Nelson ghost town is a deserted mining town in Clark County, Southern Nevada. It is known by many names Nelson ghost town, Eldorado canyon, and Nelson landing just to mention a few. It was located in Eldorado canyon in the Eldorado Mountain hence the name “Eldorado canyon”. Nelson landing is a cliff just past Nelson ghost town.

 Rise of the Nelson Ghost Town

Nelson ghost town was discovered in late 1970 by Spanish explorers. Struggles to occupy the town started 8 decades later after the first gold and silver ores were recovered. Soon mining companies flocked to the region and several mines were established to exploit the rich canyon. Mining started soon after and the town became the first-ever major gold strike in the whole of Nevada. A steamboat called “Colorado city” was also introduced. It provided transportation from the canyon to other neighboring towns and cities.

Role of Nelson Ghost Town to national security and civil war

Nelson town was known for its notoriety as being lawless and rough. One would say it was the wild west kind of town. Several killings were recorded in the town that it became normal. One of which was the constant killing of owners of the Techatticup mine. Its owners had internal disagreements that were taken too far to an extent of killing each other. Union and Confederate armies during the civil war also used the canyon as a hiding place from the military,

Fall of the town

The introduction of railroads in the early 1900s accelerated the death of the town, the year it became operational, the steamboat went out of business. Most people preferred comfort offered by the train both in long and short distances. Closure of most mines followed afterward. Nelson town was completely deserted when a new town “Nelson town” as it is currently known was established and the Eldorado post office was relocated to the new town. Floods that hit the canyon in 1974 drove the nail home to the existence of the town. The remaining diehards in the town were forced to relocate. The floods claimed at least 9 lives of the locals that still lived in the town.

What is the current condition of Nelson town?

Most of the Nelson ghost town was destroyed by the floods and the remaining sections that never got much impact are still accessible. It is currently owned by Tony and Bobbie Werly who purchased the property in 1994. They renovated most of the salvageable buildings that were still standing after the floods including Techatticup Mine. The family offers tours at the Techatticup Mine for free of 15 dollars. The land is privately owned therefore no one is allowed to trespass unless given permission or is on a tour.