Gabbs District
Overview
Other Names: Downieville, Carbonate Point, Central, Brucite, Mammoth, Paradise Range, Cottonwood, Centers
County: Nye
Discovered: 1876
Commodities: magnesite, brucite, iron, silver, lead, zinc, tungsten, copper
Comments
The Gabbs district covers the western portion of the Paradise Range and extends from Downieville, north of the present town of Gabbs, to the Cottonwood Canyon area on the south, and from the western front of the range near the town of Gabbs east to include the area of Craig Station in the eastern part of the range. The historic Mammoth district included the area of the present Gabbs district along with the Ellsworth district to the northeast.
The Central district was, according to the Territorial Enterprise, located 10 miles south of Downieville. The Cottonwood or Centers district described by Danner (1992) is located in Cottonwood Canyon, east of the town of South Gabbs. The Gabbs district now includes the area of the town of Gabbs and most of central part of Paradise Range as well.
References
Whitehill, 1877, p. 108; Territorial Enterprise, August 16, 1877 2:1, and November 9, 1878 2:4; Kleinhampl and Ziony, 1984, p. 98; Stager and Tingley, 1988, p. 141; Danner, 1992, p. 81
Galena District
Overview
Other Names: Other names: Washoe Valley, Washoe, Jumbo, Union, Harris, Warne, Pleasant Valley, Chicago
County: Washoe
Discovered: 1860
Organized: 1860
Commodities: zinc, lead, silver, copper, gold, tungsten, arsenic
Comments
Located west of Pleasant Valley. Galena is the original name. The district includes some of the lower slopes of the Virginia Range and sometimes includes the Jumbo district to the east. Washoe County mining records mention a Harris district located 1.5 miles east of Washoe City that probably included mines and prospects located in the hills north of present New Washoe City. The Warne district, located 3 miles northeast of Washoe Lake, is probably same area as the Harris district. This area is now included in the Galena district.
The Chicago district, active in 1893, was located 2 miles west of the Jumbo district and 2.5 miles northeast of Washoe Lake. This area is also within the Galena district.
References
Stretch, 1867, p. 21; Hill, 1912, p. 226; Lincoln, 1923, p. 235; Stoddard, 1932, p. 84; Overton, 1947, p. 64; Bonham, 1969, p. 60; Bonham, 1976; Stager and Tingley, 1988, p. 200; Washoe County mining records
Galena Placer District Description
Location
East flank of the Carson Range, west of Pleasant Valley, T. 17 N., R. 19 E.
Topographic Maps
Mount Rose 15-minute quadrangle.
Geologic Maps
Thompson and White, 1964, Geologic map and sections of the Mount Rose quadrangle, Washoe County, Nevada (pi. 1), scale 1:62,500.
Access
From Reno, about 14 miles south on U.S. Highway 395 to Pleasant Valley. Placers are in hills west of the highway.
Extent
Small placer deposits are located near the mouth of Galena Creek (sec. 12, T. 17 N., R. 19 E.) and along Steamboat Creek, near Little Washoe Lake (sec. 24).
Production History
The placer production intermittently credited to the Galena district has been small.
Source
The gold recovered from Galena Creek was apparently derived from old tailings, probably from the Union lead mine which contains gold and silver associated with more abundant sulfides. The origin of the gold recovered from Steamboat Creek is unknown.
Literature
Bonham, 1969: Describes and locates lode mines.
Thompson and White, 1964: Describes ore deposits in Galena district.
District
Overview
Other Names: Eagle, Pine Nut, Sulphur Springs, Mammoth Eagle, Buckeye
County: Douglas
Discovered: 1860
Commodities: tungsten, molybdenum, gold, copper, silver, antimony, silica
Comments
Map of 1866 shows the Eagle and Sulphur Springs districts to include the general area of the present Gardnerville and Mountain House districts. Sulphur Springs was to the north and included the north part of the present Gardnerville and Mountain House districts. Eagle was to the south and east and included the south part of Gardnerville, most of Mountain House, as well as the present Red Canyon district.
The area later was referred to as the Pine Nut district, then Gardnerville. The Buckeye district, depicted on Wright’s map as a small area in the vicinity of the Monarch Mine, northwest of Mt. Siegel, is now included in the Gardnerville district.
References
Territorial Enterprise, July 14, 1860 3:2; General Land Office map, 1866; Stretch, 1867, p. 20; Whitehill, 1875, p. 18; Angel, 1881, p. 375; Stuart, 1909, p. 111; Hill, 1912, p. 202; Lincoln, 1923, p. 33; Stoddard, 1932, p. 27; Gianella, 1945, p. 33; Overton, 1947, p. 24; Lawrence, 1963, p. 40-41; Moore, 1969, p. 30; Stager and Tingley, 1988, p. 46; George F. Wright papers (map), University of Nevada, Reno Special Collections
