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.

 

Black Horse

DIRECTIONS: From Baker, head north on Nevada 487 for 5.3 miles. At junction with U.S. 50, head east on U.S. 50 for 7 miles. Exit right and follow for 2 miles. Bear left and follow for 0.5 mile to Black Horse.

"Black Horse was discovered entirely by accident. In March 1906 a prospector from Osceola, Tommy Watkins, sought shelter under an over-hanging ledge during a spring storm. He chipped off some samples, and they proved to have a very high gold content. On March 6, Watkins-and 99 others-staked claims, and Black Horse began a tremendous boom. By April the camp had a population of 400 and businesses operating that included three stores, three saloons (one of which was named the Bucket of Blood), two boardinghouses, a blacksmith shop, and a barbershop. Most of these early businesses were initially housed in tents. A school was built, and a post office opened on September 17, with J. H. Mahigan as postmaster.

Some of the richest ore ever discovered in Nevada came from Black Horse. A sample from the Mabel group, owned by F. C. McFall and Fred Schrott, returned more than $100,000 per ton. Rich ore, valued at $50,000 per ton, was also removed from the Black Horse Mine. Other mines in the district included the San Pedro (sold for $75,000 in 1907), Grasshopper (owned by Lon Heath), California (Mariott Brothers), Red Chief (Hamilton Brothers), Lucky Boy, Buchanan, and Campbell. The largest mine was the San Pedro, covering 21 claims. The ore of the Black Horse, while incredibly rich, was located in very small veins. One moment the ore was there, the next it was gone. In January 1908 owners of the Mabel Mine built a crude mill in nearby Willow Patch. The following year, the owners of the San Pedro Mine built a $55,000, 20-stamp mill. The Amalgamated Nevada Mines Company gained control of most of Black Horse's mines in 1910, but the richest ore had already been removed. Only $19,000 was produced during the next two years.

Ore in the mines ran out in 1913, and Black Horse quickly became a ghost town after producing close to $1 million during its short existence. The post office closed on March 24, 1914, and there was no activity until 1933, when the Pauline, or Bellander Mine was discovered and worked intermittently until the late 1940s. In 1942 another mine, the Gold King, was discovered. A 25-ton cyanide plant was built the next year to treat tungsten ore from the Gold King Mine. This activity lasted until 1954, but the town itself never revived. From 1933 to 1954, another $108,000 was produced. Today most of Black Horse has disappeared. No buildings are left, and only rubble and faint foundations remain. There are many large dumps that lend identity to the crumbled buildings. Open mine shafts are scattered throughout the townsite, and visitors should be very careful while exploring."

 

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