McGILL - (1906) (Pictures)
McGill
is a small town bordering US 93, 12 miles north of Ely. Named for
William N. McGill who sold part of his ranch property for the
Steptoe Valley Mining and Smelter Company (Nevada Consolidated
Copper Co.) (Later Kennecott).
The smelter and reduction
plant was built during 1906 to 1908 to process copper ore that
was mined west of Ely. Water was readily available from Duck
Creek. Tailings were deposited in a pond on land owned by the
Cumberland & Ely.
The McGill ranch Post Office had been
established in 1891. After the mill was built, the little settlement
was briefly known as Smelter before being changed to
McGill. McGill was a "company town" that was strictly
managed by the copper company. Houses of ill repute and gambling
dens were prohibited. The town was segregated by nationality and the
center of town was reserved for only those who had reached high
status jobs within the mining company. Residents lived in
neighborhoods segregated according to their national
origin.
The concentration mill, other
buildings and trestle which covered an area of nine acres caught
fire and burned to the ground in July 1922. By 1930, the mill
was rebuilt and handled 14,000 tons of copper ore
daily.
McGill has remained populated and has
a business center. The local swimming hole is just north of the
town. The historical and intact McGill
Drugstore Museum and soda fountain is a step into the
past.
Smelter at McGill ca. 1909 -
panoramic view - Library of Congress