GOLD MINING



Mines sprinkled along the highways and byways located in Cowboy Country have created a golden horseshoe. This golden horseshoe can be traced by starting in McDermitt and heading south on U.S. Highway 95 to Winnemucca, then east on Interstate 80 to Battle Mountain and Elko, where you head north on Nevada State Route 225 to Mountain City.

In Cowboy Country, the Old West meets the Gold West. During the 1800s, some of the pioneers lured to California for the gold rush settled in Cowboy Country and established ranches and trading posts. Later, after the gold rush ended in California, prospectors explored northern Nevada and discovered gold in the majestic mountains of Cowboy Country.

Nevada Mining Association's motto is "Look Beneath the Surface". Not only does this refer to the expansive mountain ranges in Cowboy Country, but to the minerals utilized in products that we use everyday. For example, a few of gold's uses to enhance our standard of living can be found in medicine, communications, computers, glass coatings and dentistry.

Innovative exploration and mining methods have assisted mining companies in rejuvenating abandoned mines as well as maximizing existing mines with additional mineral discoveries in Cowboy Country. Computer imaging and modeling have replaced picks and shovels as the tools of choice for today's mining prospectors. Also, mules and ore carts have been replaced with mighty yellow haul trucks.

New developments in gold recovery processes have resulted in Cowboy Country being the largest gold producer in North America. Many of its residents enjoy a high quality of life and are employed in mining and its ancillary businesses. Visitors to Cowboy Country are greeted by friendly and optimistic residents as well as community services and recreational areas co-sponsored by mining companies.

Golden times continue in Cowboy Country. Today, cowboys and miners enjoy a rich heritage of sharing the land and through reclamation make it better than it was before it was utilized for grazing and mining. This symbiotic relationship truly has created a golden horseshoe of good luck and fortune for Cowboy Country residents and visitors to enjoy and explore.

Written by: Zach Spencer, Newmont Mining Corporation, Media Relations