Tag: Lincoln County

Jackrabbit Nevada is a ghost town and silver mining camp located in Lincoln County Nevada. Local legend attributes the discovery to the locator picking up a rock to throw at a jackrabbit and finding himself holding high grade silver.

The Jackrabbit District, named for the mine, was located in 1876 by Isaac Newton Garrison. Early mine production of the camp, at one time named Royal City, was about ten tons per day, carrying native silver in flakes, yielding about $40 per ton – sometimes as high as $2000 per ton.

Soon after the initial discover, the camp was home to several general stores, boarding houses, saloons, restaurants and a blacksmith shop. It was also the last whiskey stop for the south bound stage into Pioche.

The Day and Jackrabbit mines produce ore, which was hauled to the mills in Bristol. Mineral production declined during the 1880’s, but when a fifteen-mile narrow gauge railroad known as the “Jackrabbit Road” was opened in 1891 between the Jackrabbit mine and Pioche which increase the mining production.

After 1893 the mines fell silent except for several short periods of activity in 1906-07 and 1912-14

Town Summary

Directions

The ghost town of Jackrabbit Nevada is about 14 miles north of Pioche and one mile west of the US 93.

Bullionville Nevada began early in 1870 when John H. Ely and W.H. Raymond removed their five-stamp mill at Hiko and placed it at this point. The enterprise prospered and during the next two years most of nearby Pioche’s mills were located here because of the proximity to water.

A twenty-one mile narrow gauge railroad, the Pioche and Bullionville, was completed in 1873 at a cost of $255,000 to haul ore from the Pioche mines to the reduction mills. Bullionville grew rapidly and by 1875 it had five mills, a population of 500 and the first iron foundry in eastern Nevada. The small town had the typical saloons, hotels and shops required to support mining operations as well as the needs of the minters.

During the same year a water works was constructed at Pioche which eventually led to the relocation of the mills.

Although a plant was erected here in 1880 to work the tailings deposited by the former mills, this failed to prevent the decline of Bullionville.

Directions

Buillionville is located about 10 miles south of Pioche, near the intersection of the 319 and 93, Great Basin Highway. The Bullionville cemetary is located after a short hike in the Cathedral Gorge State Park.

Town Summary

Logan City Nevada, also known as Logan City, Logan Springs and Logans Springs, is a silver mining camp and ghost town located 12 miles north of Crystal Springs in Lincoln County, Nevada. The townsite was situated in Pahranagat District and can be easily identified by a cliffside of volcanic ash.

In 1865 rumors of a mountain of silver near the Colorado River prompted prospectors to venture out seeking their fortune. When this endeavor proved fruitless, the prospectors start the journey north towards Austin. On the return trip north and Indian quidded the part up the eastern slope of Mount Irish were a ledge of silver ore is discovered.

Buoyed by the discovery, the prospectors returned to Panaca to reprovision the expedition in Marth 1865. After returning, in June prospecting and exploration of the area was in full swing. This exploit is short lived, when the prospectors are chased from the land by the Native Americans in the area.

The fall of the same year, a permanent camp is founded in a pass south of of the mining claims. Soon over 100 miners arrived in the little hamlet, including William Raymond of Pioche. Building are constructed from the materials available, which is mainly stone. Water is provided by a small spring located nearby known as Logan Springs. The Pahranagat mining district soon had over 1000 claims to its name.

The population swelled to over 300 people in 1866 and by 1867 a post office is build. The ore was shipped east to a newly built mill located in Hiko, or two miles west to the mill in Crescent.

Interest in the mining district dried up in the following year of 1867 when it was discovered the ore veins lacked the depth for long term operations. The mining district of Pahranagat decline and closed by 1869. The miners of the little Logan City moved on to greener pastures, known as Pioche.

Town Summary

Also known as  National City, Bristol City and Tempest throughout its history, Bristol Nevada is a ghost town in Lincoln County, Nevada. Bristol is located about 14 miles north of Pioche. The town site is in a sagebrush basin with the silver mines located on the cedar-pinion-juniper covered hillsides.

Mormon prospectors discovered silver in the western face of the Bristol Mountains. These early efforts organizes as National City in 1871. A small smelter was constructed, however it was used sparingly. Until 1978 the Hillside Mine brought new interest and development into the area. Renewed optimism saw the smelter repaired and a 12 stamp mill was constructed to process the ore.

By 1882 Bristol had five stores, eight saloons, two hotels with restaurants attached. The town also had three stables, a lodging house, express office, printing office, two barbershops, butcher, laundry, shoemaker, blacksmith shop, and post office. Bristol became the central trading location, undoubtedly fueled by gold and whiskey. Seven hundred miners worked the nearby hills. The budding town saw the founding of the Star brewery to keep the thirst of the men down. The brewery even hired a female bartender, who it is said, served brinks like the greek goddess Hebe.

C. V. Gilmer, of this city, has just marketed a carload of ore from the property of the Iron and Silver Consolidated company is Bristol District, Lincoln county, Nevada. The ore is high grade as it runs 30 per cent in copper besides carrying values in silver. At the present time Chicago people are negotiating for the purchase of this mine.

Salt Lake Mining Review, 1899-04-29 Mining Brevities

The town, like many others saw its populations dwindled by 1884. There was a revival of sorts in the 1890s. The town joined with the nearby town of Jackrabbit and constructed a two miles area tramway. This tramway linked the two small towns. This tramway delivered ore from Bristol to Jackrabbit, where the ore was loaded on train cars. The tailroad delievered the ore to the smelters in Salt Lake City, Utah.

The paper of record for the town was the Bristol Times. The post offices operated on and off between October 15, 1878 and February 15, 1950.

The webiste ForgottenNevada.org is a wonderful resource and claims the site is currently closed from access.

Exploring Abandoned Mines and Usual Places did a cool video of Bristol.