Mineral Hill, Nevada

Ghost town in Nevada, United States

40°09′36″N 116°05′49″W / 40.16000°N 116.09694°W / 40.16000; -116.09694^[1]CountryUnited StatesStateNevadaCountyEurekaElevation

^[1]

6,368 ft (1,941 m)

Mineral Hill is a ghost town in Eureka County, Nevada, US.

Silver, lead and copper were discovered there in June 1869.^[2] In the early 1870s, there were almost 450 residents.^[2]

Initially, the Reese River process was used to process the ore, which includes roasting the ore with salt before using the Washoe process. A fifteen stamp mill was built in 1871 using the Reese River process with excellent results, though it was later found that good results would occur with just the Washoe process.^[3]^[4] Peak production of US$701,000 (equivalent to $17,829,000 in 2023) occurred in 1871.^[4] In 1872, the company that built the mill failed because the it was not able to supply sufficient ore. Lien holders operated the mill for a few years, by 1872 production was estimated at US$25,000 (equivalent to $636,000 in 2023). Between 1913 and 1938, production was estimated to be only US$25,000 (equivalent to $541,000 in 2023).^[4]

A Post Office was in operation from May 1871 to July 1888, then from February 1889 to July 1890 and finally from February 1902 to Apr 1914.^[5]

Hot Springs

Hot Springs is smaller ghost town, located four miles north of Mineral Hill.^[6]

The water of the spring is very rich in minerals and was to help people with several diseases.^[7]^[8] An early owner, Dr. Davenport, built a large bathhouse at the springs and renamed it White Sulphur Springs.^[6]^[7]^[8] That springs was mainly used by miners from Mineral Hill. When Mineral Hill began to weaken, the business decelerated. The owner of the springs closed up shop in the mid-1870s.^[8]

References

^ ^a ^b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Mineral Hill
^ ^a ^b Wheeler, George (1872). Preliminary Report Concerning Explorations and Surveys Principally in Nevada and Arizona. United States Geological Survey. pp. 35–36. Retrieved March 5, 2020.
^ Eissler, M. (1896). The metallurgy of silver (3rd ed.). hdl:2027/hvd.hn1xz8.First person description of the refining process used at Mineral Hill.
^ ^a ^b ^c Vanderburg, William O. (1938). Reconnaissance of Mining Districts in Eureka County, Nevada.
^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Mineral Hill Post Office (historical)
^ ^a ^b "White Sulphur Springs". Eureka Daily Sentinel. October 13, 1871. Retrieved February 25, 2020. Located four miles north of Mineral Hill.
^ ^a ^b ghosttowns.com. "Hot Springs". Retrieved May 12, 2013.
^ ^a ^b ^c Hall, Shawn (2016). Romancing Nevada's Past: Ghost Towns And Historic Sites Of Eureka, Lander, And White Pine Counties. University of Nevada Press. ISBN 9780874170108. Retrieved February 24, 2020.