Athens, Nevada facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Athens
|
|
|---|---|
 Athens
Location in Nevada
|
|
| Country | United States |
| State | Nevada |
| Counties | Nye |
| Founded | 1910 |
| Deserted | 1939 |
| Elevation | 6,160 ft (1,880 m) |
| Population | |
| • Total | 0 |
| GNIS feature ID | 848269, 852989 |
Athens was once a small town in Nye County, Nevada, where people dug for valuable minerals. It started quickly in 1910 when gold was found, but everyone left just as fast. Later, a big mine called the Warrior mine brought people back. Athens was a busy place until 1939, when the mining stopped for good. Today, it is a ghost town with no residents.
The Story of Athens
The First Gold Rush (1910)
Athens began as a mining camp in 1910. This was after John Martinez, J.R. Stott, and James Herald found valuable ore there the year before. In July 1910, many people rushed to Athens hoping to find gold.
About 75 people lived in the camp that July. They faced a big problem: there wasn't enough water. On July 9, more than 50 people met to create the Athens Mining District. Soon, about 30 tents were set up for homes.
Lester Bell sold land lots in Athens for $50 to $75. New businesses quickly appeared, like a place to stay, a saloon, and a store. Another mining camp, Juniper Springs, was nearby. It soon joined with Athens, and the combined town kept the name Athens. At this time, Athens had 15 wooden buildings. A stagecoach connected Athens to Mina, traveling three times a week.
Stott and Martinez found a new ore deposit. The ore was said to be worth $1,000 per ton! John McGee bought the rights to six of their claims for $100,000. However, the ore turned out to be not as good as they hoped. Because of this, people started leaving Athens by the end of 1910. By December, the mining camp was completely empty.
Athens Comes Back to Life
Athens became active again after the Warrior mine was discovered. This mine became the most important gold mine in the area. The Warrior mine was sold to the Warrior Gold Mining Company. Because of this new discovery, permanent buildings were constructed in Athens.
In 1913, Harry McNamara built a special mill to process the ore. He owned another successful mine nearby. In their first few months, the mines in Athens produced $20,000 worth of gold. In 1921, the Warrior mine was sold to the Aladdin Divide Mining Company. They searched the area carefully and found more ore deposits.
In July of the same year, the mine was sold again to the Olympic Mines Company. This company sent the ore to their mill in Omco, which was in Mineral County.
In 1922, a new company called the Lucky Boy Divide Mining Company started mining. They bought land next to Athens. A few years later, the mines stopped producing much ore. The ore had become too hard to find.
However, in December 1931, J.J. McNeil bought all the property of the Warrior Company. He reopened the mine. The next year, Warrior Consolidated Gold bought the mine. This company was not successful. So, in November 1933, the sheriff sold the mine at an auction. L.B. Spencer and L.J. Smith bought it. The ore was then taken to a mill in Silver City, Nevada. People continued to mine for ore in Athens until 1939.
Today, you can still see parts of the Warrior mine, the base of a mill, a few other structures, and old mining debris at the site.
