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Bristol, Nevada - Lincoln County Ghost Town

Bristol, Nevada, also known as National City, Bristol City, and briefly Tempest, is a ghost town located in Lincoln County, 14 miles northwest of Pioche, on the west side of Bristol Mountain. Established in the 1870's as a mining settlement, Bristol's history is marked by cycles of prosperity and decline tied to its silver, lead, and copper mining operations. This report chronicles the town's development, key historical events, and its eventual abandonment, drawing on available historical records.

The Bristol Mine near Bristol in Lincoln County Nevada

Early Settlement and Mining Beginnings (1870-1878)

The Bristol mining district was organized in 1871 after mining claims were staked in 1870 around the National Mine, initially named National City. The settlement grew near the Bristol Mine, located four miles east of what would become Bristol Well, a critical water source for mining operations. In 1872, a furnace was constructed at Bristol Well to process silver-lead ore from the Bristol Mine, marking the area's first significant industrial activity. Charcoal kilns, built to supply the smelter, remain a notable remnant of this period. By 1878, the discovery of a richer ore deposit spurred further development. The settlement, renamed Bristol City, saw the construction of a stamp mill to crush ore, enhancing production capacity. The town's wells provided essential water for mining and smelting, supporting a growing community.

Peak Prosperity (1878-1890)

The late 1870's to early 1880s represented Bristol’s zenith. By 1882, the town boasted a population of approximately 400, with five stores, eight saloons, two hotels, a newspaper, barber shops, a butcher, and other businesses, reflecting a thriving community. In 1880, the stamp mill was expanded, and a smelter was built, accompanied by stone charcoal ovens to fuel operations. The establishment of a post office in 1878, under the name Bristol, further solidified the town's status. By 1890, a new smelter was constructed to process copper ore, reflecting a shift in mining focus as silver-lead deposits waned. This period marked the height of Bristol's economic and social activity, with infrastructure supporting both mining and community life. However, no known photographs from this era survive, limiting visual documentation of the town's peak. C. V. Gilmer, of this city, has just marketed a carload of ore from the property of the Iron and Silver Consolidated company is Bristol District, Lincoln county, Nevada. The ore is high grade as it runs 30 per cent in copper besides carrying values in silver. At the present time Chicago people are negotiating for the purchase of this mine.

Decline and Intermittent Activity (1893-1918)

After 1893, Bristol's fortunes declined sharply as ore deposits became less profitable. The smelter ceased operations, and the population dwindled. By 1884, many residents had already left, signaling the end of the town's initial boom. A copper leaching plant built in 1900 operated for only two years, failing to revive the town's economy. Mining activity continued sporadically, but the scale was significantly reduced.

In 1913, an aerial tramway was constructed to transport ore two miles northeast to Jackrabbit, Nevada, where it could be loaded onto the Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad. This briefly boosted activity, but by 1918, mining had largely ceased, leaving Bristol nearly deserted. The town's wells and kilns remained as relics of its past industry.

Tempest Period and Final Years (1922-1950)

In 1922, a brief revival centered on the Tempest Mine led to the town being renamed Tempest until 1929. During this period, the post office operated under the name Tempest (1922-1929), then reverted to Bristol Silver (1929-1932, 1936-1950). However, this resurgence was short-lived, and mining activity remained minimal. The post office closed in 1950, marking the end of Bristol's official functions. The townsite was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972, recognizing its historical significance.

Legacy and Current State

Today, Bristol is a ghost town with limited physical remnants. Bristol Well, four miles west, features beehive-shaped charcoal kilns, stone cabins, and slag deposits from smelting, though the kilns show signs of erosion. The Bristol Mine site, now on private property, is considered hazardous and inaccessible. The Bristol Pioneer Cemetery, south of the kilns, serves as a somber reminder of the town's past residents. Despite its abandonment, Bristol's history reflects the boom-and-bust cycle typical of Nevada's mining towns, driven by resource extraction and economic shifts.

Conclusion

Bristol, Nevada, encapsulates the transient nature of 19th-century mining communities in the American West. From its founding in 1871 as National City to its peak in the 1880's and eventual decline by the early 20th century, Bristol's story is one of ambition, adaptation, and abandonment. Its surviving structures, such as the charcoal kilns and cemetery, offer a glimpse into a once-vibrant community. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Bristol remains a poignant historical site, preserving the legacy of Nevada's mining heritage for future generations.

Bristol Mine

Caselton, Nevada

Overview

Copper

The Bristol Mine, located near Caselton, Nevada, is situated within the Bristol-Jackrabbit Mining District, which has a rich mining history. The mine was first discovered in 1860 and operated until its closure before the time of this data entry, with no current plans for reopening. From the 1870's to 1940, the mine was in active production, considered to be of medium scale. The specific type of mining operations carried out at the Bristol Mine are unknown, although there is one known shaft on the site. The subsurface depth of the mine reaches a maximum of 543 meters (1,780 feet), with a total length spanning 3,219 meters (10,560 feet). The ore extracted from the mine consists primarily of sphalerite, lead, and smithsonite. The waste material associated with mining activities mainly consists of hematite, clay, and limonite. The ore body at the Bristol Mine has a tabular and irregular shape, stretching over a distance of 609 meters (2,000 feet) and exhibiting a thickness of 18 meters (60 feet). The host rock in this area originated during the Miaolingian epoch, which occurred approximately 509 to 497 million years ago. Geologically, the Bristol Mine is situated within the Great Basin of the Intermontane Plateaus, which characterizes the surrounding area's geomorphology. This geological region is known for its complex and diverse geologic history, with various mineral deposits found throughout the region due to tectonic activity and geological processes.

Copper, Lead, and Silver Gold and Manganese Mine Type ? Surface And Underground Underground Operation Type ? 1860 Year Discovered ? 1870's to 1940 Last Year of Production Bristol Mine Near Caselton, Nevada

THE BRISTOL SILVER MINES IS COMPRISED OF THE GYPSY, BRISTOL, MAY DAY, AND HILLSIDE MINES, AMONG OTHERS. Name? Status? Bristol Silver Mines Current Owner Name and Address Bristol Silver Mines Company Type Owner-Operator Kerr-Mcgee Corporation Type Owner-Operator Stake Majority Commodities Notes PYRITE (BELOW 1700 FEET) ORE MATERIALS: GALENA, LEAD CARBONATE, SECONDARY COPPER MINERALS, SECONDARY ZINC, PLUMBOJAROSITE, MANGANESE OXIDES, SPHALERITE, MALACHITE, CHRYSOCOLLA, AZURITE, SMITHSONITE, CUPRITE, MELACONITE (TENORITE), SILVER CHLORIDE. GANGUE MATERIALS: PYRITE (BELOW 1700 FEET) ., LIMONITE, HEMATITE, CALCITE, MANGANESE OXIDE, QUARTZ, CLAY GOUGE. Deposit

DISCOVERY YEAR: 1960'S

SEVERAL BADLY BRECIATED ZONES NEAR FAULTS CARRY GOOD COPPER AND LEAD ORE WITH SILVER. 4 MAIN VEINS ACCOUNT FOR THE BULK OF PRODUCTION: MAY DAY, TEMPEST, GYPSY-NATIONAL, AND THE LEAD-ZINC. THESE ORE BODIES OCCUR ALONG FRACTURED ZONES, IN BRECCIATED AREAS AND IN INTERSECTING FISURES. THE MAIN FISSURE SYSTEM (MAY DAY) RUNS E-W. THE TEMPEST ALSO RUNS ABOUT N80E, BUT THE TEMPEST DIPS 70, WHILE THE MAY DAY DIPS 45. THE GYPSY-NATIONAL SYSTEM STRIKES NE AND DIPS 70-85E, AND THE LEAD-ZINC VEIN STRIKES S NW AND DIPS 90. THE 2 LATTER INTERSECT THE TEMPEST AND MAY DAY FISSURE, AND IN THESE INTERSECTIONS ARE FOUND LARGE BRECCIATED ZONES IN WHICH OXIDIZED ORE OCCURS. SULFIDE ORE IS RARE, BUT SOMETIMES OCCURS AS NODULES WITH GALENA CORES ENCASED IN CERUSSITE, THEN CARBONATE AND THEN A FILM OF COPPER OXIDE. BEDDING CONTACTS AND FLAT BEDDING THRUSTS OFTEN LOCALIZE ORE DEPOSITION. OREBODIES ARE VERY IRREGULAR IN SIZE AND SHAPE. ORE IS VERY SOFT. SOME OF THE LARGER OREBODIES DEVELOPED AT. INTERSECTIONS OF THE MAY DAY AND TEMPEST FISSURES. STOPING WAS PRACTICALLY CONTIGUOUS FROM THE MAY DAY COLLAR TO THE 1000 LEVEL OF THE SNYDER SHAFT. IN 1942 THE PROPERTY CONSISTED OF 638 ACRES OF PATENTED LAND AND 1222 ACRES OF UNPATENTED LAND. THE BRISTOL SILVER MINES CO OWNED MOST OF THE MAIN WORKINGS OF THE DISTRICT BUT ONLY THE CENTRAL SNYDER, GYPSY & MAY DAY WORKINGS ARE HERE IN DESCRIBED. THE OTHERS ARE TREATED AS SEPARATE RECORDS.; INFORMATION SOURCE: 1 PUBLIC LITERATURE; 2 UNPUBLISHED REPORTS. FIGURES GIVEN FOR AVERAGE LENGTH, WIDTH, AND THICKNESS ARE MEASUREMENTS OF ONE OF THE LARGEST ORE BODIES, AND REPRESENT THE MAXIMUM SIZE TO DATE.

FOUR MAIN VEINS ACCOUNT FOR THE BULK OF THE PRODUCTION IN THE BRISTOL DISTRICT: THE MAY DAY, TEMPEST, GYPSY-NATIONAL, AND THE LEAD-ZINC VEINS. THE ORE BODIES OCCUR ALONG FRACTURED ZONES, IN BRECCIATED AREAS AND IN INTERSECTING FISSURES. THE MAIN FISSURE SYSTEM (THE MAY DAY) RUNS E-W. THE TEMPEST ALSO RUNS ABOUT N80E, BUT THE TEMPEST DIPS 70E, WHILE THE MAY DAY DIPS 45E. THE GYPSY-NATIONAL SYSTEM STRIKES NE AND DIPS 70-85E, AND THE LEAD-ZINC VEIN STRIKES NW AND IS VERTICAL. THE LATTER TWO VEINS INTERSECT THE TEMPEST AND MAY DAY FISSURE, AND OXIDIZED ORE OCCURS IN LARGE BRECCIATED ZONES AT THESE INTERSECTIONS. SULFIDE ORE IS RARE, BUT SOMETIMES OCCURS AS NODULES WITH GALENA CORES ENCASED IN CERUSSITE, COATED BY CARBONATE WITH A FILM OF COPPER OXIDE. BEDDING CONTACTS AND FLAT BEDDING THRUSTS OFTEN LOCALIZE ORE DEPOSITION. OREBODIES ARE VERY IRREGULAR IN SIZE AND SHAPE. ORE IS VERY SOFT. SOME OF THE LARGER OREBODIES DEVELOPED AT INTERSECTIONS OF THE MAY DAY AND TEMPEST FISSURES. STOPING WAS ALMOST CONTINUOUS FROM THE MAY DAY COLLAR TO THE 1000 LEVEL OF THE SNYDER SHAFT. SEVERAL STRONGLY BRECCIATED ZONES NEAR FAULTS CARRY HIGH-GRADE COPPER AND LEAD ORE WITH SILVER. AT THE BLACK METAL MINE, THE ORE SYSTEM CONSISTS OF A VERTICAL PIPE FROM WHICH REPLACEMENT OREOBDIES EXTEND OUT LATERALLY AT 3 HORIZONS INTO THE GENTLY-DIPPING LIMESTONES THAT ENCLOSE THE PIPE. THE PIPE IS LOCALIZED BY BRECCIATION AT STRUCTURAL INTERSECTIONS. LEAD-SILVER ORE OCCURRED IN THE CENTER OF THE PIPE WITH EXTERIOR ZONES PROGRESSIVELY HIGHER IN MANGANESE AND LOWER IN LEAD AND SILVER.

Location Info Lincoln, Nevada Notes

UNSURVEYED AREA. UTM IS TO SYNDER SHAFT, WHOSE WORKINGS ARE CONNECTED WITH THE MAY DAY SHAFT 400 FEET TO THE NORTH, AND THE GYPSY SHAFT 100 FEET TO THE SOUTHWEST; INFO FROM LAND. ST : (1972). THE BRISTOL-JACKRABBIT MINES ARE SCATTERED OVER A FEW SQUARE MILES IN THE NORTH END OF THE BRISTOL RANGE NORTHWEST OF PIOCHE. THE JACKRABBIT MINES WERE ON THE EASTERN SIDE OF THE RANGE, AND THE BRISTOL MINES WERE JUST OVER THE CREST OF THE RANGE A FEW MILES TO THE WEST, BUT AFTER AN AERIAL TRAM WAS BUILT IN 1914 TO BRING ORE FROM THE BRISTOL MINES DOWN TO THE RAILROAD AT JACKRABBIT, THE HISTORIES AND PRODUCTION OF THE TWO AREAS WERE LINKED. MANY OF THE BRISTOL MINES ARE CONNECTED BY UNDERGROUND WORKINGS (SNYDER, MAY DAY, GYPSY). MINES ARE LOCATED ON BOTH SIDES OF THE CREST OF THE BRISTOL RANGE, WITH THE LARGER AND MORE PRODUCTIVE MINES ON THE WEST SIDE. District Bristol-Jackrabbit Mining District Identification THIS RECORD IS A NEW RECORD THAT INCLUDES ALL MATERIAL FROM EARLIER MRDS RECORD M242423 AS WELL AS ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FROM RECORDS ON ADJACENT PROPERTIES AND NEW INFORMATION.

Development

OWNED AND OPERATED BY DAY-BRISTOL CONSOLIDATED MINING CO. IN EARLY 1900'S, WHO BUILT AERIAL TRAM IN 1914. BRISTOL SILVER MINES CO WAS ORGANIZED IN 1919 AND THEY PURCHASED THE JACKRABBIT-PIOCHE NARROW GAUGE RAILROAD. PRIOR TO 1926 BRISTOL OPERATED WITH GASOLINE ENGINES, THEN DIESEL ENGINES CONNECTED TO GENERATORS UNTIL 1937 WHEN ELECTRICAL POWER WAS OBTAINED FROM BOULDER PIOCHE POWERLINE. PRODUCTION AT THAT TIME WAS 3000 TONS/MONTH. BRISTOL SILVER MINING CO OWNED MOST OF THE PROPERTY IN THE DISTRICT FOR SOME TIME, BUT THIS RECORD TREATS ONLY THE MAIN SNYDER-GYPST-MAYDAY WORKINGS. DISCOVERY OF THE BRISTOL DEPOSITS PROBABLY DATES TO PRE-1870, ABOUT THE TIME THAT THE PIOCHE DEPSITS WERE DISCOVERED A FEW MILES TO THE EAST. PRIOR TO 1872, THE TOWN OF BRISTOL WELL OR BRISTOL CITY SPRANG UP ON THE WESTERN FLANK OF THE BRISTOL RANGE BELOW THE MINES. CHARCOAL OVENS NEAR BRISTOL WELL ATTEST TO EARLY PRODUCTION. A FURNACE WAS BUILT AT BRISTOL CITY ABOUT 1872 TO TREAT SILVER ORE FROM THE BRISTOL MINE AND A 5-STAMP MILL WAS BUILT IN 1880. ABOUT 1890, A NEW SMELTER WAS BUILT AND BRISTOL'S POPULATION WAS ABOUT 400. MINING ACTIVITY ENDED IN 1893 AND BRISTOL DECLINED UNTIL 1900, WHEN A LEACHING PLANT WAS BUILT TO RECOVER COPPER FROM THE ORE, BUT THAT ENDEAVOR WAS NOT VERY SUCCESSFUL AND BRISTOL DECLINED. THE DISCOVERY OF THE JACK RABBIT DISTRICT ON THE EASTERN SLOPE OF THE BRISTOL MOUNTAINS IS ATTRIBUTED TO THE LOCATOR PICKING UP A ROCK TO THROW AT A JACKRABBIT AND FINDING IT TO BE HIGH GRADE SILVER ORE. THE DISTRICT WAS LOCATED IN 1876 BY ISAAC NEWTON GARRISON. WITHIN MONTHS THE CAMP, AT ONE TIME NAMED ROYAL CITY, HAD A STORE, SALOON, BOARDING HOUSE AND RESTAURANT. EARLY MINE PRODUCTION WAS ABOUT TEN TONS PER DAY, CARRYING NATIVE SILVER IN FLAKES, YIELDING ABOUT $40 PER TON-SOMETIMES AS HIGH AS $2000 PER TON. TOTAL PRODUCTION OF THE DISTRICT IS ESTIMATED AT ABOUT $2,000,000 TO $6,000,000. MINE PRODUCTION DECLINED DURING THE 1880'S, BUT WHEN A FIFTEEN-MILE NARROW GAUGE RAILROAD WAS OPENED IN 1891 BETWEEN THE JACKRABBIT MINE AND PIOCHE, MINERAL PRODUCTION SOON INCREASED. AFTER 1893 THE MINES FELL SILENT UNTIL AFTER THE TURN OF THE CENTURY. IN THE EARLY 1900'S, THE DAY-BRISTOL CONSOLIDATED MINING COMPANY OWNED AND OPERATED THE MAIN BRISTOL SILVER MINES AND IN 1914 BUILT A 2-MILE AERIAL TRAMWAY FROM THE MAIN WORKINGS ON THE WESTERN CREST OF THE BRISTOL RANGE TO THE RAILROAD TERMINUS AT JACKRABBIT ON THE EAST FLANK OF THE RANGE. BRISTOL SILVER MINES CO. WAS ORGANIZED IN 1919 AND THEY PURCHASED THE JACKRABBIT-PIOCHE NARROW GAUGE RAILROAD. PRIOR TO 1926, BRISTOL OPERATED WITH GASOLINE ENGINES, THEN DIESEL ENGINES CONNECTED TO GENERATORS UNTIL 1937 WHEN ELECTRICAL POWER WAS OBTAINED FROM THE BOULDER PIOCHE POWERLINE. PRODUCTION AT THAT TIME WAS 3000 TONS/MONTH. BRISTOL SILVER MINING CO. OWNED MOST OF THE PROPERTY IN THE DISTRICT FOR SOME TIME DURING THE MOST PRODUCTIVE YEARS OF THE DISTRICT, THE 1920'S-1940'S. IN 1942 THE COMPANY'S PROPERTY CONSISTED OF 638 ACRES OF PATENTED LAND AND 1222 ACRES OF UNPATENTED LAND. KERR-MCGEE CORP. BRISTOL SILVER MINES OWNED THE PROPERTIES IN THE 1970'S AND UNTIL THE CURRENT TIME (2004) NDOM PERSONNEL ASSISTED KERR-MCGEE CORP. WITH AML FENCING DOCUMENTATION AT THE BRISTOL AND JACKRABBIT MINES IN 2004.

Workings

MAY DAY SHAFT, TUNNEL, AND CROSS CUT; MAIN SNYDER SHAFT TO 1780 FEET IN 1940'S, ON 70'S INCLINE; GYPSY SHAFT (VERTICAL ); MAJOR STOPES ARE THE DAVE FOX STOPE, BINGHAM CANYON STOPE, BONANZA STOPE, CAVE STOPE, PERRY STP E.; PUD STP E. KPJMSPM STP E. SJROMLAGE STP E AMD ORPM STP E/ 2-MILE AERIAL TRAMWAY FROM WORKINGS TO R. R. TERMINUS AT JACKRABBIT.

THE BRISTOL MINES WERE DEVELOPED BY EXTENSIVE UNDERGROUND WORKINGS. THESE INCLUDED THE MAY DAY SHAFT, TUNNEL, AND CROSS CUT; THE MAIN SNYDER SHAFT ON A 70'S INCLINE TO 1780 FEET IN THE 1940'S; AND THE VERTICAL GYPSY SHAFT. MAJOR STOPES ARE THE DAVE FOX STOPE, BINGHAM CANYON STOPE, BONANZA STOPE, CAVE STOPE, AND PERRY STOPE. A 2-MILE AERIAL TRAMWAY WAS BUILT FROM THE MAIN WORKINGS ON THE WEST CREST OF THE BRISTOL RANGE TO THE R

Gypsy Copper Mine Copper National Silver Mine Silver Vesuvius Gold Mine Gold Inman Copper Mine Copper Kismet Property Zinc Tempest Gold Mine Copper Inman Copper Mine Copper Kismet Property Lead Tempest Copper Mine Copper Nearby Places Caselton (13.28 miles away) Pioche (13.77 miles away) Nearby Mining Districts Bristol-Jackrabbit Mining District (0 miles away) Silverhorn Mining District (4.25 miles away) Highland Mining District (5.30 miles away)

The many post offices of Bristol tell part of the tale of the town's ever-changing names: Bristol (1878/1908) Tempest (1922-1929) Bristol Silver (1929-1932) Bristol Silver (1936-1950) The townsite was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. Google Maps mistakenly identifies Bristol as the "Bristol Wells Ghost Town".

The Railroads of Pioche

Railroads were the best option for moving ore in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. For the mines of Pioche, four railroads eventually served the area. The first was started in 1872. Originally called the Pioche and Bullionville, it was reincorporated as the Central Nevada Railroad in 1873, and renamed the Nevada Central, though not related to the railroad near Ely. It went out of business in 1880. In 1889, the Pioche Pacific Transportation Company, known as the Jackrabbit Line, built a new narrow-gauge line. The Pioche Pacific connected with the Jackrabbit Mine to the east. It did not finally close until 1948. Next was the Caliente & Pioche Railroad. It was built by San Pedro, Los Angeles, and Salt Lake Railroad starting in 1907, and connected Pioche to the outside world. It became part of the Union Pacific. The final Pioche railroad was the Price Consolidated Railroad which began constructed in 1912. It too became part of the Union Pacific in 1940.

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