Category: Ghost Towns

Ghost towns are fun places to explore and commonly great destinations for a 4×4 trip.

Jessup Nevada – Churchill County Ghost Town

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Jessup Nevada is a ghost town and gold mining camp located in Churchill County, Nevada. The site was first discovered in February 1908 by Frank Jessup & L. H. Murray.  The town is located about 4 miles northwest of the I-80 and even has an offramp used to access the town site. The mineralization was believed to be an extension of the mineralization from Seven Troughs in Pershing County.

Early days in Jessup, 1908 - Unknown photographer - Stanley W. Paher, Nevada Ghost Towns & Mining Camps, Howell North, (1970), p 112, Mrs. R.R. Purdy collection
Early days in Jessup, 1908 – Unknown photographer – Stanley W. Paher, Nevada Ghost Towns & Mining Camps, Howell North, (1970), p 112, Mrs. R.R. Purdy collection

Initially, rich gold ore valued at $100 per ton was hauled from the site using automobiles. When the tents started to from the city, the district is described as “forging ahead” by nearby newspapers. The town supported its 300 citizens from eight active mines. The small town supported three grocery stores, two lumbers, seven saloons and a meat market. For those who do not want to do the math, that is one saloon for every 43 citizens. In April, 1908 the Reno Evening Gazette reported lumbered being shipped to the mine camp by the carload and that the mining tents were being replaced with wooden structures. The completion of the Hotel and other larger structures was slowed by wood shortages.

During its heyday, people could reach the town by travelling by train to Huxley and then jumping on the daily stage service. A new road was petitioned to the county to connect to nearby Miriam. This new route would allow heavy freight to be shipped from the railroad without crossing the muddy, rough crossing salt flats.

One year after its start, Jessup was on the declined after the initial boom faltered in the fall of 1909. Investment continued into the mines and the area, however it was clear the time of Jessup was past.

Town Summary

NameJessup Nevada
LocationChurchill County, Nevada
Latitude, Longitude39.948611, -118.875
Elevation4550 Feet
Population300
Post OfficeMarch 1908 – July 1912
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La Plata Nevada – Churchill County Ghost Town

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Following the discovery of silver in 1862, La Plata Nevada is a ghost town locate in and the second county seat of Churchill County, Nevada. The site is found on the eastern slope of the Still Water Range about thirty miles East of Fallon. The town was founded at the convergence of La Plata Canyon and Silver Wave Canyon. The name of the town and the canyon is derived from the Spanish word for silver.

This ten-stamp mill built in 1864 at the lower end of La Plata - Nevada Ghost Towns and Mining Camps - Paher
This ten-stamp mill built in 1864 at the lower end of La Plata – Nevada Ghost Towns and Mining Camps – Paher

The mines of La Plata were not overly successful. Despite investment from eastern capitalists, wide area prospecting resulted in discouraging results. The Silver Wave Mining Company owned the townsite and a 1500-acre ranch. The mining company start a small mill in anticipation of profitable ore.

The town was the second county seat of Churchill County from 1864 until 1868. The court house was a converted structure purchase for $700 from Anton Kaufman on on October 15, 1864. The townsite climate was described as “delightful, atmosphere pure, bracing, and wholesome” by the Hon. George W. Stein, of Easton, Pennsylvania, President of the “Silver Wave Company,”

The town hosted a Post Office, the mills and a few businesses, including the Warren House, the La Plata Hotel and Pioneer Saloon. The town was V-shaped due its location at the convergence of two canyons. Plans were made for a much larger townsite, however, the ore simply did not support the plans. A special election was held on October 22, 1867 and as a result the county seat was was moved to the town Stillwater, in 1868.

There was a short revival of La Plata mines in the spring of 1906, but a revival was not in the forecast for this location.

Town Summary

NameLa Plata
LocationChurchill County, Nevada
Latitude, Longitude39.449350216615784, -118.31154064991719
Eleation5280 ft
Post OfficeApril 13, 1865 – November 25, 1867

La Plata Trail Map

References

Troy Nevada – Nye County Ghost Town

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In May 1867, prospector Alexander Beatty worked the the Grant Mountain range when he discovered silver and founded the town site of Troy, in Nye County, Nevada. Beatty quickly stacked five different claims in the valley. In 1868, Beatty started the Troy Mining District.

Troy Nevada is located in Nye County, Nevada.

In 1868, the town attracted a group of investors from England. After prospecting and exploring the area, these investors purchased Beattys mining claims and The Troy Silver Mining Company was founded in 1870.

The little town of Troy, in 1871 was home to seventy miners and their families. Their needs were meet with two general stores, a school, blacksmith shop, boarding house and an unofficial post office. The Troy Silver Mining company invested some $500,000.00 into the mining facilities and built a modern 20-stamp mill and furnaces.

Despite fund raising, the new mining company was not destined to be the next great boom town. The mines never produced as anticipated and by 1872 the company was on the verge of going under. In 1873 a new manager was able to get silver production up to keep the mines open. Flooding in the mines and the speculation from the flooding caused the stock prices to plummet. Despite this news, the stock holders voted to keep mining operations in place.

In 1876, the end finally came for Troy when the mines were closed and the assets sold and moved including the mills and furnaces. In December of that year, the Troy Silver Mining Company was dissolved.

George Sharp, a nearby rancher, purchased the mine site for back taxes in 1902. He demolished one of the two furnace chimneys for the raw materials for his ranch. Sharp sold the claims to the Birdno family.

The mining camp saw various revivals over the next 50 years. The population would teeter back and forth between 1904 – 1920. The Birdo Family sold out the claims and divested in 1936.

The final operations in the valley started in 1946 when the Locke Mine was opened above the town of Troy by Joseph Hafen. The Locke Mine produced gold and pipe delivered to water up to the mine to produce electricity for a mill which was assembled. The Locke Mined operated until the mid 1960s.

Town Summary

NameTroy Nevada
LocationNye County, Nevada
Latitude, Longitude38.34578302126987, -115.57371331915309
Elevation6000 feet
Population100

Troy Nevada Trail Map

References

Fairview Nevada – Churchill County Ghost Town

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Founded in 1905, Fairview Nevada is a ghost town and silver mining camp located in Churchill County, near the town of Fallon, Nevada. The towns rapid growth can be attributed to investments by bankers George S Nixon and George Wingfield.

Fourth of July parade, Fairview, Nevada 1906. - Stanley W. Paher, Nevada Ghost Towns and Mining Camps, (1970), Howell North, p96, Ashley Cook Collection, Theron Fox Collection
Fourth of July parade, Fairview, Nevada 1906. – Stanley W. Paher, Nevada Ghost Towns and Mining Camps, (1970), Howell North, p96, Ashley Cook Collection, Theron Fox Collection

RUSH TO FAIRVIEW – At the present time there is quite a rush to Fairview, the new mining district recently discovered about thirty six miles from Fallon. Some very rich ore has been struck in the new district and many miners and prospectors are rushing to the scene of the discovery to locate claims.

Reno Evening Gazette 1906 February 14

At first the mining camp was rather transient, moving moving its location twice and changing its name from Fairview Peak. The first move was located the town closer to its mining operations. The second move was relocate outside of the narrow canyon to make room as the town continued to grow.

Fairview, Nevada prospectors examining mine, early 1900s - Stanley W. Paher, Nevada Ghost Towns and Mining Camps, (1970), Howell North, p 99,Theron Fox Collection
Fairview, Nevada prospectors examining mine, early 1900s – Stanley W. Paher, Nevada Ghost Towns and Mining Camps, (1970), Howell North, p 99,Theron Fox Collection

1907 saw rapid growth and expansion as promotors sold the town. Freight brought in to town from the rail status at Hazen clogged the roads. Very early on in 1907, the little community of Fairvew boasted 27 saloons, assay offices, a news paper, banks and hotels. Town plots were for $100 per frontage foot and every commodity was marked up and expensive.

Fairview mine visitors, c 1906 - Stanley W. Paher, Nevada Ghost Towns and Mining Camps, (1970), Howell North, p 99, Theron Fox Collection
Fairview mine visitors, c 1906 – Stanley W. Paher, Nevada Ghost Towns and Mining Camps, (1970), Howell North, p 99, Theron Fox Collection

Plans for a rail connection were soon made in later in 1907. The state approved the legislation, however nothing ever came of it.

The year of 1908 introduced some sobriety into the minds of this camp. Many citizens were lured away by the gold booms of nearby towns. Mineral production plummeted to 12% from the previous year. For the next three years, only high grade ore was shipped to the smelters. Production continued to be profitable for the Nevada Hills Mining Company until 1917.

Nevada Hills Gold Mine, Fairview, Nevada
Nevada Hills Gold Mine, Fairview, Nevada

Town Summary

NameFairview
LocationChurchill County, Nevada
Latitude, Longitude39.266389, -118.1975
Population2000
Elevation4679 Feet
News PaperThe News
Post Office April 1906 – May 1919
NPS Pony Express Station154
Next Westbound StationMountain Well Station
Next Eastbound StationFort Churchill Station

Fairview Nevada Trail Map

References

Jackrabbit Nevada – Lincoln County Ghost Town

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Jackrabbit Nevada is a ghost town and silver mining camp located in Lincoln County Nevada. Local legend attributes the discovery to the locator picking up a rock to throw at a jackrabbit and finding himself holding high grade silver.

Jackrabbit Nevada - (Theron Fox Photo) Paher, Nevada Ghost Towns and Mining Camps
Jackrabbit Nevada – (Theron Fox Photo) Paher, Nevada Ghost Towns and Mining Camps

The Jackrabbit District, named for the mine, was located in 1876 by Isaac Newton Garrison. Early mine production of the camp, at one time named Royal City, was about ten tons per day, carrying native silver in flakes, yielding about $40 per ton – sometimes as high as $2000 per ton.

Soon after the initial discover, the camp was home to several general stores, boarding houses, saloons, restaurants and a blacksmith shop. It was also the last whiskey stop for the south bound stage into Pioche.

The Day and Jackrabbit mines produce ore, which was hauled to the mills in Bristol. Mineral production declined during the 1880’s, but when a fifteen-mile narrow gauge railroad known as the “Jackrabbit Road” was opened in 1891 between the Jackrabbit mine and Pioche which increase the mining production.

After 1893 the mines fell silent except for several short periods of activity in 1906-07 and 1912-14

Nevada State Historic Marker

Local legend attributes the discovery to the locator picking up a rock to throw at a jackrabbit and finding himself holding high grade silver. Located on the eastern slope of the Bristol Mountains, the Jack Rabbit District, named for the mine, was located in 1876 by Isaac Newton Garrison. Within months the camp, at one time named Royal City, had a store, saloon, boarding house and restaurant. Early mine production was about ten tons per day, carrying native silver in flakes, yielding about $40 per ton — sometimes as high as $2000 per ton. Total production of the District is estimated at about $2,000,000 to $6,000,000. Mine production declined during the 1880’s, but when a fifteen-mile narrow gauge railroad was opened in 1891 between the Jackrabbit mine and Pioche, mineral production soon increased. After 1893 the mines fell silent except for several short periods of activity in 1906-07 and 1912-14.

Nevada State Historic Marker

Town Summary

NameJack Rabbit
LocationLincoln County, Nevada
Latitude, Longitude38.094009, -114.595399
Nevada State Historic Marker204
Elevation6330
Population
Post OfficeOctober 15, 1878 – January 26, 1879 – (Royal City)

Directions

The ghost town of Jackrabbit Nevada is about 14 miles north of Pioche and one mile west of the US 93.

Jackrabbit Trail Map

References