Coppereid
(White Cloud City)
Although copper ore was first discovered in 1868 by Frederick Smith and Maj. B.B. Bee, the White Cloud District wasn't organized until the following year due to difficulty with Indians. John C. Fall of Unionville was the first to do work in the district in the early 1870s. A camp of around forty called White Cloud City came into being, and a townsite was even platted, but the mines weren't profitable and the fledgling camp was soon abandoned. In the early 1890s, a small copper smelter was erected near the mouth of White Cloud Canyon, but it only operated for a short time and shipped some ore in 1893.
In May 1906, John T. Reid incorporated the Nevada United Mining Company and began prospecting work in White Cloud Canyon. A new camp, this time called Coppereid, came into being with a steam hoisting plant, compressor, and several buildings. By 1908, there were even talks of a railroad spur to Parran, but that never materialized. This development lasted until 1912, during which time it was plagued by outpours of water from the main adit. A final attempt to work the mine at Coppereid occured from 1948 until 1952, when nearly $10,000 was recovered, but a flash flood caused by the same waters from the main adit brought any work in the canyon to a close when it washed down the equipment and washed out the road.
Coppereid consists of two sites, often referred to as Upper Coppereid and Lower Coppereid (more accurately the site of old White Cloud City). Two stone ruins and the smelter remain at the lower site. At the upper site, water still flows from the main adit, and scant else remains of the camp.
