Transvaal was here today and gone tomorrow. It has the reputation of experiencing one of the most incredible booms and one of the fastest declines of any town in Nye County history. It all began in February of 1906 with initial discoveries in the northern section of the Beaty Wash across the Amargosa River from Beatty and Rhyolite. By the second week of April there were more than seventy-five tents in Transvaal and there were between 700 and 800 people living in the tent city. The Transvaal-Nevada Mining Company controlled all the mines. Business establishments at the camp included four saloons, an assay office, a lumberyard, a lodging house, and a number of broker and real estate offices. The swift and dramatic collapse of Transvaal occurred in the first two weeks of May 1906 when it was discovered little valuable ore existed at Transvaal. People left in droves and by the third week the site was totally abandoned. Absolutely nothing remains at Transvaal.

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!