Initially called Gold Reed where gold ore was found in the Kawich Mountains during the summer of 1903, it was not until early 1905 that a camp began to form. Within weeks 400 miners had arrived and a townsite called Gold Reed was laid out. The town was name after one of the initial discoverers, O.K. Reed. Lots ranged from $60 to $125 and $10,000 worth of them were sold. The camp was later renamed Kawich after Chief Kawich, a Shoshone Indian whose name meant “mountain.” Building continued in the spring of 1905. One of the most substantial buildings was the Nye and Esmeralda Mercantile store. Like many before it, the town was bitten by the rich ore find but not enough of it. By the end of summer, only ten people lived in the town and the district was totally abandoned in 1908. Like others before it, the site is now part of the Nellis Air Force Base Bombing and Gunnery Range.

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!