Colorado City, Nevada Explained

Colorado City is now a ghost town, in Clark County, Nevada, located under Lake Mohave at the mouth of El Dorado Canyon.

History

Colorado City was a mining camp in the Colorado Mining District (New Mexico Territory) and a steamboat landing at the mouth of the El Dorado Canyon on the Colorado River, for shipments via steamboats of the Colorado River.^[1] Founded in 1861, Colorado City, was at first located in New Mexico Territory, until 1863, when it became part of Mohave County of Arizona Territory. In 1867 it became part of Lincoln County in the state of Nevada.

In 1866, Colorado City became the site of two stamp mills, located there for ease of supplying wood to operate its steam driven mechanism. One was the old Colorado Mill brought down the canyon from El Dorado City, and refurbished. The other was the new New Era Mill.^[2]

Site today

The site of Colorado City, and the Colorado River it was adjacent to, was submerged under Lake Mohave following the construction of the Davis Dam in 1951. What remains of Colorado City lies offshore from the site of Nelson's Landing.35.7075°N -114.7117°W

See also

• List of ghost towns in Nevada

External links

• The mine operations at Eldorado Canyon served by steamer and barge. March 21, 1890 from cdm16003.contentdm.oclc.org, The Otis Marston Colorado River Collection, accessed May 24, 2015. This is the Gila with a load of coal for the mills, per Lingenfelter,Steamboats, p. 69.
• Photos from El Dorado Canyon, 1907 from digital.library.unlv.edu, Nevada State Historical Society Photo Collection, accessed 5/12-13/2014. Views of Colorado City site in 1907. Steamboat service had ceased in 1905.
  • View of Southwestern Mining Company's Quartz Mill along river
  • View of Colorado River from Eldorado Canyon. Down river and towards the mill, from just below the house. (probably the mail carrier's boat in foreground)
  • Eldorado Canyon from Colorado River. From a boat in mid-stream, looking west. [above] Southwestern Mining Co. Quartz Mill, Mouth of El Dorado Canyon, Boarding House, Store, Millmen's cabins, Weather Observation Station [below]
  • From the Arizona Shore, looking southwest. S.W.M. Co. Mill at outlet of El Dorado Canyon, Store building, end view, Millmen's camps and cabins on "the Mesa", abandoned adobe, home.

Notes and References

1. http://www.ansac.az.gov/UserFiles/PDF/08182014/X028_FMIBurtellLingenfelterSteamboats/FMI%20Lingenfelter%20Steamboats/Steamboats%20on%20the%20Colorado%20River%201852-1916.pdf Richard E. Lingenfelter, Steamboats on the Colorado River, 1852-1916, University of Arizona Press, Tucson, 1978
2. Daily Alta California, Volume 18, Number 5922, 28 May 1866, p.1 col. 5-6; OUR ARIZONA CORRESPONDENCE, Up The Colorado, (from the Correspondent of the Alta California), El Dorado Canyon, April 30th, 1866, Alling [Frank S. Alling]