Explore Nelson, Rhyolite, and Delamar’s haunting past

Scattered across the arid landscapes of Southern Nevada, remnants of once-thriving communities stand as silent witnesses to the region’s boom-and-bust history. Ghost towns like Nelson, St. Thomas, Elgin, Delamar, and Rhyolite, each with its own story of ambition and decline, attract adventurers, historians, and photographers eager to explore the skeletal remains of a bygone era. These sites, shaped by mining, ranching, and early settlement, offer a glimpse into the lives of those who chased fortune in the desert during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Nelson, just 45 minutes from Las Vegas, holds the echoes of the Techatticup Mine, where gold and silver lured prospectors in the 1860s, while Rhyolite, near Death Valley, boasts crumbling facades from its brief gold rush peak. Delamar, dubbed “The Widowmaker” for its deadly mining conditions, lies 140 miles north, its ruins a testament to the dangers of extraction. St. Thomas, once submerged by Lake Mead, has reemerged due to receding waters, revealing foundations from a Mormon settlement. Elgin, a quieter site, preserves a lone schoolhouse from its ranching days. Together, these towns reflect Nevada’s rugged past, with an estimated 600 ghost towns statewide, though many have vanished entirely, leaving only coordinates and memories.

Nelson’s proximity to Las Vegas makes it a popular destination, where visitors can tour the El Dorado Mine and see restored buildings used as film sets. Its lawless reputation, born from disputes over mine ownership, adds intrigue to its weathered structures. The Werly family, who manage the site, work to preserve its historical value, offering guided experiences that draw thousands annually.

Rhyolite, in contrast, captivates with its stark beauty, its bank and train depot ruins framed against the Bullfrog Hills. The nearby Goldwell Open Air Museum, with its eerie sculptures, enhances the town’s otherworldly allure, making it one of Nevada’s most photographed ghost towns.

Delamar’s remote location requires a journey down unpaved roads, but its well-preserved remains reward the effort, hinting at a community of 3,000 that thrived on gold and silver until a fire and toxic dust ended its reign. St. Thomas and Elgin, though less commercialized, offer their own narratives, from submerged Mormon roots to a single schoolhouse standing sentinel along the Muddy River.

Key ghost town attractions

These Southern Nevada ghost towns each offer unique draws for visitors:

• Nelson: El Dorado Mine tours and restored buildings for events.
• Rhyolite: Ruins of a bank, jail, and train depot, plus the Goldwell Open Air Museum.
• Delamar: Preserved mining structures, 140 miles from Las Vegas.
• St. Thomas: Exposed ruins from a submerged Mormon settlement.
• Elgin: Historic one-room schoolhouse, open for monthly tours.

Nelson’s lawless legacy

Tucked in El Dorado Canyon, Nelson emerged in the mid-1800s when miners flocked to the Techatticup Mine after the Spanish named the area for its mineral promise a century earlier. Gold and silver discoveries fueled a chaotic boom, with the town gaining notoriety for violent disputes over mine control and labor rights. By the 1870s, John Nash and his partners had acquired the mine, capitalizing on a vein that connected to George Hearst’s nearby Queen City operation, yielding significant wealth.

The town’s rough reputation persisted, with stories of shootouts and claim-jumping overshadowing its prosperity. Today, Nelson is more accessible than most ghost towns, located less than an hour from Las Vegas’ bustling Strip. The Werly family maintains the site, offering tours that highlight rusted machinery, abandoned vehicles, and buildings repurposed for weddings and films.

Visitors can explore the mine’s tunnels, where guides recount tales of its turbulent past, including its use as a hideout during labor conflicts. The site’s commercial appeal ensures its preservation, but purists note that its polished state contrasts with the raw decay of less-visited towns like Delamar or Rhyolite.

Rhyolite’s fleeting grandeur

Founded in 1904 after prospectors Frank Harris and Ernest Cross struck gold in the Bullfrog Hills, Rhyolite exploded into a bustling hub within months. By 1907, it housed 5,000 people, boasting electric lights, water mains, and a stock exchange. The Montgomery Shoshone Mine, purchased by industrialist Charles Schwab in 1906, drove the town’s growth, with a mill processing ore valued at $16,000 per ton in today’s dollars.

The town’s opulence was short-lived. A 1907 financial panic, coupled with declining ore quality, triggered a rapid exodus. By 1910, only 675 residents remained, and electricity was cut in 1916. Today, Rhyolite’s ruins, including a three-story bank and a train depot, draw visitors to its desolate beauty near Death Valley National Park.

The Tom Kelly Bottle House, built in 1906 from 50,000 glass bottles, stands as a quirky relic, restored for film shoots and tourism. The Goldwell Open Air Museum, established in 1984 with Albert Szukalski’s haunting “Last Supper” sculpture, adds an artistic layer, blending history with modern creativity.

Delamar’s deadly nickname

Located 140 miles north of Las Vegas, Delamar thrived in the 1890s as a gold and silver hub, peaking with over 3,000 residents. Its mines produced $13.5 million in ore between 1895 and 1900, but the extraction process released toxic silica dust, earning the town the grim moniker “The Widowmaker” for the lung diseases that claimed countless lives.

A 1899 fire devastated the town, and by 1909, mining operations ceased, leaving behind well-preserved ruins accessible via a rugged dirt road off U.S. Highway 93. Visitors can see remnants of mills, homes, and shops, their stone foundations resisting the desert’s erosive forces.

The site’s isolation preserves its authenticity, though adventurers are advised to bring supplies, as amenities are scarce. Delamar’s haunting silence and scattered debris evoke the harsh realities faced by its miners, whose pursuit of wealth came at a steep human cost.

St. Thomas reemerges from the depths

Unlike Nevada’s mining-centric ghost towns, St. Thomas began as a Mormon settlement in 1865 along the Muddy River. Once the seat of Arizona’s Pah Ute County, it housed a school, post office, and church, supporting a modest community of farmers. The construction of the Hoover Dam in the 1930s flooded the town, submerging it beneath Lake Mead for decades.

Receding water levels, driven by prolonged drought, have exposed St. Thomas’ foundations since the early 2000s, revealing cisterns, walls, and roads. Located within Lake Mead National Recreation Area, the site offers a 2.5-mile loop trail where visitors can explore the eerie remains, a stark reminder of nature’s shifting boundaries.

Nearby, smaller settlements like Kaolin, Fort Callville, and Junction City also vanished under the reservoir, their traces now faint. St. Thomas’ accessibility and unique history make it a compelling stop for those seeking a less conventional ghost town experience.

Elgin’s quiet endurance

Settled in 1882 south of Caliente, Elgin diverged from Nevada’s mining narrative, rooted instead in ranching along the Muddy River. Its small community left few marks, but the one-room Elgin Schoolhouse, built in 1922, endures as a state park site. Operating until 1967, it served generations of local children, its simple design reflecting the area’s modest lifestyle.

Now open for tours on the first Saturday of each month or by appointment, the schoolhouse offers a window into rural education, with preserved desks and chalkboards evoking a simpler era. Elgin’s solitude contrasts with the bustle of Nelson or Rhyolite, appealing to those seeking a quieter historical encounter.

Timeline of Southern Nevada’s ghost towns

The rise and fall of these towns followed distinct paths:

• 1865: St. Thomas founded by Mormon settlers.
• Mid-1800s: Techatticup Mine established, sparking Nelson’s growth.
• 1882: Elgin settled as a ranching community.
• 1890s: Delamar booms with gold and silver mining.
• 1904: Rhyolite founded after Bullfrog Hills gold discovery.
• 1909: Delamar’s mining halts after fire and silica dust issues.
• 1916: Rhyolite’s electricity cut, marking its decline.
• 1930s: St. Thomas submerged by Lake Mead.
• 1922: Elgin Schoolhouse built, operating until 1967.
• Early 2000s: St. Thomas reemerges as lake levels drop.

Goldwell Open Air Museum’s artistic legacy

Adjacent to Rhyolite, the Goldwell Open Air Museum transforms the desert into an open-air gallery, its sculptures enhancing the ghost town’s mystique. Founded in 1984 by Belgian artist Albert Szukalski, it features works like “The Last Supper,” a ghostly plaster rendition of the biblical scene, and a 25-foot pink cinderblock nude titled “Lady in the Desert.”

The museum’s seven installations, including a steel prospector and a towering Icarus figure, draw art enthusiasts and photographers, particularly at golden hour when the desert light accentuates their forms. Managed by a nonprofit, the site remains free and open 24/7, with occasional events like its 40th-anniversary celebration in October 2024 showcasing its enduring appeal.

The interplay of art and history at Goldwell complements Rhyolite’s ruins, creating a destination where visitors can ponder both human ambition and creative expression against the stark Nevada backdrop.

Preservation challenges

Maintaining ghost towns is a race against time and nature. Weather, vandalism, and neglect threaten sites like Delamar and Rhyolite, where structures face erosion from wind and rare rains. Nelson benefits from active stewardship, but less-visited towns rely on sporadic volunteer efforts or state oversight, as with Elgin’s schoolhouse.

St. Thomas faces unique issues, as fluctuating lake levels expose and re-submerge its ruins, complicating preservation. The Bureau of Land Management oversees Rhyolite, ensuring public access while discouraging relic removal, which is illegal across Nevada’s historic sites.

The Nevada State Park system and local families, like the Werlys in Nelson, play critical roles, but funding and manpower remain limited. Visitors are urged to tread lightly, leaving artifacts untouched to preserve these fragile links to the past.

Why ghost towns captivate

The allure of Southern Nevada’s ghost towns lies in their ability to transport visitors to a time of raw ambition and hardship. Nelson’s mine tunnels evoke the danger of early prospecting, while Rhyolite’s grand ruins hint at dreams that crumbled overnight. Delamar’s stark remains tell of lives lost to toxic labor, and St. Thomas’ exposed foundations reveal nature’s power over human plans.

Elgin’s schoolhouse, though modest, offers a tangible connection to rural life, its walls whispering stories of children who studied there decades ago. These sites resonate because they blend history with mystery, inviting exploration of what was and what might have been.

Photographers flock to Rhyolite for its cinematic decay, while hikers enjoy St. Thomas’ trails. Families visit Nelson for guided adventures, and history buffs seek Delamar’s remote solitude. Each town offers a distinct experience, united by the shared thread of Nevada’s fleeting booms.

Visiting tips for explorers

• Nelson: Book mine tours in advance; bring sunscreen for outdoor areas.
• Rhyolite: Visit at sunrise or sunset for optimal photography; explore Goldwell sculptures.
• Delamar: Use a high-clearance vehicle; pack water and food for the remote journey.
• St. Thomas: Wear sturdy shoes for the trail; check Lake Mead conditions.
• Elgin: Schedule schoolhouse tours via Nevada State Parks; expect minimal amenities.

Historical context of Nevada’s booms

Nevada’s ghost towns trace their origins to the mid-19th century, when gold and silver discoveries near Dayton in 1849 ignited a frenzy. The Comstock Lode’s success in the 1860s spurred prospecting across the state, birthing towns like Nelson and Delamar. By the early 1900s, new finds, like Rhyolite’s Bullfrog strike, fueled short-lived booms, often collapsing within a decade due to depleted ores or economic crises.

St. Thomas and Elgin, tied to agriculture rather than mining, followed different arcs, their decline driven by environmental shifts or modernization. The state’s 600-plus ghost towns reflect this cycle, with Southern Nevada’s sites enduring due to their proximity to Las Vegas and Death Valley, drawing 21st-century explorers to their relics.

Cultural significance today

These ghost towns have transcended their origins, becoming cultural touchstones. Rhyolite’s ruins have starred in films like “The Air Mail” (1926), while Nelson’s restored buildings host modern events, from photo shoots to weddings. The Goldwell Museum’s sculptures, blending surreal art with desert decay, attract global visitors, its “Last Supper” a haunting counterpoint to Rhyolite’s bank facade.

St. Thomas’ reemergence has sparked renewed interest in Lake Mead’s history, with rangers offering guided hikes to interpret its Mormon past. Elgin’s schoolhouse, preserved by state parks, educates visitors about rural Nevada, while Delamar’s isolation appeals to those seeking unfiltered history. Together, they underscore the state’s knack for preserving its wild, transient spirit.