Keystone Canyon, NV – Old Dominion Mining Company

Adobe Ruins in Keystone, NV

Keystone

Keystone started life as a company town for the Old Dominion Mining Company in 1868 with opening of the Keystone Mine.

In 1910, a large mill had been constructed and was processing ore from many local mines. J.H. Hillyer discovered a rich silver ore deposit at the 600 foot level of the Keystone Mine which assayed at 1,298 ounces per ton. In the 1930s mining in the area had panned out and the only operation was milling ore. Leaching operations commenced into the 1970s and 1980s but have since stopped.

Keystone had many of the local necessities of the times: saloons, blacksmith shops, stores and a post office which operated from 1912 to 1927. The Treadwell-Yukon Mining Company was shipping ore from several mines in this canyon for processing in Tybo.

Adobe Ruins in Keystone, NV

A tin covered shed, a few stone and adobe structures and numerous mines are all that’s left of Keystone. As the old mill was demolished to expand the leaching operations.

 

 

 

GPS Coordinates: 38.44484 N, -116.38724W

Mountain View Ghost Town

The ghost town of Mountain View is located in the Mountain View Canyon at the far northern end of Keystone Canyon.

There is no written history on the town of Mountain View or it’s mining operations but judging from it’s construction it would be mid 1800s. The remains are the stone foundations of a large ore mill with chimney and numerous houses, a concrete water tank and a few mines located on the surrounding hill sides.

GPS Coordinates: 38.505007, -116.408793

Dominion Ghost Town

Dominion was founded by the Old Dominion Mining Company in 1868 and later the Hot Creek Development Company. Although heavy, mining operations were sporadic and ceased by the mid 1930s as the operations offered little return on investment. The ghost town of Dominion is located in the northern part of Keystone Canon where Old Dominion Canyon intersects with Keystone Canyon. The few remaining buildings in Dominion are little more than a few cabins and sheds, two separate mill sites and numerous mines.

GPS Coordinates: 38.491795 N, -116.40791 W

If you plan to visit these sites make sure you have water, a good spare tire, and plenty of time to explore. As the road are embedded with a lot of pointy rocks that can puncture your tire.

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