Please remember to exercise caution when exploring Nevada's Ghost Towns & Mining Camps. Open shafts, drifts going into mountainsides, and old buildings, are all DANGEROUS. Be aware of your surroundings, and let someone know where you are, especially if your plans change.

Mill Canyon (Majestic Camp)

DIRECTIONS: From Cortez (Lander County), head north on Nevada 306 for 4 miles. Then exit right and follow rough road for 3 miles. Exit right and follow this road for 4.5 miles to Mill Canyon.

"The Mill Canyon Mining District was organized in 1863 as a result of mining activity at nearby Cortez. Simeon Wenban, the owner of most of the mines in Cortez, built an 8-stamp mill here in June 1864. Delivery of the ore to the mill was extremely difficult. Ore was brought over the mountains by mule or by large ore wagons, which had to take an even longer route. In 1869 the mill was enlarged to 16 stamps, and four roasting furnaces were added. All of the claims in Mill Canyon were purchased by Simeon Wenban in 1867, but it wasn't until the 1870s that the mines were extensively explored. Among the most important mines were the Cynthia (the first mine in the district), the Empire State (discovered in 1872, produced $2,500), the Hidden Treasure ($35-per-ton ore), the Falconer ($35-per-ton ore), and the Berlin (produced $40,000). Overall, however, these mines were not successful, and after 1873, most of them were abandoned. The mill ran until 1886, when it closed after construction of a new mill at Cortez.

The district remained quiet until 1909, when a few of the mines were reopened after Patsy Clark, a prominent Westerner mining man, began to show interest in the area. A gravity concentrator was built, and it treated ore from the Edwin and Falconer mines. But the effort was unsuccessful and was given up in 1910. It was 1928 before another company ventured into the district. The Majestic Mines Corporation was incorporated in 1928. Before the company sold its holdings to Belle McCord Roberts and M. J. Hough in November 1929, $200,000 was produced. These two men organized the Roberts Mining and Milling Company, which built a 25-ton cyanide mill that operated until early 1938. More than 30 men were employed at the mill, but most lived in nearby Cortez. When the company folded in 1938, the district was abandoned for good. The remains in Mill Canyon are spread out. The most visible ruins are those of the Roberts Company mill at the mouth of the canyon. Stone ruins are scattered along the canyon. The road to the site is quite dangerous; travelers should exercise caution."

 

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