Broken Hills, Nevada facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Broken Hills, Nevada
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 Broken Hills, Nevada
Location in Nevada
Broken Hills, Nevada
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Nevada |
| County | Mineral |
| Elevation | 5,371 ft (1,637 m) |
Broken Hills is a fascinating ghost town located in Mineral County, Nevada. It was once a busy mining town. Miners Joseph Arthur and James Stratford started the main mining work there in 1913. The town was most popular during World War I.
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What is Broken Hills?
Broken Hills is a place where people used to live and work, but now it's mostly empty. It's called a ghost town because most buildings are gone or falling apart. It reminds us of a time when mining was a big deal in Nevada.
How Broken Hills Started
Two men from England, Joseph Arthur and James Stratford, found silver-lead ore here in 1913. Ore is rock that has valuable metals inside. When others heard about this discovery, many miners rushed to the area. But soon, they found out that Arthur and Stratford had already claimed the best spots for mining.
Life and Decline of the Town
From 1915 to 1920, Broken Hills was quite lively. A few hundred people lived there. The town had shops, a hotel, places to eat, and even a school. It was a real community.
However, the mining didn't bring in as much money as hoped. By 1920, Arthur and Stratford's mines had only made about $68,000. They sold their mining claims to a man named George Graham Rice. He tried to make the mine popular and sold parts of the property to investors. Rice put about $75,000 of their money into the mine. But it only made about $7,000 back. Other mining companies in the area also struggled and failed.
A Brief Comeback
In 1926, there was a new rush for silver in the nearby Quartz Mountains. This brought some life back to Broken Hills. The post office and a few stores reopened. But after 1928, the town started to decline again. Some mining continued, but it was on a much smaller scale. Between 1935 and 1940, the area produced about $180,000 from mining.
The town's post office was open for a short time from December 1920 to October 1921. It then reopened from June 1926 until February 1935.
Broken Hills in Pop Culture
Broken Hills is even mentioned in the popular video game Fallout 2. In the game, you can find a version of the town that looks like it's from a future after a big disaster.
