On The Ghost Town With Hoss . Bristol Well , Nevada

HOSSNV · Jun 3, 2012

On The Ghost Town Trail With Hoss . Bristol Well , Nevada

Located at a point 13 miles North of Pioche and 7 miles West of US 93 are the remains of Bristol Well . After driving over a dusty road you will spot a very old windmill in the distance and you will know you have found the site . The first thing you will ask yourself is " why would anyone want to live here ? " . The answer is very simple Silver ! Where ever riches are to be found ..... man ( and women ! ) will follow . And so they did .
Around 1872 a furance was built here to process silver-lead ore from the mines at National City ( also known as Bristol ) 4 miles to the East . In 1880 a 5 stamp mill and smelter were built as well carcoal ovens to fire the smelter . By 1890 there were 400 hardy souls calling Bristol Well home . But as so often happens in the Boom & Bust mining of days gone by Bristol Well was doomed . Not by the mines petering out which was so often the case , but by technogly .
By the early 1900s the San Pedro , Los Angeles & Salt Lake Railroad was pushing its way North from Las Vegas . From Salt Lake City . UT the Union Pacific Railroad was heading South , the two would meet in Lincoln County , Nevada . Now with access to the railroad it would be far cheaper for the mine owners to ship there ore to one the new modren refinery's in Salt Lake City .
Not much is left at Bristol Well to mark the passing of those that lived , toiled and played here . A couple stone cabins and 3 charcoal kilns . But if you sit very still for a moment and let your mind go back to deffrent time you will hear the consant pounding of the stamps in the mill or a teamster cursing his team as he trys to unload a wagon of ore and on the air is the sweet smell of pinyon pine comeing from the charcoal kilns .

Thanks a heap for comeing along everyone ! Hope you had a good time ! Hoss

Mackaydon · Jun 5, 2012

HOSS,
I've got a copy of Stanley W. Pahor's 'Nevada Ghost Towns and Mining Camps'. If you need some additional info that may be in this book, let me know. The book does have the same history of Bristol Well as you mentioned and a pic of the three kilns.
Don.......

HOSSNV · Jun 6, 2012

Mackaydon said:
HOSS,
I've got a copy of Stanley W. Pahor's 'Nevada Ghost Towns and Mining Camps'. If you need some additional info that may be in this book, let me know. The book does have the same history of Bristol Well as you mentioned and a pic of the three kilns.
Don.......

Thanks Don , that is very kind of you and I appreciate it greatly ! But I have 2 copys of Paher's Nevada Ghost Towns And Mining Camps . One I haul around with me in the field the other I keep in my littile office . It is a great refrence source and I use it often but I have to wonder if Paher visited all these sites . I know not what his standard was for " what remains " i.e " Foundations and three beehive coke ovens remain . NGT pg 305 " . The two stone cabins and a retaining wall are still intact so I try to verify his text where ever else I can . I belive I saw in a post somewhere that you are a fellow Philatelist and I know you to be a great researcher and here is where I could use some help . I have about 98% of Paher's books including Nevada Post Offices , An Illustrated History by James Gamett & Stanley W . Paher . In his text of Bristol Well ( NGT pg 305 ) he notes that Bristol Well had a post office , but when I check NPO there is no mention of it ( pg 42 ) . There is a Bristol and a Bristol Silver but no Bristol Well . I have a cover from Bristol Silver but I do not know if it is from Bristol Well or Bristol . I am fairly certain it is from Bristol because that is where the mining shifted to . Here is a pic of the cover ( Rairty rateing of 6 on a scale of 1-10) . Thanks again for your help . Hoss

Mackaydon · Jun 6, 2012

Hoss,
You may wish to check these out:

Bristol Silver PO: Latitude. 38.08°, Longitude. -114.61861° , Elevation. 2133m
Source:
Bristol Silver Post Office / Bristol Silver Post Office, Nevada, United States, North America

Here's a crude map of where the Bristol Well PO was:
http://itouchmap.com/?d=864281&s=NV&f=po

I don't see the image of your cover.
Don.........

HOSSNV · Jun 7, 2012

Mackaydon said:
Hoss,
You may wish to check these out:

Bristol Silver PO: Latitude. 38.08°, Longitude. -114.61861° , Elevation. 2133m
Source:
Bristol Silver Post Office / Bristol Silver Post Office, Nevada, United States, North America

Here's a crude map of where the Bristol Well PO was:
Bristol Well Post Office (historical), NV

I don't see the image of your cover.
Don.........

Thanks Don . I could not figure out how to include a pic with a reply so I created another post . Look on the Ghost Town Board for Bristol Silver and the cover is there . Hoss

Mackaydon · Jun 7, 2012

Hoss, here are some contacts that might be able to answer your Q.
Contact Us: Nevada State Historic Preservation Office

Lot of memories: About 30 years ago my wife and I set out to metal detect where Nevada grandstands for race tracks used to be 'back in the day'. Places like Long Valley, Jamison's Station, Orena, Star City, Meteropolis, Ely, Cherry Creek, etc were all researched--and hunted. The most memorable thing I caught was getting stuck in caliche between Wells and Elko. I left my wife in the truck with her two friends (Smith and Wesson) and a handheld CB radio while I took the other CB (and two similar friends) with me on a hike to find assistance. Short story: I stumbled upon a guy working a deep open pit (from a distance I couldn't see the pit). He had a car and helped me out of the caliche--for a $100 bill. Still, I was grateful. It took months for that caliche stain to wash out of my boots.
All the best,
Don.....

Hemisteve · Jun 10, 2012

Great pics Hoss,
Another spot we need to check out!

Steve

HOSSNV · Jun 11, 2012

Hemisteve said:
Great pics Hoss,
Another spot we need to check out!

Steve

When will you be heading South ? Hoss

Cleetus · Jul 15, 2012

Mackaydon: How did you do hunting Metropolis? I was just going that way. It is on private land now, but I know the Ranchers well and have permission to visit/hunt the site. When I last went, no buildings really left, but all the streets were well defined, the former building locations are clear. Wells has a lot of old buildings left in it, should be some other yards to detect....Just stay away from the yard with the Hot Pink Railroad Car and a sign that says: "Nancy;s" or something like that! hahahaha

majolle · Apr 16, 2013

I am hoping you can direct me with some information. I am searching for the exact location of the Bristol Cemetery. I have never been to Bristol yet, but would like to go this summer and search for it, My ggfather is buried there. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Mackaydon · Apr 16, 2013

Cleetus,
Sorry, but somehow I missed you Q to me about Metropolis. I don't recall finding anything specific. I was attempting to find where the small park was located (maybe) close to where the depot was located. If I could return there, I"d change my focus to locating the area of the nearby hot springs which provided an enjoyable place to picnic and play baseball. I'd MD the heck out of those places.
Don...

HOSSNV · Apr 18, 2013

Howdy Majolle ! Nice to meet you ! How very interesting about your G-Great Grandfather . There is not much left in the graveyard but I will help you in any way I can . Also Don ( mackydon ) is very good at this stuff . I am sure he will probably see this and might have some good suggestions for you . Good luck ! And let me know how you do . Hoss

http://www.usgwarchives.net/nv/lincoln/photos/tombstones/bristol/bristwel.html

Mackaydon · Apr 18, 2013

Bring your binoculars and look for these backdrops:
http://www.desert4wd.com/page14/files/page14-1000-full.html
Bristol Wells Cemetery
Also, click NEXT under the title for several more pics of the specific area.
The site looks to be barbed wired now: http://www.desert4wd.com/page14/files/page14-1004-full.html
Good luck !!
Don.....
Hoss, what ghost town are you off to next?

HOSSNV · Apr 18, 2013

Mackaydon said:
Bring your binoculars and look for these backdrops:
Bristol Wells Cemetery
Bristol Wells Cemetery
Also, click NEXT under the title for several more pics of the specific area.
The site looks to be barbed wired now: Bristol Wells Cemetery
Good luck !!
Don.....
Hoss, what ghost town are you off to next?

Howdy Don ! Good to see you ! I have had some health problems so I have had to take some time off of work . I have a bunch of pics of Carrara , Nevada which I visited last Fall . Since I have some time on my hands I was planning on doing a post about Carrara . I will try to get that started tonight . Hoss

Mackaydon · Apr 19, 2013

Hoss,
Here' s my Hoss story. In either 1960 or '61, I tried to sneak into the VIP area of the Indy 500 race seats. I was caught but the guard let me go in if I promised to just take a seat and sit quietly. (He admitted he had tried the same 'sneak' as a kid and that guard had let him in.)I complied. A few minutes later guess who takes the seats next to me.yes, Hoss and Ben Cartright. I was so intimidated and filled with awe, I couldn't say a word. Great memories.
Don..

HOSSNV · Apr 19, 2013

Mackaydon said:
Hoss,
Here' s my Hoss story. In either 1960 or '61, I tried to sneak into the VIP area of the Indy 500 race seats. I was caught but the guard let me go in if I promised to just take a seat and sit quietly. (He admitted he had tried the same 'sneak' as a kid and that guard had let him in.)I complied. A few minutes later guess who takes the seats next to me.yes, Hoss and Ben Cartright. I was so intimidated and filled with awe, I couldn't say a word. Great memories.
Don..

That is a GREAT story Don ! I love hearing these things . Sadly , I never got to meet any of my TV family ....... but I do have a good story for you !

Ever since September 13 . 1959 I have been called Hoss . The series Bonanza ! premiered the night before on the 12th . I remember that night very clearly . My mother made Chicken and Dumplings for supper , one of my favorites . I am 6' 1" 230 lbs. and I was big even when I was a kid so it did not take long for my friends , there parents , my teachers , neighbors and anyone else that knew my last name was Cartwright to start calling me Hoss . Although I took a lot of teasing over the years I never let it bother me . It was just something I accepted and dealt with .... just part of life . As I grew older it eased up the series ended on January 16 . 1973 and since it was no longer on TV the Hoss jokes were over ........ or so I thought . In the Spring of 1980 my friend Mike his son Eli and myself loaded up Mikes truck and headed out for a 2 week fishing trip to Jasper , Alberta Canada deep in the Canadian Rockies . Mike and I would take turns driving and when we hit Kalispell , Montana Mike said he was tired . No problem I said and took over driving and the next thing you know we are at the Canadian border ..... and this is were the fun starts . I pull up and shut off the motor and wake Mike up as the border guard comes to the window and asks for our ID . He takes our IDs and goes in the office and comes back a few minutes later and hands Mike his back but not mine . He says " we will be with you in a few minutes sir ! " . So about 30 minutes go by and a truck pulls up with 3 more border guards in it . I am starting to freak out a bit now . I now have 6 border guards standing in front of our truck holding my drivers license staring at me . I ask " is there a problem ? " and the guard steps forward and says ( as God as my witness I am not making this up ! ) " no we have just never seen a real Cartwright from Nevada , will you take a picture with us ? " . I just laughed and said " sure I will take a picture with you , but you guys watch WAY to much television up here ! " . I got out and took some pictures with them and we were on our way . Hoss