Around 1870, gold was discovered by Indians in central Nevada. Later the same year, the main lode was found by miners. These miners were mainly of Irish, Cornish and Chinese descent. The mines were run by the Tybo Consolidated Mining Company. Therefore, the town that sprung up was called Tybo. Between 1875 and 1877, its boom time, it had a popultion of about 1,000. At one point in the town's history, the white factions of miners grouped together and ran the Chinese out of town. The problem they had with the Chinese was that they worked for a lower wage than the rest of the miners, causing some of them to not be able to work for a fair price.
In 1879, the Tybo Consolidated mining Company failed due to many reasons. By the spring of 1880, Tybo was a ghost town. Numerous other companies tried to come in and mine in the area, but they all failed too.
Today in Tybo, there are too many remains to list them all. There are charcoal kilns, many original buildings, a cemetary, etc.
Ward was located on a heavily traveled freighting road between Pioche and Toano, Nevada. In 1872, a freighter was rounding up his oxen that were grazing in the Willow Creek Basin. He discovered some silver ore, and the town of Ward sprung up. It was mainly a lot of small claim mining in the area until 1875. That year, The Martin & White Company from San Francisco invested money to buy up the claims in the area. They built smelters and charcaol kilns to extract the silver from the ore. The kilns were built in 1876. They were used until 1879, when the ore started to run out and timber in the area was becoming in short supply. The town soon became a ghost. All that is left today is the row of 4 or 5 charcoal kilns. They are in excellent condition and none of them are in danger of collapsing.
To get the Ward charcoal kilns, start in Ely. Take Highway 6/50 south 5 miles. There will be sign telling you to turn right. It is 11 miles down this dirt road. It is accessible by any vehicle.
To get to Tybo, start in Warm Springs (Junction of Highways 6 & 375). Go east on highway 6 about 10 miles to Base Camp Road (bunch of military housing here). Take a left and go 10 to 25 miles to Tybo. The milage varaition is due to the fact that Tybo is spread out for many miles through a narrow canyon. To get to the charcoal kilns, it is necessary to go 10 to 15 miles past the start of the townsite.
Warm Springs was establised in 1886 as a stop for the freighters going to and from Eureka and Elko. It was a good spot to stop and soak in the spring. Around the turn of the century, a store and lodging were built here. Later a saloon and gas station were also built. It had a post office from 1924 to 1929. They are closed now, and most of them have been torn down. There are a few remaining structures left here including a rock coral and a few miners shacks. Warm Springs is at the junction of Highway 6 & 375. The spring still flows, and travelers still stop here.
