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Category: Ghost Towns
Ghost towns in the Western United States are abandoned settlements, often remnants of 19th-century mining, ranching, or railroad booms. Once thriving with prospectors, merchants, and families, these towns, like Bodie, California, or Virginia City, Montana, were deserted when resources depleted or economic shifts occurred, particularly after the 1860s gold and silver rushes. Characterized by dilapidated buildings, saloons, and mine shafts, they dot deserts and mountains, preserved by arid climates. Today, they attract tourists and historians, offering haunting glimpses into the West’s frontier past, shaped by ambition and transience.
Tip Top Arizona
Founded in 1876, Tip Top Arizona is a old Silver Mining town and ghost town located in Yavapai County, Arizona. The town site is located west of Black Canyon City, in the southern foothills of the Bradshaw Mountains.
In the late 1870s, gold and silver were discovered in the Bradshaw Mountains, attracting prospectors and miners seeking their fortune. In 1876, the Tip Top Mining District was established by two men, Jack Moore and Bill Corning, and the town of Tip Top sprung up around it. Initially, nearby Gillett served as the milling town.
The district quickly gained a reputation for its rich ore deposits and attracted significant investment and development. The first mining claims were staked, and a stamp mill was constructed to process the ores. With the arrival of the railroad in nearby Phoenix, Tip Top saw an influx of miners, merchants, and entrepreneurs, leading to its rapid growth. A Post Office is established on August 12, 1880
During the boom times, Tip Top boasted six saloons, a brewery, two restaurants, a Chinese laundry, a feed yard, a blacksmith shop, a shoe store, and many residences. The Post Office is closed February 14, 1895.
During is heyday, the silver mines of Tip Top produced over $4,000,000 from its ore deposits.
Town Summary
| Name | Tip Top, Arizona |
| Location | Yavapai County, Arizona |
| Latitude, Longitude | 34.0508662, -112.2468296 |
| Elevation | 765 meters / 2510 feet |
| GNIS | 1669455 |
| Population | 1200 |
| Post Office | August 12, 1880 – February 14, 1895 |
Trail Map
According to Dangerous Roads the trail into Tip Top Arizona is closed and and the area is undergoing land changes. Other resources state that the road was closed in 2009.
References
Frenchman Station Nevada
Frenchman, or Frenchman Station is an unincorporated community and old stage stop locate in Churchill county, Nevada. The property was devlopred by Aime “Frenchy” Bermond, a native of France who came to Nevada in 1899. The station and stage stop is a relay point along the freight route between Fallon and the mining camps of Fairview and Wonder
In the early 1900s, the station provided lodging and food, with a hotel, restaurant, saloons and stables and travellers. Water is hauled into the location from Luck Boy Springs, which is located about twelve miles away. Frenchy had the water hauled in by paid freighters. A sign proudly stood at the holding tank that read: “If you don’t want to pay for this water, leave it alone.”
Frenchy died in 1926, however his station is sold numerous times. The station remains open until 1985. The U.S. Navy bought out the community in 1985 due to its proximity on the northern boundary of the Dixie Valley bombing range. The remaining buildings were demolished two years later. Today, the location is not much more than a wide spot in the road.
Location Summary
| Name | Frenchman Station |
| Location | Churchill County, Neada |
| Also Known as | Frenchman, Bermond |
| Latitude, Longitude | 39.2793679, -118.2701317 |
| GNIS | 857995 |
| Elevation | 4,157 Feet |
| Post Office | Nov. 24, 1920 – May 31, 1926 |
Trail Map
References
Hazen Nevada
Hazen Nevada is a small inincorporated town in Churchill county, Nevada located about 16 miles northwest of Fallon.. The town is formed when the Southern Pacific realigned its route to the East of Wadsworth in 1902. A Post Office is established in 1904 and several saloons “hydrated” workers digging the a nearby 31 mile long canal between the Truckee River and the Carson River.
The small rail town is the location of the last lynching in the state of Nevada. Desperado, Willian “Nevada Red” Wood was hung from a telegraph poles not far from the tiny jail, on February 27th, 1905 after robbing canal builders and the citizens of Hazen. Journalists at the time noted, “Keep the good work up! Ornament all telegraph poles with the carcasses of this type of men”
Hazen became an important four way rail junction for the Southern Pacific, which installed a round house and handsome depot. In 1908, a fire burned much of the town, however the town soon rebuilt. A small school educated the children of several nearby ranches. The Palace Hotel was a main attraction of the little community. The hotel was host to a restaurant and grill. The store located in Hazen is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Town Summary
| Name | Hazen, Nevada |
| Other Names | Hazen Station. |
| Location | Churchill County, Nevada |
| Latitude, Longitude | 39.5653, -119.0464 |
| GNIS | 864634 |
| Population | 250 |
| Post Office | 1904 – Current |
| Elevation | 4,000 Feet |
| Newspaper | The Harvest |
References
Searchlight Nevada
Searchlight Nevada is a unincorporated town with a history in mining. The small town in Clark County is located south of Las Vegas in Clark County, Nevada and honored with Nevada State Historic Marker number one hundred and sixteen. The Nevada Start Historic Marker is located on the west side of the highway as you enter town.
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.
The town is founded after George Frederick Cook prospected the area beginning May 6th, 1897. It is said that he would take a searchlight to find gold in the area, lending the town its name. Following the discovery of gold, the area boomed, which caused its population to raise. At the time, the mining town was part of Lincoln County, and for a time its population was larger than that of Las Vegas. When Clark County is created the town was briefly considered to be the county seat.
Between 1907 and 1910, the gold mines of Searchlight produced $7 million dollars in gold and boasted a population of 1,500. Ore is shipped to Barnwell via the Barnwell and Searchlight rail service. In order to reduce costs, the Quartette company constructed a twenty-stamp mill on the Colorado River. The new mill utilized a 15 mile narrow gauge rail is constructed down to the mill in an attempt to further reduce costs. The rail is completed in 1902. Several tent saloons are erected during this time and named Cyrus Noble, Old Bottle and the Little Brown Jug.
Later in 1903, enough water is is on hand in town to support a second twenty-stamp mill. The onsite mills capacity is further increased in 1906 when the Colorado Mill is closed and relocate near town.
During its peak in 1907, Searchlight boasts well-furnished stores, about a dozen saloons, telephone exchange, forty four mines and several mills. The Chamber of Commerce advertised some 5,000 people living in the little haven. Searchlight’s decline began in 1917.
Today, the town is home to about 500 people. Its location on the 95 highway offers a rest spot for travelers between Las Vegas and various Colorado River how spots, including Lake Mojave, Laughlin NV, Bullhead City and Havasu. The small community is home to a few small casinos, gas and food. Senator Majority Harry Leader Harry Reid is perhaps the towns most notable citizen. Harry Ried proudly raised the American Flag over his property, when he was home which was visible from the highway.
Nevada State Historic Marker Text
Initial discoveries of predominately gold ore were first made at this location on May 6, 1897. G.F. Colton filed the first claim, later to become the Duplex Mine. The Quartette Mining Company, formed in 1900, became the mainstay of the Searchlight district, producing almost half of the area’s total output. In May 1902, a 16 mile narrow-gauge railroad was built down the hill to the company’s mill on the Colorado River.
On March 31, 1907, the 23.22 mile Barnwell and Searchlight Railroad connected the town with the then main Santa Fe line from Needles to Mojave. By 1919 trains travelled over the B. and S. Railroad only twice a week. A severe washout on September 23, 1923, halted traffic completely. Train service was never restored.
Searchlight is the birthplace of U.S. Senator Harry Reid (b.1939) who became the first Nevadan to serve as the Senate Majority Leader, a position he assumed in 2007.
STATE HISTORICAL MARKER No. 116
STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE
Nevada State Historic Marker Map
Town Summary
| Name | Searchlight, Nevada |
| Location | Clark County, Nevada |
| Latitude, Longitude | 35.4744, -114.9307 |
| Nevada State Historic Marker | 116 |
| GNIS | 0845654 |
| Population | up to 5,000 |
| Elevation | 3,547 ft (1,081 m) |
| News Paper | Searchlight Bulletin Jan 1, 1903 – Jan 3, 1913 |