By 1870 a small town began to form when silver was discovered on Tacoma Hill just inside the Nevada border. In the same area just inside the Utah boarder was Copper Mountain where copper was being mined. A David Buel, who had achieved fame in Austin, Texas bought most of the mines on Tacoma Hill. In 1871 the town was named Buel and within six weeks had grown from five rough cabins to two hotels, three restaurants, six saloons, and twenty frame buildings. Buel designed and built a twenty-ton-per-day smelter and later sold it to a New York firm that owned some local mines. By 1872 a number of new mines began production. Seventy men were required to keep the smelter operating and another 120 worked in the mines. Buel peaked in 1874 and one by one the mines closed. The population decreased from 200 to less than 50 by 1876 and the smelter closed in that same year. However, in 1885 a thirty-year revival began with the mining of copper that had become a valuable commodity. The biggest boost to Buel occurred 1907 when the volume of ore produced convinced the Union Pacific Railroad to build a spur from Tacoma four miles away. After 1917 ore production began to decline, mines closed, and people moved away. The railroad spur was officially abandoned May 1, 1940. There is much to see at Buel to interest the ghosttowner.

Submitted by: Shawn Hall from his books Old Heart Of Nevada: Ghost Towns And Mining Camps Of Elko County Click here to purchase his book!

Connecting The West: Historic Railroad Stops And Stage Stations In Elko County, Nevada Click here to purchase his book!