately 45 minutes southeast of Las Vegas along Nevada Highway 165) and drains into the Colorado River at the former site of Nelson’s Landing (now part of Lake Mohave). At the time of its founding, the district lay on the west bank of the Colorado River, about 65 miles above Fort Mohave, which marked the practical upstream limit of steamboat navigation.

Mill in Eldorado Canyon, circa 1890
Mill in Eldorado Canyon, circa 1890

The district encompasses roughly 44 square miles of rugged desert terrain with Precambrian gneiss, schist, and Miocene volcanic rocks cut by north-trending faults. Mineralization occurs primarily in quartz-calcite veins hosted in fractured quartz monzonite and volcanic rocks. The area adjoins the western edge of what is now Lake Mead National Recreation Area and was originally part of New Mexico Territory, then Arizona Territory (Mohave County), before becoming part of Nevada in 1866.

Early History/Founding

Prospecting in the canyon dates back possibly to Spanish explorers in 1775, who named the area “El Dorado” (the gilded one) after observing gold, silver, and lead deposits. Native American groups, including the Paiute and Mojave, had long used the region for turquoise extraction. Formal American-era activity began around 1857–1859 when gold and silver were noted, possibly by soldiers from Fort Mojave or local prospectors. Steamboat captain George Alonzo Johnson formally named the canyon in 1857 after observing the deposits.

El Dorado Canyon look down on Lake Mojave in Clark County Nevada
El Dorado Canyon look down on Lake Mojave in Clark County Nevada

The major rush ignited in April 1861 when Mojave Chief Irataba guided prospector John Moss to a rich silver vein. News of the strikes in what was organized as the Colorado Mining District (by 1864 also called the Eldorado Canyon District) drew a flood of miners that fall, amid the outbreak of the Civil War. By the early 1860s, several camps formed: San Juan/Upper Camp (near modern Nelson), Alturas and Louisville (near the Techatticup Mine), Colorado City (at the river landing), Lucky Jim Camp (Confederate sympathizers), and Buster Falls (Union sympathizers). The district was formally organized around 1861–1862, with over 760 lodes and 850 mining deeds recorded by 1865.

Steamboats (such as those operated by George A. Johnson) provided critical supply lines from the Gulf of California, delivering goods and coal while barging ore downstream—far cheaper than overland routes across the Mojave Desert. In 1867, the U.S. Army established Camp El Dorado at the canyon mouth to protect miners from Paiute attacks and secure river traffic; the outpost operated until 1869. Early mining was small-scale and individual, focused on high-grade surface silver chloride ores.

Economic Activities

The district’s primary commodities were gold and silver, with lesser amounts of copper, lead, and zinc. Ores occurred in fissure veins and were extracted via underground workings, with high-grade silver chloride (up to 400 ounces per ton) hand-sorted and sacked for shipment in the earliest years. Stamp mills were soon built at the river mouth to reduce transportation costs: an early mill (pre-1864, later called the Colorado Mill) was followed by the Spear Brothers’ 10-stamp New Era Mill in 1865 and Col. John R. Vineyard’s ten-stamp mill at El Dorado City in late 1863.

Key mines included the Techatticup (the district’s largest and oldest producer, opened 1862–1863), Wall Street, and the El Dorado Rand Group (incorporating the Honest Miner claim). Steamboat traffic peaked in the 1860s but continued into the early 20th century. Production was intermittent but significant; the three largest mines alone yielded over $6 million. District-wide estimates suggest total production exceeded $6–10 million in gold, silver, and base metals, with later figures (1907–1954) including at least 100,600 ounces of gold and 2.36 million ounces of silver. Peak years included the 1939–1942 period before wartime restrictions.

Civil War-era politics divided the canyon into Union and Confederate camps, but production continued despite desertions and security issues. Post-1870 revival saw deeper mining and additional mills; free-milling gold ores were worked with arrastras in the 1890s.

Decline/Abandonment

Activity fluctuated with ore grades, transportation costs, Indian conflicts, and national events. The 1860s boom waned due to the need for capital-intensive milling and protection, though a post office operated 1865–1867 (Arizona Territory) and again 1879–1907 (Nevada). Production slowed after the early 20th century but revived during favorable metal prices in the 1930s–early 1940s. U.S. Government Order WPB-L208 halted gold mining in October 1942, effectively ending large-scale operations during World War II. Some small-scale work and heap-leach activity occurred into the 1970s–1980s, but the district’s major mines closed permanently afterward. Nelson served as the later hub, with its post office operating intermittently until the mid-20th century.

Legacy/Current Status

The Colorado Mining District ranks among the earliest and richest mining areas in southern Nevada, contributing significantly to regional development and demonstrating the role of river transport in desert mining. It produced millions in precious metals across nearly a century of intermittent activity and left a legacy of colorful Wild West history, including lawlessness, Civil War divisions, and technological adaptation (steamboats and mills). Today, the canyon and associated Nelson Ghost Town are preserved as a historic site. The Techatticup Mine offers guided tours, and ruins of mills, cabins, and equipment attract hikers, photographers, and history enthusiasts. A Nevada State Historic Preservation Office marker commemorates the district. No large-scale mining occurs, though some claims remain; the area is valued for its scenic desert landscape and cultural heritage within the broader Lake Mead region.

Ghost towns of Clark County, Nevada

Buster Falls, Nevada – Clark County Ghost Town

Ghost towns of Clark County, Nevada Buster Falls is a historic ghost town and former mining camp located in El Dorado Canyon (also spelled Eldorado…
Seal of Clark County Nevada

Colorado City, Nevada

Colorado City was a short-lived 19th-century mining camp and steamboat landing in what is now Clark County, Nevada. Situated at the mouth of El Dorado…
Seal of Clark County Nevada

Louisville Nevada

Seal of Clark County Nevada Louisville was a short-lived mining camp and ghost town site in El Dorado Canyon (also spelled Eldorado Canyon) within the…
Seal of Clark County Nevada

Lucky Jim Camp, Nevada

Seal of Clark County Nevada Lucky Jim Camp, sometimes referred to as Lucky Camp, was a short-lived mining camp and ghost town site in Clark…

Nelson Nevada and Eldorado Canyon – Clark County Ghost Town

Nelson, Nevada, is a small unincorporated community in Clark County, located in the rugged hills of El Dorado Canyon about 45 minutes south of Las…

Sources/References

  • Nevada State Historic Preservation Office: Eldorado Canyon historical marker.
  • Nevada Historical Society Quarterly (Spring 1968): “Early Development of El Dorado Canyon and Searchlight Mining Districts” by John M. Townley.
  • U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 91-323 (1991): Mineral resources of the El Dorado and Ireteba Peaks Wilderness Study Areas (production and geology summary).
  • Additional context from Mindat.org, Western Mining History, and Nevada Bureau of Mines records.

Bonelli’s Ferry, Nevada – Clark County Ghost Town

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Bonelli’s Ferry (also known as Old Bonelli Ferry) was a historic Colorado River crossing in Clark County, Nevada, located just above the confluence of the Colorado and Virgin Rivers. It operated as a key transportation link between Nevada and Arizona in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The ferry site was originally part of a small settlement known as Junction City (later renamed Rioville, Nevada), which served as a hub for agriculture, salt mining, river navigation, and overland travel to mining camps. The entire area, including the ferry landing and town remnants, is now submerged beneath the waters of Lake Mead, created by the completion of Hoover Dam in the 1930s.

Early History and the Predecessor Ferry

The area around the Virgin-Colorado Rivers confluence saw limited Euro-American settlement in the mid-19th century, largely tied to Mormon colonization efforts and mining activities in the surrounding desert regions. In the early 1870s, a flatboat ferry known as Stone’s Ferry was established approximately two miles downstream from the Virgin River mouth. It provided a basic crossing for wagons and travelers but was limited in capacity and location.

In 1870, ferry rights were acquired by Daniel Bonelli, a Swiss-born immigrant, Mormon pioneer, and entrepreneur who had settled in the nearby Mormon community of St. Thomas, Nevada. Bonelli, one of the few who remained in St. Thomas after many residents abandoned the area around 1871 due to flooding and other hardships, saw economic potential in the river crossing. He purchased and later relocated the operation.

Establishment of Bonelli’s Ferry and the Town of Rioville

By 1876, Bonelli had moved the ferry upstream to the more strategic location at the Virgin River confluence, near what was then called Junction City. He developed the site into a small but functional outpost, which he later helped rename Rioville in the late 1870s (reflecting its position at the “Rio” or river junction). Bonelli built a substantial stone house, outbuildings, and irrigated fields on both sides of the rivers using water diverted from the Virgin River. The settlement included orchards, vineyards, alfalfa fields, and vegetable crops, supporting local agriculture and livestock.

The ferry itself was a flatboat-style vessel pulled across the river by a rope line operated by hand. Crossing fees were set at $10 for a wagon and two persons, plus an additional $0.50 per extra passenger. It connected trails to Arizona mining districts (such as Cerbat and Mineral Park in Mohave County) and linked to broader routes like the Hardyville-Prescott Road, while also serving travelers heading to settlements along the Muddy and Virgin Rivers in Nevada and Utah.

Rioville grew modestly as a supply point. It featured a store, post office (established in 1881 and operating until 1906), and even served briefly as a Pony Express station. In 1879, it gained significance as the head of practical steamboat navigation on the Colorado River when the steamboat Gila (under Captain Jack Mellon) reached the landing on July 8. Smaller vessels like the sloop Sou’Wester (1879–1882) transported locally mined salt downstream to process silver ore at sites like El Dorado Canyon. Steamboat traffic peaked in the late 1870s and early 1880s but declined after 1887 as mining activity waned.

Economic Role and Peak Operations

Bonelli’s Ferry played a vital role in the regional economy during the mining boom of the American Southwest. It facilitated the movement of goods, people, and ore-related supplies across the Colorado River, supporting silver mining operations in Arizona and Nevada. Bonelli himself supplemented the ferry income through farming, cattle ranching, and salt mining from nearby deposits, which he sold to mining camps. The ferry remained in operation even as the town itself faded, with Bonelli’s son taking over after a major flood in 1904 destroyed the original boat (the same year Daniel Bonelli died).

Decline, Abandonment, and Submersion

The town of Rioville was largely abandoned by the 1890s as mining declined and overland routes shifted. The post office closed in 1906, though the ferry continued to serve a smaller number of travelers. Operations persisted under Bonelli family management or successors until around 1920–1935 (accounts vary slightly on the exact final year). The construction of Hoover Dam (completed in 1935) and the subsequent filling of Lake Mead permanently inundated the site, along with other historic river communities like St. Thomas. By the mid-1930s, Bonelli’s Ferry and Rioville had disappeared beneath the reservoir.

Legacy and Current Status

Today, the original location of Bonelli’s Ferry lies underwater in Lake Mead National Recreation Area, in the Virgin Basin area. No surface structures remain visible under normal lake levels, though the site occasionally reemerges during periods of extreme drought when water levels drop significantly (similar to the reexposure of nearby St. Thomas). The broader area is now known as Bonelli Landing, a remote recreational site popular for boating, fishing, camping, and beach access along Lake Mead. It serves as a modern gateway to the lake’s waters rather than a historic crossing.

Bonelli’s Ferry represents a quintessential example of small-scale pioneer entrepreneurship in the arid West, bridging Mormon settlement, river navigation, and mining economies. Its history is preserved in archival photographs (including 1890 views of the landing and structures), oral histories, and studies by the National Park Service. Daniel Bonelli’s contributions are noted in Utah and Nevada historical records as those of a resilient “forgotten pioneer.”