McDermitt is an unincorporated community straddling the Nevada–Oregon border, in Humboldt County, Nevada, and Malheur County, Oregon, United States. McDermitt's economy has historically been based on mining, ranching, and farming. The last mining operation closed in 1990, resulting in a steady decline in population.
The Black Rock Desert is a semi-arid region of lava beds and playa, or alkali flats, situated in the Black Rock Desert–High Rock Canyon Emigrant Trails National Conservation Area, a silt playa 100 miles (160 km) north of Reno, Nevada that encompasses more than 300,000 acres (120,000 ha) of land and contains more than 120 miles (200 km) of historic trails. It is in the northern Nevada section of the Great Basin with a lakebed that is a dry remnant of Pleistocene Lake Lahontan.
The Humboldt River is an extensive river drainage system located in north-central Nevada. It extends in a general east-to-west direction from its headwaters in the Jarbidge, Independence, and Ruby Mountains in Elko County, to its terminus in the Humboldt Sink, approximately 225 miles away in northwest Churchill County. Most estimates put the Humboldt River at 290 miles (470 km) long however, due to the extensive meandering nature of the river, its length is more closely estimated at 380 miles (612 km). It is located within the Great Basin Watershed and is the third longest river in the watershed behind the Bear River at 355 miles (570 km) and the Sevier River at 325 miles (523 km). The Humboldt River Basin is the largest sub-basin of the Great Basin encompassing an area of 16,840 square miles (43,615 km2). It is the only major river system wholly contained within the state of Nevada.
The Clan Alpine Mountains are a mountain range located in west-central Nevada in the United States. The range lies in a southwest-northeasterly direction in Churchill County, and contains Mount Augusta, at 9,967 feet (3,038 m) above sea level. The mountains lie to the west of the Desatoya Mountains and southeast of the Stillwater Range. The Augusta Mountains lie to the northeast and the New Pass Range to the east. A large part of the range, 196,128 acres (793.70 km2), lies within the Clan Alpine Mountains Wilderness Study Area. The Clan Alpine Mountains lie to the north and northwest of Highway 50.
Golconda is a census-designated place in southeastern Humboldt County, Nevada, United States. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 214. It is located along Interstate 80 on the Humboldt River in the northwestern part of the state. Golconda has a post office, which has been in operation since 1869.
Tuscarora is an unincorporated community in Elko County, Nevada, United States. The community lies on the east side of the Tuscarora Mountains approximately 40 miles north of Carlin. Tuscarora is part of the Elko Micropolitan Statistical Area. Far from being a ghost town, as several websites proclaim, Tuscarora is home to two schools, a library, a post office and a bar and grill, as well as homes for very much alive residents.
The Jackson Mountains are a north-northeast trending mountain range in southwestern Humboldt County, Nevada. The range is flanked on the west by the Black Rock Desert and the Black Rock Range beyond. To the north across the Quinn River and Nevada State Route 140 lie the Bilk Creek Mountains. To the northeast across Kings River Valley is the Double Mountains and to the east are the Sleeping Hills. To the southeast and south lie the Eugene and Kamma Mountains. The ghost town of Sulphur lies just southwest of the pass between the Jackson and Kamma ranges. Nevada State Route 49 and the Union Pacific railroad Feather River Route traverse this pass.
Gold mining in the United States has taken place continually since the discovery of gold at the Reed farm in North Carolina in 1799. The first documented occurrence of gold was in Virginia in 1782. Some minor gold production took place in North Carolina as early as 1793, but created no excitement. The discovery on the Reed farm in 1799 which was identified as gold in 1802 and subsequently mined marked the first commercial production.
The Getchell Mine is an underground gold mine in the Potosi Mining District of Humboldt County, Nevada, on the east flank of the Osgood Mountains, 35 miles northeast of Winnemucca. Prospectors Edward Knight and Emmet Chase discovered gold in 1933 and located the first claims in 1934. With the financial backing of Noble Getchell and George Wingfield, the Getchell Mine, Inc. was organized in 1936 and the mine was brought into production in 1938.
The Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge is a 573,504-acre (232,089 ha) national wildlife refuge on the northern border of the U.S. state of Nevada. A very small part extends northward into Oregon. It is managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) as the Nevada component of the Sheldon-Hart Mountain National Wildlife Refuge Complex, which is headquartered in Lakeview, Oregon. The Sheldon Refuge is noted for its population of wild horses, now all removed, and The Virgin Valley Mining District for Black Precious Opals, the State Gemstone, still very active with multiple fee dig mines. A point within the refuge is also the farthest place in the contiguous US from a McDonald's restaurant, at just 115 miles.
The Sweetwater Mountains are a small mountain range in northern Mono County, California and western Lyon County, Nevada, separating the West Walker River from the East Walker River. Most of the range is only accessible by four wheel drive vehicle, on foot, or pack animal. Most of the range is contained in the Toiyabe National Forest. The place name appears on the 1874 California Geologic Survey map of California and Nevada.
Hunt's Hill is a former mining camp in Nevada County, California, United States. Hunt's Hill was located in the Sierra Nevada foothills about 6 miles in a straight line southeast of Nevada City and about 2 miles northwest of You Bet, on the north side of Greenhorn Creek, not far from the present intersection of Red Dog and Buckeye Roads. Hunt's Hill was founded in 1852 by a miner named Hunt. It was located on one of the deepest parts of the rich Blue Lead channel of gold-bearing gravel. In 1855, one of the mining claims established by some French miners, was “jumped". During the fight, one of the French miners lost an eye. Thereafter, that mine, and sometimes the town, were called Gouge Eye. By 1857, the town boasted two saloons, a hotel, a blacksmith and stable, a butcher shop, a boot and shoe store, and several grocery stores. In 1858, a stage line from Nevada City arrived. In 1866, seven cement mills for extracting gold from the “blue cement” were operating in the area. By 1880, the town was reduced to a combined store and saloon and a few houses. In 1895, one directory summed up the state of the community thus: "At the present time there is not much doing there." Since that same directory identified the town's justice of the peace and constable, what little happened must have been interesting. Today, it is just a historic site.
Poeville, also known as Peavine until 1863, is the site of a historical mining town, established in 1864. John Poe, a professional promoter from Michigan allegedly related to Edgar Allan Poe, discovered rich gold and silver veins in 1862 on the slopes of Peavine Mountain. After the discovery of ore, Poe announced that the veins comprised the next Comstock Lode; he presented extracted ore at the state fair of 1864 as rich in content. As a result, the former mining camp, called Poe City (Poeville) or Podunk (Poedunk), grew to 200 people by 1864. Ore production in the mining district and population peaked around 1873-1874 with several hundred people living in town, supported by three hotels and a post office. The post office, named "Poeville", operated between September 1, 1874, and March 24, 1878.
The Buena Vista Mine is located 21 miles (34 km) south of Lovelock, Nevada. In the past, the area has been known as the Mineral Basin, though another name for the area has been the Buena Vista District. There are at least two other Buena Vista Mining Districts in Nevada, one is located near Unionville, Nevada, the other located in Esmeralda and Mineral counties near the California border. The nearby Buena Vista Hills are named for the mine. The district encompasses roughly 21 square miles (54 km2) of mineral and surface rights, and is one of the largest un-mined iron ore resources in the western United States.
Sulphur, Nevada, is a ghost town in Humboldt County, Nevada that was a Feather River Route station in the Black Rock Desert along the Kamma Mountains.
Scossa was a small mining town, now a ghost town, located in Pershing County, Nevada.
Jungo is a ghost town located on Humboldt County Route 55, between Winnemucca, Nevada and Sulphur, Nevada. At one time, Jungo boasted a hotel, store, filling station and blacksmith's shop, though no buildings remain.
Daveytown is a ghost town located in Humboldt County, Nevada about twenty four miles north-northwest of Winnemucca and east of the Slumbering Hills. Daveytown is named for the Davey Mine.
Cornucopia is an extinct town located in Elko County, Nevada. The town used to be well-known for its mining district area, which was established in 1873. Cornucopia was also known under several names, including Milltown and Kaufmanville.
