How Ely, Nevada Got It's Name,
... Maybe
Several accounts have been circulated as to the source from which the seat of White Pine County received it's name. Controversy over the true story remains to this day.
McGill-born historian Russell R. Elliott believed Ely was named for Smith Ely, a Vermont native. Elliott was backed-up by F. F. Thomas, an associate of J. W. Long who is also credited with naming the town. Thomas wrote in his later years that Smith Ely was the true name source.
Smith Ely bankrolled one of the early mineral operations located near Murry Creek. A post office named Ely was first established to serve the area on November 27, 1878. The designation of the name Ely, was given to the new post office, possibly by Frederick Thomas, Smith Ely's on-site manager. James A. Rokoal was the postmaster.
In 1879, the post office was relocated to the Harry Featherstone stage stop and stable. It is believed by historian Russell Elliott that "Smith Ely may not have ever seen the town that took his name."
Jack Fleming writes "Featherstone's successor turned out to be a farsighted Henry A. Riepe (future founder of Riepetown), who purchased the Featherstone property to establish his own stopover lodgings shortly before Ely became the new county seat in 1887."
A more colorful version was written by Dan McDonald, a White Pine newspaper reporter, for Sam P. Davis's 1913 History of Nevada. No verifiable source is given by McDonald. McDonald wrote that the town of Ely was named for John Ely an Illinois native, who "... was a magnificent specimen of a frontiersman, standing six foot three inches in his stockings." Ely and his vigilante partner, the notorious Captain Slade, immigrated to Nevada.
John Ely led an adventurous life, gaining and losing mining fortunes "at a yo-yo pace" beginning with his mining successes in Nevada. Ely went into partnership with William Raymond in Lincoln County, Nevada. The two men agreed to pay $3,500 within sixty days using Ely's' watch as part-payment and developed the famous Raymond and Ely Mine in the Pioche District. This mine eventually produced $5,000,000.00 for its owners. The Ely Mining District was commemorated in honor of John Ely in 1871.
San Francisco capitalists offered to buy out Ely and Raymond but Raymond refused to sell. John Ely sold his share of the Raymond and Ely Mine for $350,000.00 to them. Ely then moved to Salt Lake City and extended his mining operations throughout Utah and more than tripled his Pioche fortune.
In the early 1870's, Ely went to Paris to associate with French promoters in Guiana mines where Ely lost his entire fortune. John was forced to return to the United States using money supplied by a friend. Upon arriving home, his brother and an intimate associate of his more prosperous days refused to recognize him. It is said that Ely began to heavily drink alcohol because of this slight. But soon, Ely regained his fortune in a lucky mining venture and other successful deals made in the west. McDonald wrote that John Ely ended up in Montana and died in "poverty-stricken circumstances".
According to reporter Dan McDonald, A. J. Underhill had borrowed $5,000 from John Ely to purchase the land now known as the townsite of Ely and the Selby Smelting plant, located on the old Chainman Mill site. At that time, Hamilton was the county seat, but Underhill decided to honor his benefactor by naming the new townsite after John Ely. Historian Russell states "Underhill was the on-site representative of the Canton, Ohio Mining Company that donated the land in 1887 to provide White Pine County Commissioners a nesting place to move the seat of government from Hamilton to Ely".
Houlder Hudgins, wrote in a Christmas issue of the 1906 White Pine News that in 1878, J. W. Long, a Vermont native, named Ely in honor of his home town back east. Old-timers described Long as "a rare sportsman" and "a crack shot with the ability...to shatter more glass balls than Buffalo Bill ever dreamed possible..." Long discovered gold in Robinson canyon where he, Thomas H. Selby and F. F. Thomas built a 10-stamp mill and a few homes in the upper end of town. They called this new camp "Ely."
Evidence of the ruins can be seen on the old site of the Chainman property and are part of Broadbent Park. Long left Ely on a hunting trip and soon after, his body was found on the road to Osceola by the mail carrier. An autopsy disclosed that some Chinese food he had eaten just before departing, had been poisoned. The Chinese cook with whom Long previously had "ill feelings" disappeared and was never heard from again.
Some local historians have insisted that Ely was named for Congressman Ely of New York who was said to have sent J. W. Long to represent him in Nevada.
Therefore, gentle reader, until further verification is found, you alone must decide which story, if any, has the distinction of being the namesake of Ely, Nevada.
Q. How many other places in the United States are named Ely?
A. From the www.topozone.com website, they list the following:
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Compiled by June Shaputis 1996
White Pine Historical and Archaeological Society
P.O. Box 1117
Ely, NV 89301
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