Wandering around the Jessup area some many years ago, I came across this old miner’s cabin. It was remote enough that blue enameled pans were still hanging on the walls. It was so long ago, I doubt the building still exists but the photo of this structure became the basis for one of Payette Valley’s kits: “Miners Cabin”.
Hard to see here, but this small board and batten structure has a porch with two steps, 3 posts holding up porch roof, front door, windows on front and right side. Fireplace/stove left rear; shake roofing, now covered with ridged – not corrugated – tin. A small shed may have existed on the right side based on the debris.
Based on a few other non-digitized photos I have, a small extension with door and window is in the rear, another window on left side towards front of structure.
“Miner’s Cabin”
I often get inspiration for a kit during my wanders around the back country of the inter-mountain west – more often than not, the old mining or supply towns of Nevada.
With over 600 “there-used-to-be-something-here” locations, there’s much available for inspiration – although often it’s imaginary as “there-used-to-be-something-here” has turned into >not-much-now”.
Jungo, Nevada is a case in point.
Initially settled in the 1880s as a stage stop between Winnemucca and Denio, the town didn’t properly exist until the Western Pacific Railroad passed through here in 1910. By establishing a station here 40 miles west of Winnemucca, Jungo became the shipping point for ranchers and prospectors in the region.
This hotel operated from 1910 to 1950 and was the center of life in a town which had a saloon (of course), probably a “house of ill repute”, a post office (closed 1952), school, feed lot and corral, and assorted railroad structures.
Gold was discovered 15 miles south in 1935 and former President Herbert Hoover (a mining engineer by trade) came through to check out the workings. Initially rich, the deposit was small and by 1945, only the store proprietor remained.
There are some ruins remaining at the mine site but of the town … nothing but dust and sage.