Infiltration

rapcw location: Antioch, CA Gender: Male \|	Orizaba Mine < on 8/24/2009 12:34 PM >

	Last Fourth of July (2008) my Dad and I went on a trip to visit remote mines and ghost towns in Western Nevada. The trip spanned spanned several days and a dozen locations were visited. The Orizaba mine is located northwest of Tonopah and takes several dozen miles of washboard roads to reach. It is an interesting site with plenty of remains. Ed Workman discovered gold and silver deposits at Orizaba in 1909. He soon began shipping ore from the mine to Millers, the milling center of Tonopah, in Esmeralda County. By 1911 prospectors in the area staked six claims covering 120 acres and included gold, silver, lead, and copper deposits. The property came under the control of the Diamondfield Black Butte Reorganized Mining Company, based in Goldfield, who then sold the claims to the Orizaba Mining and Development Company while retaining a financial interest in the new organization, which was incorporated in 1915 with $1 million in capital. By October 1915 over 1,500 tons of rich ore had been mined from the Orizaba, with another 1,200 tons of low grade being processed from the tailings piles.Over the next two years the Mines Selections Company gained control over the stock and assets of the Orizaba Mining company and became the new owners of the property. In 1917 the company moved in new machinery to help improve efficiency and pumping. Unlike most desert mines, Orizaba faced an overabundance of water, with 100,000 gallons seeping into the mine everyday. In 1918 the property had expanded to nine claims covering 180 acres. Production between 1913 to 1918 was valued at $122,000, but by the end of the year only an estimated $18,000 worth of ore remained in the veins. The company brought in more modern equipment by freight wagons from Millers, but this couldn't reverse the decline and the area was deserted by 1919. In May 1922, the Silver Mines Selection Company purchased the mine and began pumping out water from the shaft. During this time new shafts were sunk and more deposits were discovered. In April 1924 the Tonopah Mines Syndicate took over but met with little success and left in 1926. Hubert Welch last worked the mine for a year in 1949 and since then no activity has taken place on the property. Total production from the mine was valued at $128,000, mainly in silver ore. More information and pictures located here: http://www.uer.ca/...ow.asp?locid=27697 I have many more mines which I haven't yet uploaded here, hopefully I'll get a couple more up before the end of Summer. -Russell [last edit 8/24/2009 9:23 PM by rapcw - edited 1 times]

big dave location: SoCal Gender: Male \| \|	Re: Orizaba Mine <Reply # 1 on 8/24/2009 1:16 PM >

	Is this where you were headed out when i talked to you last? An armed society, is a polite society. So lets get to it!

Shockwave Gender: Male \|	Re: Orizaba Mine <Reply # 2 on 8/24/2009 7:47 PM >

	awesome! don't talk shit about total

Jonsered location: Back in New Mexico where I belong Gender: Male Dressed for a scarecrow ball......... \| \| \|	Re: Orizaba Mine <Reply # 3 on 8/24/2009 8:02 PM >

	Nice to see you back in the game! Beautiful as always hombre! I have changed my personal exploring ethics code. From now on it will be: "Take only aimed shots, leave only hobo corpses." Copper scrappers, meth heads and homeless beware. The Jonsered cometh among you, bringing fear and dread.

rapcw location: Antioch, CA Gender: Male \|	Re: Orizaba Mine <Reply # 4 on 8/25/2009 8:13 PM >

	Thanks Jonsered and Shockwave, this place was really a pleasure to explore. Big Dave: Probably not, these pics are from over a year ago!

Wilk location: NYC Gender: Male \| \|	Re: Orizaba Mine <Reply # 5 on 8/25/2009 8:20 PM >

	Nice find. I appreciate the information along with the pictures. This is going to be a must see for me next time I am in the area. Ready for liftoff

rapcw location: Antioch, CA Gender: Male \|	Re: Orizaba Mine <Reply # 6 on 8/25/2009 10:56 PM >

	Thanks Wilky. I also appreciate information along with the pictures to give some context for what I'm looking at, the location's history, it's purpose, etc. That's why I always make an effort to find out as much info as possible regarding locations I've visited before I upload them to the DB. I wish even more felt the same way. You should definitely check this place out next time you're in the area. There are also plenty of other great mine sites in the same area (off the same road even) which I visited, hopefully I will have some of those other locations posted here soon. [last edit 8/25/2009 11:00 PM by rapcw - edited 1 times]

RailGuy88 This member has been banned. See the banlist for more information. location: Where you're not... Gender: Male \|	Re: Orizaba Mine <Reply # 7 on 8/26/2009 10:24 PM >

	Hey R, You should write a book about these sites. Every time you post something about them, we're all completely amazed. blurbs.com has an excellent software application that you'd use. Then you submit your stuff back to them and they print it out. Whever the cost of the book is online, that's what you keep. Not sure how they collect their funds, but from what I've read, you keep 100% of it. Anyhoo, just a random thought, but excellent otherwise. Yay! Going where others can't...

rapcw

location:
Antioch, CA
Gender: Male

Re: Orizaba Mine
<Reply # 8 on 8/27/2009 7:56 AM >

Posted by RailGuy88
Hey R, You should write a book about these sites. Every time you post something about them, we're all completely amazed.

blurbs.com has an excellent software application that you'd use. Then you submit your stuff back to them and they print it out. Whever the cost of the book is online, that's what you keep. Not sure how they collect their funds, but from what I've read, you keep 100% of it.

Anyhoo, just a random thought, but excellent otherwise. Yay!

Hey RailGuy, Thanks for the high praise! I'm not sure if I have enough material for a full book on mines and ghost towns quite yet (I'm sure Jonsered does!), although I appreciate your interest. However, I am currently working on a large scale project that you might be interested in. I'll send you a PM with more information.

-Russell

Infiltration Forums > Archived US: Pacific Southwest > Orizaba Mine (Viewed 290 times)