Mineral County

Mineral County is located on the western edge of Nevada, and located about half way up and borders with California.  Mineral county was carved out of Esmeralda County in 1911 shortly after the county seat of Esmeralda was moved to Goldfield in 1907.  The county is named for the geology of the area which is heavily materialized.

Aurora in Mineral County, Nevada Photograph by James L Rathbun
Aurora in Mineral County, Nevada Photograph by James L Rathbun

Hawthorne is currently the seat for Mineral county, which is currently 3,813 square miles and boasts 4,772 residents in the 2010 census. Hawthorne was founded in 1881 and currently known as “America’s Patriotic Home”. Hawthorne was originally a division point on the Carson and Colorado Railroad.

The construction of the Hawthorne Army Depot, an ammo storage facility, in 1928 and the subsequent war effort inflated the towns population to 13,000. The bulk of this population growth was from 7,000 service men and women and civilian workers.

Aurora, Nevada as it existed in the 1800s
Aurora, Nevada as it existed in the 1800s

Although the surrounding mountains offer famously rough winter weather, Hawthorne enjoys the protection provided by these mountains. As a result, Hawthorne enjoys reasonably mild weather and almost daily sunshine

There are a plethora of mine sights and ghost towns found in the area including Aurora.

County Map

Trails

Aurora, NV Photograph by James L Rathbun

Aurora Nevada – Mineral County Ghost Town

Aurora, Nevada is a ghost town in Mineral County about twenty eight miles southwest of Hawthorne, near the California border. Aurora is often mentioned as…

Broken Hills Nevada – Mineral County Ghost Town

Broken Hills Nevada, c 1915. Ore sacks being loaded for shipment to the railroad at Fallon. Broken Hills, Nevada is more a descriptive term than…
Candelaria, Nevada 1876

Candelaria Nevada – Mineral County Ghost Town

Candelaria was a ghost town in Mineral County, Nevada located about 120 miles south of Falen. The location may be closed due to another local…
Francis “Borax” Marion Smith

Marietta Nevada – Mineral County Ghost Town

Located at 4947 feet above sea level, Marietta was formally established in 1877 near Teel's Marsh and is now a ghost town in Mineral County,…
Rawhide, Nevada - 1915

Rawhide Nevada – Mineral County Ghost Town

Rawhide, Nevada. 1908. Rawhide Nevada was a mining town in Mineral County. The town site is located approximately 55 miles south of Fallon, and 22…

Ghost Towns

Candelaria, Nevada 1876

Candelaria Nevada – Mineral County Ghost Town

Candelaria was a ghost town in Mineral County, Nevada located about 120 miles south of Falen. The location may be closed due to another local…
Rawhide, Nevada - 1915

Rawhide Nevada – Mineral County Ghost Town

Rawhide, Nevada. 1908. Rawhide Nevada was a mining town in Mineral County. The town site is located approximately 55 miles south of Fallon, and 22…
Francis “Borax” Marion Smith

Marietta Nevada – Mineral County Ghost Town

Located at 4947 feet above sea level, Marietta was formally established in 1877 near Teel's Marsh and is now a ghost town in Mineral County,…

Broken Hills Nevada – Mineral County Ghost Town

Broken Hills Nevada, c 1915. Ore sacks being loaded for shipment to the railroad at Fallon. Broken Hills, Nevada is more a descriptive term than…
Aurora, NV Photograph by James L Rathbun

Aurora Nevada – Mineral County Ghost Town

Aurora, Nevada is a ghost town in Mineral County about twenty eight miles southwest of Hawthorne, near the California border. Aurora is often mentioned as…

Historic Markers

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 the program became dormant in 2009.
Main street buildings of Candelaria, probably in the early 1880s

Candelaria and Metallic City NSHM Marker #92

Candelaria and Metallic City NSHM is Nevada State Historical Marker number ninety two and is located in Mineral County, Nevada. Main street buildings of Candelaria,…
Samuel Langhorne Clemens September 1-2, 1867, Pera, Constantinople

Samuel Langhorne Clemens – “Mark Twain”

Before he wrote American classic novels as Mark Twain, Samuel Langhorne Clemens was a miner and newpaper reporter in Mineral County, Nevada. Prior to picking…

Mineral County Personalities

Christian Brevoort Zabriskie

Christian Brevoort Zabriskie

Christian Brevoort Zabriskie was a vice president and general manager Pacific Coast Borax Company located in Death Valley National Park. Zabriske served teh Pacific Coast…
Francis Marion "Borax" Smith

Francis Marion Smith – “Borax Smith”

Francis Marion "Borax" Smith Francis Marion Smith, also known as "Borax" Smith was a miner and business man who made a fortune in the hostile…
Samuel Langhorne Clemens September 1-2, 1867, Pera, Constantinople

Samuel Langhorne Clemens – “Mark Twain”

Before he wrote American classic novels as Mark Twain, Samuel Langhorne Clemens was a miner and newpaper reporter in Mineral County, Nevada. Prior to picking…

References

One Reply to “Mineral County”

  1. Pingback: Samuel Langhorne Clemens - Destination4x4

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.