Dunphy, Eureka County, Nevada

Eureka County, Nevada

Dunphy, Nevada is just off the I-80 freeway between Carlin and Battle Mountain, Nevada. It was here long before the freeway was even thought of. If you take the Dunphy exit you will enter the world of ranching and mining. You will also retrace the steps of Indians, trappers, emigrants headed west by wagon train, cowboys and miners. Tread lightly it is ground watched over by the deer, the swallows, owls, coyotes and the golden eagle.

USGS Topographic Map of Dunphy, Nevada (1986)

USGS Aerial Photograph of Dunphy, Nevada (1994)

According to the history of the T Lazy S Ranch, Dunphy was named for the Irish immigrant who settled in Boulder Valley in 1870. His name was William Dunphy. The history of their ranch and Dunphy is extremely interesting and can be found at http://www.tsranch.com/history.htm.

Jessie Callahan Mahoney

This is a great historical article of ranching life at Dunphy and the surrounding area and its people.

Click on photos to see original high clarity digital photographs

Swallow nests under I-80 overpass at Dunphy exit.

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Just east of Dunphy exit on old US Highway 40. Looking west. The mountain in the far distance (center of photo) is Battle Mountain. The Sheep Creek Range is on the right (lava flows form the top of this mountain) and the Shoshone Range is on the left. The valley is the Humboldt River Valley.

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Trail marker at above location:

CALIFORNIA TRAIL -- SHOSHONE POINT

"WE CONCLUDED TO KEEP LEFT BANK AND HAD TO CROSS TWO BLUFFS ... THEN STRIKE INTO A FINE GRASSY BOTTOM CUT UP WITH SLOUGHS" BYRON McKINSTRY AUG 16, 1850

GUIDEBOOK AVAILABLE

TRAILS WEST INC., P.O. BOX 10245, RENO, NV 89510

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Donner Party camped at the present site of Dunphy on Wednesday, September 30, 1846.

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Above Trails West Post is on the far right of photo. Sheep Creek Range is in the distance. The picnic table is on the old US 40 Highway (looking NW).

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Looking north at above location. Southern Pacific tracks are in foreground and Western Pacific tracks are in the distance.

Old US 40. Shoshone Range is on the left.

Humboldt River looking west. The mountain in the far distance (center of photo) is Battle Mountain. The Sheep Creek Range is on the right and the Shoshone Range is on the left. The valley is the Humboldt River Valley. The large flat area ahead is the Blue House Slough. The trees on the left are the ones in the photo above.

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Humboldt River looking southeast. The mountains are the Shoshone Range.

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Dunphy barite mill site.

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Dunphy Mill on east bound Western Pacific railroad tracks. Old trailer park for employees is in the foreground. From memory the mill was constructed in 1968. Prior to this time the barite was shipped to Modesto, California to be ground.

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Entrance to mill site. Dunphy volunteer fire department building is on the left. Dunphy Ranch is in distance.

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Dunphy mill. Can load bulk (in bulk car - left) or bagged (in box car - right) barite on rail siding.

Office.

Manager house on left. Office building of same color (on right) is one of the original railroad section gang houses. It has been resided. A rather large old railroad owned house/office was where the warehouse (large blue building) is now located.