NVGHOSTTOWNS.COM PRESENTS:
Shawn Hall's
Welcome to Shawn Hall's Nevada Ghost Town website. The purpose of this site is to provide the active ghosttowner, historians, and arm-chair enthusiast an opportunity to enjoy the many wondrous ghost towns that Nevada has to offer. The main page of the website features a profile of a new ghost town every couple of months. These profiles provide a detailed history, summary of current remains, and when available, photographs. Some places included aren't necessarily ghost towns but fit the accepted description of a ghost town presented by legendary ghosttowner Lambert Florin: "A shadowy semblance of a former self."
Each county has its own ghost town listing. These listings are alphabetical and contain a quick history and what remnants are left. There are more than 2900 photos currently on the site. All of these photos are copyrighted. Please enjoy them but any use without my written consent is strictly prohibited. More detailed histories of individual towns are available in my books on Elko, Eureka, Lander, Nye, and White Pine Counties.
Please feel free to bookmark this page and visit often. All comments and suggestions are greatly appreciated. Any additions are always welcome! If you notice omissions or have some photos for listed sites that don't have any, please feel free to let me know and I will make the additions with full credit given to you! Another new addition is a "Ghost Towner Photo Page." This is just for fun and anyone who has "people" photos at ghost towns, please send them to me and I'll put them on the page.
As a final note, please respect remains at any ghost town you might visit. These are valuable remembrances of a bygone era that once gone, can never be replaced. Please only take photographs and do not destroy what little remains. These sites are our heritage and must be respected so future generations can also enjoy visiting the ghostly remains of the Old West.
Author's Note (5/22/08): I must apologize for the slowness of updates and additions. Finding time to go and visit more ghost towns and historic sites has been extremely limited during the past couple of years due to family and work obligations. I greatly appreciate all the positive emails and letters I get concerning this site and hope to be able to get out more so I can provide you more on this website!
As a side note...I was forced to resign from the Tonopah Historic Mining Park in April 2007 due to a move to violate my employment contract which stated that I would not have any interference with my every other weekend visitation with my daughter. I was going to be forced to work weekends as a cost cutting maneuver and would not be able to see my daughter as scheduled. It was a heart breaking decision but family comes first. If you would like to read my letter that was published in the Tonopah Times Bonanza, click here.
Over 2900 Photos now on this site!
New Photos Added 5/22/08
Nye County: Milk Springs (15), Clear Creek (8), Lauville (5), Stargo (6), Danville (16), Longstreet Ranch North (9), Spanish Spring (3), White Caps (9), Van Ness (9), Barcelona (16), Round Mountain (7), Ralston (5), Stonewall (8), Wagner (3), San Carlos (1), Jacksonville (3), Ancram (3)
Esmeralda County: Klondyke RR (3), Cuprite (3)
New Photos Added 5/25/08
Nye County: Royston (7), Orizaba (20), Republic (15), Washington (21), San Juan (4), Lower Reese River Valley (11), Ione (23)
HAPPY GHOST TOWN HUNTING!!!!
For many more interesting ghost town sites, travel the Ghost Town Webring!!
This RingSurf THE GHOST TOWN WEBRING Net
Ring
owned by Nevada Ghost Towns.
[ Previous | Next | Random Site | List Sites | Join]
Proud Member of the US Ghost Town Project
FEATURED GHOST TOWN
CHERRY CREEK
(White Pine County)
Cherry Creek has been one of White Pine County’s best producing mining districts for well over 100 years. It all began on September 23, 1872, when Peter Corning and John Carpenter from nearby Egan Canyon located the Tea Cup claims. Within one year, the list of mines included the Star Pacific, Exchequer, Flagstaff, Corey, Eagle, Mary Anne, Black Metals, Mother Lode, and Bull Hill. The Cherry Creek boom was on. By spring 1873, the town had a population of 400. A 5-stamp, 25-ton mill, the Thompson, was constructed next to the Tea Cup Mine. Buildings, including a livery stable, a blacksmith shop, a $2,000 hotel, boardinghouses, restaurants, and – most important to many miners – more than twenty saloons, quickly sprang up in Cherry Creek as the boom gained momentum. Peter Newman constructed a brewery in Egan Canyon to supply the thirsty Cherry Creek saloons. Because of the booming Cherry Creek economy, Wells-Fargo opened a station in 1873. A post office also opened. Another small mill, the Flagstaff (Henry Lyons, superintendent) started on May 17. All this bustling mining activity began to fade in 1874. In the town’s elections that year, more than 500 ballots were cast, but even then, most of the mines and both mills were struggling. By 1875, most had closed and only limited production continued.
In 1880, Cherry Creek revived and began its biggest boom. Rich new finds were made in the Exchequer and Tea Cup mines. Soon after, additional veins were discovered in the Star Mine. By the end of 1881, the mines each employed close to 200 men. A 20-stamp, 100-ton amalgamation mill was moved from Hamilton (the Dayton mill) to the Star Mine. The Star Mill was started in July 1882. Other mills put into operation included the 50-ton Exchequer and the 5-stamp Tea Cup.
Cherry Creek quickly became the largest voting precinct in White Pine County. The post office was reestablished and operated out of a mercantile store owned by D.H. Gray, a prominent White Pine politician, and Daniel Collins, who also acted as postmaster. At its peak in 1882, Cherry Creek had a transient population of 6,000 and about 1,800 permanent residents. The town now had an amazing 28 saloons, keeping the brewery running at full capacity. In addition, a wide variety of mercantile stores were operating, and a Woodruff and Ennor stage to Toano (Elko County) was set up. By popular demand, a track for horse racing was built three miles south of town. The racetrack, a source of great civic pride, boasted a huge grandstand, stables, and a mile long track. Horses came from as far away as Missouri to race here, and the track had a reputation of being the fastest in Nevada.
Literary enlightenment came to the town when the White Pine News was moved from Hamilton on January 1, 1881. By 1882, J. B. Williamson, owner of the Exchequer Mine, had shipped more than $1 million in bullion. Then the financial crash of 1883 stopped Cherry Creek’s boom in its tracks. That, combined with poor management, forced the Star Mine and Mill to close in 1884. Soon after, the Tea Cup and the Exchequer also closed. Cherry Creek began a rapid decline. Despite its dwindling population, the town tried to challenge Hamilton for the county seat – to no avail. A further blow occurred on July 24, 1884, when hoisting works at the Star Mine burned. By November only one saloon, Coqners and Boss, was still serving the shrinking populace. On August 15, 1885, the White Pine News left Cherry Creek and moved on to the boomtown of Taylor. While the major mines had closed, smaller ones were still producing. Cherry Creek continued to decline, however. A fire in August 1888 destroyed a section of the business district, causing $20,000 in damage. By 1890, Cherry Creek had a population of only 350. Three stages (to Wells, Aurum, and Ely) still ran from Cherry Creek, but another fire, in February 1901, further depressed the camp. The fire, started by a man named Abe Kooken as he tried to put gas into a hot lamp, destroyed a major section of downtown Cherry Creek. Yet another smaller fire occurred in 1904.
Then, beginning in 1903, Cherry Creek experienced a revival. The Tea Cup (renamed the Biscuit), Exchequer, and Star mines were reopened, and two new mines, the National and the New Century, were put into production. An additional boost to Cherry Creek occurred on July 17, 1906, when the Nevada Northern Railroad arrived. The population grew to about 450 before the revival faded in 1910. During the next few years, only leaseholders were active in the district. The Cherry Creek Silver Dividend Mining Company worked the Mary Ann Mine from 1917 to 1923 and produced $35,000. From 1902 to 1922, $701,000 was produced from the Cherry Creek mines. Several small mining companies came into the district during the early 1920s. The Penn-Star Mining Company (J.M. Murdock, president) worked nine claims and built a 100-ton flotation mill that ran until August 1921. The Tea Cup Mining Company (George Granopolous, president) began work in the district during 1918 but didn’t begin production until the summer of 1919. The company controlled 12 claims, the most prominent being the Tea Cup Mine. A 100-ton flotation and cyanide mill was built in 1919, and a 7,250 foot tramway was constructed to link the Tea Cup Mine with the mill. An assay office and a number of other buildings were constructed at the mill. In 1924, the United Imperial Mines Company was organized and obtained control of the Exchequer, Imperial and Star mines. These three mines contained over 18,500 feet of workings. The company also reopened the old Star Mill and converted it to a cyanide plant.
In 1927, the Nevada Standard Mining Company (J. Henry Goodman, president) entered the Cherry Creek District and began to purchase most of the district’s claims. The company obtained the holdings of the six active companies in the area. As many as 200 men were employed in the mines and mills during the 1920s and 1930s. The mines had workings of more than 40,000 feet and had produced more than $10 million. The company worked the mines off and on until 1940. When the company folded, it had produced close to $2 million.
Since that time, leaseholders have always been active in the district. Even today, mining activity lingers in the Cherry Creek area and accounts for an increase in the town’s population. Total production for the district is somewhere between $15 and $20 million (estimates vary dramatically). Cherry Creek is definitely one of the best ghost towns in Nevada. Many buildings remain, including the old school, several old saloons, and a couple of false front buildings. A number of years ago the old Nevada Northern Railroad station was located just east of town. The depot, which retained a rare and complete water tower, was moved to the White Pine Museum in Ely. The water tower has now collapsed and remains at the depot site. Cherry Creek has a fascinating cemetery, which contains many old wooden markers. Unfortunately, the cemetery has been vandalized during recent years, and many markers were broken and scattered. About 20 residents live in the town, and one of the saloons is in operation. A fire a few years ago destroyed a group of beautiful old false fronts, located in what used to be downtown Cherry Creek. Plenty of mine and mill ruins are located further up the canyon. Cherry Creek is a must for the interested visitor. Plan to take more than a day to enjoy and explore the town’s many and varied points of interest.
Please sign my guestbook!!
Please be kind, no spam entries! They will be deleted!
View My Guestbook
Sign My Guestbook
Get Out Exploring!!!!!!