User:MAHONECI/sandbox

Aurora, Nevada
Aurora is a ghost town in Mineral County in the western central part of the US state of Nevada, approximately 22 mi (35 km) southwest of the town of Hawthorne and three miles from the California border. Today the townsite is a far cry from what it once was, having gone through heavy damage from vandals over the years. After World War II many of the buildings were torn down for their bricks.[2] The road leading into Aurora was once quite difficult to navigate except via four-wheel drive, as often the winter snows and spring run-off rutted out the road in the canyon leading to the town.[citation needed] However, in recent years the operations of a nearby mine have improved the road so that even non-4WD vehicles can reach the town site.

History
J.M Corey, James N Braley, and E.R Hicks founded the town in 1860. At one point it had a population of around 10,000. Aurora's mines produced $27 million worth of gold by 1869. The town was governed by both California and Nevada until it was determined that the town lay entirely in Nevada. At one point it was simultaneously the county seat of both Mono County, California and Esmeralda County, Nevada. Its California assemblyman was the speaker of the house while the Nevada legislative member was elected as president of the Nevada Territorial Legislature.[3] At one point in time, tensions between Chinese immigrants and locals became such a problem that Ordinance 32 was enacted to contain all people of Chinese descent into an area designated as Aurora Chinatown.[4] The town cemetery has suffered from vandalism over the years; the most notable destruction being the headstone of William E. Carder, a noted criminal and gunfighter who, on the night of December 10, 1864, was "assassinated" by a man whom he had threatened in the preceding days.[5] The headstone erected by his wife Annie was toppled by thieves who attempted to steal it, and broken into several pieces, where they now lie sunken into the ground.

Rise of Aurora
Soon after its founding, a small crowd of miners quickly moved into the area after hearing about the deposits in the area. Crude homes and businesses were created using mud and other materials that could be found in the area or easily transported to Aurora. By April 1861, the population had risen to 1,400 people and town lots were selling for around $1,500. By 1862, the city already had a newspaper established called the Esmeralda Star. Two years later in 1864, the population had risen to 6,000 people. The peak population of the city was roughly 10,000 people.

Prior to 1860 and the discovery of the mines, fewer than 100 people lived in the Aurora area. The biggest rush of population happened in the spring of 1863 after the Wide West Vein provided many jobs. Aurora's mines were so rich that the boom town attracted nearly all western miners to the area from all over the west. Travel in the spring was much easier than in the winter or colder months. In the spring of 1863, Aurora had grown to 760 houses, 20 stores, and 22 saloons. This was due in large part to the small number of women and children compared to the very large male population.

Travel to Aurora was difficult but the Mono Trail and the Sonora Pass Route were important paths to Aurora. After it was built, the Esmeralda Toll Road connected Aurora to San Francisco through Carson valley. This allowed for Aurora to receive supplies directly from San Francisco, which contributed to its growth. As Aurora grew in size, agriculture grew as well with people farming hay, livestock, dairy products, grain, and vegetables.

Fall of Aurora
Aurora had a difficult time maintaining its success due to the nature of the mines. Most mines in the city were less than 100 feet deep which did not provide enough depth to last very long. The gold and silver in the area had been completely mined by 1970. Many people deserted the area but left all buildings, stores and homes intact. Eventually, these buildings were stripped for their bricks to be used for fireplaces in California and other building needs.

Because of its isolation, funding the town became difficult. Food, fuel, lumber, machinery, tools, hardware, and clothing were scarce. They had to be shipped in on difficult roads and stage lines. Travel in winter months was also very difficult.

By 1864, 7 of the 17 mills in the town had to be shut down and the remaining mills were operating at a fraction of their previous production. By the next year, production continued to decline and more mills were shut down. By 1870, half of the towns houses were deserted and most of the mills and buildings had been dismantled.

Because the town was located miles from any major city and was isolated by rugged mountainous terrain surrounding the town, after the boom, it was very difficult to support the town. The town was dominated by a harsh climate with violent and unpredictable weather, which made a permanent settlement increasingly difficult without outside support.

There were a few attempts to revive the city but those were not successful with the last attempt ending in 1918.

Life in Aurora
Aurorans quickly learned that the climate was harsh and the weather totally unpredictable making life on the residents difficult. Majority of the population was men and saloons were numerous. As numerous as saloons were gambling houses and brothels which provided late night entertainment to the men of the town. There were numerous Chinese brothels that exist on the most public of streets and roughly half the women in the town were prostitutes. Other recreational activities for the men were hunting and fishing, dog fights or dog and badger fights which was another opportunity to gamble. Skiing a big recreational activity in the town thanks to the mountains surrounding the town. It was probably the most popular recreational activity among residents.

Violence was a major problem in the town. Most men carried guns and knives during daily life and armed conflict was not rare. These conflicts often ended in death. There are numerous examples of disagreements leading to armed violence. Family life was almost non existent due to the low number of women and children in the town. This allowed the men to frequent the saloons, brothels and gambling houses that were in the town.

Current State
There are small remains from the city of Aurora that remain in the area. You can see outlines of the streets and foundations of some of the buildings. Most of the buildings were dismantled, however one brick building does remain in the town and no one is quite sure why it has been left untouched. The buildings were dismantled to be used in homes in California as used brick became fashionable.

Notable Residents
Mark Twain briefly lived in Aurora

Comments
Mike--This looks good so far. I'd like to know where the miners came from in the original boom--were they coming mainly from CA, NV, or both? And what about the Chinese population mentioned in the current stub? You'll want to change that strange language about "Chinese causing a problem" (no doubt it was white miners causing problems for them) and find out more about the role of the foreign born in the gold rush there. Finally, you should try and add something on the life of the community during the boom. McGrath's book tells you something about the boomtown conditions, but perhaps other sources do as well. Finally, do you have any idea why this town shut down later? Some boomtowns survived as small sleepy towns afterward, but perhaps the location and climate of this one did not permit that. Any material on that would be useful.Docjay57 (talk) 18:26, 8 March 2013 (UTC)