Big Bear, CA
I quiet mountain community full of back country adventure.
Potholes California
Potholes California is a former gold mining camp and ghost town located in Imperial County, California. The town is located on the western side of the Colorado River near the present day Laguna Dam. The location was first mined by Spanish Miners in 1871. These early workings and miners were lost during the Yuma War, 1850 – 1853.
Nivloc Nevada
In 1907, Gold was discovered at the town site which would be known as Nivloc Nevada by a Native American prospector. The town derived its name from for the former owners “Colvin” who operated the site in 1923. The name spelled backwards was Nivloc and such is the haste in the Nevadan desert.
The original mining operations were short lived. The town experienced a bit of a resurgence in the 1930s. The town never amounted to much boasting only one saloon. At its height of operation from 1940 to 1943 the town could claim a post office. Between 1937 and 1943 the small town produced between $2 and $3 million dollars of Gold and Silver. The 400,000 tons of ore was pulled from mines reaching depths 440 feet and 600 feet of below the surface. During this time, the mines of Nivloc ranked as Nevada’s number one silver producer.
Nivloc Today
We have not made a trip to Nivloc, however the townsite is very high on my ghost town “to do” list. There are several standing structures and buildings intact. The mine headframe is still standing at and a rail trestle bridge which is one hundred and twenty feet in length and forty feet tall.
Town Summary
| Town | Nivloc, Nevada |
| Location | Esmeralda County, Nevada |
| Latitude, Longitude | 37.71583, -117.75722 |
| Elevation | 6,170 feet |
| GNIS | 851592 |
| Post Office | October 1940 to November 1943 |
Nivloc Map
Resources
Weepah Nevada
The site of the last major gold rush in 1927, Weepah Nevada is a ghost town and gold mine site located in Esmeralda County. Named for the Shoshone word for “rain water”, the townsite was formed in 1902 when gold was discovered in shallow pockets by Indians. A modest rush of 200 people found their way to the small outpost, however the district would soon go dormant and stay that way for the next twenty five years.
Colorado Steamships
From 1852 through 1909, Colorado Steamships ferried people and supplies up and down the Colorado River to mining camps and outposts. Following the discovery of gold in California, westward expansion of the United States was on the mind of most people seeking their fortune of livelihood. Wagon trains, horses and trains all brought people deep into the new county seeking their fortune. Lesser known is the role of the steamships, which brought supplies and people up the Colorado River from Baja California to the Green River in Wyoming.
Cerbat Arizona
Founded in 1870 Cerbat Arizona is a gold mine ghost town and former county seat for Mohave County, Arizona. The surrounding area started to attract prospectors in the 1860s. The journey was tough just to them to get into the area due to the remove location. Prospectors would travel up the Colorado River by steamship and disembark in Hardyville which is overrun by Bullhead City. Once offloaded, they would need to find their way north about 40 miles across the hot dry desert.
