Big Bear, CA
I quiet mountain community full of back country adventure.
Berlin Nevada
Berlin Nevada is a ghost town located in Nye County, Nevada and found within the Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park some 19 miles east of Gabbs. Originally founded in 1895 by State Senator Bell, Berlin was named for Berlin Germany, the home land for some of the local prospectors. Berlin was worked for silver when the enterprise was sold to John G. Stokes of New York.
The Nevada Company bought up property in 1898 including the Knickerbocker and Pioner mills new Ione, Nevada. All of the machinery was then moved up to Berlin where it was used to build a thirty stamp mill and production was started.
The town of Berlin Nevada continued to prosper and grow and supported some 250 citizens who benefited from a store, post office, schoolhouse, auto shop and stage lines to nearby settlements.
Following many other towns, Berlin Nevada says its production falter during the panic of 1907, which was caused by the San Francisco Earthquake of the prior year. At its height, the towns 75 buildings housed some 300 people. Ore yields continued to fall and the mills were shutdown despite a report from a Goldfield newspaper from the previous year which stated that ore was available for at least three more years.
Perhaps not wanting to read the writing on the wall, between 1911 and 1914 develop of a fifty ton cyanide plant was completed and continued to work the tailings of Berlin. However, this late effort only recovered about $2.50 per ton. The Berlin Mine boasted over three miles of tunnels, but the mine failed to produce at just under $1 million in silver and gold.
During World War II, the large mill was dismantled of its machinery. Today, the town is part of a state park and several structures are preserved including a machine shop, assay office and mine supervisors house. The 30 stamp mill is preserved and stabilized and is one of the best in the state.
Berlin Nevada
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Manhattan Nevada
Located about fifty miles north of Tonopah, Manhattan Nevada is ghost town located at the end of Nevada State Route 377 in Nye County, Nevada. Originally founded in 1866, the location is one of many which experienced a silver boom. The ore from this production was processed in Belmot, Nevada however the district was in 1871.
1905 brought new life to the district as a gold boom and “4,000 people flooded into the region”. The story is that on April 1st, 1905, John Humphrey and two companions discovered a gold while riding after cattle in the area. The new mine was dubbed the April Fool mine. Better discoveries were soon found in the area, undoubtedly due to the influx of people and a total of eight townsites were stacked. The end of 1905 found a gold ledge assayed at $10,000 per ton and several hundred citizens living in the town.
Manhattan continued to flourish in 1906 with the town swelling by 4,000 people in just two weeks time. Freight wagons, automobiles and stages all hauled supplies into the fledgling town and the road between Manhattan and Tonopah was traveled 24 hours a day. To support this influx of people and entrepreneurial saloon keepers sold floor space for people to sleep and a bath cost $3. Although most people lived in a quickly erected tent city, lots along main street were sold for between $1300 and $1900 and several wood framed structures housed the various local businesses.
The San Francisco earthquake of 1906 dealt a blow to the mining industry when Manhattan was “humming loudest”. Investment from the bay area dried up, while the citizens of San Francisco prioritized the rebuilding efforts. Local mines all but ceased production during this time.
The town on Manhattan saw a resurgance in 1909 and the population of 800 to 1000 people and their town matured into great little town. Local mines produced Gold, Silver and Copper, while Frank Garside published a weekly newspapper, the Post. The town continued its mining operations, including a gold dredge.
In total, the mines of Manhattan Nevada produced a total of 10.3 million dollars until it ceased operations in 1947. Today, Manhattan is home to 124 people and boast two bars, The Miner’s Saloon and and The Manhattan Bar and Motel.
Manhattan Nevada Map
Manhattan Nevada
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Tybo Nevada
Tybo Nevada is a ghost town in Nye County located some 8 miles north west of U.S Route 6 and some 10 miles north east of Warm Sprints Nevada. The towns name is dervied from the Shoshone phrase tybbabo or tai-vu and is translated as “white man’s district”.
The townsite of Tybo was first introduced by the Native Americans to the white man in 1870 when they told of small seems of silver ore. Initially, the miners only worked small seems of silver ore, until later in 1870 they discovered the 2G main load. Despite this find, the boom of the town site of Tybo did not occur until 1874.
Early on, unlike other mining camps and boom towns, the town enjoyed a peaceful reputation. It was reported in the nearby Belmont news paper, that the lack of shootings and fights were not a good sign for the start up town. This reputation was not to last, in 1875 found the import of Chinese laborors to cut pinon lumber to produce charcoal for the smelters. The white laborers revolted and ran the Chinese out of town is whips and bullets, for undercutting the lumber workers wages.
Between 1875 and 1877 the small town of Tybo grew to support a population of about 1000 people, and the location was the sensation of the county. The Trowbridge Store, Rosenthal Store, Streitberger Store, Barney McCann’s Restaurant, W.F.Mills, and Company Bank were just some of the businesses which owed their existence to the 2G mine. In 1877, 187.5 tons of freight were brought in to town by 16 mule teams from nearby Eureka. 262 tons of lead and silver bullion were taken from the town by the same teams.
The Tybo Consolidated Mining Company failed in 1879 due to ore reduction difficulties. Like many other mining towns, this singular failure caused the newly found caused the company town to in 1880. The town of Tybo continued to linger with multiple attempts at resurgence ub 1901, 1906 and 1917. The mills steadily produced 500,000 tons of lead and zinc ore until 1944
Tybo Nevada today exists in a deep canyon in the mountains and .boasts a cemetery, brick and wooden ruins including a head frame.
Tybo Nevada Map
Tybo Nevada
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Silver Cholla (Cylindropuntia echinocarpa)
Silver Cholla (Cylindropuntia echinocarpa) is a common species of cactus which is native to the southwestern United States including Nevada, Arizona and California. The Silver cholla is a larger cactus which is known to grow in excess of 6 feet tall.
This species can be found rather easily and quite common in the Mojave Desert, Sonoran Desert and the the Colorado Desert. It is typically found in dry desert washes, Joshua Tree wood lands (as photographed above ) or pinyon-juniper woodland environments.
The body of the cactus is segmented by joints which are typically four to eight inches in length. The joints and body of the cactus are densely covered with spines about 1 inch long with are covered in a papery sheath. The spines are typically yellow in color, which contrast nicely against the green skin of the cactus body. This spiny armor not only protects the cactus, but is also forties the nests of the Cactus Wren and other animals who may seek shelter within this plant.
This cholla typically blooms in spring depending upon conditions. The flowers are green in color however some variants may contain yellow, pink or brown. The lumpy, tan-colored fruit hosts the seeds for germination and is known to have a foul scent.
Fremont’s Phacelia (Phacelia fremontii)
Fremont’s Phacelia (Phacelia fremontii) is a small delicate looking flowering plant commonly commonly found in the southwestern United States including Nevada, Arizona and California. The flower is named for John C. Fremont who was the 5th Governor of the Arizona Territory as well as a soldier, explorer and first Republican Candidate for President of the United States.
The Phacelia is a small annual plant which only grows to a height of 12 inches. The small flowers are funnel or bell shape and typically blue or lavender with a yellow throat and between 7 and 15 mm in size. The throat is typically crossed with purple veins to offer a wonderful contrast against the yellow throat. The deeply lobbed leaves are oblong in shape.
Fremont’s Phacelia is known to grow in the Mojave Desert, Sierra Nevada and the above photograph was taken in Valley of Fire State Park near the Lake Mead National Recreation Area. The little plant commonly grows in gravelly or sandy soils and flowers between March and June each spring and may be found at elevations up to 8000 feet.
