Charleston, Nevada


Charleston is a ghost town in Elko County, Nevada, United States. It lies along the Bruneau River just south of the Mountain City and Jarbidge Ranger Districts of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest and is near the southwest edge of the Jarbidge Wilderness.

History

The Charleston settlement was established in 1876 when gold was discovered in Seventy-Six Creek, at the southwestern base of Copper Mountain. The camp was originally called Mardis, but was soon named Charleston after a local prospector, Tom Charles. The settlement grew quickly, with the building of a hotel, saloons, schools, stores and an icehouse. By 1884, most mining operations had stopped.
A post office was established at Charleston in 1895, and remained in operation until 1951.
The camp revived in 1905, when the local mines started producing again. A five-stamp mill was built at the time. Another re-opening of the mines occurred during the period 1932 to 1937. The mines are now abandoned and the two remaining builds from the settlement are on private property.