Caselton
Though mining may have started here as early as 1917, Caselton didn't come into being until about 1929. That year, the Combined Metals Reduction Company sank a shaft on the west side of the Pioche Hills, connected by an 8000-foot tunnel to their workings above Pioche. This No. 2 shaft became better known as the Caselton Shaft, as a town was established with this name after J.A. Caselton of the National Lead Company. In 1937, a transmission line was completed bringing electricity to the Pioche District from Boulder Dam, and soon plans were made for a new, modern mill at Caselton. In preparation, the Union Pacific Railroad purchased the Prince Consolidated Railroad (in the valley below) in 1938 and over the next two years rehabbed and improved the line for increased traffic. Construction on the 500-ton flotation mill began in 1940, and was completed the following year. In 1943, its capacity was increased to 1,000 tons.
The Caselton mill operated successfully until ore was depleted in 1957. In 1964, it was reopened to process ore from the Pan American Mine, which operated intermittently until 1978. The mill hasn't been used commercially since, and in 1984 the railroad line was removed. Nearby, the community of Caselton Heights (which presumably came into existence while the mill was first in operation) still holds a small population.
