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All the United States Nevada Tonopah Tonopah Mining Park
AO Edited

Tonopah Mining Park

An errant donkey ushered in a new era of mining in Nevada.

Tonopah, Nevada

Added By
Molly McBride Jacobson
Email
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Tonopah Mining Park.   Dylan Thuras
Tonopah Mining Park.   Dylan Thuras
Inside a Tonopah Mining Park building.   Dylan Thuras
Mining equipment at Tonopah Mining Park.   Dylan Thuras
Mining equipment at Tonopah Mining Park.   Dylan Thuras
Mine cart tracks at Tonopah Mining Park.   Dylan Thuras
Tonopah Mining Park   Dylan Thuras
  Louchebonvivant / Atlas Obscura User
Inside a Tonopah Mining Park building.   Dylan Thuras
Tonopah Mining Park   Dylan Thuras
A horse drawn ore wagon.   Dylan Thuras
Mine shaft at Tonopah Mining Park.   Dylan Thuras
Mining tools at Tonopah Mining Park.   Dylan Thuras
A mine at Tonopah Mining Park.   Dylan Thuras
Overlooking Tonopah from the mining park.   Dylan Thuras
Tonopah Mining Park.   Dylan Thuras
Inside a mining building.   Dylan Thuras
Big Operators. These are signatures of men that controlled rich mines of Tonopah and Goldfield. Jon Aurich collection.   Florence Mine / Atlas Obscura User
Mining equipment at Tonopah Mining Park.   Dylan Thuras
This original photograph shows the famous Montana Mine in its prime. Jon Aurich Collection.   Florence Mine / Atlas Obscura User
The Belmont Mine. This famous mine was the scene of a terrible mining accident. In 1911, the working of this mine caught fire and 17 miners died. Tag Circa 1905.   Florence Mine / Atlas Obscura User
Tonopah Liquor Company. This rare key tag was from the Tonopah Liquor Company. The building is still standing. Circa 1906. Jon Aurich collection.   Florence Mine / Atlas Obscura User
Mining equipment at Tonopah Mining Park.   Dylan Thuras
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About

The story goes that in 1900, miner Jim Butler was angrily chasing a runaway donkey, picked up a rock to throw at the animal, found it surprisingly heavy, and realized he had stumbled upon a wealth of untapped silver ore.

Putting the "rush" in silver rush, Butler quickly filed claims on the land, leased it by the foot (the deals were sealed with a handshake), and started the silver boom that put Tonopah on the map.

In the following years miners flooded in, and the mining park was sold and divided between a number of investors. The silver rush declined after a couple decades, but the town took pride in its mines and preserved them for posterity. The total sum of precious metal mined at the Tonopah Mining Park is valued at more than a billion dollars in modern currency. 

Today, the mining park is an interactive outdoor museum. Visitors have free reign over most of the park. They can explore all the buildings, the mine shafts, and much of the original equipment that pioneered mining technology. There are also occasional events at the mining park, including historically accurate mining competitions and blacksmithing classes. 

Related Tags

Mines 19th Century Prospectors Silver Museums Travelnevada

Community Contributors

Added By

Molly McBride Jacobson

Edited By

hana, mocountrygal, Louchebonvivant, Florence Mine

  • hana
  • mocountrygal
  • Louchebonvivant
  • Florence Mine

Published

August 8, 2016

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Sources
  • http://www.tonopahhistoricminingpark.com/
  • http://www.tonopahnevada.com/attractions.html
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonopah,_Nevada
Tonopah Mining Park
110 Burro Avenue
Tonopah, Nevada
United States
38.069771, -117.230445
Visit Website
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Nearby Places

The Mizpah Hotel

Tonopah, Nevada

miles away

Clown Motel

Tonopah, Nevada

miles away

Old Tonopah Cemetery

Tonopah, Nevada

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Tonopah

Tonopah

Nevada

Places 9
Stories 2

Nearby Places

The Mizpah Hotel

Tonopah, Nevada

miles away

Clown Motel

Tonopah, Nevada

miles away

Old Tonopah Cemetery

Tonopah, Nevada

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Tonopah

Tonopah

Nevada

Places 9
Stories 2

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