![]() But on October 31, 1939, fire destroyed the Belmont Mine, and another fire in 1942 closed the Tonopah Extension Mill. In 1921 four out of the twenty-five principal silver mines in the nation were still in Tonopah and Tonopah was the nation’s second largest producer of gold. Between the end of World War I and the Great Depression four companies remained active: the Tonopah Mining Company, Tonopah Belmont, Tonopah Extension, and West End Consolidated Mines. Tonopah reached its peak production between 19. Several mills were constructed to process 1,830 tons of ore daily including the Tonopah Belmont Development Company’s massive 500-ton mill on the east side of Mount Oddie. The following year was Tonopah’s most profitable: Annual production in gold, silver, copper, and lead was valued at $10 million. The daily wage for a machine operator averaged $4.50-$5.50 per shift. Mining activity expanded in 1912 when the Belmont mine and mill began operating in July. Seventeen men perished from the toxic fumes of the blaze. The infamous Belmont fire occurred on February 23, 1911, when the 1,200 foot mine shaft of the Belmont Mine caught fire. A year later the roundhouse and the machine shops at the Tonopah and Goldfield Railroad burned to the ground. In May 1908, fire destroyed an entire block of the commercial district. In 19, Tonopah was devastated by a series of fires. ![]() The city had five banks, modern hotels, cafes, an opera house, a school, electric and water companies, numerous gambling halls, and several four to five story buildings downtown. Tonopah survived the financial panic of 1907. ![]() In the fall, the two railroads in Tonopah merged into the Tonopah and Goldfield Railroad Company, its track gauge standardized and extended to Goldfield. On July 7, 1905, Tonopah’s first city government was incorporated. The population continued to grow as transportation to the district became easier, and by May 1905, the Nye County seat was moved from Belmont to Tonopah, the post office changed its name to Tonopah, and construction began on a new $55,000 Nye County courthouse. On July 25, 1904, the town celebrated the completion of the narrow gauge railroad with speeches, sporting events, horse-races down Main Street, and several dances. There were thirty-two saloons, six faro games, two dancehalls, two weekly newspapers, several mercantile stores, and two churches built before 1904. A building boom followed the mining boom. With several profitable silver and gold strikes, production boomed and mining stocks listed on the San Francisco stock exchange since April soared. This changed in early 1903 when construction began on a 60-mile long narrow gauge railroad connecting Tonopah with the Carson and Colorado Branches of the Southern Pacific Railroad at the Sodaville Junction.īy the end of 1903, Tonopah’s population surged to 3,000. Prices were high, there were crude sanitary conditions, and Tonopah’s isolation made it difficult to obtain supplies. The camp was still relatively primitive in 1902. As word spread, more prospectors entered the area and three large mining corporations were formed in early 1902: The Tonopah Belmont Mining Company, the Montana Tonopah Mining Company, and the Tonopah Mining Company. Booth advertised the district through his newspaper the Tonopah Bonanza. That summer, Tonopah’s population reached 650. In May 1901, Tonopah’s first post office and the largest building in the city, The Mizpah Bar & Grill, opened. By springtime, the population rose to 250 and Tonopah’s first stage, the Concord, arrived from Sodaville. In January the mining camp had a population of 40, including three women. In 1901 several companies opened including the West End Consolidated Mining Company and the Tonopah Extension Mining Company. Later that year, Butler leased his claims for one year, collecting 25% of the royalties from the gold and silver ore that was mined. ![]() The Mizpah became Tonopah’s largest producer over the next forty years. Butler christened the first three claims Desert Queen, Burro, and Mizpah. That August, Butler and his wife staked eight claims in Tonopah. ![]() When Butler’s friend Tasker Oddie (later Nevada Senator and Governor) had Butler’s sample assayed, it was found to be worth $50-$600 per ton. On an overnight stop, Butler discovered silver outcroppings near the Tonopah Springs. Silver was first discovered on May 19, 1900, by prospector Jim Butler who was travelling through the area. Tonopah was one of Southern Nevada’s most prosperous mining communities, drawing hundreds of prospectors from its founding in 1900. ![]()
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