The town of Gabbs is alive and well—for the time being. A paleontologist by the name of William Gabbs was with the Whitney Expedition of 1862-1867 and was responsible for analyzing fossils collected in the area that came to be known as Gabbs Valley. But it was the discovery of tungsten in 1926 that led to the town’s development and growth. Tungsten was to become the town’s lifeblood with the onset of World War II. By 1940 there was a ten-room bunkhouse, a mess hall, a kitchen, an office, and numerous cabins. The ore mined at Gabbs was renamed Basic Magnesium and was put on the defense priority list. In 1943, Gabbs was the largest producer of magnesium in the world. By 1946, Gabbs had a population of 426. For the next half-century year the town’s population remained fairly constant and magnesium remains the town’s lifeline.

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!