Osceola, Nevada
Encyclopedia
Osceola, Nevada, is a ghost town
in the eastern part of the U.S. state of Nevada
. The town was a placer
camp devoted to mining gold
. Gold was first discovered in 1872, followed by exploitation of the deposits using hydraulic mining
techniques. Two ditches, the Osceola West Ditch and the Osceola East Ditch
were built to convey water from the mountains for use in mining. Water production was less than hoped and hydraulic mining ceased in 1900, when the population had declined from 1500 at its peak to 100. A fire in the 1940s destroyed much of the town, but a few buildings and a cemetery remain.
The town is just to the west of Great Basin National Park
. Some small-scale mining activities continue.
Ghost town
A ghost town is an abandoned town or city. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it has failed, or due to natural or human-caused disasters such as floods, government actions, uncontrolled lawlessness, war, or nuclear disasters...
in the eastern part of the U.S. state of Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
. The town was a placer
Placer mining
Placer mining is the mining of alluvial deposits for minerals. This may be done by open-pit or by various surface excavating equipment or tunneling equipment....
camp devoted to mining gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
. Gold was first discovered in 1872, followed by exploitation of the deposits using hydraulic mining
Hydraulic mining
Hydraulic mining, or hydraulicking, is a form of mining that uses high-pressure jets of water to dislodge rock material or move sediment. In the placer mining of gold or tin, the resulting water-sediment slurry is directed through sluice boxes to remove the gold.-Precursor - ground...
techniques. Two ditches, the Osceola West Ditch and the Osceola East Ditch
Osceola Ditch
The Osceola Ditch, also known as the East Ditch, was built in 1889-1890 to convey water from Lehman Creek, Nevada to a hydraulic mine operation at Osceola. Extending for , the ditch includes a tunnel as well as wooden flumes. The project also includes a rock dam and headgate on Stella Lake...
were built to convey water from the mountains for use in mining. Water production was less than hoped and hydraulic mining ceased in 1900, when the population had declined from 1500 at its peak to 100. A fire in the 1940s destroyed much of the town, but a few buildings and a cemetery remain.
The town is just to the west of Great Basin National Park
Great Basin National Park
Great Basin National Park is a United States National Park established in 1986, located in east-central Nevada near the Utah border. The park derives its name from the Great Basin, the dry and mountainous region between the Sierra Nevada and the Wasatch Mountains. Topographically, this area is...
. Some small-scale mining activities continue.
External links
- Osceola, Nevada at Great Basin National Heritage Route
- Osceola Ditch at Great Basin National Park