Oneida Mill
In 1864, the Utica Mill was erected by the Utica Bullion Mining Company to handle ore from the Desert Queen mine, about 14 miles to the southwest. The mine had previously been using the Desert Quartz Mill, but there was a significant lack of water and fuel nearby. This new location was chosen because for its plentiful source of water, which ran from Humboldt Lake through a natural cut in Humboldt Dike. In order to control the flow of water, an earthen dam was constructed. This dam was damaged by flooding in 1867 and 1876, but replaced by a stronger dam in 1877. It was renamed the Oneida Mill about 1875.
Following an extremely wet winter, Humboldt Lake flooded in 1884. Because of the dam's placement, the waters backed up and inundated the farmlands of the Lovelock Valley to the north rather than flowing into the sink as it had done in the past. Angered, several residents of the valley dynamited the dam. There was a sudden onrush of water into the sink, which overflowed the old Humboldt Slough and damaged some of the salt works in the area.
By the time the dam was rebuilt, mining had began to slow at the Desert Queen mine. The site was abandoned, probably around the turn of the century.
