NEVADA GHOST TOWNS & BEYOND

Because I only visited Mono Basin only twice last week (going to and from Mesquite), I headed back down on Tuesday. I wanted to finish a few stories and visit some sites before the snow sticks. I explored the old ranches, the Bodie & Benton Railroad and the town of Mono Lake with Nevada Expeditions. It wasn't a long day, but productive with the ranches. Mono County has done an excellent ... VIEW POST

Mono Mills started to meet Bodie's insatiable need for lumber. The state-of-the-art mill and railroad operated for thirty-six years, ebbing and flowing with the mines and freeing Bodie from wood famine. Although it was a seasonal town, Mono Mills was active with daily life, including improvised medical treatments and hilarious confusion over the password for booze. Emil Billeb, head of Bodie ... VIEW POST

Thank you, Gary, for an incredible private tour of the Northstar Mining Museum in Grass Valley. Your knowledge and excitement are infectious! I don't have time to write it all up now, but I can't recommend the museum enough. It is housed in the 1895 North Star Mine powerhouse, one of the most profitable mines in California that lasted over a century. Displays include every imaginable ... VIEW POST

The history of the semi-ghost town of Deeth spans Native Americans, emigrant wagon trains, the Transcontinental Railroad, and Nevada's early settlement. Home of Nevada's second Governor, "Old Broadhorns," the town once was a hub of activity, including an orchestra and opera house. The town was even known for some theatrics, such as when a group of cowpunchers put on an impromptu Old West ... VIEW POST

While Bodie is known for gold mining, Hank Blanchard's Mono mine and kiln provided lime for the town's construction and milling of the gold. While not as flashy as the glitter of gold, Bodie couldn't have grown to be the famous ghost town without the lime. The Bodie & Benton Railroad station at Lime Kiln served as an emergency shelter and communications when issues arose traveling between ... VIEW POST