Rhodes, Nevada facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rhodes, Nevada
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| Etymology: Named for A. J. Rhoades, who worked the nearby salt marsh | |
 Rhodes, Nevada
Location in Nevada
Rhodes, Nevada
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Nevada |
| County | Mineral |
| Elevation | 4,357 ft (1,328 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific (PST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
Rhodes, Nevada was once a busy place in Mineral County, Nevada. It started as a rail station and a Post Office along the Carson and Colorado Railway. Today, it's known as a ghost town, meaning it's mostly abandoned.
Contents
History of Rhodes
Early Salt Mining
Long ago, in 1862, salt was very important for mining in places like Virginia City, Nevada. Getting salt from San Francisco was super expensive. It cost about $150 for every ton!
Then, people found salt right nearby in the Rhodes Salt Marsh. They even used camels to carry the salt, which cut the cost in half! This was a big deal for the miners.
Soon after, in 1863, even cheaper salt was found at Sand Springs Marsh. But Rhodes Salt Marsh still sent salt to other towns like Columbus, Nevada and Belmont, Nevada in 1869.
Borax and Post Office
Besides salt, people also started making borax at Rhodes. By 1874 and again in 1882, they were making about one ton of borax every day.
Rhodes also had its own Post Office. It was called Rhodes from 1893 to 1907. Then, for a short time, it was called Dea, from 1907 to 1908.
Sodium Sulfate Production
In 1930, a new factory was built at Rhodes Marsh. This factory made something called sodium sulfate. This chemical is used in many things, like making paper.
By 1932, the Rhodes Marsh factory was doing very well. It was producing enough sodium sulfate to fill one train car every day. About 100 people worked there, which was a lot for a small town.
Why Mining Stopped
Around 1934, things changed. Germany started sending sodium sulfate to other countries as "ballast" on ships. This meant they were shipping it very cheaply.
Because of this, the price of sodium sulfate dropped a lot. It became too expensive to mine it at Rhodes Marsh, so the factory had to close down.
Mining Resumes
However, in 1948, mining started up again at Rhodes Marsh. The sodium sulfate they dug up was sent to a paper factory in Florida. At this time, all 30 workers lived in the nearby town of Mina, Nevada.
Eventually, the mining stopped for good, and Rhodes became the ghost town it is today.
