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.

 

Monte Cristo

DIRECTIONS: From Illipah, head west on U.S. 50 for 12 miles. Exit left and follow for 3.5 miles. Bear left and continue for 6 miles. Exit left and follow for 3 miles to Monte Cristo.

"Monte Cristo was one of the first camps in the White Pine District, having been organized in the fall of 1865. The Monte Cristo Mining Company, with Thomas Murphy as president, controlled major mining claims in the district. The most valuable mine was the Hidden Treasure #1, but it wasn't until spring 1868 that a serious rush to the Monte Cristo camp took place. During the summer, J. W. Crawford built the 5-stamp Monte Cristo Mill. The first order of business was the production of four silver bars from ore extracted from the Hidden Treasure Mine #2, located at Eberhardt. The population increased to 150, and the town was the site of the polls for the 1968 district elections. To meet the demand for building materials, the San Francisco Sawmill Company built a sawmill to provide a cheap supply of lumber. In 1869 5-stamps, brought from La Plata (Churchill County), were added to the Monte Cristo Mill. The White Pine rush, however, focused on Hamilton and Treasure Hill during 1869, and many residents left for greener pastures. The mill closed down, and only minor production remained.

In February 1870 the mill was reopened under the management of H. D. Fairfield. Two Stetefeldt furnaces were added to roast ore from the Mount Ophir Mine. The mill was enlarged again in 1871 to 20 stamps. The Monte Cristo Milling and Mining Company, based in Philadelphia, controlled the Trench, Bald Eagle, and Badger State mines. The Trench was the richest, with ore assaying at $325 per ton. The activity was short-lived, however, for the mill and mines all closed in fall 1872, and within a year the district was abandoned. No revivals took place until the early 1980s, when the Phillips Petroleum Company began molybdenum exploration in the district. Actual mining was begun, and if the initial reports hold true, the Monte Cristo District will be producing for quite a while. However, the drop in mineral prices has slowed current development. The most fascinating of the remains at Monte Cristo is the old smelter stack, which dominates the site. Other stone ruins do exist there, but some of them are behind the fences of the Phillips Petroleum Company. Nevertheless, Monte Cristo is well worth the long trip."

 

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