DRIVE (Day 2 - part 1)

Standing at 88 feet, the faux lighthouse known as Providence Center Lighthouse was built in 2000.... some 450 miles away from the nearest ocean. Even though it has a working light, its true reason is unknown.

The moon sets behind a mountain ridge.

Up until 1875, it was believed that silver couldn't be found in sandstone. Yet this area mined and milled over $10 million worth from 1875 to 1888. The high-grade loose silver (known as float) was first discovered by a prospector in 1866 about two miles from here. Eventually, other deposits were also discovered. After about 12 years, the boom was over. All mining had ceased by 1909.

There are several theories as to how silver got into the 200-million-year-old sandstone (from the early Jurassic): volcanic (hot, mineral laden waters flowed in), sedimentary (eroded silver particles) or ground water (pushed into faults and fractures).

Because of the distance of existing mills, five new mills were built in and around town in order to transform the silver ore into bullion.

Again we found ourselves at another reef, a massive uplift or rock. In this case, it was the result of the nearby 100-mile-long Hurricane Fault. The Silver Reef is one of four in this area. White Reef is the longest, but the smaller Buckeye Reef produced the most silver.

The former site of St. John's Church

In 1877, Father Scanlan visited Silver Reef and heard their demand for a Catholic church. He raised the money and completed the building in early 1879, at the cost of around $2,375. The tower and bell came later. A school and hospital were also added. After several fires, the declining price in silver, and the closing of several mines, the city was abandoned and the church was closed in 1883. After 1888, it was purchased and moved into the nearby town of Leeds, where it was used as a dance hall and for social gatherings.

Father Lawrence J. Scanland was born in Ireland in 1843. After being ordained in 1868, he set out for California by way of Panama. But he never made it that far. Instead he served in Nevada and Utah.

Many mining items were on display

An assay is the analysis of a substance to determine its composition or quality. Cupellation is the process where alloyed metals and ores are broken down under very high temperatures, separating metals such as gold and silver from other metals such as lead, copper or zinc. This process has been used since the Early Bronze Age for refining precious metals and testing their purity.

It was a challenge for a miner to lift heavy material from the bottom of a mine shaft. Even small loads could be as heavy as a car engine. Hauling a bucket full of rocks up a long shaft ladder could be tough and dangerous. Fortunately, a series of pulleys, a strong cable and a strong power source (either hand-cranked - called a windlass - or by a horse or mule walking in circles - called a whim gin or a horse capstan) made things much easier... and was fairly inexpensive to create. One miner stood on the bottom of the shaft loading a bucket that was attached to a rope. The other miner turned the whim from above. And up came the bucket. A horse whim was ideal for shafts of 100 to 300 feet deep. It could be made from wood, metal or a combination of both. Later whims were powered by waterwheels or steam engines.

The old Wells Fargo office was restored into the museum.

A joshua tree ..... A stagecoach step

In its heyday, Silver Reef was a town of 1,500 people. Many stone and wooden buildings were erected along a mile-long Main Street. There were six saloons, two dance halls, a brewery, a billiards hall, numerous grocery stores, a Wells Fargo express office, an undertaker, a jail, a barber shop, a post office, and even a Chinese laundry. While most of the buildings are gone, some have been reconstructed.

Oh no! Not revelry! .... The old jail

Ruins of the town

We continued on.

The snow covered Pine Valley Mountains in Dixie National Forest

Another state!

Entering the Virgin River Gorge

Nevada is divided into 17 counties. Clark County was founded in 1908 with Las Vegas as its seat (my best guess for V17).

Joshua trees

A tumbling tumbleweed. Certain plants (usually those living in open, unhindered, windy environments) use the tumbleweed concept the spread their seeds. This is a dead piece that detaches from the main plant and then bounces and rolls along thanks to the wind. As it gradually falls apart, it leaves seeds behind... hopefully in wet locations where they can germinate.

Massive refineries

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