From the Nye County, Nevada Photograph Collection (PH-00221) -- Series VI. Tonopah, Nevada -- Subseries VI.D. Terrell Family. Probably taken at the South Gold Mine. Note the homemade wheelbarrow, little buckets for holding ore, and the mortar at the side of the wheelbarrow.
The Belmont was Tonopah's second most prosperous mining company with a production of over $38,000,000. The 60 stamp mill, one of Tonopah's largest, was built in 1911 and crushed ore until August 1, 1923. It was dismantled in 1927. The company continued mining until 1929, when operations were turned over to the Budelman Syndicate which began leasing blocks of the mine. Leasing continued until October 31, 1939 when a fire of undetermined origin burned out the shaft timbers. The Belmont was the scene of Tonopah's worst mine disasters when an underground fire on February 23, 1911 took the lives of 17 men. The fire was apparently started by a miner's candle left behind in a pile of timber.
Matt Kusick, a local of Johnnie Mine Town, sits in front of the original Real Estate Office. Handwritten inscription with photo: "Taken at our house(?) orig. real estate office (crumbled, crossed out). [Kusick born] 1893 from Yogoslavio tough (?) (?) Now living (?) at Johnnie." [Identified by Dorothy Dorothy 11-1-84]
An unidentified man standing behind mining hoisting equipment at the Gold Reef Mining Company in Tonopah, Nevada. Initials "JDS"are written in upper right corner of photograph.