Nelson
Native Americans knew about the gold and silver stores in Eldorado Canyon centuries before Europeans entered the region. Spanish explorers began mining the area as early as the 1700s. American miners arrived as late as 1857. By 1862, a full-fledged gold rush descended upon Eldorado Canyon.
There were many criminals and Civil War deserters among the residents of the early mining camp. As a result, there was a general lack of a justice system in the area. This environment was made worse as feuds broke out with Indians living around the camp. In 1867, the little community asked the US Army for help to protect the camp.
While World War II ended industrial mining in the area, independent miners continued to work the area through the 1960s. Over the course of time, mining activity in the area produced more than four million dollars in gold and silver, which were extracted from the ground in and around Eldorado Canyon.
Many of the families of the miners in Eldorado Canyon lived in Nelson. While there is no record of when the Nelson schoolhouse was built, classes were held there as early as 1926. In the 1927 school year, six students attended classes with Eva D. Peterson as teacher. By 1937, enrollment quadrupled to 24 students. At its height, in 1942, the Nelson school had 37 students. By 1944, however, that number dropped to only 13 students. From that point on, the school never had more than 20 students and in the early 50s, classes ceased there altogether. In 1967, the property was sold and the school building was dismantled by the new owners. Today Nelson is a small community of 30 to 40 people, mostly retired, who enjoy the quiet canyon life only 50 miles south of Las Vegas.
While Education in the Neon Shadow features a section on Nelson, not all of the Archive Committee's collection fit into the publication. To view additional artifacts on this community, take the Nelson tour. Begin by clicking the below START button or click on thumbnails to jump to an individual page.
Nelson Tour
