Buckhorn, Nevada facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Buckhorn, Nevada
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Country | United States |
State | Nevada |
County | Eureka |
Elevation | 6,453 ft (1,967 m) |
Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific (PST)) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
Buckhorn is a ghost town located in Eureka County, Nevada. A ghost town is a place that was once a busy community but is now mostly empty. Buckhorn's story is about a gold mining town that grew quickly and then faded away.
The Story of Buckhorn
Buckhorn's history began in the winter of 1908. Five prospectors discovered gold ore there. Prospectors are people who search for valuable minerals. They found gold in the area that would soon become Buckhorn.
These prospectors sold their discovery to George Wingfield. He was a very rich and powerful person in the mining business. In 1910, Mr. Wingfield started a company called the "Buckhorn Company." This company began mining for gold.
Life in Buckhorn
As the mine grew, so did the town. A Post Office opened in February 1910. It stayed open until May 1916. By 1914, about 300 people lived in Buckhorn. It was a lively community for a few years.
The Decline of the Mine
However, the gold veins in Buckhorn were not as strong as people hoped. Gold production started to drop in 1914 and 1915. The mine eventually closed in 1917.
Years later, in 1935, the mine was reopened. But the amount of gold found was still very low. Because of this, the mine closed again for good.
Today, almost nothing is left of the old town. You can still see the foundations of the mill. The mill was a building where the gold ore was processed. These foundations are the only reminders of Buckhorn's past as a busy mining town.