Olinghouse
Though small discoveries were made in 1860, 1864, 1876, and 1893, sustained work didn't begin until 1897. That year, Brooks McClane and F. Plane discovered gold on Green Hill, and a placer camp called McClanesburg was established. The following year, it took the name Ora when the post office opened, and in January 1899 the White Horse District was created. Soon Ora had a two-stamp mill, assay office, saloons, restaurants, and hotels.
Ora peaked in 1902 before experiencing a quick decline. The following year, however, former teamster Elias Olinghouse purchased several of McClane's claims and installed a small mill. Around this time Henry Esden of the Wadsworth Electric Light & Power Co. envisioned a plan to bring electricity to the camp (now called Olinghouse), as well as a tramway or railroad to a mill on the Truckee River. At this time, the plans did not come into fruition.
Over the next few years, new strikes renewed interest in Olinghouse and by February 1906 a proposal was made by William L. Stevenson of the Green Hill Mining Co. for a large new mill near waning Wadsworth connected to the mines by a railroad. Met with joyful approval, the Nevada Railroad Company was organized. Construction began quickly, and despite a setback caused by the San Francisco earthquake of 1906, the new 50-stamp mill (operated by the new Nevada Consolidated Mining & Milling Co.) and Nevada Railroad were ready for operation early in 1907. Unfortunately, the ore quickly proved to be not enough to operate at a profit, and the whole operation ceased before the end of the year. Between 1909 and 1911, both the railroad and the mill were dismantled.
Some work has continued at Olinghouse at various times ever since, but the town itself quietly faded, losing its post office in 1923. At this time, I have only visited the remnants of the Nevada Consolidated Mill, but the townsite will be the subject of a later visit.
