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.

 

Bonita (Snake District)

DIRECTIONS: Located 5 miles south of Lehman Caves. Site is virtually inaccessible except by foot.

"The initial discoveries at Bonita took place in 1869, but it wasn't until 1913 that measurable production took place. The Tilford Mine was discovered in spring 1913, and a two-ton experimental mill was built to treat the scheelite ore. The camp soon had a population of 25 and a pair of saloons. In 1918 the Uvada Tungsten Company, working the Pilot Knob claims, built a 20-stamp mill. The mill was doomed to failure, however. Not only was it poorly made but the mines couldn't supply enough ore for a 5-stamp mill, let alone a 20-stamp one. This financial disaster crushed Uvada Tungsten, and the company went into bankruptcy in 1919. Bonita was abandoned by 1920, after production of only $10,000, which did not even come close to covering the cost of the mill disaster. No activity has taken place here since, and only mill ruins mark the site."

 

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