The Johnnie Mining District

The Johnnie Mining District is located in Nye County, Nevada, approximately 15 miles north of Pahrump. The district was established in 1890 when prospectors searching for the Lost Breyfogle Mine discovered gold in the Spring Mountains. This discovery led to a rush of miners to the area, and by 1891, the camp had grown to about 100 people, complete with houses, stores, and saloons.

The district saw its first decline after 1893 but revived in 1898 when new investors acquired the Johnnie and Congress mines. By 1907, the town had a population of 300, and the mines continued production until 1914. Placer gold was also found in nearby gulches, leading to intermittent mining activity for decades. The district also had the advantage of being only ten miles from the Amargosa Station on the Las Vegas & Tonopah Railroad.

Portion of a map locating the Johnnie Mining District.

Johnnie Consolidated Gold Mining Company

Certificate No. B3155, One Hundred Shares to Ernest Kennedy & Co., January 8, 1908. Robt. [illegible], Secretary; [illegible], President.

Nevada General Gold Mining Company

Certificate No. 537, One Hundred Shares to James P. Morris, November 4, 1907. W. A. G. Stephans, Asst. Secretary; B. A. Stephans, Vice President.

In February 1907, the company was advertising treasury stock in The Sacramento Union as, “…the best buy in the Johnnie District,” at 5 cents a share.

In December 1907, Nevada General Gold was taken over by a company newly formed by the Stephans’, Nevada General Consolidated Mines Company. The new company reported owning four claims at Johnnie with gold ore values up to $29 per ton.