Ruth, Nevada facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ruth, Nevada
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Street Scene in Ruth, Nevada
Ruth, Nevada Location in Nevada Show map of Nevada Ruth, Nevada Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	Nevada
County	White Pine
Area
• Total	0.35 sq mi (0.90 km2)
• Land	0.35 sq mi (0.90 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation	6,870 ft (2,090 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	371
• Density	1,072.25/sq mi (414.24/km2)
Time zone	UTC-8 (Pacific (PST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP codes	89319
FIPS code	32-63800
GNIS feature ID	2629979

Ruth is a small community in White Pine County, Nevada, United States. It is known as a census-designated place, which means it's a special area defined for gathering population data. Ruth was started in 1903. In 2010, about 440 people lived there.

Ruth was built as a "company town." This means a mining company owned most of the houses and businesses. It was made for workers at the Robinson Mine. This mine digs for copper from a large open pit. The mine is still working today.

Ruth's Population

The number of people living in Ruth has changed over the years. In 2020, the population was 371.

Ruth's History

A wide view of Ruth around 1912

Ruth began in 1903. It was a place for workers of the White Pine Copper Company to live. The town got its name from a mining claim. This claim was named after Ruth McDonald. She was the daughter of the person who first owned the mining claim.

Copper Mining Boom

When the Nevada Northern Railway opened in 1906, copper mining really took off. More copper could be moved, which helped the mines grow.

In 1905, a man named Daniel C. Jackling looked at a copper site. He saw that even low-quality copper could be mined. He helped create a huge open-pit mine there. This was called the Veteran Mine. Jackling later became the president of the Nevada Consolidated Copper Company.

By 1910, the town of Ruth had moved a short distance from its first spot. It was a true company town. The mining company owned and managed the houses and the town itself.

Mine Accidents and Strikes

A mine explosion happened in Ruth on July 12, 1912. Sadly, ten people lost their lives in this accident.

In 1919, copper miners in Ruth went on strike. About 150 miners stopped working. They wanted higher wages, which means more pay. The strike leaders were from the Western Federation of Miners.

Changes Over Time

At the start of the Great Depression, Ruth was a busy place. Almost 2,300 people lived there.

In 1933, the Kennecott Copper Corporation took over the Nevada Consolidated Copper Co.

Ruth stopped being a company town in 1955. The houses were sold to a company called John W. Galbreath. People who were renting their homes could now buy them. Around this time, the community moved two miles north. This was to make space for the Deep Ruth mine to get bigger.

In 1978, Kennecott closed the mines in Ruth. The town then started to shrink. The elementary school closed in 1986.

Mines Reopen

BHP reopened the mine in 1996. The BHP Nevada Railroad was based in Ruth from 1996 to 1999. But the mine closed again in 1999.

Then, Quadra FNX Mining reopened the Robinson Mine in 2004. It was still fully working in 2015.

The Nevada Northern Railway Museum still keeps some train tracks in the area.

Ruth was also the inspiration for the novel Desperation by Stephen King.

A panorama of Ruth in 2014

Famous People from Ruth

A map showing mining areas near Ruth. Ruth is at the top center.

• Charles H. Russell was the 20th governor of Nevada. He worked in Ruth for a short time around 1927.
• Former U.S. Congresswoman Helen Delich Bentley was born in Ruth. She represented the state of Maryland.

Ruth's Climate

Ruth has a semi-arid climate. This means it's quite dry. Summers are hot, and winters are cold. This is typical for many small towns in the Great Basin.

Temperature Swings

Because Ruth is high up and dry, the temperature changes a lot between day and night. This is called Diurnal temperature variation. Nights are cool, even in summer. Frosts can happen any time of year, but they are rare in summer.

In winter, daytime temperatures are usually just above freezing. But nights can be very cold.

See also

In Spanish: Ruth (Nevada) para niños