Eldorado Canyon the lust for gold and the death toll

Last year a 41-year-old man died after he fell up to 250 feet from a spot just below the Bastille Rock formation in Eldorado Canyon adding to the death toll this harsh but beautiful environment has dealt out over the years since its discovery.

Desert Cactus Teddy Bear Cholla Eldorado Canyon Nevada by Edward M. Fielding. Buy a print: https://edward-fielding.pixels.com/featured/desert-cactus-teddy-bear-cholla-eldorado-canyon-nevada-edward-fielding.html

Many of the deaths were unrecorded in the years after the Civil War when drifters, gold diggers, wanted men, Native American and miners all converged on a territory rich in minerals but low on law enforcement. In the beginning the nearest sheriff was stationed 300 miles away. People can easily go missing – down the river, into a shallow grave, down a mine shaft.

Example of an HDR photograph of an abandoned truck interior — Abandoned truck, Eldorado Canyon by Edward M. Fielding – Buy a print: https://edward-fielding.pixels.com/featured/old-truck-interior-nevada-desert-edward-fielding.html

Besides dying over a mining claim or an extra ace or two up the sleeve, Mother Nature even has a blood lust in Eldorado Canyon. In this case unleashing the fury via a wall of water.

On Saturday, September 14, 1974 – at Nelson’s Landing (in Eldorado Canyon), a popular weekend fishing resort about 50 miles southeast of Las Vegas, 12 feet of water caused by torrential rains sweeps through Eldorado canyon, sweeping everything in its path into Lake Mohave, including the resort, restaurant, several cars and 20 residences. According to eyewitnesses, there was maybe five seconds of warning. Ten people are known killed by this disaster.

Ancient Ancient Puebloan Indians, and later the Paiutes and Mojave tribes lived in these harsh environs for hundreds of years. The first Europeans to explore the are, the Spaniards missed the gold veins but found a small amount of silver. In 1858 the first steamboats began to make their way up the Colorado River from Yuma, Arizona and brought along prospectors and gold seekers. In 1861 miners made a major discovery of nearby Salvage Vein of gold and word began to spread.

Last Chance Gas – Old Desert Garage by Edward Fielding https://edward-fielding.pixels.com/featured/last-chance-gas-old-desert-garage-edward-fielding.html

The Eldorado Canyon Nelson District was dotted with several mines, including the Techatticup Mine, Gettysburg, Duncan, Solar, Rand, Wall Street, Swabe and Golden Empire Mines in what was to become one of the earliest and richest mining districts in Nevada.

…gunfights over gold and women became commonplace. Greed, claim jumping and vigilante justice fueled the fire…

Over 500 inhabitants of a gold rich canyon digging through the dirt for flakes and nuggets to be a hauled away by steamships anchored in Nelson’s Landing, and no law enforcement – what could go wrong?

Plenty as greed, disputes over claims and women, political disagreements left over from the civil war created an environment where killings occurred almost daily and no lawman would dare enter the canyon.

What is HDR or High-dynamic-range photography? — Abandoned car, Eldorado Canyon – https://edward-fielding.pixels.com/featured/vintage-car-in-the-desert-hdr-edward-fielding.html

“The lawlessness continued as factions of Northern and Southern sympathizers developed among the miners during the Civil War. The strife and bitterness split the workers into two camps, severely hindering mine and mill production. Before long, Federal troops stationed downriver had to be brought in by steamboat to break up the factions before more bloodshed occurred. The lawlessness got worse after the area became part of Nevada, when the nearest law officials were in Hiko, Nevada some 300 miles away. Finally, a military post was established in Eldorado Canyon in 1867 to protect the steamboat traffic and to keep an eye on the local Indians who were beginning to raid the canyon.” — https://www.legendsofamerica.com/nv-eldorado/

Old 1930 Silver Camping Trailer by Edward M. Fielding - https://edward-fielding.pixels.com/featured/old-1930-silver-camping-trailer-edward-fielding.html — Old 1930 Silver Camping Trailer by Edward M. Fielding – https://edward-fielding.pixels.com/featured/old-1930-silver-camping-trailer-edward-fielding.html

Today, Nelson is all but a ghost town with a population of just about twenty people. You can visit, look at old buildings and cars and take a tour of the mine.

Popular Shooting Location for Movies and Photo Shoots

When I visited Eldorado Canyon and the Techatticup Mine on hot (115 degrees in the shade) late June morning, there was a music video shoot ongoing. Later there was a new bride and groom from South America on their honeymoon looking for a neat spot for a photoshoot and later people started to arrive for the twice daily mine tours.

Several movies have been shot here including 1997’s Breakdown, with Kurt Russell and Kathleen Quinlan…

and 3000 Miles to Graceland which ironically also had Kurt Russell as a star along with Kevin Costner in his first baddie role along with Courtney Cox, Christian Slater, and David Arquette. You can see the airplane the formed the roof of the gas station at the ghost town as seen from this clip below: