Author: mstolicny

On this cool vintage Stopover bar matchbox cover we can see destinations and mileage to them from Mina Nevada.

Mileage from Mina West and South

Bishop – 87 Bakersfield – 320 Los Angeles – 343

East

Tonopah – 67 Ely – 235 Wendover – 355

Wells – 374 Salt Lake – 493

North & West

Hawthorne – 33 Yerington – 91 Fallon – 106

Carson – 247 and now – 154

Reno – 278 and now 183

San Francisco – 412

I double checked these mileages and they are almost all pretty much matching today’s mileages. But Reno and Carson which is Carson City is much less miles now. And this is most likely due to highway 95 not existing at that time in mid 20th century.

So now you can drive from Mina to Carson City, NV and cover distance of 154 miles and it will take you about 2.5 hours. And the distance to Reno, NV is 183 miles and it will take about 2 hours and 40 minutes. That highway 95 build saved us about 100 miles of commute to these cities!

Mina Nevada is a beautiful and very interesting small town with rich mining history. And even though some destinations are far, it is a spectacularly beautiful road trip from each side of country and it is well worth taking. I’ve done it and drove from Oakland California and it was the most beautiful one day road trip I ever took.

Mina Nevada used to be booming mining town in the good old days when mining was number one industry in America.

And with all the resources Mina Nevada area had, miners came to prospect and work. There became a need for new services that would serve the Mina’s population.

The Huddleston Photo Company took care of the photo taking and photo making needs in this beautiful forgotten town.

And one of the services that it provided was making postcards of the local area and busy life in Mina Nevada. So when a young miner wanted to send a greetings to his mom or girlfriend he would go to Huddleston Photo Company and buy a beautiful postcard. And that’s what people living and working in Mina Nevada did! So cool!

This is one of my favorite photos of Mina Nevada history. You can tell that this town was so alive in the old and gold times of mining and railroad domination.Trains were coming in and out of town carrying people and resources.

Mina Nevada was well known and it was the destination for miners, travelers and adventure seekers. And perhaps that stayed with this now almost forgotten town. The adventure seekers are still coming in and exploring the town of Mina and its history. And of course many are off roading in near by mountains and enjoying the stunning outdoors adventures.

People will always look for unusual places and things to admire. And Mina Nevada town is so special and unusual. And that draws people to explore it and enjoy its unusual beauty and history.

In Mina Nevada there used to be a club where you could take your wife for a drink, nice dinner and dance all night long after! Its name was Hollywood Club!

How fun! How cool! Where are those kind of clubs today? Where can we go and have a great dinner and a drink and then dance for the rest of the evening?

Maybe it is time to bring these kind of small town clubs back. Maybe clubs like these would make small towns far far out there like Mina Nevada is popular again.

I don’t know exactly where Hollywood Club in Mina Nevada was. We can only guess. Or you can help me with that if you know and send me a message. But I am almost certain that, this club was booming with diners and dancers in the heydays of this beautiful small mining town!

Once upon a time in Mina Nevada was a salon named Francine’s Lucky Strike.

It was a gentleman’s place and I knew a very nice guy who lived next door to it. He was doing the maintenance work for this bar. And the owner, I believe it was a woman than would ask this gentleman how he wishes to get paid.

He would ask her, what does she mean how?

She would answer: “In cash or in services?” He told me that he would giggle, but he always took cash.

This gentleman is not alive anymore, but I was fortunate to be able to meet him and listen to his interesting stories. I really really miss him!

I found this interesting material from 1976 and it is the guide to Nevadas gentlemen’s places. There is also Mina Nevada own Lucky Strike bar.

Yes, this is also part of Mina Nevada towns history. Mina Nevada does not have any gentlemen’s place currently in town anymore. But like a true Wild West town, it did before!

I came across a very rare postcard from Mina Nevada. And it tells the story too. What a beautiful reminder of the past life in Mina Nevada and people who lived here and spend some time here.

I was able to successfully read about first 1/2 of this postcard to Mama. And than I stumbled a little. First part says:

“Dear Mama! Am sending you a picture of the place where me are (or am) living now. I have a crash on the house me hire the first one of this …………”

And that’s what this very carrying son or daughter was writing to hers or his mom in 1915. It was more than 100 years ago.

I believe these cottages are still standing in Mina Nevada. Or maybe I’m wrong. But if they are and someone lives in them, they certainly should see this postcard and know that each of these houses have a story to tell. A story from the beautiful booming past of this beautiful little town on the western frontier of USA – Mina Nevada.

Here is a very unique photo of Mina Nevadas Railroad Depot. I am so happy to found this one and post it on this website.

The beautiful snowy Pilot Mountain Range behind with the clear blue skies make this scenery in Mina Nevada unforgettable!

The Southern Pacific train just leaving Mina is a beauty too! AHHH the beautiful American Western scenery of the past!

Here is just another little piece of history from this beautiful forgotten western town of Mina Nevada. Bellow on the photo is the Reno & Mina R.P.O. on Registry dispatch receipt card with a stamped date from 1920! And it is going to Fallon, NV.

To tell the truth, it took me a while to find out what R.P.O. stands for. But eventually I did figure it out! There was a thriving shipping route place here in Mina Nevada. And it had name – Reno & Mina Railway Post Office. Just look at that cool stamp on that first photo! I love it!

As seen on this old map of gentleman’s saloons, Mina Nevada had its own bar and saloon. It’s name was Francine’s Lucky Strike Bar and Saloon.

I also know an interesting story from an older Mina, Nevada resident, very sweet and interesting gentleman, I spend lots of time on the phone with. But about that in the next coming post.

This is a returned letter from Silver Gulch Mining Company that used to operate in Mina Nevada. This one is from 1920! More than 100 years ago!

Yes Mina Nevada used to be a prominent mining town. Now it’s considered a ghost town. But considering the value of commodities increasing, I wander if brighter future lies ahead for this beautiful little town of Mina Nevada!