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Historical Markers of Mineral County (6)
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Fate hasn't been too kind to Mineral County, a land born to hardship... even today. (More on this later) Perhaps this bitter quality agitates the county's elusive traits. Perhaps Karma has a certain grudge against this neglected piece of Nevada. Many Mineral residents seem to think so. Created out of northern Esmeralda County, Mineral County is named for the many mineral deposits laden throughout the area; the county remains a pretty quiet place, a county lonely and stark, loving and unloving of its days. Socially speaking however, Mineral County is a child born from tough times; some believe, the county was never born to begin with.
Aurora! Goddess of the Dawn!
Mineral County's history dates back to the mid 1860's, when mining was found in just about every gully, canyon, wash and flat throughout Nevada. Undoubtedly, Mineral has had its share of "flash-in-the-pan" mining camps. However, it was a few camps in particular that held Mineral afloat. In 1863, prospectors found a ledge of silver and several veins of gold floating on the surface in the mountains just outside of Bodie, California. The men immediately staked several claims and set up camp, doing the best they could to keep their find a secret. The next day, the men christened the ground, "Aurora! Goddess of the Dawn!"
As in the case of any Nevada mining story, it didn't take long for other people to find this new piece of promised land. Soon, "the rush to Esmerelda" (sic.) was on. Aurora sprouted out of the sage within only a few days, when a general store was built, followed by a post office, several saloons and a hotel. All of the excitement of the Aurora strike prompted the Carson & Colorado Railroad (C&C) to build a spur line and major depot at Aurora along its line to Keeler, California. So how famous and exciting was Aurora? So exciting that a particular young man by the name of Sam Clemens worked briefly in Aurora as a miner until he found his new fortune by heading up north and picking up a pen. Aurora pastes itself into the history books known as the only town ever in Nevada history to be claimed by two states. Aurora, originally thought to be in California, was quickly given the seat of Mono County; Nevada reacted immediately by naming Aurora the seat of Esmeralda County. Interestingly, people who lived in Aurora could vote in both states. Californians could vote Republican in the saloon, while Nevadans could vote Democrat across the street in the general store. (Funny how the two states turned parties.) It wasn't until Von Schmidt's 1872 boundary survey that officially placed Aurora four miles within Nevada; the seat for Mono County was cutoff but still left Aurora as the county seat of a very remote Esmeralda County. Aurora staggered on for four more years despite its remote location. Unfortunately, for every great boom, a downhill slide was approaching; to say the downhill slide was devastating to Aurora would be severely understated. Aurora's brick buildings stood for as long as they could until vandals picked the town apart brick by brick; the town's wooden structures were either scrapped, or left to rot away by the forces of nature. Little is left of Aurora today, its main street barely discernable by a wide strip of dirt cutting through the sagebrush. The town's only true remnants are hidden underneath a stand of pinyon pines -- its tiny cemetery complete with only a few intact headstones. Without these signs, visitors to this basin would have no idea of the reigning glory that was Aurora.
Then and Now
Conversation can invoke bits of depression in Mineral County today. Perhaps no other county in Nevada has suffered as much neglect and hardship than Mineral. Take two of Nevada's most famous mining camps for example, Rawhide and Candelaria. Both children of the mining age have been stripped away by modern-day mining companies desparate to eke out bits of microscopic gold. Rawhide's own cemetery could barely be saved, thanks only in part to a few non-profit groups. What of Candelaria's fate? A pathetic wood ruin and a few headstones are all that remain of the queen's former days; in the background, terrace tailings piles, a locked gate and mining trucks provide a grand and oh-so scenic scale of the town's decimation. However, it is the story of Hawthorne that strikes a chord with the residents of Mineral County today. Maybe because the tale hits so close to the heart.
The Age of Hawthorne
Hawthorne should be a postcard city. An underscoring could read, "This is the town that still is... barely." Although Hawthorne is a relatively new city in Nevada, the town sits on the edge of everything and nothing; Hawthorne's streets, Hawthorne's customs, even Hawthorne's celebrations and background all stem from a strong Navy influence. As the storybook opens in 1926, a U.S. Navy base in New Jersey suffered a massive explosion due to the storage of military ammunitions. On December 9, 1949, Pearl Harbor was struck, and a demand for ammunitions rose increasingly as America went to war. The Navy needed to find a remote locale to store the ammunitions, a locale far from major population centers but still accessible to military personnel. Alas, the town of Hawthorne was re-born. In prior years, Hawthorne served as little more than a trading post for passersby, then became a temporary stop on the Carson & Colorado Railroad. Naval workers were soon transferred to Hawthorne and the town grew to over ten thousand people. As one local puts it, "after the end of the war, Hawthorne was sort of kicked in the balls." America soon forgot about Hawthorne; the area's base, military quarters and hardened concrete bunkers, all of which can be seen today, little more than melancholy reminders of a time when Hawthorne was so desparately needed. Today, Hawthorne isn't just a sleepy town, Hawthorne is a lonely town. Remnants of the Navy linger everywhere, visible in its museum, parks, schools, and library. Hawthorne survives by scraping money from commuters going to and from Las Vegas on US 95. Walker Lake, only five miles to the north, is a nice booster for Hawthorne's austere landscape; the lake does its part in providing some economic boost to Mineral County. Up until a few years ago, Walker Lake attracted anglers to a unique and celebrated fishery for Lahontan Cutthroat Trout. If that weren't enough, water rights for the Walker River, the lake's only source of fresh water, seems to be shifted out of Mineral's favor for agriculture in Mason Valley (Lyon County). However, when the lake is full and healthy, Hawthorne puts on a nice smile. And Mineral deserves to smile.
 A typical sleepy day in Hawthorne.
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The Markers
Hard times aside, Mineral County truly is a beautiful land. A drive to Mineral County for some can seem monotonous. For others, Mineral presents a new perspective on the land away from US 95. People have their own reasons why they fly right on through the county to get to the next pit stop. Others bathe in that incredible loneliness. Truth be told, Mineral County is home to some of the best rockhounding in Nevada! Large concentrations of minerals and fossils can be found throughout the county's landscape, anything from gold and silver, tungsten and zinc, to more table rocks like agates and jaspers, apache tears, chalcedony, turquoise and quartz; the county has prized collecting for fossils, trilobites, petrified wood and peat bog. You'd be hard pressed to find another place with more variety of natural treasures in America. Other grand treasures of Mineral County are its scenic attributes. Few spectacles are grander than seeing the White Mountains' snow-capped peaks set against the county's stark desert hills and ancient lake beds. If that weren't enough, remnants of the same "flash-in-the-pan" mining camps sing soliloquies of loneliness under a harsh desert sun. Trust me folks, it's best to see Mineral for yourself. After all, conquering all six markers are a breeze.
Mineral County will force hunters from one end of its borders to the next. You might as well enjoy the starkness while you can. An obvious base should be Hawthorne, the county's only town of significant size. With a little over three thousand people, Hawthorne caters to a traveler's every needs by providing a grocery store, several great restaurants, the El Capitan Hotel and Casino, as well as several gas stations with auto repair shops. Remember, Walker Lake is close by and provides excellent lakeshore camping opportunities. For a little more solitude with your camping, retreat westward into the Wassuk Range, and the pine confines behind Mt. Grant. With these luxuries, hunters can conquer all six markers in a day, or they can be combined into a multi-day trip with Nye and Esmeralda Counties. Either way, the opportunities are endless. As always, just remember one thing: once you leave the comfort of town, don't expect a whole lot in terms of services, especially in Mineral County! While in Hawthorne, pay respects to the former courthouse building on Sixth Street, slow down to 25MPH when heading through Schurz, or wave a jolly "hello" to the fine folks in Mina. Hardships? Maybe, but life goes on.
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