Contact, Elko County, Nevada

I am a tad concerned about adding this page to the web. Contact is a very well preserved Nevada mining town. The reason for this is there are about a dozen families still living here. They are good caretakers of the town. Also watch your step. There are many abandoned underground mines and snakes here.

"While discoveries were made and developed on nearby China and Blanchard Mountains during the 1870s, Contact itself didn't come into being until 1887. By 1895, there were 70 miners living in the small camp. By 1897, that number had risen to 200. But mine closures led to the virtual abandonment of Contact and by 1905, there were only 5 residents. But a revival began in 1907 when the United States Mining and Smelting Company arrived. By the next year, Contact had a population of 300. As a result, three different rival town sites were platted. The mines were so productive that ore was produced every year until 1958. The 1920s was the decade that put Contact on the map. Many large buildings were constructed, including a number of elegant hotels. In 1925, the Oregon Short line arrived here. By 1930, however, the boom was fading although the town still had a population of 260. By 1935, it was down to 100. The 1940s were lean years and even though production continued, it was a far cry from the early years. The Oregon Short line closed its Contact depot in 1952. Mining essentially ceased in 1958 after producing 5.8 million pounds of copper, 360K pounds of lead, 127K ounces of silver, 18K pounds of zinc, and 1200 ounces of gold. A few residents still live here, working mainly for the highway department. At the old Contact site, the rock walls of one of the first stores remain. In the main town, old homes stand alongside new trailers. An impressive concrete building dominates the site. The old school still stands and a cemetery is located nearby."