Nevada Northern Railway East Ely Yards and Shops - Ely, Nevada - U.S. National Register of Historic Places on Waymarking.com

The 40-acre Nevada Northern Railway East Ely Yards and Shops Historic District includes those buildings and structures which represent the main yard and shop facility of the former Nevada Northern Railway. The Historic District includes 46 buildings and 6 structures, of which 44 buildings and 5 structures contribute to the District’s significance. Included are four buildings containing maintenance and employee records spanning the entire history of the line. The extensive maintenance facilities encompassed by the Shops, combined with period locomotives and rolling stock represent a unique, turn-of-the-century railroad resource, the most complete facility of its kind in the state. The period of significance extends from the beginning of construction in 1905 to the end of rail passenger service in 1941.

The establishment of the Nevada Northern Railroad provided the basis for White Pine County's economic development. It allowed ore mined at Ruth, seven miles west of Ely, to be transported to McGill, thirteen miles north of Ely for smelting. It was then shipped via the Nevada Northern to the main Southern Pacific line, where it was transported to refineries and markets in the East. The copper industry was responsible for White Pine County’s prosperity for much of the twentieth century, and it determined the character of the communities of Ely, Ruth, and McGill.

With the closure of the copper mines in Ruth, Kennecott in the late 1980’s donated a portion of the railroad as well as the railroad's yard and shop facilities to the White Pine Historical Railroad Foundation which today operates the property as the Nevada Northern Railway Museum with activities beginning at the East Ely Depot.

Some of the significant contributing buildings and structures include East Ely Depot (coordinates for this waymark), Transportation Building, Freight House, Engine House, Paint Shop, Car Repair Shop, Coaling Tower and Sand House, Water Tower, and the Chief Engineer’s House.

Street address: 1100 Avenue A East Ely, Nevada USA 89315 County / Borough / Parish: White Pine Year listed: 1993 Historic (Areas of) Significance: Person, Architecture/Engineering, Event Periods of significance: 1900 - 1950 Historic function: Transportation Current function: Recreation and Culture, Transportation Privately owned?: no Primary Web Site: [Web Link] Secondary Website 1: [Web Link] National Historic Landmark Link: [Web Link] Season start / Season finish: Not listed Hours of operation: Not listed Secondary Website 2: Not listed

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