Central City

Nye County

AKA: Irwin; Seymour

Central City emerged in the early 1870's after the booms at Troy and Grant City. Prospectors from the area set out to look for promising ore. They soon formed their own district called the Seymour District. the camp did not last long. However, it was revived in the 1880's. The camp never got bigger than a couple dozen and was done by 1883. Another revival occurred in 1905 when F.L. Irwin staked claims here. Central City sits up in Irwin Canyon, which was named after this family. Another small camp of a couple dozen formed. A small, five stamp mill was built in 1911. The original rich ore soon diminished and the camp was again abandoned. A few more revivals occurred in the area. To include in 1913 when George Seay, one of the original founders of Tombstone, Arizona, made an attempt. He was unsuccessful. the 1930's up until 1940 saw another attempt. The 1950's saw the Terrell Family bring equipment up to the area and make an attempt at mining Tungsten. The Terrell family kept mining claims in the area at least up until the 1980's.

Central City is one of the more interesting ghost towns that I've been to. Everything that we found, was in the middle of some very thick trees and overgrowth. It felt more like being somewhere back east. There is an abandoned pickup truck parked near the old remains of the buildings. It appears to be a 1970's or 1980's model. Some of the mining equipment looks more modern as well. When I say modern, I'm not saying 21st Century. I'm saying that it looks newer than what you would find in a camp that has been abandoned for a hundred years. Also, if you keep going beyond the town, you will get up into the old growth pine. It's beautiful.

Post Office: None

Last Trip/ Road Conditions: June 2019. When you turn off from the main Railroad Valley road, you will drive up less than a mile. At this point, there is a pretty steep hill. It's only about 100 feet long, but it's a pretty steep grade during that hundred- foot section. There were also some rough patches in the road, as well as some pretty good overgrowth. If you're careful, know how to drive these roads and have the right vehicle, there was nothing too sinister that we encountered. My disclaimer always stands though. Any road description is my assessment only, and roads change all the time. Usually for the worse.