Salt Wells, Nevada is the site of a former brothel and a possible future route of
Interstate 11. Salt Wells is located on the northern edge of the Salt Wells Marsh, 15 miles southeast of
Fallon, Nevada on
U.S. Route 50
U.S. Route 50 or U.S. Highway 50 (US 50) is a major east–west route of the U.S. Highway system, stretching from Interstate 80 (I-80) in West Sacramento, California, to Maryland Route 528 (MD 528) in Ocean City, Maryland, on the Atlanti ...
near
Sand Mountain.
History
Borax
Borax is a salt (ionic compound), a hydrated borate of sodium, with chemical formula often written . It is a colorless crystalline solid, that dissolves in water to make a basic solution. It is commonly available in powder or granular form, ...
was discovered by William Throop at Salt Wells. In 1870, the American Borax Co. built a borax works there. In 1871, the plant was in operation, along with a smaller plant, producing 20 tons per month, though production ceased in a few years due to the low grade of the deposit. The borax deposit consisted of about 400 acres with a borax content of 10%, sometimes reaching 30%.
In the 1920s and 30s, Salt Wells had a bar and a gas station.
Salt Wells was the site of
Salt Wells Villa, a brothel in operation from 1975. In 1977, the brothel was
Firebombed
Firebombing is a bombing technique designed to damage a target, generally an urban area, through the use of fire, caused by incendiary devices, rather than from the blast effect of large bombs.
In popular usage, any act in which an incendiary ...
by the wife of the
Churchill County Sheriff, Mildred Banovich. The brothel closed in 2004. In 2007, the brothel was destroyed in a fire.
In 2009, the Salt Wells Geothermal Plant was opened south of Salt Wells.
In March 2018, it was reported that the
Nevada Department of Transportation
The Nevada Department of Transportation (Nevada DOT or NDOT) is a government agency in the U.S. state of Nevada. NDOT is responsible for maintaining and improving Nevada's highway system, which includes U.S. highways and Interstate highways within ...
was considering Salt Wells as a possible route from
Tonopah, Nevada
Tonopah ( , Shoshoni language: Tonampaa) is an unincorporated town in, and the county seat of, Nye County, Nevada, United States. It is located at the junction of U.S. Routes 6 and 95, approximately midway between Las Vegas and Reno. In the 2 ...
to
Interstate 80
Interstate 80 (I-80) is an east–west transcontinental freeway that crosses the United States from downtown San Francisco, California, to Teaneck, New Jersey, in the New York metropolitan area. The highway was designated in 1956 as one o ...
the new route would be part of
Interstate 11.
References
External links
Salt Wells(nvexpeditions)
{{Churchill County, Nevada
Ghost towns in Churchill County, Nevada