Ghost town walk: Candelaria, Mineral County, Nevada

Walls, foundations, beams and sherds: Candelaria today

 

Window of a once commercial building

The Candeleria Hills stretch for about 20 miles from southwest to northeast—just northwest of the Mineral-Esmeralda County line 50 miles west of Tonopah. What has remained from the 19th-century activities in the Candelaria Mining District is found in this area of now-deserted desert hills [1].

Driving from Tonopah to Hawthorne on Highway 95, turn left at the sign for the State Historic Marker No. 92—four miles north of Redlich Summit between the Coaldale Junction (Hwy 95/6 junction) and the Tonopah Junction (Hwy 95/360). Find the marker with the title “Candelaria and Metallic City” to your right. It sketches the Candelaria mining history:

Seven miles to the west lie the ghost towns of Candelaria and Metallic City.

State Historic Marker No. 92

Candelaria was presumably named after a mine of that name located in 1885, and also after the catholic Candelmas Day. Metallic City, the “Sin City” of Candelaria, and also known as Pickhandle Gulch, lies 3.4 mile to the south Candelaria. The name, Pickhandle, was derived from the most popular weapon used for settling disputes.

In 1880, Candelaria was the largest town in the immediate area and boasted of having 3 doctors, 3 lawyers, 2 hotels, 6 stores and 10 saloons. Water piped from Trail Canyon in 1882 caused the price of water to drop from $1.00 to $0.05 per gallon.

The leading mine, the Northern Belle, was first located in 1864 (relocated in 1870). It is reported to have produced an estimated $7 million. Mainly in Silver.

Front side impression of a Candelaria building

The short-lived settlement developed from camp to boomtown in the 1870s and 1880s, when mainly German and Slovakian prospectors arrived at the silver deposits, which had been discovered by Mexican prospectors some years earlier [2]. To walk around the last standing walls (or have they been re-erected?) and the mill foundation, drive to the end of the paved road (six miles to the west of the historic marker), park your car and browse the area on both sides of the grave road, which once was—I guess—Main Street.

Foundations of Candelaria's ore-processing structures

You will be on your own. No dedicated loop trail. No warning signs. No interpretive panels. According to Erik's post, Candelaria was the Saint City [2].  Erik believes that the above mentioned  Sin City (Metallic City) in the vicinity of the active Kinross Gold Candelaria Mine on Mt. Diablo has long bee removed [3]. 

Kinross Gold Candelaria Mine on Mt. Diablo

References

[1] Candelaria District, Mineral Co, Nevada USA. Link: www.mindat.org/loc-61812.html.
[2] Western Mining History: Candelaria, Nevada.  Link: westernmininghistory.com/towns/nevada/candelaria.
[3] Erik Engh: Candelaria and Metallic City - A Tale of Two Cities. Erik's Nevada Blog. Link: erikjengh.wordpress.com/category/everydays-nevada-day-to-me/candelaria-and-metallic-city.

West of the Candelaria ruins: Is this a more recent adit?