University of Nevada
Oral History Program
Mail Stop 324
Reno, NV 89557-0099
775/784-6932
Fax: 775/784-1365
E-mail: ohp@unr.nevada.edu
Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Room 109 of the Mack Social Science Building on the University of Nevada, Reno campus
Life in Mining Communities Many towns in Nevada exist today because of mining. When a large mine was opened, towns were built around them to provide for the men who were working in the mines and their families. It was recognized that in order to keep good miners, companies needed to have comfortable living conditions, so it was not uncommon for companies to not only build bunkhouses and provide room and board, but to build entire towns for their workers. Many of the mining communities of Nevada were lively and close knit. Town-wide celebrations were very common, especially for the holidays, and barbeques, baseball games, drilling contests, and dances were some of the many activities that kept the residents entertained. Many people recounted their childhoods growing up in mining towns and camps and recalled using the mining facilities, such as old mills and dump yards, as their playgrounds. They also remembered the miners themselves—both rowdy and family oriented, but always hard working—who often stopped at a local bar for an “After-shifter”. |
