Osceola Ghost Town Historical Marker, Ely, Nevada

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Osceola Historical Marker, Ely, Nevada

The Osceola mine was one of the most successful mining camps in Nevada. In 1872, a 12-mile gold-bearing quartz vein was discovered in the area. The rush didn’t really begin until 1877 when more gold was found in the canyon. But Osceola really didn’t take off until the 1880s when hydraulic mining was used. This type of mining uses water to remove sediment.

Osceola was not the most forgiving place to live. So, miners had to create two 18-mile-long pipelines to haul in water. Yet, the amount of water needed was not provided. Mining had actually started dropping off in the area until a massive gold nugget – valued at $6,000 – was found. This kept people motivated to continue mining until the 20th century.

Three fires hurt the town, but it was a massive fire during the 1940s that wiped out the town. By that point, the town had gone from a high population of 1,500 down to 100.

A few people still live in Osceola, but not many, and there are no services.

Historical Marker Inscription

Osceola

1872-1940

Osceola, most famous of the White Pine County gold producers, was one of the longest-lived placer camps in Nevada.

The gold-bearing quartz belt found in 1872 was 12 miles long by 7 miles wide.  Placer gold was found in 1877 in a deep ravine indenting the area.  Miners first used the simple process of the common 49” rocker.  Hydraulic monitors later were used to mine the gold from the 10’ to 200’ thick gravel beds.  One gold nugget found was valued at $6,000.

Osceola was a good business town because of its location near the cattle and grain ranches and gardens in the Spring and Snake Valleys.

Famous district mines were the Cumberland, Osceola, Crescent and Eagle, Verde, Stem-Winder, Guilded Age, Grandfather Snide, Red Monster, and the Saturday Night.

The camp produced nearly $5 million, primarily in gold, with some silver, lead, and tungsten.

STATE HISTORICAL MARKER NO.  98

STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE

WHITE PINE PUBLIC MUSEUM, INC.

Location

39° 4’ 16.830” N, 114° 26’ 58.482” W

US-6, Ely, NV  89301, United States

Copper Country, Nevada

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Copper Country Historical Marker, Nevada

Eastern Nevada’s copper boom was known locally as the “Age of Kennecott“, after the Kennecott Copper Company, which was the world’s leader in copper output throughout much of the twentieth century.

The Liberty Pit was the largest copper mine in the state at an elevation of 7,001 feet. It started production in 1907. The ore that was mined in the area consisted of copper, chalcocite and fluorite. The minerals in the area can be traced back to the Upper Cretaceous period, which was from 100.5 to 66 million years ago.

Historical Marker Inscription

The famed open-pit copper mines of Eastern Nevada including the Liberty Pit, largest in the state, are located two miles south of this point. Through the first half of the twentieth century, this area produced nearly a billion dollars in copper, gold, and silver. The huge mounds visible from here are waste rock, which was removed to uncover the ore.

Two miles east of here, near Lane City, was the Elijah, the first mine discovered in the Robinson Mining District. Lane City, originally called Mineral City, was settled in 1869 and had a population of 400. At Mineral City was the Ragsdale Station, one hotel and a stage station.

Nevada Centennial Marker No. 9
State Historic Preservation Office

Location

Intersection of U.S. 50 and Nevada Route 267, near Ruth, Nevada

39° 17.015′ N, 114° 57.855′ W

Ward Mining District, Nevada

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Ward Mining District, Nevada Historical Marker

Ward is a ghost town located near Ely, Nevada, once known for its silver ore. In 1875, it was the largest town in White Pine County with a population of of over 1,000. Located at over 8,000 feet in elevation, it boomed from approximately 1876 to 1882, with a peak in 1877 due to new discoveries. The Martin White Company of San Francisco bought all the existing mines in 1875.

By 1877, the town had over 2,000 residents. During this time Wells Fargo opened, and a city hall was constructed.

While crime did happen early on, it became nearly crime-free due to the 601 Vigilantes. Reportedly, the name came from “six feet under, no trial, and one rope“. By 1878, the town began to decline due to disappearing ore deposits and the rise of Cherry Creek, another mining town. By 1885, there was only one operating business.

Basically a ghost town by this point, it would see some revival from 1906 to 1920 when the Martin White Company sold its holdings to the Nevada United Mines Company.  As of the present, it still is an active mining area.

Historical Marker Inscription

Nevada State Historical Marker No. 54

Silver Ore

The ghost town of Ward, in the foothills of the Egan Range, lies some eight miles west of here. Booming from 1876 until 1882, with a peak population of 1,500, Ward was somewhat of a lawless mining camp. Early killings did occur, but justice was meted out by the vigilante committee and the hanging rope.

A million dollars worth of silver was taken from a single chamber of the Ward mine, yet an abandoned house was used for the first school and no movement was ever started to build a church.

The town was abandoned by the late 1880s, but new discoveries and better mining methods prompted a resurgence of activity in 1906 and again in the 1960s.

Location

N 39° 05.333, W 114° 45.173

Located on U.S. 93 in White Pine County near Ely, Nevada

Ione, Nevada

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Ione, Nevada Historical Marker

While Native Americans lived in the land for 5,000 years, it was the Silver Rush that put Ione on the map. Founded in 1863 after silver was discovered in the Shoshone Mountain Range, it became a trade and milling center. When Nevada became a state in 1864, the town had a population of over 600 people, and it was the Nye County’s seat.

The town, however, didn’t last long. By 1867, the town of Belmont had attracted most of Ione’s residents away, and the county seat was moved to Belmont. In 1896, the town briefly boomed again when a 10-stamp mill was constructed. Later, in 1897, A. Phelps Stokes purchased much of the mining and milling interests in Union District, but by 1898, silver had dropped in value. Cinnabar deposits briefly brought prospectors to the area again from 1912 to 1914.

Ione General Store

While the town is largely deserted, it still hangs on. In fact, it’s known as the “Town That Refused to Die”.  It still has about 41 residents, but most of the businesses have ceased operations. It still has the claim to fame of being where the movie Tremors with Kevin Bacon was filmed.

Welcome to Ione Nevda

Historical Marker Inscription

American Indians lived in Ione Valley for at least 5,000 years.

In 1863, European Americans discovered silver, and in 1864, Ione City was the first county seat of the newly created Nye County. Over 600 people worked in the prosperous town until a promising ore body in Belmont attracted most of the miners in 1865, capturing 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 other rich strikes throughout its history.

Location

38° 56′ 58.338″ N, 117° 35′ 6.822″ W

SR-844, Round Mountain, NV 89409, United States

Tybo, Nevada

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Tybo Historical Marker Nevada

White settlers first came to Tybo, Nevada, in 1865 or 1866 when a Native American led these people to a place where he had found gold ore in the Hot Creek mountain range. While some digging did occur at this time, the mining camp wouldn’t be established until 1871, and the smelter built in 1872. The town would finally be settled in 1874, and a lead smelter was added.

In 1875, the Tybo Consolidate Mining Company was created to manage the Two-G Mine, which was the largest producer in the area. By 1876, Tybo became a boom town with “around 1,000 residents, five stores, two blacksmith shops, a post office, and of course many saloons”, and, by the 1870s, the town became a leading lead producer.

By 1881, however, Tybo Consolidated Mining Company failed due to the drop in ore, and the population was reduced to about 100 people. In 1884, a major fire destroyed 32 buildings. Throughout the 1900s, different companies tried to resurrect the mines to differing success. The main mines of Tybo were eventually shut down in 1937.

Historical Marker Inscription

TYBO

SILVER – LEAD – ZINC CAMP

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 strife between the Irish, Cornish, and central Europeans changed its reputation. Later, these groups banded together to drive away 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.

Location

Tybo is in Nye County, which is off Highway 6 near Tonopah, NV, and a 17-mile drive from Warm Springs, NV.

38° 18.595′ N, 116° 16.565′ W