Betty O'Neal
Prospectors from Lewis found silver here during the summer of 1881. They established the Estelle Nevada Mine, which was quickly overshadowed by the discovery of the Betty O'Neal Mine in September 1882. Unfortunately, it was quickly met with disaster when a boiler at the hoisting works exploded on October 31, destroying the mine's buildings and killing a carman. They were immediately rebuilt, but destroyed by fire the following April. These disasters paired with the decline at nearby Lewis led to the Betty O'Neal's closure.
In 1907, Sherman Wilhelm, manager of the Nevada-Omaha Mining & Milling Company, leased the Betty O'Neal mine. A small camp called Kimball developed, lasting until Wilhelm closed the mine in September 1911.
In 1922, Noble Getchell purchased the Betty O'Neal and quickly began expansion. In April, work was begun on a 100-ton flotation mill, which went into operation in October. Getchell continued to expand his holdings, and Betty O'Neal became the scene of much activity. Though most businesses and workers preferred to remain in Battle Mountain, a small camp developed with a post office, stores, baseball team, and newspaper (the Concentrator). Before long, the mill's capacity was increased to 250 tons.
By 1928, ore values began to decrease and the mill reduced its staffing and began intermittent operation. This lasted until 1932, after which Betty O'Neal was deserted after producing $2.4 million. The mine has been worked on a small scale in recent years, but mill ruins have stood as a sentinel over Reese River Valley (though a significant lean developed about 2021, making it uncertain how much longer they will remain).
