Knickerbocker was neither a town nor a mining camp. It was a small milling camp built in the summer of 1865. The mill, consisting of twenty stamps and six roasting furnaces, operated until 1875. While the mill was in operation, about twenty-five people lived nearby. When the mill closed, the canyon quickly emptied. In 1877, the mill reopened to work ore from Grantsville. When Grantsville built its own mill, the Knickerbocker mill closed again. In 1887, the mill reopened to work ore from the Berlin mine. When the mine ceased to operate, the mill closed down again in 1889. In 1896, the mill was purchased by W. S. Gage to treat ore from his many mines. But he died in 1897 and the mill closed again, this time for the final time. In 1898, the mill was purchased and its contents dismantled and moved to service ore from the reopened Berlin mine in a new thirty stamp mill. Today, the beautiful rock ruins of the mill dominate the old camp. The walls reveal the mill was extremely large and elegant. There still exist a few small stone cabins in the canyon. The site is rewarding but be on the lookout for rattlesnakes that abound in the ruins.

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!