Excelsior is a
ghost town
A ghost town, deserted city, extinct town, or abandoned city is an abandoned settlement, usually one that contains substantial visible remaining buildings and infrastructure such as roads. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economi ...
in
Elko County
Elko County is a county in the northeastern corner of Nevada, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 53,702. Its county seat is Elko. The county was established on March 5, 1869, from Lander County. Elko County is the fourth ...
, in the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...
of
Nevada
Nevada ( ; ) is a landlocked state in the Western United States. It borders Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the seventh-most extensive, th ...
.
Geography
The site of Excelsior is near the junction of
Nevada State Route 226 and Spanish Ranch Road, at .
History
The Cope Mining District was formed in 1869. The Excelsior Mine was one of the principal mines of this district, the other being the El Dorado Mine.
Excelsior was a
mining community
A mining community, also known as a mining town or a mining camp, is a community that houses miners. Mining communities are usually created around a mine or a quarry.
Historical mining communities Australia
* Ballarat, Victoria
* Bendi ...
of approximately 20 men at its peak. Only a couple of frame buildings were built before the site was abandoned.
A post office called Excelsior was in operation from 1871 until 1872.
Aaron Van Ulick was the first and only postmaster. Upon the post office's March 12, 1872, closure, mail was routed through nearby
White Rock.
The mine at Excelsior was an
ore
Ore is natural rock or sediment that contains one or more valuable minerals, typically including metals, concentrated above background levels, and that is economically viable to mine and process. The grade of ore refers to the concentration ...
mine; the mine closed in 1873.
The closure of the Excelsior mine had a major impact in the region, helping to cause an exodus in nearby
Mountain City by 1875.
The site today is marked by a few dugouts; no houses remain.
References
See also
*
Bull Run Mountains
The Bull Run Mountains are a mountain range of the Blue Ridge Mountains in northern Virginia in the United States. They are located approximately east of the main chain, across the Loudoun Valley. The Bull Run Mountains, together with Catoct ...
*
List of ghost towns in the United States
This is a list of lists of Ghost town, ghost towns in the United States by state.
*List of ghost towns in Alabama
*List of ghost towns in Alaska
*List of ghost towns in Arizona
*List of ghost towns in Arkansas
*List of ghost towns in California
...
{{Elko County, Nevada
Geography of Elko County, Nevada
Ghost towns in Nevada