Ellen Clifford Nay, for whom Ellendale was named, discovered a large deposit of float gold in the southern part of Saulsbury Wash in 1909. The free gold ore was some of the richest ever found in Nevada. Ellen and her husband were operating a stopover place in Saulsbury Wash on what is now US 6. They had built a lodging house and a small store and provided meals. The district looked very promising. Within a matter of weeks, 400 people were in the district. The Ellendale townsite was laid out in June, and nearly all the lots were sold in the first two months. Regular lots sold for $150 and corner lots were $200. Within one week, twenty buildings were under construction. The value and quantity of gold seemed to suggest that Ellendale was there to stay. By July, the population had stabilized at 350. A telegraph line, a luxury shared by few other towns at the time, to Tonopah became a reality in late 1909. The original claims played out in 1911, but some smaller ore bodies were discovered, and limited production continued through 1912. Total production value for the district from 1909 to 1912 was $100,000. After 1912, ghosts were the district’s main inhabitants. Although there was intermittent activity throughout the years subsequent to 1912, there was nothing at all after 1939. Hardly anything remains at Ellendale and a four-wheel-drive vehicle is required to get there.

Submitted by: Shawn Hall from his book Preserving The Glory Days: Ghost Towns And Mining Camps Of Nye County, Nevada Click here to purchase his book!