Alkali Springs
Prior to the boom at nearby Goldfield, water rose from numerous seeps at Alkali Springs. In 1904, however, the springs were tapped by the Combination Mines Company to furnish water for a new 10-stamp mill, and a ten mile pipeline funneled water to that city. In 1907, the Combination Company (including the mill and water system) were acquired by the Goldfield Consolidated Mines Company. Presumably, this Company had an agreement with the Goldfield Consolidated Water Company to provide water to the city as well, especially following the loss of the Combination Mill due to a cave-in in 1909. After Goldfield began to decline around 1910, the Alkali Springs pipeline was eventually shut off.
Meanwhile, the availability of water at Alkali Springs made it a natural stopping point for freighters between Goldfield and Silver Peak. It was also here that the Nevada Power, Mining and Milling Company erected a substation for power imported from Bishop Creek, California; from here the power was diverted to either Goldfield or Tonopah.
The other significant development at Alkali Springs was that of a hot springs resort. Around the same time as Goldfield's peak, Joseph Guisti and family opened a spa resort at the springs, with a large indoor swimming pool and bathhouse. It thrived through and beyond Goldfield's heyday, lasting into the 1930s and 40s (when it was a popular hangout for those stationed at the Tonopah Army Airfield). Today though, the buildings are long gone and only the crumbling concrete pool remains, yet Alkali Springs continues to be a favorite hot spring for locals and visitors alike.
When visiting Alkali Springs, or other hot springs in Nevada, remember to show respect to those around you and those who will be there after you. Clean up after yourself and leave the springs as - or better than - you found them. Take nothing and leave nothing.
