In about 1775 the Spaniards mined this area and called it Eldorado Canyon, but for some reason they abandoned the mines and left the area. Then, sometime about 1860 prospectors discovered the old Spanish mines with their rich veins of ore and it triggered one of the largest mining booms in the history of Nevada.
In the 1860s the nearest law enforcement was over 200 miles away in Pioche, so as more prospectors and miners moved into the area and started reopening the abandoned Spanish mines, and finding new veins of rich ore, disagreements over mining claims became prevalent and killings became routine with no one asking any questions about the deaths. Eventually, the cavalry had to be sent in to restore peace in the area. By the 1940s the mines were again abandoned and the population in the area declined significantly (2010 census lists the population of Nelson at 37).
In 1994 a canoe rental business purchased 50 acres of land in the Nelson area that included several mining claims, the company store, a stamp mill, a bunkhouse and a few tin miner cabins. They also discovered an entrance to the old Techatticup Mine that had been covered by mine tailings from the stamp mill. In its heyday, the Techatticup Mine was one of the largest and most productive mines in the area with 12 tiers of tunnels, so there were various tunnels that lead to canyon openings.
After clearing debris from the tunnel entrance, a small part of the mine on Tier 2 was reopened for tours. Although they were not offering mine tours on the day we most recently visited Techatticup, I have included some file pictures because I have taken the mine tour several times.
The area has also been featured in several movies, including "Breakdown," "Eye of the Beholder," "Johnny and the Highrollers," and "3,000 miles to Graceland." The airplane that crashed in "3,000 miles to Graceland" is still located on the property, along with a lot of other historic artifacts.
Nelson's Landing is located on the Colorado River about five miles to the east, but all of the improvements were destroyed by a flash flood in 1974. After a heavy rainstorm a 40 foot high wall of water came down the canyon and washed the entire village into Lake Mohave, killing nine people.
Nelson's Landing can be reached by continuing down the paved road from the Techatticup Mine, or if you have a 4WD vehicle, you can follow the sand wash all the way to the river. There are also several side canyons that can also be followed to other locations along the Colorado River that are popular with swimmers, boaters, campers, and fisherman.
