Mining

Nye County is a big place. If it were a state, it would be the 42nd largest—twice the size of Massachusetts. In addition to wide-open ranges and countless miles of dirt road, this slice of the American West is home to one of the state’s most remote and scenic attractions: Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park.

Nevada’s distinct history is borne by the nearly 600 towns that rose and fell before the 1900s even had time to stretch its legs. The gold and silver fever that struck the nation resulted in a clamor that touched nearly every corner of the state. While most towns bore fruit only for short periods, they literally left their mark on the state’s landscape. Many ghost towns may have no residents, but they are still full of stories, if you listen closely.  

I’ve spent nearly 300 hours in the car and used 700 gallons of gas to seek out more than 70 ghost towns. I’ve drank 36 cups of coffee, eaten 36 breakfast burritos, and spent 36 days on the road. I’ve encountered at least 3 flat tires, and many more migraines as a result. I’ve explored ghost towns in weather that fell well below 32 degrees, and well above 105. I’ve written roughly 26,500 words about these places in 12 different issues of Nevada Magazine, equating to about 2.2 words per mile. I’ve seen thousands of deer, hundreds of antelope, dozens of elk, and a couple trout. I’ve seen billions of sagebrush and stars. I’ve gazed across infinite miles of this great state; God’s own country.

Tonopah BY ERIC CACHINERO In the days of old, miners seldom just stumbled upon massive silver strikes. That’s because silver ore doesn’t exactly look like the shimmering, polished metal found in wedding bands and werewolf bullets. Silver ore is oftentimes an amalgamation of many different types of minerals, and usually requires an assay to determine […]

Tears of joy and sorrow have both been shed at the site of Donovan Mill in Silver City. The intense and unexpected changes that follow the boom and bust cycles of small Nevada mining towns have been the only constant. Pioneering new ideas and techniques were discovered and put into action here: a place rich with mining innovation, as well as with gold and silver. Originally the land was an idyllic part of the hunting and gathering territory of the Washoe Tribe. The possibility of wealth brought speculators and adventurers, eventually changing the landscape forever. The community, settled in 1859, was filled with people who proved themselves to be independent, resourceful, and self-motivated.

Plunged back into the nation’s conflicts, Nevada solidifies itself as a worldwide destination with the help of some infamous assistance. BY RON SOODALTER Nevada emerged from the Great Depression in 1939 with barely enough time to catch its breath before being plunged into World War II. Since the 1920s, Nevada had subscribed enthusiastically to America’s […]

From Dust to Doré The thunderous crack of massive colliding stones fills my ears as I stand on the observation platform of Coeur Rochester, Inc.’s rock crusher. Awestruck by the colossal machinery surrounding me, I am overcome by the illusion that the advancing conveyer belt wielding a blend of loose soil and half-ton boulders is […]