Tonopah Nevada-Victor Shaft Headframe and Swimming Pool
Tonopah Extention Mining Company. This is one of the deepest of the many silver mines in Tonopah. The headframe is the tallest remaining in Tonopah. The hot water from the 2375’ deep shaft fed the community pool provided by the company according to Nevada Expeditions Austen Metz until the mine closed in the 1950’s. The pool has a 10’ deep end as there were large diving boards.
*After 1905 , two mining companies consolidated between them most of the productive mines in Tonopah: the Tonopah Extension Mining Company, controlling about 700 acres of property west of the Tonopah Mining Company’s property. The Tonopah Extension company had three mines – the No. 2, Victor, and McKane, all over 1,500 feet deep, and the Victor reaching almost 2,200 feet deep. The company built a 30-stamp cyanide mill in 1910, which was later enlarged to 50 stamps.
The second dominant company that evolved was the West End Consolidated Mining Company, with 185 acres adjoining the southwest side of the Tonopah Mining Company’s property. West End also controlled the Halifax-Tonopah Mining Company and leased additional claims from Jim Butler. West End’s three main shafts were as deep as 1,400 feet, and in 1911 the company built a 200 tpd cyanide mill.
More than 20 mining companies were active in the district from the 1910s though the 1920s. Tonopah mines according to the USGS peak mine production occurred from 1900 to 1921 yielding almost $121 million in gold, silver, copper and lead ore. The mines declined over the Depression years, and by World War II, only four major mining companies were operating. Following a huge fire in 1942 at the Tonopah Extension mill, the remaining mines closed down by the end of the war and the Tonopah and Goldfield Railroad was torn up in 1947. **USGS data.
Victor Shaft Headframe Looking south towards downtown Tonopah. Ladder was cut to keep people from climbing the very tall Headframe 
3 Bull wheels were at the top that led to the three hoists, each drum holding over a half mile of cable to lower the skips straight down in the shafts. 
It’s a long climb to the top 
Vertical 3 compartment shafts 2,375 feet straight down are covered by steel plate and ladder removed from Headframe to keep curious from a long fall to the bottom. 
Hoist foundations 
Interesting old tree stump by the mine waste piles 
Shallow end of Victor Community Pool fed by hot water from mine sump 
Night picture of pool and Headframe 
Diving board at deep end 
Diving board at deep end 
Diving board at deep end 
Pipes to feed pool 
Showers foundation 
Thank you Austin Metz for additional info
Stephen Knight – VanishingNevada.com – September 20, 2021 -Evening photos
