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Shady Run Nevada

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Ghost Towns in Churchill County Nevada » Shady Run Nevada

Shady Run Nevada

Shady Run Nevada Overview

Also known as Fondaway and Silver Hill, Shady Run was a short-lived mining camp in Churchill County, Nevada.

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

Year Established/Founded

1908

Shady Run Nevada History

Shady Run was located about 40 miles from Lovelock and Fallon on the western slope of the Stillwater Range, between Fondaway and Mill Canyons.

Shady Run Canyon was named for the shade trees that lined the canyon.

Exploration began in the early 1860s but gold wasn’t found until 1908 and the camp was abandoned the same year.

The camp was home to two saloons and a feed yard.

I have found references in old newspaper articles from the 1860s for Shady Run but at this time I cannot figure out which Shady Run they are referring to.

From 1923 publication:

The Shady Run District is one of the early discoveries which never got beyond the prospecting stage. The Zinn Bros. prospected Fondaway Canyon; T. Sullivan and F. Smith, Shady Run Canyon;K. B. Jenkins, a property at the mouth of Shanghai Canyon; and Humphrey and Wisner, Pike Hollow. A number of Virginia City miners built a small custom mill at the mouth of Mill Canyon in the eighties, but it operated for a brief period only. Some silver-lead ore was shipped from Pike Hollow.

From the 2020 Churchill County Historic Sites document:

Exploration of the Shady Run District occurred in the 1860’s. When gold was discovered 1/2 mile up the canyon in March, 1908, Shady Run was established. A feed yard and two saloons were operating by the end of April. The following month, $200-a-ton ore was being shipped, but mines gave out and the camp died that year.

Timeline

  • 1860s – Early exploration
  • March 1908 – Gold was discovered
  • April 1908 – The camp included two saloons and a feed yard
  • May 1908 – A $200 a ton ore was being shipped
  • Summer 1908 – The camp was abandoned

Mines

Gold, tungsten, mercury, antimony, silver, and lead.

From 1923 publication:

Gold prospects in quartzite near instrusive quartz porphyry occur at Fondaway Canyon; and seams containing free gold ore found in

Post Office

None

View the list and history of Nevada Post Offices.

Elevation

5,935′

How to Get to Shady Run Nevada

From 1923 publication:

The Shady Run District is situated at Shady Run on the W. slope of the Stillwater Range in Central Churchill Co., adjoining the White Cloud District on the S. W. and the I. X. L. District on the N. E. It is about 40 m. by road S. E. of Lovelock which is on the S. P. R. R. and an equal distance from Fallon which is on the same railroad. The district embraces Fondaway, Shady Run, Shanghai and Mill Canyons on the W. slope of the range and Pike Hallow at the summit*.

*The data for this description was kindly furnished by J. T. Reid.

GPS Coordinates

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Shady Run Nevada

The Goldfield News and Weekly Tribune · Goldfield, Nevada · Saturday, August 11, 1906 · Page 11

References Used

Shady Run Nevada