Beat up truck in the old part of town
Tara and I continued driving south on 93/50 towards Pioche, Nevada. We wanted to stop at a ghost town called Osceola in the base of the Snake Mountains. To get to Osceola follow 93 until 50 turns off to go toward Great Basin National Park. Follow US 50 until the turnoff for the ghost town. The cemetery of the town is very interesting well worth a visit. Likewise, there are some historic building in what was the townsite. Watch for private property in the area.
History: Osceola produced gold from 1872 when it was discovered and off and on until 1952. The mining district had the distinction of producing the largest nugget in the state of Nevada valued at $6,000. Osceola also had electricity and the first telephone in White Pine County. Total production of the area mines was $3.3 million of which $1.9 million came from Placer Mining. The area had some of the longest running placer mines in the state.
Osceola had two major discoveries. The first one occured in September of 1872. The Osceola Mining District formed in October and soon 11 mines were working the area. In 1877 a new company called the Osceola Placer mining Company began to placer mine in the area. Because of the lack of water production remained small; however, the company built two water ditches to increase placer mining. With an increase in production, three mills of 5, 10, and 20 stamps began to operate.
Major mining activity declined for three reasons. A fire in April of 1890 destroyed buildings on mainstreet. The Placer Mining Company folded because of lower deposits and deterioration of water. A revival did occur in 1925 with seventeen claims being worked until 1952 but, the town's heyday had come and gone. (Info from Romancing Nevada's Past By: Shawn Hall).
Skeleton of original building on private property
Flower at cemetery
Headstone in cemetery
View from the cemetery. Headstone of young child in the cemetery.
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