Pioche Chamber of Commerce
Pioche, Nevada

NAME: Carp

COUNTY: Lincoln

ROADS: 2WD

CLIMATE: Hot summer days, mild to raw winter days.

BEST TIME TO VISIT: Anytime.

COMMENTS: Beautiful drive along Meadow Valley Wash. Very rural and remote, especially approaching from I-15 from the south along dirt roads.

REMAINS: Active railroad siding, abandoned water reservoir.

Carp is located in the lower Meadow Valley Wash 35 miles south of Caliente. Its history is tied in with the Union Pacific Railroad. The post office started under the name of Carpsdale June 29, 1918, but was rescinded. It then officially opened under the name of Cliffdale June 7, 1921 and changing to Carp December 1, 1925. Carp PO remained to serve rural ranches until July 1, 1974; although it was out of business for nearly a year before it was discontinued. Little remains except a railroad siding usually occupied by idling trains awaiting passage of a train traveling in the opposite direction on the busy transcontinental route, and the remains of the watering reservoir.

What To See »

Where to stay»

Weather forecast »

IN PICTURES

Photo Album

New Pioche Historic Photo's

NAME: Clover Valley-Barclay

COUNTY: Lincoln

ROADS: 2WD

CLIMATE: Cold in winter Mild rest of year

BEST TIME TO VISIT: Spring,summer and fall

COMMENTS: About 13 miles east of Caliente(20 miles south of Pioche) Some year round residents,mostly farming

REMAINS: Recently restored barclay school house, wildlife

Mormons settled in late 1860's with P.O. established 1871-1877. April 1899,Post Office at Barclay,a siding for the San Pedro,Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad (now Union Pacific) was established. Farms, Livestock,Wildlife and recently restored Barclay school house to seeAlso very active with U.P.railtraffic

NAME: Crystal Springs

COUNTY: Lincoln

ROADS: 2WD

CLIMATE: Mild spring and summer,cold,cold in winter

BEST TIME TO VISIT: Late spring through early fall

COMMENTS: Semi-ghost

REMAINS: Many original buildings
The town of Crystal Springs was founded just a few miles south of Hiko. Originally the townsite had been a fresh water source for a nearby Indian Village. Crystal Springs became a stage stop and the first Lincoln County seat. This honor, however, lasted for less than a year and the county seat was moved to Hiko.

NAME: Delamar

COUNTY: Lincoln

ROADS: 4WD

CLIMATE: Hot in summer, snow in winter, in Delamar Mountains

BEST TIME TO VISIT: Spring, late summer

COMMENTS: Rather exstensive ruins and a few facades of buildings on the main street.It's quite a long ride to the site as it is about 35 miles from the Crystal Springs cutoff on rather changable roads and through a few dry washes.This is Four wheel drive travel only after you exit the Extraterrestrial Highway.

Delamar is off US 93 approx. 16 miles west of Caliente, NV. Drive about 15 miles south on a gravel/rock road to Delamar. Sign is posted on gravel road. Four wheel drive vehicle is likely required.

REMAINS: Worth the drive and lots of expolration opportunities ......but please use your camera and not your shovels and picks on the remains. Several buildings, cemetery, farm implements, etc...

Big siver strike around late 1890's..........boom lasted trough about early 1920's.....various sporadic mining thereafter but townsite is deserted and quite a few remains as it's hard to reach destination has preserved it longer than normal.

The gold rush was on in the Pahranagat Valley of Nevada when farmers in 1890 and 1891 discovered gold in the hills around the mountainous valley. In 1892, the Ferguson Mining District was formed. Reports came into Pioche that assays of $75 to $1000 a ton of ore was being mined resulting in the first rush of miners stampeding to the district.
While miners temporarily camped in Golden City and the town of Helene, the town of Delamar soon developed shortly thereafter when Capt. John DeLamar of Montana purchased the principal claims in 1893 for $150,000 and established the early settlement of the town.

The first post office was opened in June 1894 and by the end of 1895, the camp had become a full-fledged town containing many businesses and more than 300 dwellings. By 1897, Delamar was home to more than 3,000 residents and supported numerous stores, saloons, a theater and other establishments.
The extensive mining operation led to the town's reputation as the "Maker of Widows" as the "Delamar Dust" or silica dust inhaled by the miners led to many deaths. Two years after 1900 when a fire destroyed half the town, Capt. DeLamar sold his interest in the mines which had produced an estimated $8.5 million in gold. The new owners, under the control of a Simon
Bamberger, continued to outproduce all other mines in the state until 1909 but the operation was closed soon after. The site was reopened briefly from 1929-34 and evidence of a mining operation continues there today. Nestled in the Delamar Mountain range are partially standing rock buildings, mill ruins and a cemetery, which some relatives apparently still visit.

It was in the early 1890s when a wealthy Frenchman, Captain Joseph Rafael De La Mar began development of the rich mining camp in the Delamar hills. The town boomed from 1895 into the twentieth century, finally becoming a ghost town at the beginning of World War II, nearly a half century later. Delamar was known to many as the “widowmaker.” Several dozen women were widowed her. Because water was scarce, the crusher was run almost dry and created a fine dust that contained silica. The deadly dust was inhaled by the men, causing silicosis and an ultimately death. The dreaded dust also pierced lungs of women, children and animals. Water had to be hauled to all houses except one where it was tapped. In this house lived the “last rose of Delamar.” Agnes Horn, who had been there since childhood. Her husband was one of the young men felled by the dust. She was one of the camp's first settlers and among the last to leave. She was buried in the cemetery, beneath a rose bush that had once bloomed at her window.

NAME: Elgin

COUNTY: Lincoln

ROADS: 2WD

CLIMATE: Mild to hot summer days, cool to raw winter days with occasional snow.

BEST TIME TO VISIT: Anytime.

COMMENTS: Paved Nevada Highway 317 south from Caliente ends here. Located along beautiful drive between Caliente and Carp in Meadow Valley Wash. Great railroad photography and railfanning on Union Pacific Railroad in area, heavy rail traffic, about 4 trains per hour. Many tunnels and bridges.

REMAINS: Occupied homes. Old schoolhouse undergoing restoration.

History tied with the Union Pacific Railroad. Post office opened March 3, 1913, closed December 30, 1966. Occupied homes in a picturesque canyon setting in the Meadow Valley Wash. Submitted by: David A. Wright - Great Basin Research

Update:The old schoolhouse in Elgin,Nevada Is now open as a museum. A member of the Bradshaw family built it years ago and the family has also donated some of the original furnishings to the museum. For info call: Lynn Wood at (775) 726-3787 or write P.O. Box 266, Caliente,Nv.89008 Paul Hodson

NAME: Fay

COUNTY: Lincoln

ROADS: 2WD

CLIMATE: Snow in Winter, hot summers

BEST TIME TO VISIT: Spring and Fall

COMMENTS: Fay can be reached either from Utah or Nevada. It is just west of Gold Springs, Utah. It is so close to Gold Springs that unless you know exactly where the state line is you can't tell which ghost town you're in.

REMAINS: Cabins, mine ruins

Fay started in 1899. In 1901 it had four saloons, several stores, a post office, and regular stage service. Fay began to fail in 1915, but the post office wasn't removed until 1924.

NAME: Helene

COUNTY: Lincoln

ROADS: 2WD

CLIMATE: Cold winter, little snow, hot hot hot summer, nice spring

BEST TIME TO VISIT: Spring and Fall

COMMENTS: 1 mile north of delamar, wild horses, many ruins, close to old cemetary, access across mountains to east with 4wd, no residents, nearest gas in caliente, access from caliente or delamar.
REMAINS: Foundations, cans, bottles, minehead,

NAME: Hiko

COUNTY: Lincoln

ROADS: 2WD

CLIMATE: Mild spring and summer,cold,cold in winter

BEST TIME TO VISIT: Late spring through early fall

COMMENTS: Semi-ghost

REMAINS: Many original buildings
During 1865 in Lincoln County, a number of mining camps came to life in an area called Pahranagat Valley, an Indian word for “Valley of the Lakes.” There were twenty-six small silver mines in the valley in 1866. A William Raymond purchased several of these mines, built the first mill, and laid out a townsite and named it “Hiko,” an Indian expression meaning “white man's town.” By the end of 1866, Hiko and the area around it had attracted a few hundred residents but by 1871 the mining activity west of Hiko had begun to die out. Lawlessness ran rampant throughout the valley during this period with cattle rustlers and horse thieves. As if this wasn't enough, it soon gave way to notorious gun-play. The town still exists on state highway 36 just north of the junction of state highway 25.

NAME: Jackrabbit

COUNTY: Lincoln

ROADS: 2WD

CLIMATE: Hot summers, cold winters

BEST TIME TO VISIT: Spring through fall

COMMENTS: About one mile off highway 93, 14 miles north of pioche.

REMAINS: Headframe, mines, foundations
Origionally called Royal City, Jackrabbit was discovered in 1876. It had a store,boarding house,saloon,and a blacksmith shop. The Post Office opened in 1878. The town became known as Jackrabbit in 1891.

NAME: Logan City

COUNTY: Lincoln

ROADS: 2WD

CLIMATE: Hot summers and cold winters

BEST TIME TO VISIT: Spring through fall, but the summers are very hot.

COMMENTS: Logan City it north-west of Hiko, about 12 miles up the canyon.

REMAINS: Two or three buildings and ruins.
The first exploration of this site was in March of 1865. By December of that year it had 100 people living there. A mill was built in Hiko and the population climbed to 300. A Post Office was opened in July of 1867. The town died in 1869 because of the new finds in Pioche.