National Register of Historic Places

Fort Schellbourne

Ely, White Pine County, Nevada
Listed
February 23, 1972
Type
Site
Period
Early Republic
Ref No.
72000768

About this property

Schellbourne, formerly known as Fort Schellbourne and Schell Creek Station is a ghost town located in the Schell Creek Range in White Pine County in Nevada, United States, located 43 miles (69 km) north of Ely. The town was a stopover along the Central Overland Route, Pony Express and original routing of the Lincoln Highway. It is today Nevada Historical Marker number 51. The site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. Its boundaries were increased in 1977. Schellbourne is named for Major A. J. Schell, who was in charge of troops responsible for protecting the Butterfield Overland Mail. The location was once a Shoshone Indian village. It became an Overland Stage and Mail stop in 1859, and a Pony Express station in 1860 as Schell Creek station. The Overland Telegraph came through in 1861. It was briefly known as Fort Schellbourne in 1862 when troops camped here to counter Indian harassment of the stages and mails. In the 1870s, Schellbourne became a mining town, with about 500 inhabitants. The Schellbourne post office was in operation from December 1871 until October 1925. It declined after the Central Pacific Railroad was completed in 1869, to the north. Then it revived as a mining camp in 1871 after gold discoveries nearby. Nowadays it is well preserved ghost town on a private ranch. It is listed as Nevada Historical Marker 51.

Location

Ely, White Pine County, Nevada
39.79245, -114.68463

Categories

COMMERCEAGRICULTUREHISTORIC - NON-ABORIGINALMILITARYTRANSPORTATIONCOMMUNICATIONS
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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The Land
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Geology
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Conflict & War
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The Civil War
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The Soldiers
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Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
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The Community
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Nearby Historic Sites

Fort Schellbourne (Boundary Increase)
Early Republic
1.5 mi
McGill Drug Store
Civil War
27.3 mi
Nevada Northern Railway-McGill Depot
Industrial
27.3 mi
American Legion Hall
Civil War
27.3 mi

Questions about this property

When was Fort Schellbourne listed on the National Register?

Fort Schellbourne was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 23, 1972.

What type of historic resource is Fort Schellbourne?

Fort Schellbourne is classified as a site in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Fort Schellbourne?

The period of significance for Fort Schellbourne is recorded as the early_republic era.

Can I research the history near Fort Schellbourne?

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