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Broken Hills Nevada – Mineral County Ghost Town
Broken Hills is a remote ghost town in Mineral County, Nevada (with early references occasionally noting southern Churchill County), located at approximately 39°02′59″N 118°00′37″W and an elevation of 5,371 feet (1,637 m). Situated in the high desert near Gabbs Valley and the Broken Hills range, the site lies about 12 miles from the old mill at Phonolite and 10 miles from water sources in Lodi Valley. Founded as one of Nevada’s later mining camps during the tail end of the state’s great early 20th-century rushes, Broken Hills was primarily a silver-lead mining operation that never fully boomed due to limited claims. It featured a small but functional settlement at its peak, with scattered ruins today—including mine shafts, headframes, debris, and a few decaying structures—serving as a testament to the challenges of desert mining, water scarcity, and speculative promotion.
Early Settlement and Mining Origins (1913–1920)
Silver-lead ore was discovered in 1913 by two English prospectors, Joseph Arthur (sometimes spelled Aurthur) and James Stratford (also Statford or Strathford). The pair had prospected widely across Nevada and quickly secured the most promising claims, laying out a townsite that drew an initial rush of about 25–50 miners within weeks. Contemporary newspaper accounts from April–May 1913 described excitement over “excellent ore” and leases being let, with the camp reachable from Rawhide or near Fairview and Lodi. However, the rush stalled because Arthur and Stratford controlled the best ground, preventing widespread development.
Water had to be hauled 10–14 miles from Lodi Valley at high cost (reportedly 8 cents per gallon or up to $2.50 per barrel), and ore was shipped 12 miles to Bruner’s 50-ton mill at Phonolite for processing. The two men operated the claims themselves from 1913 to 1920, producing around $68,000 in ore (equivalent to roughly $1.1 million today) by the end of the period. They traveled by burro early on but later afforded an automobile from mining proceeds. The camp remained modest, focused on lead-silver veins rather than a major strike.
Boom Period (1915–1920)
Broken Hills reached its modest peak population of a few hundred residents between 1915 and 1920. The settlement included stores, a hotel, saloons, and a one-room schoolhouse (which reportedly served mainly Indian children). A post office opened on December 1, 1920, and operated until October 15, 1921. In 1920, the partners sold their holdings to promoter George Graham Rice and the Broken Hills Silver Corporation. Rice invested heavily in promotion and sold shares, but actual production under new ownership yielded only about $7,000. The company soon collapsed, contributing to the camp’s limited growth despite the brief flurry of activity.
Decline and Revivals (1920s–1930s)
After the 1920 sale and corporate failure, Broken Hills quieted. A revival came in 1926 with a silver rush to nearby Quartz Mountain, prompting the post office to reopen on June 16, 1926 (it closed for good on February 28, 1935). A few stores briefly reopened, and additional claims changed hands. Veteran prospector Matt Costello, for example, sold several groups of claims in 1926 for significant cash (including one for about $1,500) but was found dead at his cabin shortly afterward; he is buried nearby in a marked grave with an iron fence. Mining remained small-scale, with ore still hauled to distant mills. By the 1930 U.S. Census, the population had dropped under 20.
Limited activity continued into the late 1920s and 1930s. In 1936, George M. Lerchen relocated claims (comprising four unpatented sites). From 1935 to 1940, the district produced approximately $180,000 in ore. A 1948 incorporation of the Broken Hills Mining and Milling Company aimed to build a local mill near Gabbs for better economics, but these efforts yielded little sustained success.
Later Activity and Final Decline (1940s–1950s)
By the 1940 U.S. Census, only 12 people remained. Mining persisted on a very small scale into the early 1950s. Maury Stromer, the last longtime resident and subject of accounts by ghost-town historian Nell Murbarger in her 1956 book Ghosts of the Glory Trail, continued hand-mining as an elderly man. In 1950, he was still descending 140 feet into his shaft and hauling up 350 pounds of ore at a time. Stromer finally left in 1952. Occasional minor operations were noted into the 1980s, but the town was effectively abandoned by the mid-20th century.
A 1950 visitor description noted a largely empty camp with one or two houses possibly occupied, and the largest building (once serving as post office and possibly a club or casino) partially destroyed by storms, with old mail and debris scattered inside.
Current Status and Legacy
Broken Hills has remained a ghost town since the 1950s, with visible remnants including mine shafts, headframes, small outbuildings, tailings, and scattered mining debris. The site is remote but accessible via dirt roads in the Gabbs Valley area and occasionally visited by historians and off-road enthusiasts. It exemplifies the boom-and-bust pattern of Nevada’s smaller, late-era mining camps—hyped by prospectors and promoters yet limited by water scarcity, claim disputes, and marginal ore bodies. The story of Arthur, Stratford, Stromer, and Costello highlights the gritty persistence of individual miners in the desert. The area produced modest but real wealth in silver and lead, yet never achieved lasting prosperity. Coordinates for the historic site are approximately 39°02′59″N 118°00′37″W.
Sources: This report is compiled from Nevada ghost town documentation, including Stanley W. Paher’s Nevada Ghost Towns & Mining Camps, Nell Murbarger’s Ghosts of the Glory Trail, Forgotten Nevada, Nevada Expeditions, and Wikipedia summaries cross-referenced with period newspaper accounts and mining records. For further reading, consult Nevada Ghost Towns and Mining Camps by Paher
Broken Hills Trail Map
Weepah Nevada – Esmeralda County Ghost Town
Weepah is a historic ghost town and mining site located in Esmeralda County, Nevada, approximately 18 miles southwest of Tonopah at an elevation of about 6,158–6,165 feet on the southeast slope of Lone Mountain. Named after the Shoshone word for “rain water” (reflecting the area’s scarce water resources), Weepah is best known as the site of the last major gold rush in the western United States in 1927. Though short-lived, the boom briefly made Weepah one of Nevada’s most productive gold districts and exemplified the state’s late-era mining excitement in an automobile age. In Esmeralda County—a region long defined by silver and gold mining (with Goldfield as its seat)—Weepah represented a final chapter in the county’s mining heritage, contributing modest but notable production to the local economy during a time when many older camps had faded.
Early History and Initial Discovery (1902)
Gold was first discovered in shallow pockets at Weepah in 1902 by local Shoshone (or Piute) prospectors, including one known as Dick Patterson (or Indian Dick). Patterson informed nearby rancher James T. Darrough, who staked claims in the Lone Mountain area. News spread quickly, drawing a modest rush of about 200 people. By mid-1902, the camp had roughly 100 residents living in about 40 tents and one frame structure. Businesses included three saloons, three restaurants, a feed yard, and an assay office.
Eastern capitalists quickly organized the Weepah Gold Mining Company and purchased Darrough’s claims. Water had to be hauled six miles, highlighting the harsh desert conditions. The first wedding in Weepah took place on August 2, 1902. However, the initial excitement faded by 1908 after a second small rush, and the district saw only minor production from 1904 onward. The camp remained a small, squalid settlement of tents and a few frame buildings through the 1920s.
The 1927 Gold Rush: Nevada’s Last Stampede
The defining moment for Weepah came in early 1927 when two young Tonopah prospectors, Frank Horton Jr. (son of a local miner) and Leonard Traynor, rediscovered high-grade gold ore. Samples assayed at extraordinary values—up to $78,084 per ton in gold and $96.20 in silver. Word spread rapidly in March 1927, triggering a frantic automobile-powered stampede. Within a week, a tent city sprang up with 150 residents; by April, the population peaked at 1,500–2,000.
Prospectors filed 185 claims in the first weeks, leading to overlaps, feuds, and even threats of lynching for claim-jumpers. A guard was hired to protect ore from theft. Houses were hauled in from Goldfield and elsewhere, hot dog stands proliferated (11 at one point), and businesses like saloons, gambling houses, and eateries opened overnight. Film crews captured the chaos for national audiences. George Wingfield, a prominent Nevada mining magnate, attempted to buy claims but ultimately failed, accelerating the exodus of “mail-order prospectors” once surface high-grades proved limited. The post office opened on April 8, 1927, and operated until July 2, 1929.
The rush was powered by cars rather than wagons or railroads, marking it as a distinctly modern boom. It drew people from across the West, but harsh conditions—freezing nights below 20°F, high winds, and water shortages—quickly thinned the crowds by summer 1927.
Mining Operations, Production, and Decline (1930s–1940s)
Although the 1927 surface rush produced mostly low-grade ore, deeper development followed. In 1934, the Weepah Mining Company developed Nevada’s first open-pit gold mine, complete with a 250-ton-per-day mill completed in 1936. Water was piped from over seven miles away. The operation employed about 50 miners from 1934–1938/39 and briefly made Weepah Nevada’s largest gold producer.
District-wide production from 1904 to 1939 exceeded $1.8 million, primarily gold with some silver. Ore came from veins in Precambrian and Cambrian rocks intruded by granitic bodies. Key sites included the Weepah Mine and others like the 3 Metals Mine. By the late 1930s, operations became intermittent; the mill closed in 1939 and machinery was relocated. A handful of residents remained into the 1940s (e.g., Fred Horton reported a population of two in 1941), but vandalism and abandonment followed World War II.
Role in Esmeralda County
Esmeralda County, one of Nevada’s historic mining powerhouses, benefited from Weepah’s activity during a period of statewide economic transition. While Goldfield (the county seat) and other camps had peaked decades earlier, Weepah’s 1927 boom and 1930s open-pit work injected short-term jobs, investment, and infrastructure into the remote southeastern part of the county. It underscored the county’s ongoing reliance on precious metals and demonstrated how even small districts could draw regional attention. Weepah never rivaled the scale of earlier booms like Tonopah or Goldfield (Tonopah lies just across the Nye County line), but its notoriety as “the last gold rush” added to Nevada’s mining lore and the county’s legacy of boom-and-bust cycles.
Current Status and Legacy
Today, Weepah is a classic Nevada ghost town with scattered ruins, including mine headframes, mill foundations, dumps, and remnants of buildings such as the former Weepah Super Service Station or hotel structures. No permanent population remains. The site serves as a reminder of the transient nature of mining towns and attracts occasional historians, off-road enthusiasts, and ghost-town explorers.
Weepah’s story—captured in detail in Hugh A. Shamberger’s 1975 book The Story of Weepah, Esmeralda County, Nevada—illustrates the enduring allure of gold in the American West, even into the automobile era. It marked the end of an epoch: no larger traditional gold rushes followed in the United States. In Esmeralda County, it stands as a footnote of resilience amid the desert, contributing to the region’s rich mining tapestry long after the major silver booms had ended.
Weepah Nevada Map
Town Summary
| Name | Weepah, Nevada |
| Location | Esmeralda County, Nevada |
| Latitude, Longitude | 37.931876389209,-117.5600734418 |
| GNIS | 856169 |
| Elevation | 6.165 Feet |
| Population | 1,500 – 2,000 |
| Post Office |
Resources
Bonnie Claire Nevada – A Nye County Ghost Town
Bonnie Claire (sometimes spelled Bonnie Clare) is a historic ghost town in Nye County, Nevada, situated on the edge of Sarcobatus Flat along Nevada State Route 267, approximately 40 miles north of Beatty and near the California border. At an elevation of about 3,980–3,950 feet, the site lies in a remote desert landscape characterized by dry lake beds, sparse vegetation, and proximity to Gold Mountain (roughly six miles northwest). Once a small mining and railroad hub supporting gold and silver operations, Bonnie Claire experienced a brief boom in the early 20th century before fading into abandonment. Today, it consists primarily of decaying mill ruins, scattered building foundations, railroad beds, and a small cemetery, offering a glimpse into Nevada’s mining past.
Early Settlement and Mining Origins (1880s–1905)
Gold mining began in the region in the 1880s on the south side of Gold Mountain. Ore from mines such as the Rattlesnake was hauled by mule teams to a five-stamp mill constructed by Guy Thorpe at a site known as Thorp’s Wells (or Thorp’s Well; also briefly called Montana Station). This mill processed ore for about two decades and supported a modest camp. A small stage station developed at Thorp, serving overland traffic between emerging mining districts like Goldfield and Bullfrog.
In 1904, the Bonnie Clare Bullfrog Mining & Milling Company acquired the original mill and constructed a new facility—the Bonnie Clare Mill—near the stage station to handle ore from across the district. A small camp formed around the mill, and a post office opened on June 15, 1905, under the name Thorp. These developments laid the foundation for growth, though activity remained limited until railroads arrived.
Boom Period and Railroad Era (1906–1910s)
The town’s peak began in September 1906 when the Bullfrog-Goldfield Railroad reached Thorp, establishing a station initially called Montana Station. Residents disliked the name and platted a new townsite in October 1906, officially renaming it Bonnie Clare. The Las Vegas & Tonopah Railroad arrived in spring 1907, constructing an impressive two-story depot. These rail connections transformed Bonnie Clare into a supply and milling center.
At its height, the town featured a railroad depot, mercantile stores, saloons, and a population estimated at around 100–250 residents. It served as a junction and siding for ore shipments and supplies. The post office name officially changed to Bonnie Clare on July 13, 1909. A brief 1910 renovation of the mill by the New Bonnie Clare Mining Company and further milling efforts (such as the 1913 Jumbo Extraction Company mill at Thorp’s Well, later operated by the Quigley Reduction Company) provided temporary support, but ore supplies from nearby mines dwindled.
Decline and Transition (1910s–1930s)
Mining activity declined sharply by 1909–1914 as local gold and silver deposits played out. Railroad consolidation in 1914 (merging operations of the Bullfrog-Goldfield and Las Vegas & Tonopah lines) reduced service, with only limited freight continuing. The railroads ultimately ceased operations around 1928, and tracks were later salvaged. The post office closed on December 31, 1931, when only two residents remained.
In the 1920s, Bonnie Claire experienced a modest revival as a supply point for the construction of Scotty’s Castle (Death Valley Ranch) in Death Valley, about 20 miles to the southwest. Building materials were unloaded here and transported onward.
Later Revivals and Final Operations (1940s–1950s)
Sporadic activity occurred between 1940 and 1954, including minor mining and a short-lived cyanide mill in 1940. In December 1951, George Lippincott of the Sun Battery and Nic-Silver Battery Companies (later associated with the Lippincott Lead Company) constructed a lead mill and smelter at the site of the old Bonnie Clare Mill. It processed lead-silver ore trucked from Death Valley mines (such as the Lead King Mine in the Panamint Range), operating at up to 100 tons per day starting in February 1952. The facility included a diesel power plant, worker quarters, and related infrastructure but lasted only a few years until the ore was depleted. A brief reopening was reported in 1955, after which the site was fully abandoned.
Additional infrastructure from this era included temporary use by highway reconstruction crews in 1951 and a Civil Aeronautics Authority airport (Scotty’s Intermediate Field/Bonnie Claire Airport) built circa 1943 nearby, which was later abandoned.
Current Status and Legacy
Bonnie Claire has remained a ghost town since the mid-1950s, with visible ruins including stone and concrete mill foundations, a leaning steel-frame structure, tailing piles, metal tanks, crucibles, and scattered residential remnants (such as the Huson House and stone buildings). A small cemetery contains graves from the early 20th century. The site is easily accessible via a short unpaved spur off NV-267 and attracts occasional visitors, historians, and off-road enthusiasts. In 2005, Tonogold Resources announced plans for the “Bonnie Claire Gold Tailings Project” to rework historic mill tailings, though large-scale revival did not materialize.
The town’s story exemplifies the boom-and-bust cycle of Nevada’s desert mining camps: rapid growth fueled by railroads and mineral strikes, followed by swift decline once resources and transportation waned. Its ruins stand as a testament to the Gold Mountain mining district and the interconnected rail networks that once linked remote Nevada outposts. Coordinates for the site are approximately 37°13’37.7″N 117°07’15.6″W.
Bonnie Claire Trail Map
Pine Grove Nevada – Lyon County Ghost Town
Pine Grove is a classic Nevada ghost town located in Lyon County, in the Pine Grove Hills on the eastern slopes of the Pine Grove Canyon. Situated at an elevation of approximately 6,716 feet, the site lies south of Smith Valley and Mason Valley, near modern-day Yerington. Established in 1866 as a gold-mining camp, Pine Grove quickly grew into a bustling regional supply center before following the typical boom-and-bust pattern of Nevada’s 19th-century mining towns. Today, it stands largely abandoned, with well-preserved ruins that offer a window into the state’s mining heritag
Discovery and Founding (1866–1868)
Gold was discovered in June 1866 by William Wilson, a prospector from nearby Mason Valley, in the canyon of the Pine Grove Hills. According to some accounts, Wilson was guided to the outcroppings by a local Native American. The initial settlement was named Wilsonville in his honor. Within months, a rush brought miners and settlers, and the camp was renamed Pine Grove—either after the surrounding Pine Grove Hills or a nearby grove of piñon (pinyon) trees traditionally harvested by Indigenous people for nuts.
By 1868, the town had formalized with a post office (established September 7, 1868) and a weekly newspaper, the Pine Grove Chronicle. The population reached about 200. Two steam-powered stamp mills and three arrastras (primitive ore-grinding mills) were constructed to process gold and silver ore from the Wilson Mine (the original discovery) and the nearby Wheeler Mine. Freight lines connected the camp to Sacramento, California, and a stagecoach route linked it to Wellington in Smith Valley. The first road into the canyon was a spur off the Wellington-Pine Grove Wagon Road.
Decline and Abandonment (1880s–1930s)
Like many Nevada mining camps, Pine Grove’s fortunes declined as easily accessible ore dwindled. Production began to taper in the 1880s. The Panic of 1893 and the subsequent demonetization of silver (following the repeal of the Sherman Silver Purchase Act) delivered a severe blow, making many operations unprofitable.
A brief revival occurred between 1900 and 1910, with some renewed mining and the construction of a new access road from the east around 1904. However, output never matched earlier levels. All major mining activity ceased by 1918, though sporadic prospecting and tailings reworking continued into the mid-20th century. The last full-time residents departed by the 1930s, leaving Pine Grove a true ghost town.
Legacy and Present-Day Status
Pine Grove’s ruins remain remarkably intact compared to many Nevada ghost towns. Visible structures include the remains of a five-stamp mill (manufactured by Joshua Hendy Iron Works of San Francisco) adjacent to the one-room schoolhouse, the old Pine Grove Hotel (a two-story wooden building that once may have housed a dance hall), rock walls from stores and other buildings, and scattered mining equipment. A cemetery on a hilltop overlooking Mason Valley contains graves marked by rocks, wooden posts, and a few engraved headstones, including that of 15-year-old Alice Maria Robinson.
The site is divided into three main sections along the canyon, with additional mines and pits in the surrounding hills. Access is via dirt roads (including a narrow shelf road to the cemetery), making it popular with off-road enthusiasts and historians. Preservation efforts, including cleanups by groups like Nevada Backroads and the Friends of Pine Grove Ghost Town, have removed trash and protected the cemetery. Occasional modern exploration and minor prospecting continue, but no active mining occurs. Nearby Rockland, discovered shortly after Pine Grove in 1868, shares a similar history but has fewer standing structures.
Conclusion
Pine Grove’s story mirrors the broader history of Nevada’s Comstock-era mining boom: rapid growth fueled by precious metals, followed by economic realities and resource depletion. From a remote 1866 prospector’s camp to a thriving community of 600, and finally to a quiet collection of ruins, it stands as a testament to the resilience of early settlers and the fleeting nature of mineral wealth. The site continues to attract visitors seeking authentic glimpses of the Old West, reminding us of the human stories behind Nevada’s ghost towns.
Pine Grove Town Summary
| Name | Pine Grove |
| Location | Lyon County, Nevada |
| Post Office | Sept 1868-Oct 1869 Nov 1869-Nov 1912 |
| Newspaper | The Pine Grove Chronicle ( 1872-1872 ) |
Pine Grove Trail Map
Resources
- Nevada Ghost Towns and Mining Camps, Stanley W Paher
- Wikipedia
Columbus Nevada – Esmeralda County Ghost Town
Columbus was a short-lived mining boomtown and ghost town in Esmeralda County, Nevada, situated on the edge of the Columbus Salt Marsh (approximate coordinates 38°06′37″N 118°01′09″W). Its remnants lie roughly five miles southwest of the original site marker area along what is now accessible via dirt roads off U.S. Route 95 in a remote desert region between Hawthorne and Tonopah. The town’s history exemplifies the classic Nevada mining cycle of rapid discovery, prosperity, and abandonment driven by silver, gold, and especially borax extraction. It is officially recognized by Nevada Historical Marker No. 20.
Early Discovery and Founding (1863–1866)
Spanish prospectors first discovered silver in the region in 1863, sparking initial interest in the Candelaria Mining District to the north. American settlers formally established the Columbus mining camp in 1865. The location proved ideal for milling because it was the only spot for miles with sufficient water to operate machinery. A quartz (stamp) mill was erected on site in 1865, and another was relocated from the nearby town of Aurora in 1866. By the end of 1866, the settlement had grown to approximately 200 residents and functioned primarily as an early milling center for gold and silver ores from surrounding mines. Three mills with a combined 28 stamps eventually processed ore from the Candelaria district.
Borax Boom and Industrial Growth (1871–1875)
The town’s fortunes expanded dramatically in 1871 when William Troop discovered rich borax deposits in the alkali flat (Columbus Salt Marsh) immediately south of the camp. Salt had already been noted as abundant in the same marsh, but borax became the dominant resource. By 1873, four borax companies operated in the area, with the prominent Pacific Borax Company beginning large-scale work in September 1872 and constructing facilities about five miles south of town. Borax processing plants ran continuously day and night for eight months each year.
Infrastructure and amenities quickly developed to support the boom. Columbus gained a post office (which operated from April 2, 1866, to February 15, 1871, then reopened April 5, 1871, until its final closure on March 2, 1899), an adobe school, an iron foundry, multiple stores, and the weekly newspaper The Borax Miner. Stagecoach lines connected the town to Fish Lake Valley, Lida, and Candelaria, while freight teams hauled silver ore and borax 125 miles north to the nearest railroad depot at Wadsworth. By summer 1875, 28 freight teams were active on this route.
Peak Prosperity (circa 1875)
Columbus reached its zenith around 1875. Official state records report a peak population of about 1,000 residents, though other contemporary accounts describe several hundred. The town served as a vital regional hub for ore processing and borax shipping, with bustling commercial activity and even recreational developments such as a horse-racing track and grandstand built by the Columbus Jockey Club on the nearby flat. It was one of the few places in the isolated desert with reliable water, making it a logical center for milling and transport.
Decline and Transition to Ghost Town (1875–1890s)
The boom proved unsustainable. In 1875, the Pacific Borax Company constructed a larger and more efficient plant at Fish Lake Valley, approximately 30 miles south, shifting operations away from Columbus. Borax production declined sharply, and most mining and milling activities ceased by the mid-1880s. Population dropped to roughly 100 by 1881, with only a dozen businesses remaining. Minor revival attempts included a soap factory in 1881 and later horse racing, but these could not reverse the downturn. Sporadic mining continued into the early 20th century, including operations at nearby Calmville (with its own short-lived post office from 1893–1895). In the 1950s, an unsuccessful flotation mill and a cyanide plant operated briefly east of the townsite, leaving additional foundations and tanks, but the core settlement never recovered. The post office closed permanently in 1899, and Columbus became a true ghost town.
Legacy and Current Status
Today, Columbus exists only as scattered ruins—foundations, mill remnants, and debris—on the edge of the salt marsh. It stands as a classic example of Nevada’s 19th-century boom-and-bust mining history, tied to the broader silver rushes and the unique borax industry that later fueled operations at places like Death Valley. The site is marked by Nevada Historical Marker No. 20 and is occasionally visited by historians, off-road enthusiasts, and ghost-town explorers. No permanent population remains, and the area is remote, requiring four-wheel-drive access.
Columbus’s story highlights how resource-dependent towns in the American West rose and fell with mineral prices, technological shifts, and competition from newer deposits. Its brief but intense prosperity contributed to the economic development of Esmeralda County and the early infrastructure of central Nevada.
Town Summary
| Name | Columbus |
| Location | Esmeralda County, Nevada |
| Latitude, Longitude | 38.110278, -118.019167 |
| Population | 1000 |
| Elevation | 4560 |
| Newspaper | Borax Miner Oct 18, 1873; Feb 20, 1875 – Sept 15, 1877 (missing: Aug 14, Sept 11, Dec 24, 1875; May 27, Sept 23, Dec 9, 1876; Feb 10, Mar 17, Apr 1, 21, 28, May 5, 1877) |
| Post Office |