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Bernice Nevada

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Bernice Nevada

Bernice Nevada Overview

Bernice was a mining district located in Churchill County, Nevada that was also known as Alamo, Casket, Salina, and Salinas. Supposedly, it was named for a miner’s sweetheart but I cannot find any other information on the origin of the name.

Learn more about Ghost Town in Nevada and Ghost Towns in the Southwest.

Year Established/Founded

1863

Bernice Nevada History

Silver mining started as early as 1863 on the west flank of the Clain Alpine Range but a camp was not established until 1882 after the mining district was discovered by Wallace Goodell and was named Bernice in 1881.

W. W. Van Reed was the first to ship antimony ore from the district, his product going to the old Star & Mathews smelter in San Francisco, according to a letter from J. T. Reid, while the last important shipments were made by Sanders & Young from 1893 to 1896. W. W. Williams worked a group of silver mines in the eighties and nineties, erecting a 10-stamp mill and roaster to treat the ore. A little antimony ore containing silver was shipped from the district in 1906.

Timeline

  • 1880 – Salinas post office opened
  • 1882 – Salinas post office closed
  • June 7, 1882 – Casket post office opened
  • January 8, 1883 – Casket post office closed
  • July 1883 – N. P. Davis’ freight team loaded machinery for the Bothwell mill at Bernice, which was expected to start up mid-month
  • July 1883 – An eighteen-mule team took supplies to the Bernice District 
  • July 5, 1883 – Bernice post office opened
  • July 24, 1883 – C. W. Gilbert reported that the Bothwell mill was near completion and would be ready to start crushing in a few days
  • June 6, 1894 – Bernice post office closed

Mines

Zinc, tungsten, silver, lead, copper, antimony, and gold

Post Office

Post Offices:

  • Salinas: 1880 – 1882
  • Casket: June 7, 1882 – January 8, 1883
  • Bernice: July 5, 1883 – June 6, 1894

Postmasters:

  • Mrs. Sarah K Parker (Porter) – Salinas, Churchill, Nevada – 15 Apr 1880
  • Merrill W Hoyt – Casket, Churchill, Nevada – 7 Jun 1882
  • Robert H Parker – Bernice, Churchill, Nevada – 5 Jul 1883
  • Robert H Parker – Bernice, Churchill, Nevada – 13 Aug 1883
  • John L Walker – Bernice, Churchill, Nevada – 24 Mar 1886
  • John T Walker – Bernice, Churchill, Nevada – 29 May 1886

I have noted that Mr. Goodell was appointed the postmaster on December 23, 1903, but cannot find the source so I will keep looking to find out where I originally found this information as the name and years are off for this district.

View the list and history of Nevada Post Offices.

How to Get to Bernice Nevada

From Lincoln:

The Bernice District is at Bernice on the W. slope of the Clan Alpine Range in N. E. Churchill Co. It lies to the E. of Dixie Marsh and is 90 m. by road E. N. E. of Fallon which is on the Southern Pacific Railroad.

GPS Coordinates

39° 45′ 29.70″ N, 117° 46′ 53.44″ W

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Photos and Videos

The Silver State · Winnemucca, Nevada · Wednesday, April 21, 1880

A postoffice has been established at Salinas, Churchill count, of which Ms. Sarah K. Porter has been appointed Postmistress.

References Used

Bernice Nevada