Atwood, Nevada facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Atwood
Ghost town
Atwood Location in Nevada
Country	United States
State	Nevada
Counties	Nye
Founded	1901
Deserted	1959
Elevation	6,001 ft (1,829 m)
Population
• Total	0
GNIS feature ID	848496

Atwood was once a small town in Nye County, Nevada. It was a "ghost town" because everyone left it. This former mining settlement was about 35 miles (56 km) northeast of Mina.

Atwood started in 1901. It became the most important mining village in the Fairplay Mining District. This area was also known as the "Atwood Mining District." The town was named after this mining district. The district itself was named after the person who found the mines there.

Atwood was completely empty by 1908. But then, it came back to life in 1914. The very last person left Atwood in 1959. Today, you can only find one old building foundation and some broken glass.

How Atwood Began

The First Years (1901-1908)

Atwood was founded in 1901. This happened after gold was discovered in the Paradise Range. A group of people, including Okey Davis and George Duncan, found the gold. The Fairplay mining district was officially set up two years later in June.

A company called Gold Crown Mining started in April 1904. They ran the Atwood and Lone Star Mines. The town's layout was planned in September 1905. A real estate company from Tonopah advertised it. In the summer of 1905, a miner told a newspaper that Atwood was a "city of tents." But he also said that real buildings would be built soon. Another town, Edgewood, was started nearby in December. However, Edgewood was quickly abandoned.

Atwood Becomes a Company Town

In 1906, the Griggs Atwood Mining Company bought the town. They also bought the Atwood Mine. This made Atwood a "company town." This means one company owned most of the town. The three main mines were Atwood, Butler, and Gold Crown. The Butler Mine was the most important. It had a deep shaft, about 280-foot (85-metre) deep. After gold ore was dug up, it was sent to Sodaville.

Atwood's population grew to 200 people by late 1906. Many businesses opened in town. These included a hotel, several stores, and a dance hall. A post office opened on February 6, 1906. The hotel owner became the postmaster. She moved the post office into her hotel.

Life in Early Atwood

A short-lived newspaper, the Fairplay Prospector, was published in 1907. There was also a stagecoach line between Atwood and Mina. A basketball team was even formed! The team was made up of Atwood residents. They played against a team from Goldyke on Sundays.

Newspapers thought Atwood would grow even more in 1908. But the Butler Mine closed instead. The mining settlement became completely empty that year. The post office also closed on January 31, 1908.

Atwood's Comeback (After 1914)

New Discoveries and Camps

Atwood came back to life in early 1914. This happened when Okey Davis found rich new gold ore. It was found south of Atwood. Four mining companies were working in the Fairplay Mining District in January 1914. These included the "Nevada Chief Mining Company."

Miners lived in three different camps. These were Atwood, Okey Davis, and Butler. Okey Davis camp was built where the new ore was found. It had eight buildings when it started. Butler camp was built next to the Butler Mine. This mine was renamed "Nevada Chief." It was named after M. L. Butler, who found the mine.

Butler Camp and Its Decline

Jim Skelton organized Butler camp in February 1915. The first wooden house was built there. Its population grew to 75 people in March. A lodging house (like a small hotel), a cookhouse, and a lumber yard were built.

However, Butler's population started to shrink in the summer. By fall, no one lived there. Butler was renamed "Gilt Edge" in its last months. Atwood itself was also abandoned again after this.

The Final Years

In 1927, the Oatman United Gold Mining Company bought the Nevada Chief Mine. This company owned the Okey Davis Mine. Mining slowed down in the following years. The last mines closed in the early 1930s.

The buildings around the mines were still standing around 1950. The last person living in the Fairplay Mining District was Walter Pfefferkorn. He left the Okey Davis camp in 1959.