The initial discoveries of gold, silver, copper, and lead deposits were made in Shamrock Canyon in 1863. But four years passed before prospectors began working a few fairly large mines in the area. That continued until 1884 when fire destroyed the hoisting works at one of the mines that caused operations to shut down. The mine was reopened in 1887 but production was erratic and the mine was again closed. Mercury deposits were discovered in 1907 and led to the first major development of the canyon. Within a few months production reached sixty flasks a day. The Shamrock Mines Company based in Salt Lake City and had offices in nearby Ione, bought twenty-one claims in the canyon in 1923 and activity in the canyon became more consistent. The main operation at Shamrock during the next few years was the tunnel mine. By 1928 the tunnel was more than 1,700 feet long. An earthquake in 1932 collapsed the shafts and put an end to any thought of continuing mining activity. Ruins are scarce in Shamrock Canyon for the area never developed into a real camp. Most workers lived In nearby Ione.

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!