COMMENTS: Interesting Scenery.
REMAINS: Stone ruins and mill and smelter foundations.

Swansea, Wales, was the source for the name of the mining camp formed in 1868 following the prospecting frenzy that hit the Hamilton District. Swansea grew quickly and the camp’s residents hoped that it would become the smelting and milling center of the White Pine District. By spring 1869, Swansea had a population of 150 and two new smelters. By fall, the population had swelled to 500. The camp tried to become prominent on its own, but most business establishments opened at better sites in nearby Shermantown. Swansea peaked during 1870 and prominence quickly shifted to Shermantown. Eventually, Shermantown expanded and virtually annexed the dying camp of Sweansea. Swansea became primarily a milling and smelting district, with most of the workers living in Shermantown. With the mining slowdown in the early 1870s, the smelters and mills in Swansea closed down one by one. By 1875 the camp had been completely abandoned. Today stone ruins and mill and smelter foundations mark the site.

Submitted by: Shawn Hall from his book Romancing Nevada's Past: Ghost Towns And Historic Sites Of Eureka, Lander, And White Pine Counties Click here to purchase his book!