Tag: Nye County

Nye County, located in the state of Nevada, is known for its vast stretches of desert landscapes and rugged terrain. It is the largest county in Nevada by area, encompassing a diverse range of environments from expansive desert valleys to high mountain ranges. The county is famous for its association with Area 51, a secretive military installation, adding an air of mystery to its reputation. Nye County is sparsely populated, with much of its economy driven by mining, agriculture, and tourism centered around outdoor recreational activities such as hiking, off-roading, and exploring historical sites like ghost towns from the mining era. It offers visitors and residents alike a chance to experience the wild beauty of the American West amidst its stark, untamed scenery.

Manhattan Nevada State Historic Marker #97

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Manhattan Nevada is Nevada State Historical Marker number ninety seven and is located in Nye County, Nevada.

The town is originally founded in 1867 as part of a silver mining boom. The district abandoned in 1871. In 1905 a boom in gold mining activity brought over 4,000 people into the area. The Nye and Ormsby County Bank, the only stone structure to be built in the town, was erected in 1906. In 1906, the San Francisco earthquake literally shocked the region. The depression of 1907 tooked hold over investment capital and Manhattan faltered along with other gold mining towns including Rhyolite, Nevada.

Manhattan Nevada 1906
Manhattan Nevada 1906

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.

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.

A Manhattan Mining District to the northeast was first organized in 1867, and some tunnel mining was done. The place name persisted in local use and was adopted in 1905 when John Humphrey found gold at the foot of “April Fool Hill,” near the old stage route. A typical boom followed. A post office was started late in 1905, and the camp soon had telegraph, telephone, utilities and businesses. Transport was to Tonopah and the railroad at Sodaville.

The 1906 San Francisco earthquake stopped mining investment. As a result, most of the productive work here was by lessees. The gold strikes were in ore and placer, and by 1909 there were 13 mines and 16 placers. Some of the operations were the Big Four, Litigation Hill Merger, Stray Dog, September Fraction and White Caps. Hydraulic placering started in 1909. In 1938, dredging began, continuing 13 years. Over $10,000,000 was produced.

“Manhattan always was a good camp.”

NEVADA STATE HISTORIC MARKER #97

Manhattan NSHM Map

Manhattan NSHM Summary

Nevada State Historic Marker 97
NameManhattan, Nevada
LocationNye County, Nevada
Latitude, Longitude38.5707, -117.1816

References

Tybo NSHM – Nevada State Historical Marker #172

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Tybo NSHM is Nevada State Historical Marker number one hundred seventy two and is located in Nye County, Nevada.

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.

Tybo Nevada - 1875
Tybo Nevada – 1875

Nevada State Historic Marker Text

Eight miles northwest of this point lies what was formerly one of the leading lead-producing districts in the nation. Producing erratically from ore discovery in 1866 to the present (the last mill closed in 1937), Tybo has managed to achieve an overall creditable record.

Tybo, in its infancy, was known as a peaceful camp, but later refuted that claim when there occurred racial strife between the Irish, Cornish and Central Europeans; later these groups banded together to drive from the town a company of Chinese woodcutters.

The town was not unique in having three residential sections, each with its ethnic group. However, all children went to the same brick school.

Nevada State Historical Marker #172

Nevada State Historic Marker Summary

ID172
NameTybo Nevada State Historical Marker
LocationNye County, Nevada
Latitude, Longitude38.3099,-116.2782

Tybo NSHM Map

References

Ione Nevada

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Ione NSHM is Nevada State Historical Marker number one hundred fifty nine and is located in the Nye County, Nevada.

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.

Ione Nevada
Ione Nevada

Ione Valley had a dense and permanent aboriginal population, dating back about 5,000 years. Unusual property arrangements and agricultural methods were practiced later by the Shoshone and Northern Paiute Indians.

Silver was discovered in 1863, and in 1864 Ione City was named first county seat of newly created Nye County. Over 600 people worked in this prosperous town until Belmont wealth attracted most of the miners in 1865, and the county seat in 1867.

Alternately prosperous and poor, yet never completely deserted, Ione suffered mining depressions, milling difficulties and the loss of miners to richer strikes throughout its history.

Nevada State Historical Mark #159

Nevada State Historic Marker Map

Ghost Town Summary

ID159
NameIone Nevada State Historical Marker
LocationNye County, Nevada
Latitude, Longitude38.9496, -117.5852

References

Ophir Canyon Nevada – Nye County Ghost Town

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Ophir Canyon is a ghost town from the 1880s and located about 3.5 miles west of State Route 8A north of State Route 92, in Nye County, Nevada. The town began life as Toiyabe City when silver is discovered by a French prospector Boulrand in 1863. Boulrand managed to keeps his find quiet for a year, secreting provisions into the site by night. His secret is finally exposed when he confided his good fortune to countryman on a trip to Austin.

Ophir Canyon in the mid 1880's
Ophir Canyon in the mid 1880’s

In 1864, R. B. Canfield purchased the principal ledge, also known as the Murphy ledge. Canfield utilized the Twin River Mining Company to secure financing. A wagon road is constructed, in 1865, to the site from the Big Smokey Valley for a cost of $8,000 for the two and a half mile road. The steep route suffered from grades of 10 degrees and nine creek crossings are made with wooden bridges.

A Growing Town

The newly founded Toiyabe City has a population of 400 citizens and a tri-weekly stage from Austin brought in people and supplies for the mines. In 1886, a twenty stamp mill is constructed at great costs, from the natural granite and shale sourced in the area. The mill produced over $750,000 in silver in the next two years. Despite this seemingly high rate of production, the mines did not produce a profit, due to the unusually dense rock which slowed operations considerably.

During its heyday, Ophir Canyon boasted saloons, stores and hotels. A post office operated at the site from June 18, 1867 to December 5, 1893.

Ophir NSHM #62 Text

Well up into the canyon out yonder, one can still see the massive stone foundations of a costly and splendid stamp mill, as well as the stone walls of an elegant office and mansion. Here was the scene of a once busy place, now a ghost town.

Ore was discovered there in 1865 by S. Boulerond and his compatriots. In 1864, the Murphy mine was discovered and became the leading producer; a mining district was organized. During 1865, a 20-stamp mill was completed costing over $200,000. Connected with it was the first experimental Stetefeldt furnace ever built. When the Murphy mill was built, a town was started and it grew to a population of 400, but work in the mines declined in the 1870’s, and Ophir became almost deserted. In the 1880’s, the mines were reactivated, and Ophir had another period of prosperity. By the 1890’s the town was deserted, but some mining activity at the Murphy mine continued sporadically into the 20th century.

Over $2 million worth of gold and silver were mined from the Murphy vein and from surrounding properties. Iron, copper and arsenic were also found in the area.

Ophir managed to have all the accouterments of a large community–school, church, various lodges and, of course, several saloons.

Nevada Historic Marker
The Murphy Mine and Shaft House in Ophir Canyon, Nevada
The Murphy Mine and Shaft House in Ophir Canyon, Nevada

Town Summary

NameOphir Nevada
Also Known AsTwin River, Toiyabe City
LocationNye County, Nevada
Latitude, Longitude38.944444, -117.276667
Elevation2,479 meters / 8,134 feet
GNIS860839
Population400
Post Office June 18, 1867 – December 5, 1893

Town Map

Resources

Pioneer Nevada – Nye County Ghost Town

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Beginning as a mining camp near the Mayflower, Pioneer Nevada is an old mining camp and ghost town in Nye County, Nevada. The Pioneer gold mine was first discovered in 1907 as part of the Bull Frog Mining District. The camp was formed between two of the mines in the area, the Pioneer and the Mayflower. A daily stagecoach began between Pioneer and the mining town of Springdale, about 2 miles to the northeast along the Bullfrog Goldfield Railroad

The Camp of Pioneer in July 1910 is partially rebuilt after the fire in 1909
The Camp of Pioneer in July 1910 is partially rebuilt after the fire in 1909

Initially, like many other boom towns, early optimism of rich surface deposits fueled speculation and rapid growth for the down. The fledgling town was laid out and businesses from Rhyolite and nearby Beatty opened up in the small town of Pioneer. By 1909 some 1000 people called the town home, for now. The town was referenced by the Las Vegas Age, which called Pioneer the liveliest place in the state.

The town was organized into two sections known as the upper and lower towns. The serve the population business included hotels, a theater, boarding houses, shoe stores, restaurants, a a cigar store and saloons. The Tonopah and Tidewater Railroad promoted passenger service between Rhyolite and Pioneer. Passengers could step off a train in Rhyloite and quickly into a waiting automobile to drive them to Pioneer. The Las Vegas and Tonopah and the Tonopah and Tidewater Railroads were projecting branch lines up the the town.

Like many boomtowns, the wood construction of the buildings where dried in the desert environment. The town suffered a debilitating fire in May 1909, which destroyed the majority of the business and buildings. The dry buildings were engulfed by flames fueled by a prevailing wind.

The Ten-Stamp Mill in Pioneer Nevada
The Ten-Stamp Mill in Pioneer Nevada

After the fire, the town was rebuilt however it was never quite the same as before. In 1913 a ten stamp mill was constructed and operated from about three years before being shutdown. In 1914 a partial collapse of the Pioneer mine further hampered gold production. The mines continued to operated until 1931.

Town Summary

Town SummaryPioneer Nevada
LocationNye County, Nevada
Latitude, Longitude37.005278, -116.783889
Elevation4220ft
Population2500
Post OfficeMarch 1909 –

Pioneer Nevada Trail Map

References