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.

 

Muncy

DIRECTIONS: From Cleveland Ranch, continue north for 23.5 miles. Exit left and follow for 2 miles to reach Muncy Creek Mining District.

"N. C. Noe and Frank Bassett, who had crossed the United States in 1860 by horseback, settled and planted a large orchard in the early 1860s. Noe discovered some ore deposits and worked nearby claims, including the Grand Deposit (copper), Kansas (silver), and Blue Hen 1, 2, 3, (copper) mines. In 1870 Fred Plageman, a resident of Eberhardt and Ruby Hill (Eureka County), discovered new copper deposits. The Muncy Creek Consolidated Mining Company was formed in 1872 and gained control of most of the district's mines. The most prominent were the Amargosa, Grand Deposit, Defiance(Cameron), and Kansas (Pioche-Kansas). A small camp of 20 people formed, and Muncy Creek showed promise of being a good copper source.

A post office opened on July 24, 1882, with Jacob Cameron, discoverer of the Cameron Mine, as postmaster. In June 1886, after Noe and Bassett had located a new deposit in February, with values as high as 500 ounces of silver to the ton, a city site, named Defiance, was laid out. The town plan included a courthouse, extensive depot grounds (Defiance was supposed to be a stop on the proposed Salt Lake and Los Angeles Railroad), and a plaza (complete with fountains and pavilion) for the Spring Valley Cornet Band. Noe built and ran a brewery during Muncy Creek's June boom. By August, however, the Defiance townsite was defunct. But production continued, and three new mines were opened: the Lone Cedar (owned by J. M. Ogden of Mineral City), Kate Alice (Lamb, Elmore, and Caruthers), and Centennial.

In 1892, the Silver Mountain Mining Company (J. L. Pressnell, superinten-dent) bought most of the mines in the Muncy Creek District. In addition to the Defiance and Kansas mines, two new mines, the Keystone and the 76, were put into production. Muncy Creek's fortunes fell during the mid-1890s, and the post office closed on March 21, 1898. A small revival took place from 1908 to 1912 when the Cambria Copper Company worked four claims, known as the Texas group. As a result, the post office reopened on February 20, 1907, and served the small camp until April 22, 1911. Cambria Copper owned water rights along ten miles of Muncy Creek and also controlled 580 acres of nearby ranchland. Ore from the mines was sent to a Salt Lake smelter where it showed 25 percent copper. The company went bankrupt in early 1913, however, after the shallow ore deposits gave out. The property was assessed at $6,600 and sold at a sheriff's auction in July to pay back taxes. Muncy Creek's last revival began in 1919 when C. D. Roy formed the Muncy Creek Mining Company. Roy gained control of 23 claims and the Muncy Creek Ranch, and he also laid out a millsite. The Grand Deposit Mine was the focus of mining operation, and by 1920 a new 25-ton mill and calcinating plant had been put into operation. Ten men were employed, and although the ore was not as rich as earlier deposits, the company enjoyed modest profits for a number of years. In late 1920 the company ran into problems with claim jumpers and finally brought a successful suit against them to get the title to the land. The mining revival died in 1923 and the district returned to ranching. In October 1926 James Miley shot William Cooper, the Piermont Mine boss, who was staying at the Clark residence, apparently because of a claim dispute in the Piermont District. The last mining activity in the Muncy Creek District took place in 1937 when leaseholders reopened the Grand Deposit Mine. A little over $12,000 was removed before the district was abandoned for good. The small ranches along Muncy Creek have continued to operate throughout the years. Only the mill foundation and some scattered rubble now mark the Muncy townsite."

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