Nevada Ghost Towns & Beyond

Oh, the dreaded drive between northern and southern Nevada on Highway 95. For years, I hated the drive and only focused on getting through the boring trip as painlessly as possible. Depending on how long it took to refuel, grab food, and use the facilities, I considered it a torturous seven to eight-hour necessity. Over the last few years of visiting and documenting ghost towns and historical ... VIEW POST

Instead of heading up 95, we detoured through Silver Peak. We had to make a quick stop at one of my favorite ghost towns, Nivloc. Somehow, I missed Blair on a previous trip; it has been high on my list to visit since. Nivloc Pittsburgh Silver Peak Gold M. Company, owned by Mr. Colvin of Chicago, a millionaire broker, purchased multiple claims around Silver Peak in 1906. The following year ... VIEW POST

On the second day, we explored the borax plants in Death Valley, the Rhodes Spring cabin and the grave of the famous "Shorty" Harris. Armagosa Borax Works During the heat of the summer at Harmony where temps could reach, workers and operations moved to Armagosa on the east side of Death Valley. Twenty mule teams transported borax to the railroad. It operated for 4 years, closing in ... VIEW POST

Piano tuner George Wedekind spent his weekends prospecting the hills outside of Sparks. In 1896, he discovered "yellow rock" near James Sullivan Ranch. He did not want to invest money, so he sent the sample to Cortez, where they would assay it for free. The assay reported the silver valued at $600 to $1200 per ton. By 1901, prospectors sunk 50 shafts around his claim. A small camp named ... VIEW POST

Day 1 of the last trip of 2024. I explored around Mesquite and Las Vegas including the Huntsman Cabin, petroglyphs, Kaolin, Silica, Kiel Ranch and Binion Ranch. Huntsman Cabin David and Emeline Huntsman moved from Utah to Nevada in 1878. They homesteaded their ranch in 1891. In 1905, Huntsman became a popular stop on the railway known for fine food and medical care. During several floods, ... VIEW POST