Jarbidge - Nevada Ghost Town

JARBIDGE

NAME: Jarbidge
COUNTY: Elko
ROADS: 2WD
GRID: 1
CLIMATE: Pleasant summer, heavy snow in winter.
BEST TIME TO VISIT: Summer, autumn.

COMMENTS: Town has a small, year around population. Very picturesque and unique. Post office open Monday-Wednesday-Friday.
REMAINS: Occupied homes old and new. A few old ruins are found if you look closely.

Gold discoveries in 1909 lead to wild speculation and exaggerated stories. A rush through the snow in March 1910 due to these reports was followed by a careless and swift exodus by May, only to have many of these same gold seekers to return in another inbound rush by June, when snow melt uncovered much ore bearing ground. The tent camp which had crowded the banks of the Jarbidge River in the narrow canyon for over three miles was soon replaced by solid buildings of log and lumber. Businesses included the traditional saloons, restaurants, hotels, boarding houses, stables, etcetera. But due to the harsh winters, many miners and prospectors left Jarbidge by the onset of winter and only a few stalwart individuals stayed on through the winter. One of the most famous events in Jarbidge�s history occurred in December 1916 when a stagecoach robber resulted in the murder of the driver. The robber took the mail and $3,000 cash and then propped the body of the driver up in the seat, resulting in covering his hands in the driver�s blood. The robber then went to the banks of the Jarbidge River and opened the mail, carelessly scattering the envelopes about. After the robber was captured, he was found guilty of his crime due to the bloody fingerprints and palm prints found on the envelopes he threw away, the first time such evidence was admissible in court. The cycle of a busy summer of prospecting and mining followed by an exodus of the population continued until 1918, when the Elkoro Mining Company built a large mill and brought electricity to town. The Elkoro dominated Jarbidge mining and employment until the Depression. A small population stayed at Jarbidge thereafter and now the town enjoys an annual rush to town for summer recreation and autumn hunting, while a few hardy souls remain in this isolated nook of Nevada during the winter. Submitted by: David A. Wright

It was bound to happen at some point in time—Jarbidge was the last big boomtown in Nevada. The oddity was the canyon was unsuccessfully explored long before the first significant gold strike was made on August 19, 1909. The first prospecting was done in the 1860s but found nothing promising. The second group of prospectors came through in the 1880s and was no more successful than the first. After the first discovery in 1909, several more were made and that opened the boom that lasted until 1932 when only sporadic and minor production occurred afterward. It is estimated the total production from the Jarbidge mines is bout $10 million although other estimates but the value at $50 to $60 million. The town of Jarbidge has survived and it now a popular hunting and fishing and camping area. 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!