Pioneer

Nye County

AKA:  Mayflower, Crystal Springs, Fountain City, Giles Camp, Bryan Camp

The Pioneer area first experienced activity in 1906. The Pioneer mine was discovered in 1907. The camp at Pioneer was formed in 1908 between the Mayflower and Pioneer mines. The population was believed to have reached 1,000 residents by 1909. Businesses that came to Pioneer included a bank, saloons, stores, hotels, restaurants and a bakery. HD and LD Porter, whose store front still stands in Rhyolite, opened a store here. A huge fire burned most of the wood structures in 1909. Newspapers called the ‘Pioneer Press’ and ‘Pioneer Topics’ operated and folded in 1909. The Pioneer Bank also collapsed in 1909. By 1911, the population fell to 300. A revival of the Pioneer mine occurred in 1915. It closed in 1931. All mining activity had ceased by 1940.

Post Office:  March 1909 to Jan 1931.

Last Trip/ Road Conditions:  I believe these photographs are from 2013. The dirt roads were okay, but it is a huge maze of spurs, forks and side roads. We actually ended up behind a locked gate, without ever going through that gate originally.