66 10 9812 https://caspercollege.cvlcollections.org/files/original/25f1f9a79f7ed6bc73cc6ce64bf051a1.tif a23fceb075087631cdfaf7d2148a0b69 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Norman Weis Photographs Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <div class="element-text five columns omega"> <p><a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a></p> </div> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1969 Description An account of the resource Photos of ghost towns by Casper College professor Norman D. Weis. States photographed in this collection include: Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Norman Weis Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Norm Weiss Manuscripts and Photographs, CCA 10.2003.01 WyCaC US. Casper College Archives and Special Collections. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CCA 10.2003.01_Weis_Photos Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource TIF Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Photographs Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oregon Ghost Towns Area 1: Sumpter, OR Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <div class="element-text five columns omega"> <p><a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a></p> </div> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1969 Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Norman Weis Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Norm Weiss Manuscripts and Photographs, CCA 10.2003.01 WyCaC US. Casper College Archives and Special Collections. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CCA 10.2003.01_Weis_Photos_OR_04 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource TIF https://caspercollege.cvlcollections.org/files/original/415b364f582d8a8ef2f04703c9116687.tif ab5d452acd878bc10fd2d85cd18cf575 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Norman Weis Photographs Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <div class="element-text five columns omega"> <p><a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a></p> </div> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1969 Description An account of the resource Photos of ghost towns by Casper College professor Norman D. Weis. States photographed in this collection include: Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Norman Weis Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Norm Weiss Manuscripts and Photographs, CCA 10.2003.01 WyCaC US. Casper College Archives and Special Collections. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CCA 10.2003.01_Weis_Photos Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource TIF Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Photograph Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oregon Ghost Towns Area 1: Sumpter, OR Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <div class="element-text five columns omega"> <p><a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a></p> </div> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1969 Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Norman Weis Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Norm Weiss Manuscripts and Photographs, CCA 10.2003.01 WyCaC US. Casper College Archives and Special Collections. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CCA 10.2003.01_Weis_Photos_OR_03 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource TIF https://caspercollege.cvlcollections.org/files/original/a1167a8fd28520d5d338cee838c8317f.tif 2dc731ef22fc543105f4f5189731f6ba Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Norman Weis Photographs Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <div class="element-text five columns omega"> <p><a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a></p> </div> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1969 Description An account of the resource Photos of ghost towns by Casper College professor Norman D. Weis. States photographed in this collection include: Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Norman Weis Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Norm Weiss Manuscripts and Photographs, CCA 10.2003.01 WyCaC US. Casper College Archives and Special Collections. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CCA 10.2003.01_Weis_Photos Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource TIF Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Photograph Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oregon Ghost Towns Area 1: Sumpter, OR Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <div class="element-text five columns omega"> <p><a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a></p> </div> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1969 Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Norman Weis Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Norm Weiss Manuscripts and Photographs, CCA 10.2003.01 WyCaC US. Casper College Archives and Special Collections. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CCA 10.2003.01_Weis_Photos_OR_02 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource TIF https://caspercollege.cvlcollections.org/files/original/61ad3d438eb776d9c5a6be9627a82da6.tif b59867c61ab183ea9251b017976ef461 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Norman Weis Photographs Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <div class="element-text five columns omega"> <p><a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a></p> </div> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1969 Description An account of the resource Photos of ghost towns by Casper College professor Norman D. Weis. States photographed in this collection include: Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Norman Weis Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Norm Weiss Manuscripts and Photographs, CCA 10.2003.01 WyCaC US. Casper College Archives and Special Collections. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CCA 10.2003.01_Weis_Photos Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource TIF Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Photograph Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Oregon Ghost Towns Area 1: Sumpter, OR Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <div class="element-text five columns omega"> <p><a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a></p> </div> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1969 Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Norman Weis Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Norm Weiss Manuscripts and Photographs, CCA 10.2003.01 WyCaC US. Casper College Archives and Special Collections. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CCA 10.2003.01_Weis_Photos_OR_01 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource TIF https://caspercollege.cvlcollections.org/files/original/18ae219e2e2048af46a921b0d66c35bd.tif 253794c3e616bcea45a382bc42fc94da Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Norman Weis Photographs Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <div class="element-text five columns omega"> <p><a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a></p> </div> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1969 Description An account of the resource Photos of ghost towns by Casper College professor Norman D. Weis. States photographed in this collection include: Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Norman Weis Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Norm Weiss Manuscripts and Photographs, CCA 10.2003.01 WyCaC US. Casper College Archives and Special Collections. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CCA 10.2003.01_Weis_Photos Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource TIF Still Image A static visual representation. Examples include paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type Text to images of textual materials. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Map Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Norman Weis: Oregon Area 1 Map Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <div class="element-text five columns omega"> <p><a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a></p> </div> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1969 Description An account of the resource This map includes the names of ghost towns Norman Weis photographed in Oregon. Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Norman Weis Language A language of the resource ENG Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Norm Weiss Manuscripts and Photographs, CCA 10.2003.01 WyCaC US. Casper College Archives and Special Collections. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CCA 10.2003.01_Weis_Photos_OR_Map_01 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource TIF https://caspercollege.cvlcollections.org/files/original/954a3a92174e4de67c9d93bdf495b162.tif b909d489a71c11be5b728a439d85f984 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Norman Weis Photographs Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <div class="element-text five columns omega"> <p><a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a></p> </div> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1969 Description An account of the resource Photos of ghost towns by Casper College professor Norman D. Weis. States photographed in this collection include: Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana Type The nature or genre of the resource Image Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Norman Weis Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Norm Weiss Manuscripts and Photographs, CCA 10.2003.01 WyCaC US. Casper College Archives and Special Collections. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CCA 10.2003.01_Weis_Photos Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource TIF Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Written Notes Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Norman Weis Oregon Area 1 Photograph Contents Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <div class="element-text five columns omega"> <p><a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a></p> </div> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1969 Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Norman Weis Language A language of the resource ENG Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Norm Weiss Manuscripts and Photographs, CCA 10.2003.01 WyCaC US. Casper College Archives and Special Collections. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CCA 10.2003.01_Weis_Photos_OR_Contents_01 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource TIF Description An account of the resource This paper shows an inventory of the photos taken in area 1 of 3 in Oregon during Norman Weis's journey through ghost towns in the northwest. https://caspercollege.cvlcollections.org/files/original/84bfba9c8d3fa6cb276ce153d97a7242.pdf 26a10e0be5474255a7127f4796d4a199 PDF Text Text PART VI BUTAH �UTAH ARSA 1 f c>. ^SPRING CANYON, UTAhT JessJ^ Knight needed coal to operate the smelter he had Just built in the Tintic mining district of Central Utah. The coal in Spring Canyon, west of the town of Helper, looked promising, Knight bought up 1600 acres alonsr the canyon and proceeded to build a town near the most accessible portion of the underground seam of coal, constructed sixty substantial sandstone homes along freshly traded streets. Next of frame company buildings, and finally of coal. he built a number he tapped the vein It can't be said that Knight lacked confidence. His jud^^ent wasn’t bad either, for more than eleven million tons of coal were eventually to be drawn from the mines above town. Knight owned the mine, the town, and the buildings. He named the town "Storf s*’, after the man hired to supervise the operation. He would have named the town '^^ghtsville’v, except that a community near his smelter already bore that name, Before anyone moved into town, Knight laid down the rules. No gambling houses, no saloons, no redrlight district, and no mercy for those who ehose to be in violation. In spite of, or perhaps because ofxthe rules, the town quickly grew to �a population of over 1,000, and production one hundred tons a day A largeyy^stone schoolhouse was constructed by the company, Knight's organizational efforts left little opporj* tunlty for meaningful accomplishment on the part of the town folk. Town pride could manifest itself only in tW support of the higljschool athletic program and the local baseball team. The towns of Storrs, Helper, Standardville, Latuda, Rains, and Mutual were within a dozen miles of each other, and each had competing teaiaj^ Rivalry was intense. In 1920 the Rio Grande built its tracks up the canyon, parallel to Knight's private line, and coal production doubled. the mine Later, in 1924, when Knight no longer needed the coal, town, and associated structures above and below ground were sold to the Spring Canyon Coal Company. The name of the town then became “Spring Canyon.*^ The new owners boosted production to ^00 tons of coal per day. During World War II production reached an all: time high of 2,000 tons per day. Population of the town, however, did not grow proportionately. Many citizens chose to live in nearby Helper. During the post war years ^1 production slacked, and -- only small crews worked the the population dwindled. By 1959 mine, and ten years later that minimal effort was terminated. The three families left in town moved out one by one. the town was empty. By 1972. �Plat spots are at a premium*in the canyon. The town of Spring Canyon occupies the only sl^ble The school, bank.and hotel fill the narrow J south end, while the company offices and store, along with available. the hospital, are squeezed into the equally narrow north end. The comparatively wide center section of town is filled with perhaps a dozen rows of residences, many of whleh arc- still intact. Just north of town^half a mile or so, is a suburb consisting of small boarding homes and a smattering of unique dugouts. Recesses in the sandstone canyon wall were deepened, and short walls^xtended outward to form hybrid structures with truncated roofs, As I poked about the deserted town 1 became aware of other visitors. A young man, his wife, and two children were sightseeing. The father frequently stopped to point out buildings that seemed to be particularly meaningful to him. I approached him in hope of obtaining information concerning some buildings that I had found to-bo a bit puzzling. Lewis Korenko, like most former residents of towns that have become deserted, greatly missed the opportunity to visit with old hometown friends. I was a poor second choice, but Lewis Korenko had so much conversation stored up that he couldn’t hold back. Lewis, now a carpenter residing in Salt Lake City, moved with his folks to Spring Canyon in 1957, when the town �was In its dying throes. His dad was a member of one of the The crews were small, only four last crews to work the mine. men working underground at a time. Maintenance work required as much effort as the actual mining of coal. Lewis'sjfather switched duty with a friend one day. That day an explosion ripped through the mine. The four men "Dad said it was the only time he underground were killed. M traded shifts," reported Lewis^—^ "and he claimed he would never do it again ~ felt real bad about it," We wandered over toward the east edge of town, "Used to be an overhead tram years ago ~ then they changed to the track and cable carsj" Lewis explained. "Whole thing was gravity powered ~ loaded cars ran downhill all by them?' selves." Lewis pointed to a small^flat spot high up and across the big canyon, "Had a tennis court up there." Before I could ask about chasing lost balls, Lewis proceeded to brief me on the town's suburbs. "Just around the bend, up the big canyon, was a bunch of homes ~ called the place round the bend. Lewis pointed to »ho north. "Up Sowbelly Canyon, before you get to the mine, those long buildings were boarding houses run by Greeks, then later by the Japanese." We walked back to the main street of town and looked over the old community bath~~house. I planned to stay the night in town. eye out for the White Lady, Lewis asked if "If you do, keep an She wanders around the town �wailing and looking for her husband. at Peerless years ago, She*s been seen by quite a few people running the hills above town.* west part of town, He was killed down Lewis waved to the "A young character, kind of looney himself, laid a trap for the White Lady put a bunch of explosives in a house she was supposed to be haunting. it up too! Blew He's in prison now, and the White Lady is still walling around town ~ 2le must not of got her." Later, as the sun dropped below the canyon rim, I watched the squirrels and chipmunks scurry about. Nooks and crannies abound, and the rodents find no shortage of housing or storage apace. The inheritors of Spring Canyon lead a peaceful life. A life Inte^pted only b^j^the occasional daytime visits former residents, and the unpredictable nocturnal Jaunts of the mysterious White Lady. j MAP NOTEi The 15 minute Castle Gate, Utah, United States Geological Survey topographic map, made in 1914, shows the town of Storrs, later renamed Spring Canyon, 7 �7gTANDARDVILLB. UTAH f Mrs. Thelma Wilson, 75, of Helper, Utah, recalls much of interest concerning life in the town of Standardvllle. Her husband worked in the Standax*d Company Mines for twenty years. He worked @day weeks. Holidays were Infrequent. >76 Except for Christmas, the most memorable yearly celebration was Standard Day,'^ Men got the day off, and the company provided entertainment and food. There were presents for all the kids under According to Thelma, Standardvllle came into exist?- ance about the same time as Spring Canyon. "There were still a number of people living in tents back in 1916 — but Standard? Ville was growing fast. They had a big boardinghouse for men. a church, company store, and of course there was a post office. There were dances at the community hall, and we had a pltchur show.—^Iways called it that 01 pitchur show." Thelma rummaged "Had school up to through a box looking for old school photos. the 9^ grade for the children — sent them to Latuda for the lO^h grade." The town had no Jail or cemetery. Company towns, Thelma explained, had little crime, and anyone died was buried in Helper, Just a few miles east at the mouth of Spring Canyon, The Miners* Museum in Helper contains an assort?^ ment of old equipment, news clippings, and photographs. Many of the photographs and mj^mentos in the collection were 2-6?' �from the Standardvllle locality. Of particular note was the pay voucher on display that showed one miner’s tally for a month’s work» 4 hrs. labor @ 255^........ $ 1.00 110 cars-224,370^ coal @60i4P. 60.ll Total Money Sarned . . .* . $61.11 A Gharffesj Hospital................ $ 1.00 Coupons................ 30.11 Horses ................ 30,00 $61.11 L At first glance it appears t4wt-the miner Just broke even. Actually, he had $30.11 in company money, either script or brass coins, with which to buy food, clothlng^and lodging for the month. The charge for horses was explained by Fred Voll, caretaker of the /Museum. "Each man took a bunch of tags down the mine with him. When he got a car filled with ore, he hung his tag on the car, and it was hauled out by horses. The miner’s tag was collected topside, his account credited for the coal, and a charge entered for the use of the horse," Unexplained was the fact that 224,370 pounds was a bit more thsui 112 tons and should have brought more than >61 in monies earned. Either the bookkeeper or the twiner was poor at figures. There are no miners in Standardvllle today/ust a few men working at salvaging the remains. The extensive metal coal tipples at the site are presently being dismantled for scrap. Even the railroad rails are being out by torch �Into loadable sections. Rusted equipment stands about» a crane, some loaders, and parts of an old caterpillar ~ all destined to be melted down* On the hill northeast of town, the company office stands roofless. Its cover sacrificed In the Interest of lower taxes. Empty homes are scattered a^i^Totherwlse empty streets. It's pretty quiet In town now. Just the occa^^ slonal snap and clan^ as cutting torches eat away at the remains — a far cry from -Standard Day-^ln Standardvllle. MAP NOTE* The 15 minute Castle Gate, Utah, United States Geological Survey topographic map shows the town midway up Spring Canyon, �IXaJlATUDA, rains, and mutual, UTAH^r The coal seam thickened at the upper end of Spring Canyon. A number of tunaels tapped the seam. Substantial towns mushroomed around three of the mines. Latuda, established In 191^ as ''^Ibert^^ grew to be the largest and the longest^lived of the three. It grew from @ homes in 1918 to more than in 1922. The town had to be renamed when a post office was established. There were too many towns already named liberty.-^Latuda’^was chosen/^ in honor of the coal company responsible for the town’s g. existj^nce. The town of Rains, less than a mile up the canyon from Latuda. was established in 1915 by L. P. Hains, owner of^e Carbon Coal Company. The Rains Mine was one of the biggest producers in the canyon, reaching 2,000 tons per day at its peak. The town grew on either side of the single road along the canyon floor. As the population Increased, new houses were built up the canyon, close to the outskirts of another town springing up around the Mutual Mine. Mutual, established in 1921, never grew larger than 250 residents. Its mine, on the thickest part of the seam, had great potential, but production during its best year never the amount equalled brought out of the Hains Mine in a two; week period. When the Mutual Mine shut down in 1938, residents �of a tent town by the Little Standard Mine, half a mile away, moved into the vacant houses. The company store was bought out by one of the new citizens and continued in business until 195^» when Mutual, the uppermost town, became deserted. The towns down the Canyon closed in sequence. The Rains Mine closed down in 1958. The Latuda Coal Company continued to operate until I966. Houses from the three towns were sold off and hauled down the canyon to Helper and Price. The old company building still marks the center of Latuda. 2'7 2^ Just east, the little stone Jail stands in usable Below the jail are a number of dugout garages. condition. Up the canyon a short dlstancey<at the site of Hains, two of the eidr orle-inal^wooden coal cars stand at the side of the road. Behind are the machine shops of the Carbon Coal Company. At Mutual most of the mine complex is in place. The old store still has its sign over the side door, ^‘7^ ^rther up the canyon are numerous frame houses in various states of destruction. Cattle roam freely about, around, and occasionally through-the old homes. 7 There is little sign of the activity that once filled the canyon. 3-7 6. The coal is gone now — all thirty million tons of it. 2-7 7 �MAP MOTE* The Castlegate, Utah^l5 minute United States Geological Survey topographic map falls to show any of these towns. They are easily located, however, by driving up the main canyon from Standardville. �FRISCO, UTAhC BSSBSHHHHBmSSSSSSSw Frisco and Cisco, two of Utah*s most unusual ghost towns, are a study In contrasts, Frisco, at the western edge of the Xtate, was a mining town. Cisco, a state's width to the east, was a railroading community. Both were bom in the midc 1870^. short-lived, Frisco was wild and Cisco was mild and more durable. been a ghost for almost one hundred years. Frisco has Cisco, Utah's newest ghost town, met its demise in 1970, a victim of progress. To most observers valuable only when aged. ghost towns are like antiques^ The true aficionado might disagree. Some items are worthy of preservation from the moment of dl^^ use. A particular buggy whip with a long and faithful history is deserving of a spot on the mantpj^ the same day the horse is traded in on the Model T. Some ghost towns are worthy of veneration the day they die, Johnny Cash felt that way about Cisco even before the town had completely expired. But first, the history of Frisco, sued then Cisco ~ the contrast is enhanced if the story travels with the flow of time. Jim Ryan and Sam Hawkes, veteran prospectors, left Pioche, Nevada, in the summer of '75. They headed east, skirtj*' ing the southern slopes of the Needle Range, then headed north ^4 �Into the heart of the San Francisco Mountains. At Squaw Springs, the two prospectors decided to give their pack animals a few days’ graze on the comparatively lush grass that grew about the water hole. They prospected the area leisurely, with little success. Returning from one last look at a nearby blowout, one of the prospectors took a passing whack at a small, light-colored outcrop. cleaved to reveal a heavy streak of shiny The limestone grey silver. Ryan and Hawkes made permanent camp Immediately, then proceeded to blast a hole in pursuit of the precious metal. The vein thickened, and at twenty-five feet below the surface looked like a salable prospect. it When offered $25,000 for their mine, Ryan and Hawkes were quick to take the money, retire from mlning^and ocet back to prospecting. The new owners pushed the shaft (now called the 300 Horn Silver) to a depth of nearly trhgee/^uadred feet. held, and nearly The vein million .dallawa worth of ore was removed. Figuring tha»»the deposit was near depletion, owners of the Horn Silver let out word that the mine was for sale. Jay t Cooke, once an Influen/^lal financier, now broke and pursued by creditors, bought the mine with the scavewiged remains of his fortune. The purchase price of $5 million was met by a little cash, some loans, and a lot of promises. to go for broke, JT Cooke Intended Neither Cooke nor the sellers were aware that the Horn Silver was yet to reach its prime. It would �eventually produce more than $20 million in silver for its owners. Settlements were scattered about the area some near the mine, others strung out along the foot of the mountain. When the Utah Southern Railroad extended its tracks another 200 miles to the Hom Silver, population in the area took a sudden leap. The various communities amalgamated^and a town grew beside the tracks one mile east of the mine. The town took its name from 9,725s foot San Francisco had "bpfin Peak, Just a few miles to the north, but already that name shortened to •Frisco Peak.*^ Knowing full well that the town would be called Frisco, the citizens chose to make the short version official. In time the peak was renamed "^risco^ to match the town. By 1880 temperament. spectrum. zenith. Frisco had reached its pyate in size and Twenty-three saloons offered vice in the fullest Tenderloin ladles solicited on the main floor and utilized the rooms above on a rotating basis. Whiskey was bad^ and the gambling tables crooked. Living was expensive, but life was cheap. The lives of many miners had already been shortened by the high temperatures and bad dust in the mine. Most of them suffered from some degree of miners’ consumption. Under these conditions and fights were common. tempers flared quickly, Some claim that Frisco would have �been a slg^ble town If so many citizens hadn't killed each other. The local mortician toured the back alleys each morning, picking up bodiesy^and burying them for whatever he » could rifle from their clothing. A few upright citizens determined that the situation was out of hand. A reformed gunslinger by the name of Pearson was hired to bring respectability to Frisco. Pearson's idea of law and order was to declare open season on anyone he figured was undesirable. of town or draw. as often, lost. He offered the offenders a choice ~ get out Often the hard cases chose the latter ^men in one day. His opponents invariably Pearson was fast. died of a bad case of "slow." and^ One reporter claimed he dispatched Within six weeks the town was respectable^” if somewhat smaller. In 1885, after ten years of continuous operation, disaster struck the Horn Silver, life. Luckily there was no loss of The men coming off shift had Just left the skip and the new shift was about to go down, when a trembling was felt in the gallows frame and cable. The tremble repeated, then a low rumble was heard as 900 feUt of vertical shaft caved in. Observers claimed the cave-in caused a shock wave of such proportion that windows were broken in Milford, (1^ miles away. It would be far more logical to assume that an earth tremor was the cause of both the cave-ln and the damage in Milford. �Miners were laid off as small orews set to work drilling the 900 feet of newly filled shaft. closed down for lack of work. The smelters In turn, operators of the charcoal ovens went broke, and woodcutters found no ny^rket for their product. Frisco was wiped out overnight. Sven when the mine resumed operations, Frisco remained largely deserted. or commuted from Milford. Mining crews stayed at the mine There is little to be seen at the town site ~ a few foundations and remnants of one store. But the Horn Silver, a mile to the west, is still reasonably intact. Hoisting cables are in place, holding double- barrelled skips at surface level. hoist are of <» unique design. Gallows wheels atop the They are flattbottomed and deepcrlmmed to hold the old-fashioned flat "ribbon cable" of the type used in Bodie, California. Centered in the flat surface of the gallows wheel is a semi^ircular depression to guide the more modern round cable. the drums of the hoist. Bound cable is now on No sign of the old flat cable could be found. Down the hill a bit, just in front of a massive excavation in the rocky hillside, stand half a dozen mine buildings side and the foundations of the two smelters. To the a number of low log and rock soddies fight a losing battle with the elements. Up the ravine a freshening breeze loosens another rusted sheet oj^ corrugated metal on the old hoist house. �It Is interesting to speculate ao^e how the course of history might have changed if Ryan or Hawkes had not succumbed to the urge to give that small outcrop of limestone a passing whack. MAP NOTEJ The Frisco, Utah, 15 minute United States Geological Survey topographical map shows the town, the Horn Silver Mine, and a number of additional mines in the area. �CISCOS utahC Cisco, after nearly years of serving the travelers* needs, became a ghost when the Interestate hlgh^ way bypassed the arteries of town. One general store remained open in the vain hope that enough would remain in town The owner to raise his family to keep it in business. and live out his life in the small country town he had come to love. It soon became obvious that his hopes would not be realized^ would inevitably have to uproot his family and begin a new life. That's when Johnny Cash happened through town. was-intrigued by the unusual situation^ throughout the day and into the evening. -He remained in town One of the few residents in town at the time reported that he spent geven *7.// -- dollars and eleven cents-, more than anyone had spent in months. Johnny bought a round of beer or two as he listened to stories about Cisco. He was particularly taken by the pathos of the father who must take his family to a new town ~ whose kids could never come back to visit old friends ~ whose kids would not have a meaningful hometown, until time and new experience could provide new memories. Johnny wrote a song about Cisco. He drew on its early history for the title, "Cisco Clifton Station." It isn’t one of Johnny Cash’s better sonc:5j\but it was the most popular tune dn the Juke box at the old store in Cisco. �The finite history of Cisco began in the mid; 1880^ John Martin, surveyor for the narrow-gafee railroad, laid out the section of the line connecting Mack, Colorado, with Thompson, Utah, The area between the Book Cliffs and the Colorado River, was of particular Interest to him. to settle on land adjacent to the tracks. He chose In I8873 he applied for and was granted a post office for the settlement that grew about his original homestead, A second community was growing two miles away, centered about a restaurant and store. Victor Hanson, owner of the store, may have had some Inside information, since the new wide-track rail lines were shortly to run past his holdings. John Martin’s settlement folded, and Hanson's town, now laid out with a full set of streets, was granted its own * post office under the name of Cisco. The name given Martin’s original post office became clouded with the move. Some folks say it was Martinsdale, others Book Cliffs, or Clifton Station, Soon new stores were springing up in Cisco, between main street and the railroad trakks. Boxcarxloads of ice were hauled in to preserve produce and cool the palate. The tourist trade via railroad and horse-drawn wagon gave the town sustenance and reason for growth. Later the highway through town was surfaced, and Cisco’s future seemed assured. �Early in the present century gold and silver were found In the La Sal Mountains a few miles south. Oil was con^ sldered likely In the area near town, and numerous rigs moved In to tap the faults and domes that hopefully existed In the strata deep beneath the surface. The first barrel of crude was pumped from the Cisco Well on February 6, 1904. The Cisco Mercantile paid the owners $100, and the town celebrated. The newly finished hotel Later additional wells brought In abundant supplies of natural gas. The Cisco Gas Wells were the biggest was booked solid. producers In Utah during the late twenties. Cisco had oil and gas, but local water was scarce. The scarcity seemed little note as long as the railroad kept pumping water from the Colorado River to the standpipe in town. For sixty years the railroad and town folk shared the cost/\to their mutual benefit. When the railroad retired its steam engine^" it no longer hswi need o^ large quantities of water. The pumps were shut down, and Cisco’s water supply dried up. It took twelve days for town representatives to obtain a Judgment. The railroad was told to continue Its part of the bargain, whether needed water for diesels or not. In the late sixties, word leaked out that major highway Improvement was being considered. Highway 50 passing through town was to be made part of the new four-lane inter?^ state network. Owners of gas stations and motels made plans �to enlarge and update their establishments. arrived; Then the bad news The new highway was to take a short cut across the bend that Cisco occupied. Access to town would be a dozen miles away In either direction. Residents rushed to sell their homes and businesses before the word could spread. Potential buyers were made wary by the proliferation of "for sale" signs all about town, Cisco had contracted a terminal Illness. As work started on the Interstate It became obvious that the town had only a year or so to live. The six gas stations closed down like dominoes In a line. Stores and motels closed, until only one remained open, the one In which Johnny Cash spent tialiars and eleven That was several years ago, and now that store Is deserted. The Juke box Is still Inside, full 6^ recoils, but there Is no one around to play "Cisco Clifton Station." MAP NOTSj Cisco Is shown In detail on the Cisco, UtaHj\15 minute United States Geological Survey topographic map. location of the town Is also shown on most highway mapg, The � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Norman Weis Manuscripts Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1971-1987 Description An account of the resource A collection of manuscripts by Casper College professor Norman Weis. <br /><br />This collection includes manuscripts of:<br /><em>Ghost Towns of the Northwest: Known and Unknown<br />The Starduster<br />Two-Story Outhouse<br />Helldorados<br /></em><br />Each manuscript contains written in edits by Norman Weis Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Norman Weis Language A language of the resource ENG Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Norm Weiss Manuscripts and Photographs, CCA 10.2003.01 WyCaC US. Casper College Archives and Special Collections. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Searchable PDF Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CCA 10.2003.01_Weis_Manuscripts Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Manuscript Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource <em>Helldorados</em> Part VI: Utah Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <div class="element-text five columns omega"> <p><a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a></p> </div> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1975 Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Norman Weis Language A language of the resource ENG Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Norm Weiss Manuscripts and Photographs, CCA 10.2003.01 WyCaC US. Casper College Archives and Special Collections. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CCA 10.2003.01_Weis_Helldorados_Utah Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Searchable PDF https://caspercollege.cvlcollections.org/files/original/a145cf8d79d35b74463e8d66b7a44c6f.pdf 9457c861dd1e189bdd089844f51d162c PDF Text Text PART V COLORADO /1o - �The rocky prominences of a dozen neaks rise to 14,000 more than ^heweaml feet. Gascadln<? streams fill the narrow floors of deen valleys. Trails into the area hany on steep mountainsides and cross unstable talus slopes. The passes a-ivlny access are more than two miles above sea level. Some remain snow:covered the year around. the snow melts, avalanches are common. Where It is a difficult land, to traverse. Prom Silverton^ the road heads northeast valley of the Animas aiver. up the As the valley narrows, the road, by necessity, imitates the river’s every bend and sweep. In four miles the valley opens^and the road crosses the now yently meanderinsr stream. A valley. old cabins sprinkled across the The remains of an old mill stand on the flat at the north edye of town. An aerial tramway still extends from the mill, reaching upward in broad dips toward a mine now G hidden by tall tre^s. Rusted ore buckets hans^ at random in/^ tervals. The cable extends through the mill, passes around, a weighted turnabout wheel^ back up the slope. then returns through the mill and The mill is guyed with an opposing �cable to balance the toppling pull of the tramway. The r equalizing effect of the anchor ^able is controlled by a»awo«.»< a series of pullevs mounted in blocks Increase sevenfold the force aoplled. an to X Captain Baker, prospector and exnprer, led the first party of gold seekers into the area. The sevenunan party set out in July of i860 determined to explore the San Juan (St. John) River. Finding little color in that drainage, the party moved to the northwest. Gold in sand was finally located in modest quantity at the confluence of Cascade Creek and the Animas River. Baker senty^exaygerated reportand that December, Kellogg, one of the financial backers of the original group, brought in a party of one hundred. I4any of the prospectors brought their families. Winter travel in the high mountains was chancy, and the party barely survived a severe blizzard encountered in San Luis Park. Members of the party found it necessary to burn their wagon boxes and furniture in order to keep warm. By the following May a camp was established at a site referred to as Zlnlmas Clty^, but poors paying sand and threatening Indians caused rampant dissatisfaction and �desertion. everyone blanied Baker for exaggerating the orisrinal strike, and at one poin^^reatened to hang him. i,«Zithin a few months serted. Animas City was nearly deT^ A gentleman named Pollack remained until fall, surviving the threats of the Utes by donating (under duress) precious goods to the Indians. held captive by Navajo children^^the Utes^hnd In return he was given four w?»ivM<F 3ventually war broke out^and the Indians warned all Xf^ites to clear out of this surrounding area. Baker returned with another party in 1868. Again he failed to live up to his claims of riches, and most of his party deserted. Baker and two faithful friends headed southwest, hastened on their way by hostile Indians. Cornered in a canyon, the trio had no choice but to build a raft driftwood and float down the stream. of The stream was the Colorado, and the point of launch was the head of the Grand Canyon. Baker was shot dead as the raft was pushed off. of the remaining two men was washed overboard and drowned. The last man survived by lashing himself to the raft. He was found days later and miles downstream, still bound to the raft — unconscious, but still alive. One �by the Bullion City Company in 1874 Streets were laid outy^at the Junction of CunnlncJ?' ham Creek and the Animas Hlver7^»t the oiito that would, later .Hni.TQyd.mr5n n fl - -h.r Bullion City The town was named dents chansred the name b.y the promoters. New reslA* tho town to Howardsvllle at the first town meetinc:, probably for a man named Howard who had built the first cabin in town. Silverton was sprinjjing up at the same time, but Howardsvllle, somewhat larger, was selected as county seat. Silverton's Within a year, however,y^promoters were claiming a population of 3,OOO.fnnn ^ilvniPtnu. Recorded figures indicated that 800 was a lot closer to the truth, but^whatever the population, Silverton outshown its neighboring city, and the seat was transferred bv majority vote of the citizenry of the two towns. Niegoldtown and Highland Mary, both smaller than Howardsvllle, grew up around large mine and mill complexes. Both towns were on Cunningham Creek within 0 miles of Howardsvllle. population. They did little to preserve Howardsvllle’s In 18?? Howardsvllle had 0 saloons, a brewery, a reputation, and a population that showed up mostly on weekT^ ends. In 1881 election day. down. Howardsvllle could muster a mere 150 on The town died slowly as mine after mine shut The post office finally closed in 1939. Presentlv, �two or three cabins are occupied, and one mine sends ore to a modern mill at the east end of town. The Highland Mary Mine and town, south of HowardSe­ ville, has its own unique history. of New York City, The two Ennis Brothers recipients of a large inheritance, decided they would like to invest their money in a gold mine. Devout believers in the occult, they logically consulted their favorite seer as to where that .void might be found. The seer, primed with a fat fee, pored over a map of the west. A map of Colorado His hand descended on Colorado. was quickly obtained. The seer strained to the utmost and^ after much concentration, plunked his finver on the map at the spot where vreat riches would be found. a high passmiles from Howardsville 11,200 feet. The spot was on at an elevation of The believing brothers staked out the claim and recorded it as the ’highland Mary. For an added fee, the spiritualist wandered over the area and "sensed" the lodes. Several years and a million dollars later, the disillusioned brothers sold out and returned east. The new dug along the thin veins of ore. owners The veins Joined, and rich deposits were located. The mine became a strong producer In a few but a short-lived one. years the town, mine^and mill collapsed. At present the mill foundations are about all one can find at the site. It’s a great place to picnic and a rewarding place to snoop �about. The hillsides between Hit^hland Mary and Howardsville are crowded with remnants of the mininsr boom. Numerous cables still scallop their way up the ^000: foot eastern scarp of the valley. Buildings of the Little Panney Mine perch mid#slope with little evidence of support. Nearby tramway buckets of the Buffalo Boy swing a hundred feet in the air — still loaded with ore. MAP NOTE: The Silverton, Colorad15, minute and the Howardsville, Colorado^ ?! minute United States Geological Survey topographic macs show Howardsville and most of the' old mines in the area. �SU33KA, COLORADO The Sunnyside Mine was Eureka's prime reason for The town, like the mine, sputtered reluctantly e. Into exlstj^nce, ran well for a time, then slowed and being. clattered to an apparent halt. Then, like an overheated enojlne, It banyed out a few more revolutions, gasped, and died, Three thousand claims were filed In Animas Valley during 1873. few payed off. Pew of the claims were proved up andyyOf those, The <3unnvslde , located three miles north/' west and a half mile above Eureka, was a notable exception. George Howard located the Sunnyside In I873, The tunnel followed the vein Into the mountain just above Lake Emma. The direction of the vein Indicated that It would outcrop again on the other side of the hill. Inspection led to the discovery of the Sunnvslde extension (later called ths Gold Prince), just three-quarters of a mile northeast and at the Identical elevation of the original strike. held ore of^^easonable quality. void, The vein The melt obtained was sliver, and John Terry provided much of the early finances, but his Input exceeded the yield and he was forced to sell. He got a srood price but was vlven only S75»OOO down, with payments to follow over a number of years. found the mine to be a loser The new owners and refused to make further �With the 175,000 and the help of Rasmus Hanson, payments. Terry again took over the mine Into a paying proposition. and turned the Gold Prince At one time It was acclaimed the richest mine In the state and was eventually to yield oveij’^50 million In gold and silver. Meanwhile, back down the hill at the flat spot below the confluence of Niagara Greek and the Animas River, a town was taking shape. The town was officially platted In 187^, or 1887, or 1881, depending on who wrote the town’s history. However^It Is certain that the town was platted and a land patent applied for. Some years later, after an unexplainable delay, the town patent was Issued. It was dated 1883 and signed "Chester A. Arthur, President." By this time the town had more than ©dozen homes and a business district to match. The San Juan Expositor was publishing the news, but competition from other sheets In the region kept the Expositor from turning out more than one Issue a month. Residents took care to build their homes In the center of the broad gravel flat, hoping that roclTTalls and snowslides would expend their energies at the fringes. The town was to remain free of damage, but surrounding mines and shacks were frequently covered, moved, or eliminated by avalanches. �The Silver Wing bunkhouse was swept away in I906, bTj burial when The body of one victim was being moved a storm hit the area. The body was left by the road while the relatives took cover. Later under another avalanche. Apparently the man's number was up. the corpse was found buried Deep drifts all but eliminated traffic during the winter. Postmen wearing snowshoes brought in the mall and With freight hauling as much meat as their backs could handle. curtailed due to deep drifts, the price of meat soared, and the moonlighting mailmen seized the opportunity. Sighty pounds was an ordinary load. On one occasion a postman disappeared with a bundle of mail containing pay vouchers and other valuables. He was never feuw*? og heard from again. When a second pos^ man turned up missing, it was assumed he had also absconded. Two years later the second postman’s body was found, quite well preserved, in .a snowbank, where he had been swept off the trail and «mb buried by an avalanche. The broad flats of 3ureka show little ^idence of the two thousand people once lived A few log shacks, extensive mill foundations, and a nearly intact tramway are the most obvious. In the center of the town'llte a small but tall building seems to defy definition. like a hose tower, but it’s not tall enough. It looks The stout timbers at the corners and in the center would imply a water - * �tower, but the area under the roof is not large enough. It could have been an overhead loader, but there is no evidence of a ramp. Perhaps it was originally a water tower and was later decapped and used for storage. Half a mile north of town, in a deep narrow valley, is a large dormitory of relatively recent vintage. it was last used by Sunnyside miners. It is poorly located and could be wiped out any winter by avalanche spring by flood, but while it lasts Probably or any it is spectacular. Southeast of town, half way up thf of Grown Mountain, a ramshackle old mine structure Clings, defying all of Isaac Hewton’s postulations. The topographic map of the area fails to show a name for the mine. The cartoj* graphers probably figured the structure would be gone by the time the maps were published. The Sunnyside Mine died hard. At one time it was the largest mine in the state, and ores from its tunnels fed four different mills, all running continuously. there never* was a vein that didn’t end. But The Sunnyside closed down in 1931. A few folk stayed on in hopes 4jha»- the mine might be reopened. Their hopes were realized in 1937, when fifty men were hired to refit the mill. The population climbed from nearly none to almost a hundred, and Sureka laid claim to being the second largest town in the county. Hopes faded �when work on ^reconditioning slowed. office in 1939 The town lost its post and prosnects for survival looked "bleak again But in 19^0 the machinery at the mill was finally put in motion, running "smooth as glass." Ore stockpiled on dumps was processed, and reserves In the mines were blocked out. However, Law 208 forced the mine out of production in 19^2, when all gold mining was declared no:^^trateglc. was needed for the war effort. Manpower In 19^8 the mill was sold for salvage^and the huge coranlex was quickly dj aTnq.ntl.ed.. The town of Eureka is deserted. The Animas River wanders through town, changing course at will, occasionally undermining and toppling another of the.■remaining structures. Debris lines the banks. A plank here, a gallows wheel there and^half burled in the gravel, the front axle of an old freight wagon. Only the bare bones of Eureka remain, and these will not long withstand the double-edged threat of avalanche and flood. MAP NOTE: The Handies Peak, Colorado^minute United States Geological Survey topographic map shows Eureka and the various mines mentioned in the text. �2'^^ fjhks, /fM***^**^ goLJHiiDJ L d/dar In spite of the offer of free lots, there was no ffreat rush to build homes in Animas Porks. The 11,200c foot elevation and heavy winter snows made life difficult the necessities of that life expensive. and Summers were pleat^^ sant but winters were lonely, and one could be locked in by snow for months at a time. The operators of the San Juan Smelting Company Mill at the Junction of the two forks of the Animas Hlver wanted to maintain continuous operations but were plagued dwindling work forces each fall. The free lots helped attract a few, but it was the opening of more mines and the building of a number of additional mills that brought Animas Forks into full four-season existence. That was in 1877, and it wasn't long before the forested hillsides had been cut bare for winter firewood. The mayor of the budding town warned the residents that^ without trees, avalanches would be free to roll into town. He was right, but his forecast was a bit early. Major avalanches did not occur at the town proper until the turn of the century. However, the threat of the surrounding mountains was ever present, and mines located on their slopes were frequently endangered. Houghton Mountain to the northwest, California Peak to the southwest, and Cinnamon Mountain to the east, all more than 13,000|feet high, collected massive amounts of snow 2.^ �At Its peak, Animas Porks had two assay offices, one hotel, a stout jail, and a few fancy houses built by mine owners. Host of the miners lived in large boardinsT^ houses at the mine sites another 1,000 feet above town. The town had enough saloons to occupy miners on week^ds. English sparrows arrived in the valley during the summer of I896. They had been noticed in Denver in 1892. Their migration rate westward was calculated at (5^ miles per vear. The mines and mills, and hence the town, began to fade in the early nineties. As was often the case, efforts were made to get a railroad in to lower the cost of transportation, thus making possible the processing of As a consequence, Otto Mears extended the lower:grade ore. railroad from Eureka. To do so, he had to lay the tracks on the wagon road in several narrow spots. One fouramile stretch contained seven areas badly prone to blockage by snowslides. The unsinkable Otto, who had built roads and railroads across terrain others termed impossible, proceeded to build ’’avalanche proof" deflectors. of the design. Great claims were made about the strength The first avalanche wiped them out. The railroad was completed in I906, minus the avalanche guards. That winter brought some of the worst storms in the town’s history. It snowed steadily for a week. killed (20) people in outlying communities Snowslides alone in the �Shenandoah Boarding e that was swept downhill, reduced to rubble, and permanently burled In the debris. One avalanche filled a miner’s shack with snow, removed It from Its original site, then covered It with death.” feet of the ’’white The miner managed to dig his way out, cutting steps as he followed the fissures In the snow. Many slides rode down the mountains southeast of town, crossed the stream and the road, then climbed the opposite hill. I^ltnesses claimed the top of the slide would curve back on Itself like a tidal wave, then fall back down toward the riven In 1917 the huge Gold Prince 14111 was dismantled and moved to Bureka. By I926 the town of Animas Porks was deserted. Now only one mill and a dozen residences are standing at the tow^Tlte. In a small building at the base of the remaining mill, hundreds of sacks of cement, all hard as rock, stand In evidence of great hopes unfulfilled. Up^ streamfon the west fori^a half mllej are the extensive bullffl^ Ings of the Bagley Mine complex. I visited the site In midiJune. It had snowed eight Inches the day before, but now It was warm and the snow was melting, Numerous small rook"^ldes cracked down the slopes. Rock >Zfiucks scrambled about, escaping their water-logged r^ treats to enjoy the sun. Water ouzels, commonly called dippers^ were present In unusual numbers — some walking the river bottoms �competely submerged^others standing: on rocks convulsively bouncing up and down, busily living up to their nickname. ----------------------- -------------------------- NOTSj y Animas Forks and adjacent towns are shown on the Handies Peak, Colorado^7i minute United States Geological Survey topographic map. 3ND COLORADO ARSA 1 — S.O �_ jgOLQRAPQ A35A 2 The Mt, Axtell and the Oh—Be—Joyful topoi^raphlc maps need to be joined toojether to give a complete picture of the Irwin town ^Ite« A rectangle, three-quarters by three-eighths of a mile adjacent to Irwin Lake (once called Brennan Lake) Is labeled on the maps as *Irwln Cor­ porate Body. •^Along this stretch of land and extending to the south a bit Into an area once called •**^uby,was the mile5 long main street of the short-lived silver boomtown of Irwin, I could find little sign of buildings as I walked up the boulder-strewn road. There was nothing left of the (Vojbuslness houses that once lined,main street Twenty'—A, three of those business places had been saloons. There wasn’t a sign of their existence -- no bottles^-J^’^no smashed kegs, not even a lonely rusted barrel hcjp. As I walked the area, faint signs of old foundations became evident, and down by the stream shacks. I spotted several Across the creek and up the hill were the extensive and nearly Intact remains of the old Forest Queen Mine, once the biggest producer In the area. The owner of the mine was once offered a million dollars for It — and he refused to sell. In 1932 It sold for In back taxes. ^33 �The mine showed sicns of occupation, 'An old steam tractor was blocked in position to provide power for some of the mine machinery. It was rusted and in Next to the tractor, a vintage car was tilted disrepair. at an odd angle, its rear end jacked up and pointed toward the shaft house like a skunk ready to do business, A belt led from a rear tire to a pulley wheel on a dewatering pump. Another car was "reared up" and connected by belt to an ore crusher. On the other side of the structure an old army weasel was mounted by the cableshoisting drum, A number of short iron rods connected the trackless left rear sprocket of the‘weasel' to the fly wheel of the defunct steam engine once used to raise the skip. The fly***^eel was connected to the cable drum. The door of the adjacent cabin stood open, and a sign on the table read^ "please sign the register. Ing on a ditch up by the lake." I’m work?^ The cabin was neat^and its shelves were lined with canned goods. I signed and went looking for the mechanical wizard tj^t was responsible for all the Hube Goldbera: innovations. I drove down to the junction and took the main road to the lake. There I crossed a ford and headed up a slippery mud road, looking for the ditch and hence the mine owner. My pickup was in ^wheel drive, superT^w, when it failed to make the last muddy hill. After a short sideways slide I �sot the vehicle headed back down, reallz,ft» -feha^ I had made the only recent tracks and that no one was up that hill anyway. Back at the mine two John Hahn and Barry Davis, the I had sousrht in vain, were finished with their ditch work and were relaxing over a cup of coffee. I was invited to help empty the pot. a> John Hahn, served, in the artillery HCy^alwavs had a desire to own his own mine. Forest Queen He and his brother bought the a number of years back. for thirty years. While John finished his thirty years, his brother worked the mine,—"Pound some good ore," said John. "Up to ounces a ton, down on the third level."]/It was the two brothers *hat rigged up the cars, belts^and weasel. ) the old steam tractor. ’^6." I asked about "Got the old steam engine back in John isn't much for words. You ask a question and you get a grin, and he hands you a map or a book to look it up “ only occasionally resorting to (words. I asked if he had done any mining before, "No — always wanted to — sort of a hobby," "You don't go down these old shafts alone, do you?" "Sure." "Isn't that pretty dangerous?" "Not smart enough to be scared," John replied. Barry Davis, John's young friend, nodded agreement. 2-37 �"Barry, I suppose you stay up topside to help <9 out if John gets In trouble;" "No, we go down together*^- we both get a kick out of It." "You guys are nuts I" "Yes." Some of the old literature John pushed at me be^ tween cups of coffee contained glowing reports of a much younger Forest Queen Mine. ground on each shaft. At one time men were undef?^ Pockets of wire silver were common. Five thousand dollars worth of silver was knocked down in a single blast. The Chloride shaft Mountain at the foot of nearby Ruby was the object of some fancy promotion. In I9OO, at the end of the silver boom, the English owner was awakened by the shaft boss and told of a rich pocket just uncovered. As the story goehuge gobs of wire silver hung from the tunnel roof — and ^00 pounds of nearly pure silver pulled out. Later the straw|boss bought the raine^ then sold it at a profit by retellinB: the old story — slightly improved. The new owner failed to find any sign of silver, let alone "wire silver hanging in gobs." A number of mines were promotional in nature, rather than productive. The Davy Crocket, Boomerang, Priceless, �Last Chance, and. I'4ountain Gera ran into isolated pockets but none really paid off. of ore Bill Fisher found silver at the Forest Queen in 1879. The camp that grew up on the flats was originally called '^uby.'^ The rush occurred in midwinter, and cabins had to be built quickly. Trees were cut down while deep snow lay on the yround. In the spring, numerous (^^:foot stumps appeared. Later, when the town grew, it was renamed after one of its founders, Dick Irwin, A promoter sold lots just five- and called Ruby, promising 5" south of town at a second site six-story 6 t^ory buildings. He skipped town, and the second Ruby was swallowed up by Irwin. At its peak in 1881, the population was close to 3,000. It seemed to be a permanent town. Perhaps not a "helldorado ” butyy accord Ing to the newspaper, at least an "eldorado." The editor of the town's paper, JUfhe 31k Mountain Pilot, was a strange character. He laid out the town cemetery, then became its first resident a few days later after he was killed dynamiting fish. The town had mill. churches, © sawmills, and a stamp Lots sold for up to S5.000 each. to frequent sale. Mines were subject When it became evident that only a few �shafts led to paying deposits, sales slacked, and the promoters left town. An elite social group called the Irwin Club, famous for entertaining two presidents, fell from a carefully selected membership of 100 in 1881 meager in 1884. to a . 3y 1909 the town was deserted. John Hahn spends his winters in Boulder, Colora^ do. Otherwise^he is busy preoaring to drill a tunnel into the mine from below. that manner. He figures to dewater the mine in Some of the bestspaying ore is now under several hundred feet of water. I inquired a a—' how he could tunnel into such a highs.pressure spot without being drowned in the resulting deluge "OhyLthat's not too difficult." "I suppose going to get help to drive the tunnel?" "No," he replied. "That's pretty dangerous, isn’t it?" "Yes." "Why do you keep doing it?" "Well -- it’s a hobby — I like it." He paused, then added, "Don’t you have any hobbies?" "Yeahjw^I'm building a bi£^ane in my garage." John didn’t say a damned thing — just sat there drinking coffee and grinning. 2-, I — MAP NOTE: “hie townsite and nearby mines are at the jnndatan juncture of the Mt# Axtell, ^dorado, and the 0h-Be-Joyful,C<4orado 7’2 minute mpps# �J GOTHIC CITY, COLORADqEL Truman Blacett found silver at the foot of Gothic Mountain in the fall of I878. He crubbed out several hundred dollars worth of wire silver before vac^ ting the high country for the winter. Somehow his secret got out, and the next sprincr a hundred tents were pitched on the flats of Sast River near Blacett's claim. The area was 9,500 feet above sea level and still snow-covered. Tents pitched temporarily on snow had to be reset when the sun dried the ground. Within four months, I70 "permanent” structures were up, and. as one wag put ita » > to the naked eye.” "the camo became visible By the time Samuel Wail (Weil) marked out boun^ darles and auplied for a town natent, the population had soared to 1,000. Within months the settlement had grown to a si^^ble town with a butcher shop, hotel, two sawmills, and several stores. Indeed, the residents claimed it was not merely a town ~ it was GOTHIC CITY, the fastest growing piece of real estate in the world. Within two years the town reached 8,000 popula/^ tion (according to the promoters) and may even have hit the 3,000 mark by accurate count. It now had two hotels, a tovAin hall, two newspapers, and yet another newspaper editor was �movinia; in a third press. There were two schools and a preacher in residence, busily attempting to neutralize the effects of two dance halls and half a dozen saloons. Gothic City was one of the wildest towns in Colorado. Its red-light district was unequalled. Strangely enough, only one murder and one lynching were recorded during the or years that the city boomed. In 1884 the veins thinned and the ore wouldn't pay expenses. Gothic City died almost as fast as it The last election for mayor was between two newspaper editors. The winner, G. H. Judd, found himself mayor of a chost town. He liked it and assumed jurisdiction over all the ghost towns in the area. When he died, ashes of his cremated body were spread across the nearly barren flats of Gothic City. The old town is called *^othic*^now — there is little excuse to add "city^ The town hall and an old pay shack stand on main street, braced with proos and steel tie rods. Scattered about are a few of the original cabins. The Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratories have taken over the town as a summer teaching camp and research center. This science camp, like many of its kind, serves best as a vacation retreat for weary nrofessors. Some of them are quite well known. The summer climate in the area is delightful. The winters bring heavy snows the tyu!? ideal for skiinv. �A ski resort is presently undergoing rapid expansion at a point between Gothic and Crested Butte, It is booming much like Gothic City did 100 years ago. MAP NOTE* The Mount Axtell and the 0-3e-Joyful, Colorado^ topographic maps are both required to study the area properly 2^0 �J COLORADO AaSA 3 3 ST. ELMO, CQLOaADQC Like most mines, the Mary Murphy was on an Impossible site. You had to crawl to It^and if you weren’t careful you could fall out of it. A miles long tramway was built from the road on Chalk Greek, 1,700 feet up the Slone*to the mine at a lofty elevation of 12,100 / feet. The small town of Romley sprouted at the lower end of the tramway. Three miles down^tream^at a more liveable altitude, the town of Forest City was hacked out of the heavy timber. Most of the mine employees chose to live in the lower town. In 1880 the townspeople of Forest City voted to incorporate. The postal department refused to accept the town’s name, due to jste duplicate use in several other states in the mid^nst and on the Pacific coast. townfolk settled on Elmo,’’^after the title and hero The of a bests selling novel by A. S. Wilson. The town had ^00 residents at the time destined to grow rapidly. nearly two thousand. but was By 1881 the population reached There was no shortage of wood, for the timber cleared from a hornedite provided the saw logs for the house. 6<<e/er �The Denver and Rio Grande had cooperated with the Union Pacific to run a rail line up Chalk Greek to St. Bimo, and work was in pros:ress on an extension up the continental creek to Homley. The Intent was to cross tbe./nvide via A an j^OO:foot tunnel, then drop down to the town of Gunnison. The tunnel was completed in 1882. The new line was hailed as a great achievement — until the first snow fell. Avalanches were so bad that the windows on the passenger coaches had to be boarded up. Snow and rocks frequently banned the sides of the cars. Some passengers appreciated the fact that they couldn't see out. On the downhill^eastern run through the tunnel, the train would pick up speed in order to blast through the waual heavy usually drift^found just above Romley. Often the train would run under the drift and bog down. Trainmen would climb atop the observation car and run forward "shovel in hand" to open a smoke^hole before the engineer and fireman suffocated. One summer day Mark Twain rode a fla^^ar down the grade, with one of the road bosses acting as brakeman. A bit of brake trouble added a new dimension to the outing. It was a wild ride, but the view throuvh the "one big window" was unsurpassed. St, Slmo quickly turned into a Saturday night hell-raising town. It had (^hotels, a newspaper, numerous saloons, and no church. Sventually a school was built. �Ohuroh services were occasionally held there on Sundays. The Gunnison, Aspen, and Tin Gup Sta^^e Lines ran dailv trips from St. Elmo, up over Tin Gup Pass,^on down to the sister boomTown of Tin Gup. Just below St. Elmo, less than a mile the creek, was the smeltins: town of Iron Gity. and across Never much for size, it became hard up for business when the railroad arrived. It lasted only two years. furnished the coup de grace. A flood on Chalk Greek Now it's a pretty nice spot to fish. Only two of the fifty mines in the area were opera^ ting in I897. The railroad ceased operation in 1911^^and the tracks were torn up in 1926. The town died that year, but the post office hung on until 1952. It’s a beautiful ghost town now. Most of the build? ings are left, and there is no misplaced commercialism. country store operates much in the old style. One It comes to life somewhat each winter when the snc)^mobilers gather on week^nc^s to run the slopes above town. Occasionally a snow^ cat races down the old railroad grade in pale imitation of Mark Twain's thrilling ride. MAP NOTE* St. Elmo is shown on the Garfield, Colorado^ 15 minute United States Geological Survey topographic map — A/7 �TURR 5T, □LJaADoC. I’m lost without a map. a map I Sometimes I’m lost.with A trip into the upside:d:own country above Salida, Colorado, was not in my plans, and my map file did not in-/ elude the Came ron Mountain topographic map. And in this case even with the map I would have been lost. At least the towns of Calumet and Wolf, both near Turret, would always have been lost to me, since neither is shown.on the Cameron map All three of the towns would have remained unknown to me if I hadn't run across a gent named Dave Smith, Dave operates a Jeep tour service out of Salida, Colorado. We were discussinjr items of mutual interest ghost towns — when Dave asked if I had ever heard of Turret. I hadn’t, so he twisted the barb a little by adding, "How about Calumet?" "Nope." "And Wolf? There’s not a writer in the country ever even heard of that townI" We left the next morning with a regular tour party. Lacking a map, I busily sketched the way in. In the process of sketching a map on @different pages of a notebook, I managed to botch the Job properly. I didn’t know where I was\ but Dave did, and he was enjoying every mile of it. Wolf and Calumet are to the right of the quarry and probably in Sections 21 and 2i|-y^respectively, on the •3^1 �aforementioned map. Turret Is to the left of the quarry and on up a wellsused road. The road enters Turret at right angles to and in the middle of the town's deserted main street. To the left are the old post office and the former Turner residence^with T mine behind, A number of other bulldln<?s are nearby., some of which were saloons, others houses of ill fame, and still others combinations of the two. Some distance to the right are the courthouse and main business district of town. On the hill above and to the south are the rock foundations of Turret’s most popular speakeasy, noted for its expansive underground moonshine storage facilities. The tin:covered hip roof of the coutthouse gave protection to the mayor's office, sheriff's office, and jail. Just down the slope the two-story log hotel, '^e Gregory, sported walls papered with 1902 issues of the town's news­ caper, the "^old Belt."^ Cat Gulch runs west through town, parallel to the street. In places the stores was above the gulch the boardwalk fronting and served as a bridge as well as a walkway. In 1892 along the gulch. the town was actually camps strung out At the high end was Adams Gamp, then Minneapolis, then South Turret or Klondike. One historian states that the town was platted in 189? under the name of �Gamp Austin. The place was officially named Turret in 1899» the year the town boomed. Population always varied with the seasons, with more than a thousand citizens in town during the summers of 1899 and I9OO. In 1900 the mines revealed the shallow nature of their veins, and the town’s future dimmed. Some gold and copper mining continued at the Independence Mine until 1916, but the best producers ^he Golden Wonder, Mie Gold Bug, and ^e Monongahela'^ were worked out. The post office miracui^^ lously survived until 19^1. MAP NOTE* Turret is on the Cameron Mountain, Colorado^15 minute United States Geological Survey topograph map. �1CALUMST, COLORADO i4uoh of the road from Salida to Calumet Is coincident with the grade of one of the most unusual rail lines ever built In Colorado. The Denver and Hio Grande built the spur to serve the Colorado Fuel and Iron Company. The grade was set at seven per cent, more than double the normal slope. On the way up to the mines at Calumet cou lings on the train had a tendency to yield, resulting in wildly careening rides down the hill. accidents, empty cars were pushed upj were "held back" by the engine. To prevent such when filled, they Passengers were permitted to ride only after signing a release. Prom Calumet passel^* gers could continue via the Turret, ’,/hitehorn^and Salida Stage Line, The stage station for that line is one of the best remnants left in town. More than feet long, it had. 2-5/ a forsre at one end and was built into and around a huge rock at the opposite northeast end. It is the longest log structure this observer has had the opportunity to photograph. A second log building and an outhouse make up the balance of Calumet today. At one time it was a busy company town, fur«* nishing much of the iron ore for the smelters at Pueblo,. Colorado. The Calumet Mine, for which the town was named, was one of the deepest in the world prior to 19OO. The �shaft was started In 1889 and In 1898 reached the end of the rich raas-netlc iron ore deposits at a depth of 4,900 feet. Marble found in the vicinity kept the town and the railroad in business for a time, but for all practical purposes the life blood of Calumet flowed downhill with the last load of magnetite. MAP NOTSi Calmet is not shown on the Cameron Mountain, ColoradOy^l5 minute United States Geological Survey topographic map. A building or two that might repre­ sent the town aire shown in Section 24. �COLORADO r J N'o one seems to know the history of the town of whether Wolf, or^indeed, that is the correct name for the community Dave Smith of Salida, Colorado, happened upon it some years ago while jeepzexploring in the area. He prowled about and found evidence of a main street and a dozen buildings, four or five of which still stand. The largest structure, a smelter, contains an old boiler, a forge, and work tables. On the wall is written: ^^Faint signs of Inteyecting streets can be made out. nearly six inches in diameter grow in old ruts. Trees Half a dozen cabins stand in varvlnor states of decay. An outhouse tilts on its foundation, threatening to fall into its own opening and self-destruct. M substitute neatly carpeted — a eampr^migod fur lining. Its seat is On one visit to the old town, Dave met a miner working on a claim.4n- tho arua. He was freshly returned from Alaska and was carrying out the required work to legally maintain his mine. He had scant information to offer con^_ cerning the town. He had heard that it boomed about I898 and had a population of 200 at that time. eased When the boom mining and smelting the gold taken whether The miner did not know the town was (^^folk remained, from shafts nearby. called Azolf**^or *^wolf'^ " he’d heard it both wavs. �Recently a rancher put cattle in the area. He provided water for the stock by digging in a number of old bath tjibs. 3xcept for the cattle tracks nearby, the sunken bathTubs would seem to add one more puzzle to the already mysterious town. MAP WOTS* , Colorado, Wolf is not shown on the Cameron Mountaln^^lS minute United States Geological Survey topographic mapj however, it is probably within the bounds of Section 21. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Norman Weis Manuscripts Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1971-1987 Description An account of the resource A collection of manuscripts by Casper College professor Norman Weis. <br /><br />This collection includes manuscripts of:<br /><em>Ghost Towns of the Northwest: Known and Unknown<br />The Starduster<br />Two-Story Outhouse<br />Helldorados<br /></em><br />Each manuscript contains written in edits by Norman Weis Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Norman Weis Language A language of the resource ENG Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Norm Weiss Manuscripts and Photographs, CCA 10.2003.01 WyCaC US. Casper College Archives and Special Collections. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Searchable PDF Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CCA 10.2003.01_Weis_Manuscripts Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Manuscript Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource <em>Helldorados</em> Part V: Colorado Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <div class="element-text five columns omega"> <p><a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a></p> </div> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1975 Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Norman Weis Language A language of the resource ENG Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Norm Weiss Manuscripts and Photographs, CCA 10.2003.01 WyCaC US. Casper College Archives and Special Collections. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CCA 10.2003.01_Weis_Helldorados_Colo Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Searchable PDF https://caspercollege.cvlcollections.org/files/original/0b9795280af88b17e571cfba38cb2b8b.pdf 178ec0b8fe2e434ead1bcaf0d78dbe69 PDF Text Text PAET IV NEW MEXICO �X Of the string of perhaps a dozen Inactive coal-.mining communities in the Raton area, Gardiner is one of the few open to visitationr —fiMPA has enough surviving remnants to make a tour of the grounds worthwhile. Originally the town was shaped like a capital '‘Ljjt with one leg extending west along Gardiner Canyon other pointing north, parallel to Coal Canyon. and the The western leg was the residential part of town, while the northern^ industrial portion\contained the mines, shops*and coke ovens. The coke ovens, each about feet in diameter, ran in four parallely^redibrick rows, each a quarter of a mile long. ®he more than 300 ovens processed coal from a number of mines that bored into the hill Immediately to the west. Tunnel portals dot the hillside, and*from one of the larger openings. heavy cables emerge to lie slack upon the ground. Years ago the cables stretched taunt overhead, supporting buckets that carried waste rock to the dump Over the years and coal to the loading chutes. rainwater has eroded the j/tittSs dumps, adding red streaks of iron oxide to the blues and greens of the waste rock. Slag heaps and coal piles have washed out to form low mounds on the flats below the mine. The finely powdered �coal that usually permeates the buildings and grounds of active coal towns has been cleansed by rain. the old lamp house are remarkably clean. Remains of The onoe=blackened stucco appears wow fro ba almost white. The residential portion of town Is sprinkled with foundations, windowless walls.and collapsed roofs. creek Across the a row of adobe walls standSlwlthout roofs, apparently the residue of a ravaging fire. Several of the buildings at the center of town seemed to be In livable condition. As I approached, a bearded gentleman emerged from one of the i homes and walked toward me. lA He was short — just four Inches over five feet. He was on the stocky side, carrying a smooth outside curve on the front. white. His full beard and mustache were a silvery His nose was small and rounded and his complexion ruddy He Introduced himself as Tom Hay and seemed relieved when I passed up the obvious opportunity to comment on his resemblance to Santa Claus. Thomas Hay and his 33tyear.-old son (both bachelors) are the sole, residents of town. Being just past himself, Tom makes no claim of being an least not for a few years," he was eight years old. ghost town nearby. that town.too. years ~ "at has lived In the area since His folks lived In Brilliant, another "We were the last ones to move out of Moved from Brilliant down here to Gardiner. �now we’re the only ones living here.^'lrrom pointed down the hill toward some pillars marking the site of a oncexlmposlng "That was the hospital down there. structure. It was pretty fancy compared to most of the buildings. were made of adobe." adobe walls? He pointed across the creek. That was the colored section. *See those A big part of the town was Negro. Another part was Italian. separated." Lot of them They all kept "Over there Tom Indicated the sections of town. was a bunch of shotgun houses ~ you know ~ three houses together." Tom swiveled to face his own home. old Doc’s Jiouse now. "Live In the Not so fancy as the hospital was, but It’s still pretty stout." I opened two wells chilled examples of the brewers’ art, fresh from the camper’s Ice^^x, and Tom warmed to his subject, "The town always was a company town. an old S.L.H.M. and P, town. place. Used to be Now Kaiser Steel owns the They own pretty near all the coal towns up and down the line," I asked about the abbreviations he had used. "The St. Louis, Rocky Mountaln^and Pacific Company, They made coke mostly ~ sold coal too, of course. was used for smelting copper. The coke That’s what killed the town someone Invented a new wayto smelt copper without using coke." �With the evening light gone, I arranged to meet Tom the next day, then headed the three miles back to the town of Raton and the public Jfclbrary, to learn more of the history of Gardiner. James T. Gardiner was a railroad geologist, ever on the lookout for coal deposits. He Inventoried the deposits on the east slope of the hills Just west of Raton. The best un,*" developed coal deposits were claimed by Gardiner in the name of the Sante Pe Railroad. Others, previously located by Mess|rs, Pels and Wigham, were obtained by trading land for claiming rights. __ Mine 0In 1881 the Blossburgy^( later called the <Dld Gardiner NlriM was in full operation. More mines were opened along the slope, and a number of towns grew around the best producers. Gardiner grew around the coal mine of the same name. sprouted two miles to the north. Blossburg Northwest of Blossburg, up Dillon Canyon, were the towns of Willow and Swastika. The last two towns were later renamed Brilliant I and Brilliant II. The swastika symbol, made infamous by the Nazi move?' ment in Germany, was earlier considered a good luck sign. . Swastikas were laid up in raised brick along the cornice of one of the most imposing buildings in nearby Raton. were a trademark of the Swastika Coal Company^. The symbols During the second World War, the owners of the buildings were kept busy explalnintr just why "those Nazi slgn^^were up there. �Gardiner had Its wild tlmes^ln spite of the tight company control of the town. In fact, it was company policy to meet threat with counter/^reat, especially in the event of a miners’ strike. The biggest strike occurred during the boom years of Gardiner when a thousand folk lived in town miners worked in the area. and yoo The company met the strike headxon by sending camp manager Wiggins to Birmingham, Alabama.to hire a troop of Negro workers to come in and break the strike by in place of the strikers. goAn» Competition for jobs added to racial tensions, and fights occurred with regularity in spite of rigid segregation. The Negroes, Irish, Italians, and yWfiltes worked and played separately, merging occasionally to attack or repel an opposing group or combine, Joe Dillslo Installed a wooden partition in his saloon to separate the customers. Signs indicated that one side was for "Negroes^ the other side for "Cosmopolitans^^ No one walked the streets alone after dark. came and went in groups. Customers In spite of such precautions, the number of tombstones and unmarked mounds in the cemetery Increased alarmingly. After World War II, demand for coal decreased rapidly. Coke, once in great demand by copper smelters, was now used in reduced quantities only by a few zinc refiners. According to Tom Hay, the town of Gardiner had been a near ghost for a number of years before folding completely in �19*5^. Many of the houses In Gardiner had already been moved to nearby towns. A number of deserted buildings burned down When the company packed up all its machinery. right down to the hand tools in the machine shop, the few remaining residents realized that Gardiner was done for Now, Just twenty years later, coal is on the comeback Kaiser Steel recently purchased the town. Maybe there is hope for Gardiner yet j MAP NOTE* Gardiner is shown on the Raton, New Mexico^ 15 minute ! united States Geological Surrey topographic map. �IDAWSON, NSW MEXICO/ When J. B. Dawson bought the land surrounding the Vermejo Biver at the point where it leaves the hills and meanders out upon the flats, he fully expected to receive 3^00 acres for the #3700 he Invested. In 1869 from Lucian Maxwell. He bought the land The land was » part of the old Beaubien and Miranda Grant Lands now referred to as the Maxwell Grant, Dawson’s deal with Maxwell was oral ~ that’s the way Maxwell did business. Dawson had no record of the sale, and*when called upon to prove ownership, found himself I in danger of losing his thousand acres. Luckily Dawson’s lawyer proved his client’s ownership and found records of the transaction in some of Maxwell’s papers. scribed was not 1,000 acres The land de*7^ but 20,0001 Dawson had a particular affection for his holdings. The land had plenty of water, was wells grown with trees and grass, and had an outcrop of highe-grade coal. to cut wood Dawson hated and took particular delight in heating his ranch ho|^e without laboring on the blister end of an axe handle. Neighbors were soon asking for coal, and before long Dawson’ coal sales became more important than raising livestock. Just after the turn of the century, Dawson and an adjoining neighbor made a deal with a railroad~baoked fuel company. In exchange for nearly half a million dollars. �the fuel company obtained rights to all the coal and owner/*^ ship of a section of land for a townslte'JJlater to be called Dawson, of course. Dawson’s wife was given exclusive rights to all milk sales In the town for the following years. The mining of coal on a large scale began In 1901. Dawson numbered 200 citizens by year's end the following year. By I903 the town had Its own doctor, newspaper, hotel, and fancy theaty^. passed the 2,000 mark. over and grew to 600 By I905 the population When the Phelps Dodge Company took they expanded operations^ and the population jumped to nearly 4,000. Dawson became the largest coal town In the/8^ate. In 1903 a small hint of future disaster was felt when a fire trapped three men In shaft number one. Rescue teams had almost reached the men when explosions rocked the mine. Cave-Ins burled the trapped miners. The would-be rescuers, badly burned, escaped with their lives. Dawson was a model company town, and the mining practices were said to be the most up^toidate In the nation. Since the disaster of I903, '^afety-^had been the motto. Rescue teams won top honors In area competition. In 1913. disaster struoki Three hundred men were trapped. Mine No. 2 exploded. Rescue teams went Into action. Two members died attempting to reach the trapped men. following day V The the rescue team brought ^^men out alive. Shifts of miners, wearing primitive oxycren masks, ventured 3,000 �feet down the shaft to help clear the debris leading to the trapped men. Hope soared when a mule was found alive. Efforts were redoubled, and a lone miner was found trappyftafely in a side tunnel. But the effort, however heroic, was too late. The missing two hundgod ^.63 ataty thraB men were found dead. A special section in the cemetery soon held 263 crosses. The explosion had been caused by setting off a dynamite blast before the coal dust from the last charge had settled. The coal dust ignited and in turn loosened more dust to form a traveling/j?oaring inferno that snaked through the shaft, causing cave-ins and releasing pockets of poisonous gas. The traveling detonation ended only when the fires roared out of the tunnel mouth. Ten years later some mine cars jumped track and knocked down some hightvoltage wires. The sudden flash of the electrical discharge was all it totek to set off a second travel^ ing explosion of coal dust. One hundred and twenty-two men died, and the crosses in the cemetery, row on row, now numbered a heartbreaking thgoo hundrod and Ivtw Fifty years have passed, but standing amid the crosses one can still feel a residue of the sorrow experienced on the two occasions when the whole town stood at graveside. Pat Garcia felt a different kind of sorrow. Pat and I had taken parallel but separate paths through town. Where I stopped to take photographs, he stopped and looked. �and often dropped his head in thought* I saw him again at a distance, poking about the old coke ovens. At the cemetery we found ourselves leaning on the same fence. He had a poignant story to tell. Pat Garcia was born in Dawson in 1933. with other miners’ kids. He grew up He recalled bragging that his dad worked in the ’’long shaft" ~ the one that went five miles under the mountain. His childhood was a particularly happy one, especially the years spent in hlgljsohool. left town. In 1950 Pat That same year, Phelps Dodge, owners of the town and mine, ceased operations. Much of the town was demolished to save taxes, Now Pat Garcia had returned to the hometown of his childhood. He found his parent’s house gone. his whole town was gone. Not a single old school pal stood on the corner ready to swap memories. had jumped track. Indeed, It was as though time For Pat, seventeen years of memories were out of reach, never to be revisited. MAP NOTE*Dawson is shown on the Cimarron, New Mexico^l5 minute United States Geological Survey topographic map. The 15xminute Koehler, New Mexico^ map is necessary to make out the route to Dawson, �COLFAX, NSW MEXICOP Developers of the St, Louis, Rocky Mountain and Pacific Railroad created the town by laying out ^00 lots. Each lot was 25 feet by 14o feet and priced at $140 each, with discotxnts for quantity purchases. Lots sold slowly, and the "town" called Vermejo Junction looked like a loser. In 1908 the New Mexico Sales Company took over and announced.a second railroad would pass through town. In addition, a tract of fagty t^uaond acres of Irrigated land was to be made available on the flats below town. was touted as ideal for growing sugar beets. The land At the same time, A. C. Cox announced plans to build a mult^^toried hotel. In spite of the grand plans, lots in town sold slowly. Many agents, when they did sell a few lots, kept the money and skipped town. The January 8, I909 issue of SCfie Raton Range reported that one J. W. O'Brien had sold his holdings in town to other parties and now couldn’t be found. Furthermore, it was determined that he^never owned a single one of the lots he sold. In spite of the small number of residents, Charles Glasgow built a hotel, the Clm^arron Lumber Company opened a yard, and a school was built on the hill west of town. A post office was established, and promoters claimed the town was booming. Actually, the town was in a constant struggle & to maintain its exlstf^nce. �The post office was shut down in 1921, but the school and the store continued operating. A new sidewalk was laid down In front of the brick store In 1925, In 1927, there was a bit of excitement when a "marauder" r^^^ portedly entered town and out the hose on the lone gas pump. The school shut down in 1939» and the kids were hauled to classes in Dawson^Q miles away. In spite of the closures, promoters claimed the town was growing. In 1967, when the town was known to be deserted, reporters in state newspapers still claimed 100 citizens. Historian F, Stanley claimed the same year that Colfax was going to be "reborn into actlvltyf^ Dawson by the Kaiser Company, He cited the purchase He envisioned many employees of the Kaiser Company building^ homesjln Colfax, In 197^ the place was completely deserted. However, if you look hard enough you will probably find a report in some newspaper that lots are selling like hot cakes and the population of town will soon pass the one hundred mark MAP NOTE* Colfax is shown on the 1915 Koehler, New Mexico^ 15 minute United States Geological Survey topbcrraphlo map. END NEW MEXICO AREA 1 �More than two thousand years ago, Indians found deposits of pale blue rock in the little pointed hills by Mount Ghalchlchultl. The turquoise was highly valued as a sacred stone capable of protecting its bearer from all evil. The open pit dug by the Indians in !*•-pursuit of the blue charm stone is likely the first mining effort of western man. Measuring 250 feet wide and up to 100 feet deep, the pit was the result of many years of primitive excavation. Stone hammers and wooden wedges were used to loosen projecting rock. Stubborn areas were heated by fire, then fractured with cold water. The famous Mina ^1 Tiro (Mine of the Shaft) was somewhere in the area, near the open pit, Indian slave labor Spaniards using pursued the silver deposits by means of vertical shafts aeo^oed by notched log ladders. The digging was confined to horizontal tunnels when the underground water level was reached. Some evidence indicates that skin canoes were used to transport ore at the lowest level. Wfcen the Indians rebelled against the Spatosh in 1680, the oppressors were killed and the shaft of the Mina ^1 Tiro was filled in. The exact location of the mine has since remained a mystery. — /6o Iff �Americans ’*alscovered’^ silver During in the little hills^, small boom ensued, t^^ grew to full proportion when the Santa Pe built its tracks through the area in 1879. Prospectors flooded the region. A camp called Cerrillos grew at the point where the tracks met the Galisteo Hlver. Turquoise was *^iscovered^^nd mlninc: of the semi^ ? precious stone became big business. *___ Nearly a million dollars worth was shipped to market each year during the eighties. Cerrillos, or los Cerrillos, grew rapidly during that period. At its peak the town had four hotels, separated by twenty saloons fronting three sides of the town plaza. The mine Tiffany’s Saloon became famous for its fine food. of the same name, known for its highe quality turquoise^pro^^ vlded stones for the crown jewels of Spain. By 1890 Cerrillos had begun its decline. Mining of silver and other precious me^s was diminishing, and by 19OO nearly all the mines had folded. The mining of turquoise con? tinned until the 192^^. Exceut for the frequent alteration of the outskirts of town by the flooding,Galisteo River, Cerrillos has changed little since the mining ceased. The generally dry bed of the Galisteo River comes to life each spring, sometimes overflowing as if in compensation for its brief yearly taste of life. Each year the flood is anticipated, suffered through, then cleaned up after, Thj^ center of town stands on high ground and has escaped flood damage. Fire has destroyed some of the places of business, but the remaining buildings fill two sides of the central plaza. �Some of the buildlna^s have signs over their doors that seem oddly new and out of place, the result of a brief Int^^ptlon In the town's quiet history. Disney Studios chose Gerrlllos for the filming of ^The Nine Lives of 51 fego Baca. . Slfego, a famous New Mexican lived through a barrage of more than ^00 shots gunfighter, fired over a period of 33 hours, while lying on the floor of a small shack. the movie The gunfight which formed the central theme of actually took place at Frisco, New Mexico. The Disney crew determined that Gerrlllos looked more^Uke the "real thlng^ and proceeded to "Improve" It by dressing up the false fronts and tacking up newly painted signs. The owner of the general store tn taww has since torn down the board that named the store and reinstalled one that says "Mitchell's^ while preserving the large portion that reads "General StoreJ^ A sign over one of the hotels still reads "Prlsco(^ The town comes to life each week end when visitors from the Santa Pe and Albuquerque areas stop In for a little sightseeing, a meal at Tiffany's, and perhaps an evening at the local opera house. Luckily I visited Um town In mld^ek, when Its true nature was displayed. The tourist businesses were closed. The general store was closed, but a sign stated It would open at 10 a.5, Two young boys stood In front waiting for the doors to be unlocked that morning. the only excitement ba expected In town �I peeked In the window of the corner saloon. An old man, hand shaded over his eyes, peeked back at me. It was obvious that he lived there and I had infringed on his privacy. Down the street half a block, a handsome woman stepped from the hotel, broom In hand. She smiled, shifted her chew to the other cheek, spat, and said *Aiello*^ The storekeeper opened his doors, and a crowd of ^or ^appeared. The flurry of activity soon ended. Outside the two young lads wandered over, kicking plumes of dust. I asked them about the old burnedtout rook and dobe building down the block. affee* that it had burned down. YSncy Perea answered the "The fire trucks came all the way from Santa Pe ~ too late ~ we bought our own fire truck just this year." Yancy's accent indicated he would be far more at home speaking Spanish. I asked about his pal. "Oh, him? M He's Gene — Gene Vick, He's twelve and I'm twelve," The two youngsters had comments on almost every subject, I learned the details of the last flood (one of the worst ever) and of the new smelter on the hill the Tiffany Saloon was 101 years old. and that Gene proudly read I fg �aloud the information sign erected in the plaza, Yancy Jumped in where he could. I commented on the number of long-haired people in town, "Yeah — them^Hippies, There’s almost as many of them in town as there is people I" claimed Gene, "What do they do for a living?" Yanoy looked up and squinted a bit as if he giving the question some hard thought, He thought a bit, "Some works," "And some steals," Gene bobbed his head in agreement. note* ( \ "Some don’t do nuthin’," He looked at me seriously, The Madrid, New Mexico^ 15 minute United States Geological Survey topographic map shows Cerrillos and Mount Chalchihuitl 3 miles to the north. �1MADRID, NSW MEXICO L Anthracite, the hard form of combust|^ble carbon, is found In Just three places in the United States: a small area in Pennsylvania, an equally small region in Western Colorado, and strung out along several canyons within @miles of Madrid, New Mexico. The deposits at Madrid are unique in that bituminous, the soft variety of coal, is found adjacent to anthracite. At the No. 1 mine of the Cerrillos coal^ field, bituminous was dug from the left side of the shaft, anthracite from the right. It was thse* soft coal that attracted the Santa Pe Railway to the head of Waldo Gulch, a few miles north of the tiny settlement of Madrid, In 1882 a spur was run up the canyon a few miles from a point Just west of Cerrillos. Madrid continued the mining of coal on a "one mule" 9(Bale, while huge quantities of bituminous coal were taken from Waldo Canyon, Soon the demand for the cleanersburning hard coal grew, and in 1889 Madrid. the Santa Pe extended the spur to New tunnels were dug to reveal seams of both hard and soft coal. Most of Waldo moved to Madrid. Seven years later the railroad leased its coals mining operation to the Colorado Puel and Iron Company of Pueblo, Colorado. The coal seams were difficult to work. Only two to four feet thick, they sloped downward at decrees, at the same time leaning to the side. Mining methods �of the time required removal of huge amounts of waste rock. When the main bituminous mine caught fire, the company gave The mines closed up what had become a marginal operation. without warning, and three thousand citizens were suddenly without sustenance. Within a short time George Kaserman, of the Hahn Coal Company in Albuquerque, bought the operation "town and all," Under Kaserman’s direction become a respected company town. Madrid grew to Mew mining methods were employed and coal production Increased steadily over the years. 1928 In more than 183,000 tons were shipped. Prom all indications, Madrid was a great place to live. Everything in town was owned by the company. All the houses, the stores, and even the churches were companyeowned. You bought only what the company sold in its stores, or you went out of town to make your purchase. You repaired/the car that you bought from the company stor^^n a company garag^ and^^^ it on gasoline the company sold you at prices set by the company. For the most part the prices were fair and services reasonable. According to Joe Huber, son of the company superln-^"^ tendent, employees were occasionally "encouraged to go in debt" by purchasing a car or some other expensive item. The manag^ me nt felt that the man would ’^jork harder,'*^**thus raising coal production. It is also true that it made switching Jobs �difficult. You had to pay up before you could leave. What/* ever the viewpoint, the results were the same. The company did provide a number of valued services for reasonable fees. dollars a month. Medical expenses cost a mere three The whole family was covered for all medical needs'^ except those resulting from fights or childbirth. Dues In the local club, with access to meeting rooms, prames, enter^ talnment, occasional dances, and frequent baseball games Just cents a month. And to crown it all, the ultimate in fringe benefits was given the eaployee when the company furnished the facilities for employees to brew their own Illegal booze during th© prohibition years I The increasing availability of natural gas for home heating, and the switch from coal to dlesel-flred locomotives, diminished the demand for coal. decreased with the demand. Mining activities in Madrid Madrid’s Christmas lights, the finest in the state, were lit for the last time in 1941. 1954 In coal operations, already dlastically curtailed, were shut down completely, A few years later only @families lived in a town that once held 4,000. The number of deserted buildings in town is over?^ whelmincr. Most of the buildings are of frame construction. In light of the dry climate, it is surprising that fires have not destroyed most of the town. Part of the business district is fenced off to prevent access, but the fences run only a short distance. Anyone willing to walk a mile or so can �freely visit the sites of the old Catholic Church, the large club house, and the many deserted houses that lie on both sides of the dry wash running north through town. and an outdoor museum are open for business. A tavern Both are recommended. MAP NOTEt The Madrid, New Mexico, 15 minute United States Geological Survey topographic map shows the area In reasonable detail. The site of the old town of Dolores, eight air miles to the southeast. Is listed as the *^olores Ranch**^ END AREA 2 �1NBW MEXICO ARSA 3 f J MQNGQLLQN, NSW MSXICQ f The sign stated^Mongolion was miles and that the road was dangerous for trailers over twenty feet. The first 0miles were relatively straight and of gentle slope. Ahead of me, an elderly gentleman towing a trailer exper^ ienced no difficulty. Soon the road topped a small rise and entered the left shoulder of a sizable valley. The old gentleman towing the trailer proceeded with only a slight reduction in speed. Half a mile ahead coming down the switchbacks. I could see a smaller trailer At the first opportunity I passed the trailer ahead of me, andy^shortly met the smaller trailer coming down the hill. There was little room to spare. The shoulders of the blacktop were undercut and crumbled. I wondered how the two trailers would fare. Through the rear^ylew mirror I caught a glimpse of the two rigs stopped in the middle of the road, headttoshead, like two rutting elk prepared to lock horns. Later I learned that both drivers were notably untalented at backing their rigs. Fearing the steep drop-off into the canyon below, they waited^ blocking the road for several hours happened by until a driver could back one of the rigs to a wide spot. The road is truly spectacular as it hangs on the south side of Houston Canyon, then crosses and carves its -7^7 �precarious way along the opposite wall. Soon it gentles and winds north to the slopes of Silver Greek Canyon, where de?* serted mine structures begin to appear beside the road. Bending around a high knob, the massive tailings and numerous Mine structures of the Fanney^(Fannie and also Fannytake your choice) iKi«» come into view. the road at this point The mine^^^he same height as but a mile away^ across a canyon more than 600 feet deep. The roa^^scends sharply, past the ruins of the Last Chance Mine, y^crosses a small tributary, then makes a sharp bend to the right. Immediately you are in Mongolian, looking east, up the canyon and up the narrow confines of Mongollon’s main street. Both sides of the street are lined with buildings. Under the boardwalks of the buildincrs on the right, flow the normally gentle waters of Silver Creek. Main Street displays an increasing number of gaps as you travel its quarter mile length. Soon the gaps outnumber the buildings^and the road swings left and begins to climb. Several side streets hacked out of the steep northern slope of the canyon extend parallel to the main street. The road branches at the powder house of the old Fanney Mine. The right branch leads to the cemetery, located on one of the rare deposits of dlgsrable soil found in an area composed primarily of hard rock. The left branch leads to a long/^serte^string ofj houses that ends at the power3jouse and main office of the Fanney Mine. �For a nominal fee the huge complex. worthwhilet you can take a guided tour of A number of unusual makes the tour the gigantic opening called "The Big Hole Mike" shaft, the head frame over the ^00= foots deep Panney shaft, r the long sorting room with its endless belt, and the lately 2^7 reworked machine shop used in the recent filming of the movie My Name is Nobody. The mine is almost directly above town. Standing on the brink, one must look between his feet to S^jot The prospectors S^^found the Panney the roofs of Mongolion. silver lode must have stood on this spot and enjoyed a similar view. Sergeant Cooney, leader of a mapping party out of Fort Bayard in 1870, was the first to spot the highly minera^ Ized ledges on Mineral Greek, two miles north of present Mon^ gollon. Cooney was able to suppress his natural Irish tendency to tell the world of his fortunate discovery for almost six years. He kept the secret until he was mustered out, then, with a few trusted friends, he returned to the discovery. was in the middle of hostile Indian territory. The site The men had barely laid out their claims when the Apaches chased them off their longiheld hunting grounds. Two years later the group returned, greatly reln^ forced in numbers, weapons^and supplies. Shafts were sunk, cabins built, and Indians weg» repeatedly repelled. In one fracas, Porribeo, son-in-law of Chief Victorio, was shot dead. -/Il- �The chief led a determined counterattack. pelled the onslaught. The miners re^ When fighting slacked, Cooney and a fellow miner headed out to warn the people in the nearby town of Alma. The Indians caught up with and- killuil' Cooney and killed them. and his friend/\ The citizens of Alma have since referred to the incident as a massacre. Cooney was buried at the spot, and a memorlal^later erected, Cooney’s brother. Captain Michael Cooney, Imme^j^^ dlately left New Orleans mine. and headed for the newly inherited With his help, the number of mines along Mineral Creek grew, and the small town of Cooney was bom. continued, but the miners. Indian troubles the weight of numbers wasy^on the side of The diggings on Mineral Creek failed to rlchen with depth, and when a gent named Eberle found some highrgrade on Silver Creek in 1889, Cooney Town decamped and the town of Mongollon mushroomed around Eberle’s cabin, Mongollon grew up wild. For @ years the law in town was either ineffective or choked. At one point Xgents were called in to arrest a deputy sheriff. met the officers with a gun pointed belt high. federal The deputy The Xds were fast, however, and in an instant the deputy was stretched out^ his blood pooling on the woodei^Jlo^, The/Federal/Agents left town before a threataaed reprisal could be mounted against them. k' �When outlaws held up the mine payroll and killed two men in the process, citizens quickly formed a posse and galloped in pursuit. Shortly., one outlaw was killed. The other was captured and returned to town for a short respite before his fate was settled. Law and order arrived in Mongollon (that's proj^ nounced "muggy-own") in 1914 when town fathers decided to incorporate. The town was then touted as being "the most peaceful in the United States." That's the year the big slide brought the massive tailings of the Panney down on the buildings mill of the of the Maude S. The^Maud S. trnatML was reduced to splinters and its watchman buried under tons of yellow silt. The slide continued to the canyon floor, damming the creek and threatening to flood the town. Miners turned out to dig a channel through the ^de. Heavy rain began to fall, and the water rose at an increasing rate. The miners dug faster. When the two efforts matched in level, the water poured through the notch, undercut the sides, and quickly washed a channel through the slide. In spite of the big slide, 1914 was a year of record production. The payroll reached the mllllontasyear mark, and the town reached its peak population'^“reported variously to be ^000, ^600, and "damn near five thousand." The business disji^ trlct stretched up the canyon for half a mile. Side streets on both sides of the canyon held homes, with' their second stories level with basements of houses on the tier above. 2l0 �During the first p?/years of the town’s exlstj^nce, more than million ounces of silver were mined, refined, poured In Ingots, and hauled down the mountain. In 1931 most observers thought the silver was gone and the town done In, but new discoveries made that year brought a m* flurry of activity. disappointingly shallow. The finds were rich Mongollon faded again. but All mining was suspended when World War II broke out, and Mongollon expired for «yood. MAP NOTS« Mongollon and the sites of Cooney, Graham, and Glenwood, are shown on the Mongollon, New Mexico^I910, 30 minute (i Inch to the mile) United States Geological Survey map �SHAKSSPSARB, NSW MSXICOL Unbelievable 11 Born a fake and brought to a boom by a fraud, Shakespeare was raised to a second frenzied peak by con artists who made utter fools of the original pe'r?' petrators. Throw In a number of hangings, a few bizzarre incidents, and cap it with a grand old lady standing off condemnation by the J^tate of New Mexico, and you have a story seldom equalled In fiction. Back in 186? the place was called -Mexican Springs,*^ ’•Uncle" Johnny Evensen built a crude structure by the watei|hole and called It a stage station. It was used occasionally when the stage had to pass up its regular stops due to Indian trouble When a second citizen moved in with Evensen, the two of them decided the place needed a more dignified name, like ■•^rant. Occasional prospectors passed through. Some even checked the hills for mineral deposits. One of them, W. D. Brown, filed a claim and took some "typlcal'*|samples to San Francisco for "promotional purposes." He showj^he samples to William C. Ralston, head mogul of the Bank of Ralston had the samples assayed. California, The report came back (it was reported) at 12,000 ounces of silver per tonI Quickly Ralston staked claims adjacent to the find. He then extended the streets of Grant, laid out lotSy and named the whole shebang '^R^^ton City,**^t was easy for �banker Ralston to start the rush to Ralston. He simply capli^* tallzed a company and sold stock while spreading rumors of even greater assay reports. When the shallow deposits of silver began to fade, The losers Ralston quietly left town, his fortune doubled. drifted off, and Ralston became a ghost town, population of /'A two — old Uncle Johnny Evensen and his pal. The two leading citizens of town were about to change the name back to •^rant when a couple of prospectors showed up^^all shlfty-eyed and They wanted to put some bags of valuables in secretive. Evensen’s vault. Somehow they let it "slip" that the bags were full of precious gems. With a little prodding from eW Uncle Johnny, the two prospectors opened up. They had dls^^ covered a dtai^ond 'fielTl—A-diamond field, by GodJ and they were on their way to San Francisco to get some financial backing. They had a gent named Ralston in mind, Ralston was interested but suspicious. He had the stones appraised at Tiffany’s, then hired a mining expert he could trust. Tiffany’s reported the diamonds were the real thing, and the mining expert returned from a guided tour of the area in an ecstatic condition. He had found diamonds on ant hills, in pack rat holes, and even on top of the ground I Ralston paid the mining expert a handsome fee and promptly bought the diamond field for $600,000. jMbsfcatt, out to redouble his fortune,xagain capitalized a company and �proceeded to sell shares. When false rumors got out that the diamonds were in southwestern New Mexico, prospectors and promoters deduced the location and promptly started a Within weeks of the first diamond second rush to Ralston City. stock sales, hundreds of newcomers had descended on Uncle Johnny’s stage station, -emi within a month new saloons were thrown up and another hotel hastily built. Three thousand people wintered in Ralston, drlnkincr it up on cold days, otherwise searching the hills in vain for the fabulously rich diamond field. Some folk who had been taken on Ralston's earlier schemes chose to investigate his latest stock promotion. It wasn't long before Clarence King, ygfovernment^Znspector and >?^loglst, showed up in Ralston's office. King and his assistant were given secret directions to the site. It turned out to be in Summit County, Colorado, nowhere near booming Ralston City. The Inspector found a few diamonds — all of them Digging in the area produced suspiciously on the surface. only dirt. King's assistant made one spectacular find — a diamond with some polished facets. that the field was a fake. King sent word to Ralston The huckster had been had. His stock collapsed^and he was put under investigation for fraud. Ralston eventually went broke and reportedly committed suicide The town of Ralston continued to boom for a while. Residents refused to believe it had all been a hoax. After all �Ralston's offices were a thousand miles away, and the so= called salted field was way up In Colorado. Prospectors continued to search for the diamonds In the hills near Ralston City. Eventually the promoters left town, followed later by the prospectors. The hard cases remained, rustling cattle e here and there for subsistence. Ralston City became an outlaw town. A few of the mines near town still held paying ore, but Ralston City's fraud-filled reputation precluded any chance of financing. Two Englishmen, Colonel William Boyle and his brother. General John Boyle, were well aware of the silver ore left In the Bonnie Jean and Jenny Boyle mines. They waited a few years in ardoa to let memories dim, then quietly snapped up the two mines and the town of Ralston. They renamed the town 'Shakespeare^ a proper English name, gathered a small quantity of choice ore, and headed west for financing. They were modestly successful, and Shakespeare grew slowly. In 1879 the town had a post office (Uncle Johnny was postmaster)y\a couple of saloons, a growing number of solid citizens, and the Stratford Hotel, The solid citizens occasionally became disenchanted with some of the outlaw types still hanging around, and drastic action was sometimes required. �Arkansas Black was a popular fellow. He operated the Silver Dollar Saloon, and everything would have been all right If his operations had stopped there. It was his extr^i^ activities curricular opei^leno with the married women In town that angered the men, and It was the last straw when ‘^rkansas'*^ was found In bed with the wife of one of Shakespeare's betterknown citizens. Arkansas*^ was confronted and told to leave town. He resisted but was overpowered. Shakespeare's first vigilante committee had trouble convincing Agte^Ssas that he had to leave. had always been a popular guy wasn't inclined to take the threats seriously. and The menfolk eventually resorted to a little necktstretching to get Afh^sas-' undivided attention. After each short suspension, they lowered Arkansas and asked him If he would agree to leave town. 3ach time, between gasping breaths, creaked a refusal, mixed with an assortment of selected cuss words. last time they strung him up, Arkansas went limp. was lowered, The Quickly he A bucket of water was thrown in his face, Arkansas came to, fighting madt He demanded a six shooter, asklnv the chance to fivht it out like a man. The vigilantes admired the man for his guts, and besides, not a one of them cared to volunteer to oppose in a fair fight. After a little serious discussion, the committee decided that A^kanoao wasn't such a bad guy after all. The fault lay with the wicked woman had �enticed ArkaHoaa* The woman was given notice, and the problem was solved. Very likely, Arkansas Black was a member of the vigilante party that took Russian Bill and Sandy King from the local Jail in octder to expedite justice. talk this time just straight rope^ork. There was no In minutes the two outlaws hung from the crossbeam in the main room of the Grant House. The next mnunlns, breakfast at the hotel was next morning delayedy^while the bodies were cut down and hauled out for burial, Later Johnny Svensen answered an inquiring rela-^ tlve’s inquiry by stating that Russian Bill had died of throat trouble. Johnny graciously failed to mention anything about horse stealing or midnight rope^ork. The silver panic of 1893 brought the*mining to a halt in Shakespeare. By this time a small community called Lordsburg had crown^just three miles away on the Southern Pacific tracks. Most of Shakespeare moved to the new town. A few folk moved a mile in the other direction to a community growing around new activity at the ”85" Mine, aA early mine that had been revitalized by the generous use of dynamite to expose new ore. In 191^ a spur was run from Loidsburg to the *85^^ and the tracks were put right through the town of Shakespeare ~ right down the center of deserted main street ~ an unwarranted insult to a dying town. —/cfO - �But that wasn’t quite the end of Shakespeare’s im< possible story. In 1935 Prank and Rita Hill bought the town. They reconditioned one of the better buildings as a ranch house on the acreage bought and proceeded to run along with the town. The Hills restored the old town and opened It to tourists. Rita Hill wrote up the history of the town In a & f^clnatlng booklet entitled "Then and Now, Here and There Around Shakespeare^/ Later, when daughter Janaloo grew up, she and her father rode horseback to San Diego and back, publlclj^lng the old ghost town. Rita and Janaloo continued to run the spread alone after Prank passed away. \ (^Recently the New Mexico Highway Department conA demned a:strlp of land extending through the Hlll(^ acreage. The new superhighway would effectively separate the ^11»» cattle from theix water supply. Blta and Janaloo -had boon running the 3pread"~alune glnoo Prank hod passed away.y The condemned strip would Just decided to ask the Xighway about ruin their ranch. ,»epartment to at least dig a well on the Isolated land and provide an underpass for access. The /Highway y0epartment refused. decided to do battle. for the condemned Rita and Janaloo They refused to accept the $33,221.59 acres. They picketed the XSate/iJ^glslature. They refused to sign any agreement with the JBighway 36'partment. All was to no avail. In late November of 1973, the Judge �ruled against Rita Hill, found her In contempt, and fined her #3,000. She was given notice to ’Vacate■*^the land In three months. Rita and Janaloo weren't quitting yet. They moved 3even-by-eight-foot , a tiny bj 0 stucco shack on^o the highway land and planted it smack in the middle of the spot where Ramp C was Rita lived in the shack for three to Join Interstate 10. months ~ right up to the deadline of November 23^7 Newsmen and onlookers watched as sheriff's deputies cajoled, coaxed, then threatened. Eventually the door of the shack was shoved In, and 71s year: old Rita Hill was read her rights and arrested. Rita was placed in jail and told she would remain there until she signed the release papers. December 10, Rita signed the paper and was released. refused payment for the land. On She still She did authorize lawyers' fees to be taken from the fund, but #19,000 still remains on deposit unclaimed by Rita Hill. Disenchanted with the effects of progress and frustrated by the Impersonal nature of legal condemnation, Rita and her daughter have retreated to their home in Shakespeare. Recently of Shakespeare^ Rita Hill locked the gate to the town Is no longer open to visitors. There was no other way she would register her resentment. I cannot This book shows help but agree with Rita Hlll.y| jjfily one photograph oho^ of the town of Shakespeare, show more Somehow it wouldn't seem right to �MAP NOTE* The Lordsburg, Mew Mexico, 7J minute and 15 minute maps cover the area. �VALBDO?T, NSW MgXIGQL • . The 1932 Lordsburg topographic map showed a dozen buildings at Shakespeare. About a mile to the south the map indicated nearly 200 buildings under the name of Valedon. A tramway was shown connecting the railroad to a point a mile and a half west. The 1963 map of the same area showed onlyempty structures in Shakespeare. The tramway was missing on the map, and^oddly, Valedon was shown with just two buildings. The cartographer was either in crreat error on one of the maps, or something drastic had happened to Valedon. I inquired about faliu bewu gf Valedon at a small highway cafe in Lordsburg. The waitress, the manager, and several onlookers all assured me, with some heat, that there never was a town of Valedon. sure the maps^*^ wrong When shown the maps, they were and began to suspect I was attempting some sort of hoax. The local newspaper office furnished some informa?^ tion on the town of Shakespeare. When asked about Valedon, the editor answered tha% she had heard of it but had never been there. With great expectations from Shakespeare to Valedon. I drove the short mile As I broke over a small rise I was confronted with a barren bowl surrounded by Jagged hills. I could see a few old mine structures /if- and one small �mine still operating Upon closer inspection I could make out a number of buildings blending in with the backsrround. As I drove closer, the remains of Valedon came clear, and they were considerable. There were some "no" signs about, so I headed for the operating mine to gain permission to look the old town over. Ramon Renteria was willing to interupt his work for a few minutes. In fact, he was quite tickled to have some/- one ask about Valedon, "I was born here. Right here in Valedon, in 1917. Yes, it was a pretty decent town — that was the school over there, theat^ there, and those long tifick buildings ~ they were stores." There was a slight pause, of the then the two of them began pointing out the sights town. Ramon’s boss drove up. The superintendent ’s house had been up on the hlll^ .Jf^w only foundations are left. The mine down in the bottom was the old Henry Clay. Up on the hill was the old Atwood Mine. They presently had thirty-five men working two shifts in the "85" Mine. then down ^50 feet, They were tunneled in 800 feet, Ramon’s boss gave the okay for me to look the old buildings over but gave me firm warning to look out for open shafts and rattlesnakes. 1/ "Ramon killed five rattlers down in the draw by the store just yesterday," �The e3fc^ ”85" Mine now operating was one of the first mines ever to be worked in the area. Sam Ransom, Shakespeare blacksmith, staked out the claim sometime in the 189(^^. It wasn't until 190? that someone shot off a bundle of dynamite in the tunnel and uncovered some decent ore. The new owners hired the ore. a crew and began stockpiling Soon other claims in the area were found to contain profitable ore, and the number of miners increased. Within a year, the mines around the "85" were employing nearly 100 men, three and a half Most of the miners walked the miles to and from Lordsburg each day. A few of them took up residence in nearly deserted Shakespeare. Several of Shakespeare’s saloons went back into business as halfway houses. They attracted most of the miners croing off shift, and probably some of those going on shift. Within a year a tent towy^grew around the "85^ and^before the second winter, a number of boardIng^^ houses were built. Eventually streets were laid out*and th^ Z community became the town of Valedon. When the railroad spur connected the town with the main line at Lordsburg in 191^, Valedon quickly grew to more than 3^00, Valedon was a company town as to drinking and general hell-raising. and tightly controlled Shakespeare, less than a mile down the tracks, was the perfect sin town. town was at least consist|^nt. That Somehow it always played host '/a- �to the violent, the crooked, or the fraudulent. Its wickedness kept Valedon relatively chaste. Paro wheels, blackjack, and poker games were alltnight attractions In the basements of the saloons In Shakespeare. One evening a general fight broke out. When the survivors took Inventory, they found a number of people laid out either by alcohol or violence. respond One man failed to and after close Inspection was found to be dead. No one had the slightest Idea who was responsible. Lacking a better solution, the body was laid out on the tracks running down main street. The railroad reported the death as an "unfortunate accident." Two negroes stopped by Shakespeare on their way to their mine on Lee’s Peak, two miles west of Valedon, As they paid for their supper, some of the hard cases In town took note of the wads of money the two men carried. The money was the payroll for the miners working at the shaft owned by the two blacks. The crooks caught up with the men, beat them to death, and searched the bodies for the money. None was found. Apparently the two had stashed the payroll somewhere just outside of town. Since that event, the wash heading to Lee’s Peak has been called the 'Arroyo de los Neg Things were not always completely respectable In ValiAdon. Lyman Garrett, brother of the famous Pat Garrett and y^erlff of Valedon, was found one morning lying In front /Hl �of his jail. Citizens assumed that Garrett jailing some law violators when they somehow took his gun^ /Fearful of the sound of shots, they chose to beat the sheriff to death. Two men were apprehended for the crime and subsequently convicted. The town of Valedon boomed from 1920 to 192?. population grew to more than ^00. The Permanent stores lined the streets, and a modern school was constructed. During the boom years, a threatened railroad strike was averted when leading supporters of the two factions ^abor union and mine management agreed to face off in a boxing match. balanced fight. injuries. It was ajlong, wells Both parties ended the fight with serious Apparently it cooled the strike to the point where mediation seemed preferable. The Great 1q,2. Depression of 199G brought mining to a halty^ The owners, Phelps Dodge, in accordance with standard company practice, summarily ordered the citizenry to vacate. was then dynamited to save on taxes. The town The school building was left intact as a possible future company office. The stoutly built rock and brick buildings lost their roofs, but the walls were left standing. Dynamite to finish the job would cost .. from more than the added tax savings that would result their complete eradication. It was now clear just why the 1932 map showed a fulltblown town (pardon the pun) and the 1963 map showed only two buildings —zi’S — �MAP NOTEJ The Lordsburg, New Mexico, 1932, 15 minute United States Geological Survey topographic map shows the town of Valedon Intact. The Lordsburg, New Mexico, I963. 7i minute e* map shows the town after dj^struction. END NEW MEXICO AREA 4- � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Norman Weis Manuscripts Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1971-1987 Description An account of the resource A collection of manuscripts by Casper College professor Norman Weis. <br /><br />This collection includes manuscripts of:<br /><em>Ghost Towns of the Northwest: Known and Unknown<br />The Starduster<br />Two-Story Outhouse<br />Helldorados<br /></em><br />Each manuscript contains written in edits by Norman Weis Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Norman Weis Language A language of the resource ENG Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Norm Weiss Manuscripts and Photographs, CCA 10.2003.01 WyCaC US. Casper College Archives and Special Collections. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Searchable PDF Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CCA 10.2003.01_Weis_Manuscripts Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Manuscript Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource <em>Helldorados</em> Part IV: New Mexico Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <div class="element-text five columns omega"> <p><a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a></p> </div> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1975 Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Norman Weis Language A language of the resource ENG Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Norm Weiss Manuscripts and Photographs, CCA 10.2003.01 WyCaC US. Casper College Archives and Special Collections. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CCA 10.2003.01_Weis_Helldorados_NewMex Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Searchable PDF https://caspercollege.cvlcollections.org/files/original/074d72832552ce2b3dfc4286d628d125.pdf b7233ea0910ccd64169df4765e4678a2 PDF Text Text PAET III NEVADA �Pf\ P. r-3- ' BULLFROG, \T3vaD4 j Shorty Harris had never made a big stake. He had made a strike or two, but somehow it always seemed to slip through his fingers. The finds that he kept always turned out shallow, and the ones he sold made the buyer rich. There was always the next one, and that one he would handle ricrht, for Shorty figured he had used up all the wrong ways. Late in the summer of 1904, Shorty Harris and his friend, Ernest Cross, split off from a group of prospectors at Daylight Springs in^^^^^thern Nevada and headed west to a spot Shorty had noted some years earlier. On August 4 the two prospectors found some greenish rock containing Im/^ bedded quartz, and in the quartz were granular chunks of gold Smooth portions of the rock resembled the back of a bullfrog. They ground up some of the rock and panned out the Kold. It was rich as any ore they had ever seen — and this time it wasn’t someone else holding on to it. This could be the bi{7 one! Harris and Gross checked the area closely and staked out the best deposits/\ ^en, with foresight, staked out a mill site and water rights. samples they could They loaded up all the and headed for Goldfield. On the way �they stopped at Beatty's Ranch, and heyan to snread, norter clalTied It spread so fast word of the X^rike that one newspaper re-^ the two nen met prospectors coming at them from Goldfield when they were still miles out and that when the two discoverers reached Goldfield, all of Goldfield was staking claims near ^e Bullfrog. The story is only slightly exaggerated, for 7,000 people were on the site within a few months. Shorty's credit was good at every bar in Goldfield, £ and he exercised his x^rogatlve in all of them. Later he claimed that six days of drinklns- too much "Oh-Be-Joyful" had addled his braint He didn't remember signing the deed, but there it was ~ with seven witnesses.-^ he had sold his half of The Bullfrog for ^l,OOo! Another stake had slipped from his grasp. Later Shorty claimed it was $25,000, probably in an attempt to sound as astute as his partner, Ernest Cross, who had held out for that fiyure. His partner claimed that Shorty had sold his interest for just $400^ claimed it was $500 and a mule. others The latter version isn't likely, since Shorty hated mules, much preferring jackasses. In fact, his vravestone was later to be inscribed: "Here Lies Shorty Harris, A Single Blanket Jackass Prospector." Shorty became famous as the best and the poorest prospector in-------- -—- -------------- - ' ' �the southwest. Wherever he went, he left a trail of riches behind. The Bullfrog strike was made in August, and by November nearly a dozen tent towns had sprung up, some near the original claim and others scattered about the flats near Ladd Mountain a few miles to the east. Water had to be hauled in. Freighting costs made it nearly equal in price to unaged whiskey. liquor a bargain by comparison. That made hard It was in such demand that many of the shipments were intercepted enroute and consumed on the spot. It was common practice to set up shop at the point of interception. It was several months before the opene air bars satisfied the demand and were able to migrate to the mining camps. Land promoters attempted to lure residents to To get "their" towns in order to sell lots at a profit. things started they all offered free lots, and some escalated the competition with the offer of free house?moving. shifting of homes and The relocation^ of business places finally slowed as two dominant towns emergedS Bullfrog, on the flat south of Sutherland Mountain, and Rhyolite, a mile to the north. Promoters of both towns knew that only one could survive. The competition was heavy. Each town built to match the other -- and by May 30, 1905, both had larsre hotels, newspapers, water systems, nowopapoiii and post offices. A �Within a year Hhyolite emercred as the winner. It was a more substantial town with a number of twos and three: story rock buildinss^s under construction. Lots in Bullfrog dropped in value, and stores along its main street became vacant. When the last business place moved io Rhyo­ lite, the Rhyolite Herald proclaimed* "Verily the Bullfrog Croaketh," That was in May of 1906, and in June of the same year the big threes story hotel «e^Bullfrog burned to the ground. The town had boomed and collapsed in less than two years, The map!^ of the area indicates the ruins of two buildings and a cemetery at the site of Bullfroc, totally accurate. It is The road to the west, part of it atop the old railroad grade, leads to the collapsed structures of the oriarinal Bullfrog Mine, caved in, Of the mine shafts there, some are ^hers are filled with the debris of fallen buildings, r * MAP NOTE* The Bullfrog, Nevada, 15 minute topographic map of the United States Geological Survey shows Bullfrog, the Discovery Mlneyy^and other settlements in the area. �RHYQLITS, MSVAPA / When Bullfrog "croaked " In I906, the population of Rhyolite increased by several hundred. The first of three railroads reached town the same year^and Rhyolite took a second giant step forward. The town was exploding much faster than profits from the mines warranted. Hine stocks were high:priced and selling fast. had arrived too late for the Gold^ People field boom were primed for this one. This was the time, and Rhyolite was the place^to make a fortune. The boom was still resounding when the first signs of the bust appeared. Some of the smaller claims had been found wanting, and the original Bullfrog Mine had found the end of its lode. In spite of the warning signs. Rhyolite continued to grow. The tracks of two more railroads reached town in 1907, and the population jumped from 6,000 to 10,000. Threei story buildings made of local rhyolite rock were springing up. Pour banks and four newspapers were in operation, and construc­ tion was started on a large^concrete schoolhouse. Boundary lines had to be drawn in town to prevent the encroachment of the rapidly expanding red-light district. The alley one half block east of main street was the western boundary. A new jail was built in the direction of the exT^ panslon, in order that it be handy to the customer. �The town had three separate water systems. The pressure in some mains was in excess of 70 pounds per square inch, A had fire in the red-lfT^t district, hastened hv wind, threatened to spread into the business district. The hisch pressure in the waterline hurst the first two hoses hooked up. New hoses were strung from hydrants with lower pressure, and the blaze contained. The financial panic of 190? caused most of Hhyolite’s mines to close down. The Montgomery Shoshone, two miles northeast of town, was a notable exception. Its continued operation prevented the immediate collapse of Rhyolite, The Montgomery Shoshone lode was discovered by an Indian lad (the legend goes) who was tricked into trading it for a pair of pants and two dollars, S. A. Montgomery, the purchaser, claimed, to the contrary, that he had hired the Indian and in fact had paid him well. Further, Montgomery stated^tiMbt it was by his own efforts thfit the best ore was located. Montgomery sold the mine for^2 million (some report|’*5 million), and within a year its stock was evaluated at million. When the mine finally closed in 1910, it had grosseoj^a million in gold but was still deeply in debt on the newly built Schwab Mill, lOo — / �/2^ The population of Hhyolite had been dropping for two years, but in 1910» when the Shoshone closed, it plummeted to less than a thousand. with 1912 The newly completed school opened students rattling about its spacious corridors. In the massive station of the Las Vegas and Tonopah Railroad, built just a few years earlier, was suddenly deserted when train service was terminated. A few years later the tracks were torn up for scrap, and even the diehards left town. homes were hauled away. Many All but a few of the remaining struc^ tures were burned or dynamited to save on taxes. The railroad station was bought by the McLaughlins and remodeled as a home. It was the only major building in town to escape razing. Later the old station served as bar, gambling house, and country store. Mow it is a combination residence, museum^and tourist shop. The old station stands alone amid the ravaged ruins of Rhyolite. MAP NOTSj \ Details may be found on the Bullfrog, Nevada^ 15 minute United States Geological Survey topographic map. ^2^ �GOLD POINT, ^SVAPA There are no detailed maps available for the area around Gold Point, and they are hardly necessary, since the town can be seen straix^ht down the road from the Junction on U.S, 95, (l^mlles away. The huddle of bulldinis^s next to the lights colored mine dumps at the base of Slate Ridge is the town of Gold Point. Seven miles of that straight road is blacktop JUv-axixv 3), and the remaining is good crravel. The dry^ clear air fools one into thinking the town is constantly traveling away at a speed equal to that? -af one’s own approach. Of the 225 buildings that stood in the town of Gold Point ^nce called Lime Point three or four dozen remain. and then Hornsilver^ only Compared to most ghost towns, that’s a considerable remnant. There is an owner in residence at present, and he has thoughtfully laid down the ground rules by means of a small sign at the edge of town. In effect, the message asks the visitor to be careful where he trespasses and to keep hands off the property ~ but to take all the pictures his heart desires. And Gold Point is photogenic. There are three "business districts," one at the deserted gas pump and store, another a few blocks northwest, and the last near a mine about a quarter of a mile to the south. The one near the mine has on its false front a �sign that can barely be made out — "Hornsllver Townsite and Telephone Company." In front of the building are the remains of the two very old gas pumps, one of them adverti^^ ing filtered gasoline. Old deserted mines are scattered in every direction. Many are quite intact. A number of gallows wheels (pulley wheels at the top of head frames) lie about as if someone forced to quickly wae caught in the act of looting and divest himself of incriminating evidence. The largest and most impressive remnant in Gold Point is the blockulong business district at the northwest edge of town. In one single string there are four weathered old stores standing alone and forlorn. Three are connected and seem to gain strength from each other's presence. A twos store space separates the cluster from the end store, and beyond that atruoture are the collapsed walls of yet another place of business. Limestone was mined here in 1868, and during that time the town was called Lime Point. In I9O8 silver ore was found and the town boomed. changed to Hornsllver, Hornsllver Herald. highrgrade The name was The local newspaper was called Thirteen saloons mushroomed, and there was talk of a railrosid. By I910 the town had reached its maximum size. /o3 - I �The period from I905 to 1911 was wild. At least the old duffer from 'layer, Arizona^ re membered it that way. He used to prospect the washes for yold. "Found some too," he claimed, "and I would have kept a lot more if I hadn't been cheated out of it," He and his partner had located some good sand. They flipned to see who would cro file on it. won and headed for Gold Point. His buddy He returned three days later ~ "with a hanyover and three strangers. got drunk and sold our claim ~ Seems he went and claim!" The old-timer (he’s the one wanted to remain "unanimous") had little good to say about some of the :iner?^ chants in the boot^ towns and mining camps nearby. "They was always cheatin' on the whiskey. it was half water ~ wouldn't even burn your tongue," Most of He seemed to yet a little angry at something he Just recalled. "There was one old crook that ran a saloon outside of Gold Point, on the way to the old Oriental camp. He used to enjoy takin' a pinch of dust for a drink, like they done years before, Everyone thought that it was all right Hil they noticed his pinchin' fingers had dents in 'em." his thumb and forefinger. He demonstrated with "Most of us guys had heard of bartenders yrowln' long fingernails, or runnin' their hands through the grease in their hair, but we never seen this pulled before. We raised hell with him and made him use �his left hand. Then one day we see his left hand ha^ got dents — and we find out he's been squeezin' a button in his pocket Just before he takes a pinch. gonna hang him. Told him we was He didn't even take us serious, so we did. We hung him a little. Didn't hurt him much. Jest redded up his neck and maybe stretched it some." In spite of the poor results experienced by some prospectors, increasing: amounts of gold were found. Silver deposits were petering out, and by 1930 more gold was being mined than silver. its name again. Obviously the town would have to change Newly christened Gold Point, the town perked along for another years before it folded. In 1955 there was one store serving the needs of thirteen resl' dents. Now the store is closedy^and the number of residents is even less. Several of the old miners' houses have been kept up as vacation homes. Near one of them is an outhouse of unusual construction — quite appropriate to its occasijnal use ^specially in the event of flu, the "green apple splatters^^ or some other similarly explosive happening it's made entirely of ammunition boxes. MAP NOTE: No topographic maps available �LIDA, ViSVADA C There was gold in the Palmetto Mountains. The Indians and Mexicans mined it in the 186Q^, Within a few SAfl years Americans heard about it and in the moved in on the "unclaimed diggings." The settlement that grew on the site was nearly 200 miles from the nearest railroad. Silver^ miles to the north^and across the mountain, was the peak, nearest town, Lida expanded rapidly after a road was built connecting it with Silverpeak. Machinery-for two aman stamp mills was hauled in and assembled at the springs near town. Much of the ore was rich ~ it had to be in order to balance the high cost of freighting the mill machinery at a fee of .$100 per ton. Some ore was so rich that it was hauled to the railhead and shipped out for processing. When Goldfield boomed in 1904 life to Lida. it brought added The springs at the outskirts of Lida became Goldfield’s water supply by means of a pipeline (|^*odd miles lonff. When the railroad reached Goldfield rates on supplies for the residents of Lida, it meant lower Also, low-grade ore stockpiled on the mine dumps could now be processed at a profit. Lida grew up, and a newspaper, Enternrig^- £ came to town. The town flourished for several years then faded when many of the mines shut down during litigation. �aanchinc: be.cran to pay better than mining, and the nature of the community changed. Today the town is half ghost, half ranch. Several old buildings stand vacant under massive shade The old schoolhouse can be spotted by its attendant “boys," ’’girls," and "teacher." triplesdoor outhouse — ''bovy,-"girls^ and tcaohor-. " trees. A MAP M0T3: available. Mo topographic maps of the area are present �JlBVADA A3 3A 2 ^T3VApA The Cathollo Church stands on a hill overlookins; town. I had taken a number of lows angle shots of the old unpainted structure and had decided to climb the hill to try out the opposite view. Prom that direction, a f*few of Nevada’s rare summer clouds could perhaps be coerced into position. Photos completed, I wandered back past the front of the church. The steps looked inviting and there were no "No" signs in evidence. The hasp on the door was broken, apparently smashed. I reached for the handle, and as my hand touched metal a shot rang out. instantly. My hand jerked back I took inventory, then looked about. Someone had determined that a shot fired in the air, at a precisely timed moment, would serve as an effective deterrent. someone had no doubt pulled the stunt on others. That He probably keeps a good eye out, fearful he will miss another chance at a little fun. I got the message, and I understood the necessity of his delivering it. Some visitors leave with e mjjmentos more substantial than exposed film. Manhattan has had an on-agaln/^off-again history. Silver found here in 1866 resulted in the construction of a mill, but it failed to show a profit and was abandoned three �years later. In I905 some cattlemen spotted an outcrop of "jewelry quality" ore. the date of discovery They claimed it and named it for April Pool. That summer @ town*^ sites were laid out in the vicinity, and the usual competition between landmen ensued. i-Ilne speculators moved in the next year and spread exaarveratlons all over Nevada. Soon 4,000 ueople rushed to the spot, most of them from Tonopah, miles south. The road was constantly filled with rigs and autos, one every half mile or so. The dust never settled. Lots in town were expensive^and store owners built on their entire lot, attaching each new building to the side* wall of the last. One lucky merchant bought a 30tfoot space between two stores and simply raised a front, a backhand a roof, Plre hazards due to this kind of construction were ignored. The topographic map of the vicinity shows a solid bar on each side of the road, indicating long strings of connected buildings. The town had its own electric power plant, banks, (2)newspapers, a number of stores, and plenty - of "watering holes," The quake hit San Francisco the following year, and Manhattan's financial supporters went home (with their money) to repair damage to their holdings. !4anhattan collapsed, but new placer strikes brought it back to life years later. A particularly rich float was found east of town at the White OapCs) Mine. A mill was built, and the �population of Ilanhattan stabilized at nearly one thousand. The town had nearly died for the second time by 1939. when- dredcring offered a new flicker of life. When that effort ceased in 19^7, the town died its most recent death. It’s due to come back to life again any time ~ it always has. lieanwhlle it’s a delightful ghost town. An old rock building at the east end of town has a weathered sign over its door that reads "post office," but showing through are the letters "B A WK," Just a few steps awav are the hoist works shed and gallows frame of a small mine. The Toiyabe Hall stands across the street, twos storied and lm«*^ presslve. Strung out along^maln street are an old meat market, five housesy^and a general store. The many gaps along the oncei solid string of storefronts were created when a number of merchants moved their places of business to a booming placer camp on Hound Mountain, When they removed their stores, they took the outside walls of adjacent build#" ings with them. Most gaps are at least ^stores wide. The little general store is the only place doing business now. Recent "progress" has been almost too much for the sras pump, , Its rate adjustment won’t reach the 50- to current 60s cent price of gas. It still reads 30 cents per gallon, but a sign on the pump tells the customer to fill up, then just double the total. — 110-^ �MAP MOTS I Excellent detailedisplayed on the 1914 Manhattan and Vicinity, Nevada^ 3":to»thetmile United States Geological Survey topographic map. Sadly, the map is now out of print and cannot be purchased. Some libraries in the map and will permit copies to be made. have �BALMONT, MS^ZADA It can only be described as an oasis. In the middle of town, surrounded by larsre shade trees, a spring bubbles forth, its steady flow giving rise to a small stream that wanders south through town. Within a mile the waters of the stream are sapped and then swallowed by the thirsty desert sand, Belmont enjoys ideal weather during most of the year, due mainly to the 7000: foot elevation. There are time /K I however, when heavy winds dominate life in town. Guy wires to the west and south of manv buildings attest to the strength of the winds. Heavy winter snows (@ feet in four days on one occasion) can pile up and cut the town off from civilization for weeks at a time. Hose Walter is the ranking old:timer, and the venerable voraj»3?e first lady of Belmont, Hose and her housekeepers companion live in a large, wells kept rock home at the north end of town. These two ladiedxand the couple that own the r newly opened gas station-bar-cafe at the opposite end of town, make up the complete roster of years round residents. Strung out along the main street of town are a number of impressive remains of the once:notable town. Across the stream are more buildings. Dominating that side of town is the grand old Wye County Courthouse, Two:story brick, with tall wooden cupola and numerous chimneys, the �structure was, and still is, the fanciest buildinff in the It was here that the "town character" held sway county. as district >kttornsy. Elected as a joke, he took his job seriously so seriou^^hat he refused to leave office at the end of the term. The newly elected D.A. tried to assume office, but *014 Andy*^eld out forQdays, sleeping in the courthouse office and having meals sent in. Silver, found in I865, resulted in an immediate influx of fortune seekers. With assays at more than ^100 and over a thousand tons of ore blocked out, there per ton was little reason to believe Belmont would be a town to go bust quickly. Merchants built with a justifiable hope of permanence, and within two years the population had reached 6,000. When Belmont secured the county seat, plans were laid to build a prideful courthouse. Clay deposits were located miles west of town, and a brick factory was conT^ structed. Prom that brick the courthouse was built, and from that edifice emanated an aura that Inspired confidence in those who would build Other^structures.of Belmont grew to 10,000 and boasted two newspapers, an oyster houseyj and a music hall. Society made the news, but rougher elements were making the headlines C^wo union organizers were chased out of town. When they were found hiding out nearby, they were hauled in and hunvf �Irish laborers in 186? confronted Boss Canfield and accused him of hiring Cornlshmen at lower wages to ret* place the Irish. Tempers heated^^and soon Canfield was being toted about town on a rail. When a former lawman, Louis Bodrow, tried to slow things down, shots rang out and two men fell to the ground. tHHBs Bodrow and Pat Dlgnon lav dead. Bodrow had been shot times and then stabbed repeatedly. He got off two shots before he expired, and Dlgnon inter'?' cepted one of them. During some of Belmont’s more lawless years, a vigilante group maintained order by staging occasional hang?' Ings. Generally the job was done on the sly, to avoid in*? crimination, but each time, a sign bearing the number "301" was attached to the victim. ive. The lesson was clear and effect? A few more crooks slipped out of town each time word spread that the "301" was forming up for an evening’s chores. By 1885|I^15 million in silver had been taken from the hills. Mines produced until the late thirties abruptly shut down. then With the shuQown, payrolls stopped. Stores closed for lack of customers, and the town became suddenly quiet. The Catholic Church was moved to Manhattan, •there to become deserted once again. In 1903 only^^people registered to vote in Belmont, But the town isn’t altogether dead. saloon at the south end of town is open. The little Travelers can �obtain sustenance and libation. One can even buy gasoline? however, the procedure is a bit unusual. First you borrow the pump handle from the bar>A^ tender, then pump the seas into pump. glass cylinder atop the The gasoline then flows by gravity throuch the nozzle and into the gas tank of the car. You check the pump handle back in when you pay the bartender for the gas, Now that’s proarress f — MAP NOTE: available No topographic map of the area is presently �IQ^B, NSVAPA^ West of Tonopah, dust devils trace their serpentine paths across the dry flats, gathering substance as finely powA_ dered earth is blown high in an ever-tlyhteniny spiral. Heavier spheres of tumbleweed ride low, bouncing along, nearly escaping, then swinging violently inward to orbit in tight circles. At times a dozen or more of the dry tumbleweeds are carried crazily along, like ponies on a merry-go-round gone wild. Passing through one of the larger whirlwinds is an experience. observer. First the wind and debris batter one side of the Then, after the passage of a miniscule eye, the opposite side is delivered an equal blow. The passage is quick and harmless to all but the very delicate. Butterflies, kleenex, newspapers, even handkerchiefs "out of the hand" are occasion^ ally carried to extreme heights, to fall back gently when the centripetal grip is relaxed. Worth and west of Tonopah, past the playground of the dust devils and a dozen or so miles east of Gabbs, a narrow canyon in the Shoshone Mountains cradles the remains of the old mining town of Ione. In 1863 silver was found in Ione Canyon to the northeast, and a camp grew on the site. The narrow canyon offered little room to expand, so the town was moved dowrf �stream to the flats at the canyon mouth. Ione became the first county seat of Nye County in 186^, and the town soon Several mills were built, but exceeded 500 in population. the ore in the region never lived up to the mill's capacities, let alone the promoter's expectations. seat was moved to Belmont. In 186? the county In spite of the recent extraction of mercury, less than a million dollars in precious metals has been taken from the region. A number of old mines are strung out along the four-’ mile length of Shamrock Canyon them, Xie Shamrock Mine Just east of Ione. One of perched on the north slope, is acces^ ible by a recently improved road. At the mine site, an old '>f!ot/fead" steam enorine still sits on its pads, apparently in running order. The shed giving it protection is shorn of its roofing, and cracks between boards let in narrow bands of light, contouring the shapes of the machine within. At the west end of town, a low rock structure dominates a rise on the north side of the road. are more than two feet thick. fireplace. The east wall contains a flush Mot flush Just on the inside outer surface. Its walls but also on the With the supersthick walls, the fireplace is merely a hollow portion hidden in the middle, A beam two-by-fours along the ridge supports rough? sawn that measure 2% by 5)6^ an actual x yi Inches. These are apparentlv the ancestors ' l%-by-3%-iiich of the present anemic off sprln!?s. Over the �rafters, waste slab wood was nailed on, then bark was laid on the boards, and the whole covered with dirt and a crop of ^rass planted. While it was occupied, the owner kept the arras s watered. The shade kept the dirt cool fortable. When the last occupant moved out, the roof died. MAP NOT Si The 15 minute Ione, Nevada^^ United States and the house comiR- Geoloarical Survey map is an excellent aid in explorina: Xs, the area. A series of "w indicating prospect holes, surround Ione on three sides. Many tunnels and shafts are indicated, Sprinkled along the two canyons leading northeast and southeast from town. �B^RLIV, ^WADA Two hundred million years ago, ^^sfoot monsters swam In the shallow seas that covered most of the western states. Wari^looded, m^alian, and shaped somewhat like a lizard, the ,?^hthyosaur lived, propagated, and died in much the same manner as the whales of the present era. The bodies of some Xohthyosaurs sank in the deep ooze present in some shallows. the ooze hardened to In time become a mold of the animal’s skeleton. made acidic with carbon dioxide Much later matter. Slowly, water dissolved the bones. the area was covered with volcanic over an extended period of time, rain~water laden with minerals filtered through the overburden and filled the bone cavities, recreating the skeletons in agate precipitated and other pringipotted rock. Fossils of the ancient animals were found in I860, thirty-five years before silver was discovered. In 1898, three years after the silver strike, many of the claims were bought up by the Nevada Company (a Mew York outfit) and a mill constructed. srrew around the mill. The small town of Berlin The population held at about 200 for ten years, then dropped to a handful in I909 when the mill shut down. The buildings of Berlin have changed little from the time it became deserted. Some of the pottbellied stoves —//f- �have disappeared, and the metal has been salvaged from the mill. Prospectors have occasionally used cabins In town as a base of operations. Presently, one of the old cabins Nevada^ | Is occupied ty a j^^tate Parks employee. The town is used as an entrance gate to Ichthyosaur State Park. MAP MOTS J The 15 minute Ione, Mevada^Unlted States Geological Survey map shows the site of Berlin but oddly fails to pin­ point the location or extent of the fossil beds. �ILLINOIS Miys CAMP, ^aVADA The Paradise Peak topographic map is littered with evidence of old towns and mining camps. Craig Station/\and Downeyville are shown sites. Ellsworth, and labeled as Paradise Peak Mine Camp, Sierra Magnesite Mine Camp, and Brucite are depicted by numerous black squares, Indicai^ ting present occupation. The date on the map is 19^8, and it would be logical to assume that at least one of the last three towns would spection. by now be a deserted camp worthy of ln<^ At the north end of the map, Big Chief Mine, .i^fTe Victory Tungsten Mine, and ^ffe Illinois Mine Gamp are shown. It seemed likely that one of these sites might also prove to be a little:known town or camp^rarely visited and virgin Off any publicity. At Ellsworth and Craig, remains were sparse. At Downeyville I could find onlv mlne^shafts. The Victory Tuna:sten Mine Gamp was small and in intermittent use. The Sierra Magnesite Gamp, right next to Gabbs, consisted only of concrete slabs. Brucite was now a part of the excavation of the huge mine operation being carried out a mile east of Gabbs. Gabbs, the biggest town within miles, was a very small community with only one cafe, but it hardly qualified as a ghost town. At^ one time, a town called Lodi existed about miles northeast of Gabbs. It had a population of 100 and �was the supply point for the Illinois Mine Gampmiles to the west. The map showed no town by the name of Lodi, but it did show a tank (small water reservoir) by that name. I expected to find the slate wiped equally clean at the Illinois Mine Gamp but was pleasantly surprised to find a number of Impressive remnants. FinallyI After a dozen dis^ appointments, here was a site worth a few rolls of film and an afternoon’s "exploration," Deciphering the remains of deserted sites Involves a lot of inspection, some deduction, a share of guess3!rork, and a residue of mystery. A ghost town hunter quickly be?*^ comes a speculative historian. Beside the road at the mine camp stood a small^ rock-walled, sod-roofed building with a wooden vent risinar at 7 the back. The fixtures were not that of an outhouse, so the logical assumption (there were shelves on the sides) was that the building served as a powder house. It would nature ally have a stout door and lock, but these were missing, A bit further along the littlezused road, a deep mine shaft r^ Ordinary passage put the pickup There was wheels within a foot of the llp.y^Zittle to worry about, qulred careful avoidance. however, as the truck was larger than the shaft. However, OH when approachfoot the prudent observer would maintain his distance, since the lip slope^ in and 4^ covered with small^rounded rocks ready to ease one’s entrance. �Larger diameter metal hoops told of wooden tanks that once stood here — probably a cyanide unit for extracts ing stubborn gold. Perhaps mill taillngs^were reworked for gold missed on the first attem^o/. Two corrugated steel tanks lay crumpled in the gully. They appeared to be either blown up by dynamite or 21- blown down by wind ^“probably the latter, since the remains were more battered than bulged. Hock mill foundations occupied the slope near the, banks of the gully. The absence of further remains would 1\ indicate that the steel was removed ~ perhaps the entire ' then again, this could be one of those structures •> sacrificed in the making of a B:grade western movie. mill. A sign in the center of town marks the spot as the route of an emergency stock driveway. Amazing — it , , nrrjcuAz makes one wonder how many head of stock have enddd up at shaft bottoms. Down the hill and east a few hundred yards, past a number of jackstrawed woodpiles (probably living quarters), was a stout brick cubical in the midst of extensive brick rubble. It must have been a bank vault at the company offices. Hearby was a square concrete foundation, very stout for its size. A mystery. aa4 the ground sounded hollow. it was safe to traverse. A few steps to the east Yet car tracks Indicated A bit more to the east, a tall, - M3 - �broad vertical expanse of brick provided the answer. Doors in the face led to underground tunnel like chambers of the type used to smelt ore. The tunnels led to the square corjj^ Crete foundation, which now quite clearly was a chimney base. A short distance away was a small rock kiln or smelter. was the obvious forerunner. Both structures had the same angled brackets to hold the removable doors. doors we^ at hand. It ?Tone of the They would have been metal doors and therefore would have been sold for scrap during one of the past wars. Pacts concerning the camp are few. Hesldents of Gabbs were able to provide some, and a few paragraphs referr^ Nevada ing to the town were gleaned from the.State Archives. A Gold found here in 1874 resulted in a small smelter (the one built of rock?) being constructed nearby. The camp that grew about the mine and smelter included a stoia saloon, boarding house (perhaps that exp^^ns the longyj^ narrow foundation below the mine), and a population of s e ve ral hund re d. The mine was closed and reopened a number of times. Each time the camp received a new namei Marble and Bob were used, and some claim the camp was called Lodi for a time. However, about 1908 the real Lodi was laid out at the site of the present Lodi tanks, and the mine camp then went under the name of ‘Illinois. �Thins:s really got sroing about 1910^when Lodi began to look like a town the Illinois Mine. one). and new veins were located at A large smelter was built (the brick Severe flooding in the shaft brought things to a halt about the time of World War I. Just before World War II, a last effort was made (the corrugated tanks) to extract the remaining ore. Except for Outojlide 9# the small concrete water tank there is nothing to mark the site of Lodi, but the remains at Illinois Mine Camp (or Marble, or Bob) are as numerous and varied as the names the camp has carried. I’lAP M0T2» y The Paradise Peak, Nevada^ 15 minute United States Geological Survey topographic map shows a wealth of old sites. END NEVADA AREA 31 �J?J5VADA ARSA 3 a f ] VIRGI?TIA CITY, NEVADA.C The old prospector was half way into tying on a good one. *^ld Virginn:^'^ he was called, probably because^ drunk or sober, he was continually rattling on about his home state. He had Just bought a fresh bottle and was headed toward camp by way of the straightest line possible when he stumbled on the rough ground and fell forward, bottle-arm outstretched. of contact. Unfortunately there was a rock at the point The whiskey flooded out of the shattered glass and soaked quickly into the ground, Hot one to waste a full bottle, the old prospector gathered himself up and proclaimed^ "I christen this ground Virginia." If it hadn't been for that rock at the end of Old :he town might have kept its original name — Silver City, As it was, the story was told so many times that the christening was accepted. After all, it was reasoned, anyone who could think that fast deserved the rlvht to name the town! The story of Virginia City started ten years back/< when the barren ground was called Gold Canyon, Some folk passing through to California had panned a little gold in the canyon prior to 1850, but it was silver that Allen and Hosea Grosch found a few years later. They quietly ground �the blue quartzrand smelted it down in their small assay furnace. Henry Comstock, called -^Old Pancake,prospecting in the canyon at the time, noticed all the secrecy going on^ and knew that the two men had made a strike. He searched and watchedbut never figured out where the Grosches were getting their ore. He wasn’t even sure whether it was silver or gold ore that the two brothers worked on in such secrecy. Word slowly leaked out that gold an(^^or silver had been found, and soon the hills were dotted with pick and shovel men. O’Riley and ;4cLaughlln arrived late and quickly staked their claims at the fringe, before those were taken by the next batch of arrivals. Later they worked it over thoroughly and uncovered a gold-bearing quartz ledge. *^ld Pancake*^ Comstock, as was his habit, immediately claLlmed prior filing, sen^ to humor him, deal. O’Riley and McLaughlin took him in on the The find was the first tap on what was to be called Comstock Lode.*^ The ore was dirty and difficult to work. After crushing and panning the wash for gold, the discolored re*^ mains were quickly thrown away. One prospector, familiar with silver, quietly picked up some of the leavings and had them assayed. The discarded waste ran over $4,000 per ton of silver — more than the value per ton of gold already extracted I �Word of the new find brought a second flow of prospectors. During the spring of i860 a day were entering the Washoe area. nearly two hundred According to one re/^ porter, promoters outnumbered the prospectors toThe same reporter gave detailed accounts of the terrain^ and the weather. He claimed that heavy snow, prolonged runoffs, and a vicious wind called ‘^Pfie Washoe Zephyr*^made the place "essentially Infernal in every respecti" It wasn’t yet known that a heavy body of ore lay under Davidson Mountain, running parallel to the canyon floor and the streets of the burgeoning town. The extent of the ore would ^^only^^^partly determined during the boom of the sixties, when half a million a month would be mined. In two years that lode would expire and the town would be deserted. Then, eight years later, a group of investors with imagination and foreslte would investigate and catalog the full extent of the lode. In the process, the main lode, the big one underneath, would be found and the real boom It would last eight years. Langhorne Samuel Clemens, his river piloting job . would ensue. interupted by the Civil War, had wandered west to find a new job. The papers were full of promises and exaggerations con^ cernlng the big Washoe strike. Pour thousand claims had been filed in the single year of i860, Clemens joined with three �others suffering from the same fever and set out for Virginia City. The area was touted as the "richest mineral region on God’s footstool," but Clemens soon found out that $4,000 per ton in the papers was more like $400 per ton on the ledger. Clemens, with his three partners, a blacksmith and two lawyers, filed a claim near the Humbolt Mining Gamp. They named it the Monarch of the Mountains dig away at the quartz. and proceeded to Digging and blasting proved to be a difficult way to get rich, Clemens "resigned" several times. When the shaft reached a depth of ^^feet, the partners collected a few of the best samples and headed for Virginia City to do a little promoting. Within days the four had traded for shares in fifty different mines, all highly touted but probably Inferior to the (Q:foot hole they had Just left. Clemens took a Job^ith the Territorial Snterprise <as a reporterf^or $25 per week. He filled a vacancy created when William Wright (who wrote under the name of Dan deQullle) left town at the suggestion of an ir^te reader. Wright was one of the greatest liars of all time. When there was no news were classic. he created some, and his creations One of his best concerned an individual who had Invented a type of vest or armor designed to let the desert traveler remain cool even in the middle of summer at the bottom �of the hottest desert wash. The vest was actually a larcre thin spons^e, Wright wrote, with a water reservoir at the back and a rubber bulb under the arm to act as a pump. squeeze on the bulb, and water saturated the vest. tion of the water cooled the wearer. A Svapora-A The inventor, according to Wright’s news release, headed into Death Valley on a test cruise. A few days later a prospector hurried into a nearby camp asking for help to go rescue the crazy Inventor. It seems the vest worked too well, and he was found sittincr in the noon day sun, frozen stiff, with a foot-long icicle dangling from his chin! Clemens learned a few lessons from Wright, He learned to lie with authority and to do it under an assumed name. At the paper, he signed his work '’^sh,'^*^Later, in 1863, he bevan using the name that brought him fame ~ ^lark Twain, Virginia City had two disastrous fires, Sach time the town rebuilt even finer than before, but each time the fire seemed to signal an Impending bust. The fire of ’63 caused a loss of nearljj^lO million. 4r>115gff. A fire tower was built on the mountain to spot the first smoke of the next disaster. Two years after the town was rebuilt, the first lode ran out and the town shrank from 15,000 to 6,000. 1/ I3o - �Location of the bipc lode brought prosperity again in 1873. Silver was extracted at a phenom’^al rate million a week, about A mint was built in Garson City to handle the gold and silver. The town had ^breweries mak­ ing 75»OOO gallons of hard stuff each year, and well over one hundred saloons were kept busy distributing the supply. low town, 750 miles of tunnels pursued the huge lode. was ^900 million dollars worth of There ore in that lode, the end was found, Virginia City collapsed. When That happened Just two years after the second blflr fire. There had been signs of failure for several years. Many of the shafts were flooding with hot water. High temperatures made for short working times and great expense, Adolph A gentleman named^Sutro proposed a (^:mlle tunnel from the lode under Virginia City to the flats southeast of town. ceived little encouragement. Mine owners could see the end of the lode but weren't about to admit it. tunnel He re»^ Sutro built the and ended up the owner of many of the dewatered mines. It is doubtful that the ore made available was enough to pay the expense of the tunnel. By 1881 the population of Virginia City was less than iFOO. That’s about what it is now, on a miserable day in the middle of the winter. In the summer, crowds of tourists fill the streets. It’s still a boomiandsbust situation in Virginia City, �MAP MOTS I The Virginia City, Mevad^ 15 minute United States Geological Survey topographic map is an excellent source of detailed information. �GOLD HILL, ^3VADA Before it flooded, the Yellow Jacket Mine at Gold Hill, Mevaday^was the biggest producer on the south end of the Comstock Lode, When a blast of dynamite opened a passage to a hot spring, the tunnels flooded with 170: degree water. Miners could work only a few minutes at a time in the hot^humid atmosphere near the water. longer than the work shifts. Hest periods were 3ven allocations of 100 pounds of ice per man per day were not enough to entice men to stay on the job. Sventually the Sutro Tunnel was built and a south lateral connected with the East Yellow Jacket workings. The mine became workable again, but within a short time the lode was exhausted. While it lasted, the Yellow Jacket had poured large payrolls into the life stream of Gold Hill. Back in 1869, tent towns were strung along the length of Gold Canyon from the narrows called Devil’s Gate e. at the south, on up to side canyons appropriatly labeled A Six Mile and Seven Mile. As tunnels located the lodes, the towns consolidated. Virginia City and Gold Hill occupied sites on either side of a low hump in the middle of the canyon. Both towns graduated from tent towns to rock and mud and^finally, to frame and brick. When the big lode was worked, both towns had large numbers of pretentious structures. �Rivalry was srreat. annex Gold Hill. At one time Virginia City attempted to Gold Hill retaliated by attempting to split the county into two chunks and thereby become a county seat equal in status to Virginia City. The effort failed, since it was thought ridiculous to have two county seats within a mile of each other. It appeared, in 1864, that the ore had run out. Things quieted down^and population along the canyon dwindled, but Gold Hill continued to survive, part\duejto its loca*?^ tion on the main supply route to Virginia City. When the big lode was found, both towns boomed bigger than ever. Hill zoomed to nearly 10,000 Gold and bragged of street lamps and three fire companies. The ore ran out for the second time in I878, and in rapid order most of the ponulatlon left for other parts. Saloons shut down^and the Gold Hill Wews ceased publication. -----------------------------------------When the post office closed down in 1943, there Lately some of the old buildings have been converted to residences. Their were less than a dozen people left in town. exteriors have been restored to appear as they did one hundred years ago. The brewery and old hotel are excellent examples. The tovm IS loaded with old wayons. Beer wagons, freight wayons, bugyies^and stagecoaches are found sprinkled about, the proud possessions of ^story-minded citizens bent on reconditlonlny them for display. �I'UP ?TOTS« The Vir«3:inla City, Nevada^ 15, minute United States Geological Survey topographic map shows the town, the Sutro Tunnel, and a number of the sites of small satellite towns. �It takes four maps to understand the lay of the land and to pinpoint items of interest in the White Pine Mountains of Humholt National Forest in east central Nevada. Within a radius ofmiles around the juncture of these maps are enough old town sites, mine rulns^and mill remains to keep a backtroad explorer busy for a week. Roads alternately follow dry canyons and skirt mountains, joining to form a spectacular threes dimensional network. The road into Monte Cristo crosses deposits of e. soft rock that powders easily to a flour-fine consist|^ncy. In places due. the ruts are a foot deep in the nearly fluid resi^ White rooster tails follow each vehicle, and hang sus^ pended long after their passage Monte Cristo lies at the western edge of the Humbolt Mountains, on the sloping foothills immediately below 10,745= foot Mount Hamilton. The Monte Cristo Spring Is a quarter of a mile to the east. A mile to the north, the Silver Sell Mine hangs In a steep side canyon. To the southeast an unnamed tunnel bores into the west shoulder of Pogonip Ridge, Monte Cristo was the first camp in the White Pine District. Sstabllshed in 1865, it served as a mill town for the westislope mines. The ore paid out at less than ^100 a �ton — hardly enough to spawn a rush. For three years the little fives stamp mill pounded away at the stingy ore. Then the whole area seemed to explode as 50,000 prospectors stormed into the White Pine ilountalns. It started when a hungry Shoshone Indian traded some silvershearlng rock for a plate of beans. eventually guided A The Indian Leathers, Tom Murphy, and Md Marchand to the deposit on the far side of a nob that was sequently named Treasure Hill. sub/* The claim staked out was termed the 'bidden Treasure.*^ Old Mapals Jim had accepted a plate of beans in trade for a vein that would later be valued at half a million dollars. The big rush brought some business to Monte Cristo, but J nloQ bp^un-ht thnaufriti tho'faet thatfthe big action was in other parts of the White Pine Moxxntains. The town continued to suffer along on the same MinoTi^inria. inferior ore. After the excitement passed, Monte Cristo was still there. It even expanded with a new mill to handle some better ore being dug Q miles to the west. By I89O, even the mediocre ore deposits were expended, and the town became deserted. Wow there is left onlv a brick smokestack, numerous foundations, some rock walls^and a sod-roofed structure about to collapse. Wearby, the cycle is about to repeat, as tents and trailers are pitched on the site of a "new strike." -1^7- �Freshly planted slyns delineate the claim and express the hopes of the new developers of the "Marjory Lode MAP NOTE J Necessary for a proper guide to the area are the Illipah, Pancake Summit, Green Springs, and Treasure Hill, Nevada 15 minute United States Geological Survey topovrachic maps. �HAMILTON, MaVADA u If the Shoshone Ind lan^ Mapias Jim^had known that his mountains would Toe overrun by 50,000/^^^^ite men, he would have gone hungry rather than trade his silver find for that bowl of beans. After Murphy, Leathers, and Marchand claimed the Hidden Treasure Mine in 1868, a boom took place that resulted ^7^ in the construction of a dozen towns, four of which would e^ ceed 5»000 souls. The around would be torn up, roads built, and the local rock reassembled in the form of larae multlK*’ storied places of business. Five years later empire builders would abruptly leave. these same Evidence of their efforts, the larae rock buildings, would endure somewhat longer. Two settlements grew quickly around the first dli^ coveries during the spring of i860one on top of Treasure Hill, the other on its north slope miles away. For a few months the two communities were considered to be the same town and were referred to as White Pine, the name given to the newly created minlna district. Within identities. months the towns had developed separate On the hill was Treasure City. Down below, enjoying a better climate and a dependable water supply, was the town of Hamilton. — /*• �Hamilton quickly 'became a promoter’s dream. Stocks were bought and sold over half a dozen counters. Fortunes were made overnight, and some were lost even quicker. Residential lots sold for a flat A corner lot on main street went for §25.000. The first Fourth of July celebrated in the White Pine District was a combined effort of the competing towns of Treasure City and Hamilton. One town handled the parade the other the debates and speeches. A huge American flag was sewed up, utilizing scrap materials. The blue portion o was cut from a scarf bought from a Mormon family passing through. A few days later, when a financial wheel came to town, the flag served a second purpose. The financier’s money was badly needed, and when he demanded sheets for his straw tick in the local hotel, the flag was torn in half and sacrificed. he was. The investor didn’t realize how lucky Just a few weeks before, the town didn’t have even a hotel, and the one building then in existence (a saloon) was busy 24 hours a day. Within one year of the strike on Treasure Hill, Hamilton had 10,000 residents, a school, a debating club, e and half the Jezjj.bels in Nevada, Miners were living in caves, rock and mud huts ~ even barrels laid end:to:end. The town was designated as the county seat of newly formed White Pine County, and in two months a $55.OOOcourthouse �blossomed. The business district was several blocks long, filled both sides of the street, and contained a number of two:story buildings. The rush to Hamilton was wilder and faster during 1869 than any gold or silver boom in history. It seemed that everyone who had missed out on the Comstock was at Hamilton, determined to get in on the ground floor. When a gun fight broke out between two gamblers, one correspondent from a big city newspaper reported that shots were exchanged all over town, and "unfortunately neither one was shot, but an innocent horse was killed." Nearly two hundred mining companies sent their bullion out to the rail head at Hlko, 140 miles away. Hobberies averaged more than one a week. The Daily Inland Empire published reports of every new find, and that fall a se+f subdivision was laid out to handle the Influx of new citizens. 15,000 before winter set in. The population hit With winter came the cold realization that the silver deposits were shallow and soon would be depleted. Mining stocks became difficult to unload. Companies folded, and construction halted in the town of Hamilton. By spring out. half the citizens of Hamilton had moved An amazing number of fires broke out in the business district. A cigar store owner was caught after setting fire -/// �to his well-insured establishment. He might have escaped a Severn year prison term if he hadn't been spotted shutting the valve of the water supply. As a result of this fire, one third of the town was destroyed. The town is now completely deserted. Only rock walls, some partially collapsed brick structures, a group of frame homes, and a few sod- roof shanties mark the site. There hasn't been a fire on main street for almost 100 years. A MAP MOTE! Mecessary for a proper guide to the area are the Illipah, Pancake Summit, Green Springs, and Treasure Hill, Nevada^15 minute United States Geological Survey topographic maps. �JiaaASUHs city, ctada [ Wells Pars:o had an office in Treasure City and miles down the slope of Treasure Hill at another office the town of Hamilton. Each day the staare brought mall to Hamilton, and riders raced up the three;mile stretch to Treasure City. Bets were placed daily, and when a second competing line built offices in both towns became fierce, the competition Claims, mlnes^and entire fortunes were wagered on the mail races, A walk through the deserted town today yields a thrill of a different sort. In some places Open shafts are everywhere. the main street through town ha® to make a quick jog to miss a shaft. Remnants of rock buildings stretch for a quarter of a mile under the brow of Treasure Hill. In the center of town, a rock wall was built to hold mine waste from rolling down on.main street. A Judging from the remains, some of the buildings business were two stories high in front and Q stories at the rear. Some of the rocks used in construction measured more than^^feet on a side. There are remains of more than two dozen such buildings along the west side of the street. All are roofless. Many are merely stubborn corners and partly crumbled walls. Records indicate that during the twosyear period of 1869 and'70, forty-two business establishments were built �and the population passed the 6,000 mark The weather on top of Treasure Hill was abominable. The winters were windy and cold. When the wind slacked, a stinging fog called the "pogonip" set in over the city. It may have been the first case of inversion smog recorded in the state. For a time Hamilton. Treasure City threatened to outshine Hamilton had the county seat, but Treasure City had the largest stock exchange, and seats sold for It had fewer saloons than its neighbor down the hill, but it boasted a larger business district. of town. More than 13,000 claims were filed in the vicinity S20 Much of the ^weiiL.v' million in silver taken in the White Pine District came from these minef. The deposits were shallow. easilv reachedA and quickly depleted. 'r When the silver began to run out in I87O a few mines remained operating, but even those could see the end of their holdings. The big fire of 18?^ wiped out most of the frame portion of town. tered to vote. eighty yeaiA 3y 1880 only ^^people regis/^ The place has been deserted for the last The smos- problem has finally been licked . ----------------------------r\ MAP WOTSJ f The Illipah, Pancake Summit, Green Springs, and Treasure Hill, WevadaA15 minute United States Geological 1 V —■“ Survey maps are a proper vuide to this area. —------------------------ ? �J SH^RMAifTOW^^, NSVAD^ Ths sage''”^ush is eight feet tall, and. it grows all over the flats. The remains of Shermantown stand above the sage in a few places but in the main /?/ are hidden be? neath the heavy growth. -Of all the towns in the White Pine District, Shermantown had the most desirable location. Water was plentiful, the soil was good, and the valley^protected. was vulnerable to flood, but rainfall was light. It The town only lasted a few years, and the potential danger of flash flood was never tested. The springs in town furnished water for eight stamp mills and two saw mills. Five smelting furnaces melted down the concentrate produced by the mills. The town boasted a three-story meeting hall, two newspapers, and population of 3,000. Lots sold for as much as •!^2,000. Hocco Canyon, north-? west of town, held a number of paying mines. The Great Valley, Homestake, and ^e We Plus Ultra were all sending ore down the road to Shermantown, Ore wagons brought silver chloride down the canyon from HamlJ^^n. Stage coaches hauled the pure silver back up the canyon, through Hamilton on to 31ko for shipment to government mints, Shermantown's existg^nce was inescapably tied to that Hamilton, Treasure City, and 3berhardt. The latter was the site of one of the smallest, richest open-pit silver �mines in the world When the silver ran out, the mills closed down, and to exist Shermantown lost its reason By 1880, just eleven years after the town had Incorporated, only one family remained, of town Today the place is entirely deserted. At the edge an adobe chimney stands half completed. Its interior was never blackened by fire. Some forming supports remain in,t side the combustion chamber, xiemalns of numerous rock bullc^^ Ings are hidden in the deep sap-e^~brush. Many of the springs have dried up, and their locations can only be determined by wreckage the mill raj^^s nearby. Much of the water runs underground, providing sustenance to the lush desert growth. On the flats in the center of the town site, a small dam has been built to back up water to feed a tiny crusher and shaker. Someone had hopes of separating gold or silver from ore found nearby. Apparently his hopes expired^ <2^ie machine is rusted and Inoperative. The 50,000 miners and prospectors ShSt swarmed over the slopes of the White Pine Mountains apparently found and extracted just about everything of value. MAP MOTS: The Illipah, Pancake Summit, Green Springs, and Treasure Hill, Wevada^l5 minute United States Geological Survey maps are a proper guide to this area._ I, - -y � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Norman Weis Manuscripts Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1971-1987 Description An account of the resource A collection of manuscripts by Casper College professor Norman Weis. <br /><br />This collection includes manuscripts of:<br /><em>Ghost Towns of the Northwest: Known and Unknown<br />The Starduster<br />Two-Story Outhouse<br />Helldorados<br /></em><br />Each manuscript contains written in edits by Norman Weis Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Norman Weis Language A language of the resource ENG Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Norm Weiss Manuscripts and Photographs, CCA 10.2003.01 WyCaC US. Casper College Archives and Special Collections. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Searchable PDF Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CCA 10.2003.01_Weis_Manuscripts Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Manuscript Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource <em>Helldorados</em> Part III: Nevada Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <div class="element-text five columns omega"> <p><a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a></p> </div> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1975 Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Norman Weis Language A language of the resource ENG Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Norm Weiss Manuscripts and Photographs, CCA 10.2003.01 WyCaC US. Casper College Archives and Special Collections. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CCA 10.2003.01_Weis_Helldorados_Neva Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Searchable PDF