Rio Tinto

Franklyn Hunt discovered copper here in 1932 which assayed at 47%, and announcements of his find began a rush to the area. The Mountain City Copper Company purchased the find, and development began on the company town of Rio Tinto, named for the Spanish mines that produced ore for 3,000 years. Wide streets lined with trees and fine company houses and apartments were constructed. The company also installed electricity, water and sweage systems, a movie theater, recreation center, grammer and high schools, and an athletic field. Within five years, Rio Tinto became Nevada's second largest copper producer. It wasn't affected by World War II due to the nature of copper, but a drop in prices following the war led to the mine's demise. It closed in 1948, and was abandoned by 1949 after producing $23 million.

See Also
Patsville

Bibliography