Gilbert area Mines
Location In Esmeralda County, 6.1 Miles north of US 95 on road to Crow springs, then 5 miles to the town site of Gilbert. Gilbert Quad
Mineral Gold
History
The mine was officially located on September 10, 1924 but the public didn’t find out about the new strike until October 30. Within days, prospectors came out to comb the hillsides in the district. Within a few weeks, Richard Raycraft discovered the Mammoth mine which had initial assays as high as $22,000 per ton.
By spring, Gilbert had a population of 400 and its streets were lit by electric lights. The town was home to more than 40 businesses including a dance hall, gambling hall, electric power company and a water company.
However, by 1927, a big problem began to cloud the future of Gilbert and South Gilbert. The sometime rich gold deposits only occurred in relatively small pockets and those were getting harder and harder to find. One by one, the mines at both towns closed and people began to leave. By 1929, population had dropped to 60.
With the arrival of World War II, the remaining active mines were forced to close because they didn’t produce strategic minerals. In the 1980s, a small open pit mine produced around 10,000 ounces of gold before that ore pocket vanished. Total production for the district is around $500,000.
At Gilbert, there are a couple of cabins struggling to stand amid half a dozen that have already collapsed. By wandering the town site, it is easy to see how large the town once was. The interesting remnants of the Last Hope mine are located just south of the town site. From Gilbert, two roads diverge to the south. The left road goes for two miles, ending at the Carrie mine. A large ore chute and other ruins are left. On the right road, which continues on to South Gilbert, the Mammoth and Monte Cristo mines are about one mile south. These are very interesting mines to visit. Another mile south, on the east side of the road, are the remnants of the Gilbert Gold Mining Company property. In this little swale are a number of large ore bins, a couple of cabins and numerous other mining remnants. Take your time here and walk around the whole area, many nice surprises are there! On the west side of the road is the open pit mine.
Mines