CHLORIDE
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County: Sierra
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Year Established: 1881
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Year Abandoned: 1956
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Location: 2 Miles southwest of Winston on forest road 226
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About: An Englishman named Harry Pye was delivering freight for the U.S. Army from Hillsboro to Camp Ojo Caliente in 1879 when he discovered silver in the canyon where Chloride is now located. After completing his freighting contract, he and two others returned to the area in 1881 and staked a claim.
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The name "Chloride" was finally selected, after the high-grade silver ore found there. It became the center for all mining activity in the area, known as the Apache Mining District.
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During the 1880s, Chloride had 100 homes, 1,000-2,000 people, eight saloons, three general stores, restaurants, butcher shops, a candy store, a lawyer's office, a doctor, boarding houses, an assay office, a stage line, a Chinese laundry and a hotel.
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Chloride and the surrounding area began to decline with the silver panic of 1893, when the country went on the gold standard and silver prices dropped about 90 percent. Today, about 27 of Chloride’s original buildings are still standing, including the Pioneer Store, which now serves as a museum. Main Street is lined with false front structures, as well as adobe buildings, some restored and some suffering the effects of time.
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There are two cemeteries and the 200- year-old oak "Hanging Tree" tree still stands in the middle of Wall Street. About 20 residents, many of who are descendants of the original founders, occupy the town.
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Remains: Lots to see! Well worth the trip!
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Comments:
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Timeline
Pioneer Store & Monte Cristo Saloon
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Today, many of Chloride’s original structures still stand. The old Pioneer Store is a museum; next door the former Monte Cristo Saloon and Dance Hall houses a gift shop and gallery featuring work by local artists. Both are open five days a week from 10am-4pm, closed Tuesday and Wednesday.
The Old Pioneer Store
It’s remarkable that the Pioneer Store Museum was essentially "frozen in time" when the James family sealed it up in 1923, leaving the original inventory and furnishings intact for decades. Beyond being a general store, the building housed a U.S. Post Office (established in 1881) and served as the printing office for the weekly newspaper, The Black Range, starting in 1882.
The store’s large safe didn't just hold cash; it functioned as the local bank and even a pawn shop for miners and ranchers in the remote area.
It took four years of work (1994–1998) to restore the structure, which included straightening the sagging log walls and cleaning out decades of debris to return the original 1880s merchandise to the shelves.
Monte Cristo Saloon and Dance Hall
Unknown structure
The Bank
Unknown structure
Pye Cabin
