Hubby and I came across this site while taking Como Road from Como south to Hind’s Hot Springs. Como Road follows the freight wagon road developed in the 1860s to connect Dayton and Virginia City in the north to Aurora and Bodie, California in the south.
We noticed a canyon with a running stream and decided it would be a nice spot for lunch. As we were leaving I noticed rock formations at the base of a hill and decided to explore.
I inquired with my local ghost town groups and sources and none were aware of this site. They agreed it was the remains of a miners cabin. This area was prospected extensively in the mid to late 1800s.
(Photo credit: Western Mining History)
The remains of rock walls would have made a cabin approximately 12′ by 12′. A opening for a door was on the downside of the hill. The center portion of the foundation had been dug into the hill side. This construction technique would have been used in an area with a limited supply of lumber.
The cabin was ideally situated on a creek. Aside from human needs, most mining methods utilize water.
(Photo credit: Western Mining History)
Miner’s cabins were functional and simple structures. They had only enough room for the most basic of needs, cooking and sleeping.
Few miner’s cabins remain intact. Building supplies were in short supply and structures were often relocated or dismantled and materials used elsewhere.
Visited 7-13-2020
References
- Nation, Nyle. The Pine Nut Chronicle: The History and Adventures of Mining in Douglas County Nevada. Pine Nut Press, 2000. Pages 37, 42, 44, 162.
- Western Mining History: Aurora, Nevada
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