Doheny Memorial Library, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0189 Public Domain. Release under the CC BY Attribution license--http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/--Credit both “University of Southern California. Libraries” and “California Historical Society” as the source. Digitally reproduced by the USC Digital Library; From the California Historical Society Collection at the University of Southern California Send requests to address or e-mail given USC Libraries Special Collections specol@usc.edu
Description
Photograph of a panoramic view of the Tonopah Mining Park (now a historic site) and Mount Butler in the distance, Tonopah, Nevada, ca.1904. Near the base of Mount Butler and scattered across a large amount of land are mining facilities, buildings, cabins, cottages, tents, and houses that make up the mining park. "[Tonopah was] discovered by James L Butler in 1902, local Indian word meaning 'water brush' or 'brush water springs'." -- unknown author. "Not many mining towns can boast gold and silver production of $250,000,000 but Tonopah can. As was the case with many mining towns, the discovery of gold at Tonopah was quite by accident. It is said a prospector by the name of James Butler was tracking down his mules that were missing. After tracking them down, he picked up a rock to throw at them but did not for he noticed the rock was flecked with something that looked like gold. Indeed, it was. Credit is given to Mrs. Butler who staked out the claim and got things going. She named the mine Mizpah that turned out to be one of the richest producers in the area. Tonopah's peak period was around 1905 when it became the county seat. Like so many before it, the good times were not to last. Production began to decline noticeably about 1913 and the glory days were a thing of the past. However, Tonopah today is far from being a ghost town. Hotels, clubs, stores and restaurants are there for the comfort of the town's visitors. Tonopah is at the point where highway 95 intersects highway 6." -- Henry Chenoweth.
Type
image
Format
2 photographs : glass photonegative, photoprint, b&w 21 x 26 cm. glass plate negatives photographic prints photographs
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