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Nivloc was a mining camp discovered in 1907 by a Shoshone named Tom Fisherman and later named for an early mine owner, William H. Colvin, reversing the letters of his name. He is described thusly:

"... a wealthy and prominent broker of Chicago. Mr. Colvin is one of the most foremost brokers and businessmen of Chicago and has expressed the intention of continuing sinking the shaft at Stimler, now 400 feet deep, to a depth of at least 800 feet. The district is said to be one of great promise and established merit. Work was started by Harry C. Stimler, after whom the camp was named in 1907, but the panic interfered with further development."
-Reno Evening Gazette, February 12, 1912

But it was Harry Stimler who got things rolling and briefly had the camp named after himself. By the way, Fisherman and Stimler were among those who helped to get Goldfield started, when they located the Sandstorm mine.

The Nivloc mine, which is located at the camp of Stimler, is developed down close to the thousand foot level, and it said to be in shape to furnish fifty tons a day of ore worth around thirty dollars.
-Reno Evening Gazette, November 15, 1927

Operations here were pretty low key until the 1930's, and it jumped during the early war period, when it managed to get itself a Nivloc post office.

440 ft. vertical shaft, 950 ft. drift on 44 ft. level, total 2000 ft. lateral work. Present equipment: gasoline Western hoist, C.P.T. Co. Hothead compressor, cars, track, cage, drills, hand tools, 3 small frame dwellings, hoist house, blacksmith shop. Complete outfit for small development program.
-Preliminary Report on Nivloc Mine, Fred Vollmer, Jr. 1935

Who want to drive all the way to Silver Peak for their mail? Not these guys.

Seek Post Office For Nivloc Mine
Steps have been taken to establish a post office at the Nivloc mine camp of the Desert Silver Inc nine miles east of Silver Peak in Esmeralda county, the movement having been endorsed by Congressman J G Scrugham of Nevada. The post office department has advised the congressman that an inspector will be sent to investigate the situation and the character of applicants for the position of postmaster It was stated that the Desert Silver Inc has a pay roll of approximately 156 at the mine, 60 of these having families in the camp. With others not connected with the company's operations the immediate district was said to have a population of early 250. Recommendations were made that the new post office be named Nivloc the name by which the mine has been known for a number of years. It was so named for its former owner W H Colvin, wealthy Chicago insurance man who purchased the property and expended a large sum in development. He organized, around 1910 the Nivloc Mining Co , reversing his own name to make the word Nivloc.
-Nevada State Journal February 12, 1940

By the middle of World War II, things were cooking at Nivloc, but they would soon begin to feel the strain of war-time employee shortages.

Leading all Nevada mines in production for silver for the past years, during which time its 200-ton cyanide mill has been operating, the Nivloc mine of the Desert Silver Inc. has been repeatedly cited as an example of the opportunities presented in Nevada for developing highly profitable mines from properties long ignored or definitely "turned down" by examining engineers. Circumstances surrounding the discovery and development to major production of the Nivloc ore-channel, apparently barren at the surface, were described some time ago at Fallon by Percy G. Dobson, mining engineer who was in direct charge of development of the Nivloc property until construction of the mill was started when, as operating engineer for the Bralorne Mines Ltd. of British Columbia, he was called to assume charge of another noteworthy Nevada enterprise. From that time forward, Fred E. Gray has been manager for the Desert Silver Inc., which is an independent corporation, wholly unrelated to the Bralorne Mines Ltd. Erroneous reports that Desert Silver was a Bralorne subsidiary had their origin in the fact that Ira B. Joralemon, widely-known San Francisco engineer and president of Desert Silver, is consulting engineer for Bralorne Mines, in charge of that wealthy company's operations in the United States, and both Engineers Dobson and Gray have long been identified with the British Columbia company. Upon completing his development program at the Nivloc mine,. Engineer Dobson was assigned to the management of the Dan Tucker gold-silver mine near Sand Springs in Churchill county, purchased by the Bralorne group and operated, with seventy-ton cyanide mill, by the Summit King Mines Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bralorne, until closed down by the WPB order in October. , Operation of Desert Silver's all-sliming cyanide mill began in October, 1937, and since then the enterprise has been the foremost producer of silver in Nevada and one of the most successful mining and milling projects in the west. The mill was designed for a rated capacity of 175 tons per day, but has treated an average of over 200 tons daily, running at times as high as 225 tons in a day. The company has its own townsite near the mine, nine miles westerly from Silver Peak in Esmeralda county, and in 1941 established the post-office of Nivloc.
-Reno Evening Gazette, June 5, 1943

Things began to slow down.

Nivloc Mine Cuts Out Night Shift
GOLDFIELD, July 31. (Special) —The night shift at the Nivloc mine at Nivloc near Silver Peak, has been discontinued and all the men will now work on the day shift. The airplane owned by Fred E. Gray, manager of the mine has been out being repaired. This plane is stationed in a hangar in Silver Peak, at the field there. Plans for the opening of a plane school there are being discussed.
-Reno Evening Gazette, 31 Jul 1943

You know, it might be a good idea to explore a career besides mining right about now.

Nivloc Miners Study Flying
NIVLOC, Aug. 9. — Several employees of the Nivloc mine are taking special flying instructions. The instructor is from Los Angeles. Some of the new mine crew were laid off recently, it was announced. Clarence McClean, one of the Nivloc mine foremen, has been making inspection trips to the new mining areas near Tonopah. The Silver Lock club at Nivloc celebrated three nights of entertainment last week, which included a picture show on Sunday, farewell party to Kay Eddie on Tuesday and steak fry on Thursday. Mr. and Mrs. Nicklas and daughter, Mary, left for Los Angeles recently and will remain there for about two weeks. The Silver Peak mine, mill and smelter workers' union, local No. 427, gave a party recently with free refreshments for those that attended. The music was furnished by Frankie Friss and James Wells. Mark Howard recently took over the managership of the Northern Supply store at Silver Peak. Recently returned from Tonopah after long visits were Mrs. John Krizmanich, sr., and daughter, Beverly Jene, and Mr. and Mrs. John Krizmanich, jr., and baby daughter. Mr. and Mrs. James Rains also returned from a Tonopah visit.
-Reno Evening Gazette August 09, 1943

The end is obviously in sight.

HOUSES MOVED FROM NIVLOC
David Roberts is engaged in moving several houses from the Nivloc camp.
-Reno Evening Gazette, August 12, 1943
And.... we're done. For now.

Noted Nivloc Mine In Nevada Is Closed
SILVER PEAK (Nev.), Nov. 6.— Operations have been discontinued at the noted Nivloc silver mine by Desert. Silver, Inc., of California, because of war conditions. The mine has been closed rind the mining and milling plant, which cost $263,000, placed on sale' The Nivloc, operated on a substantial scale prior to the war and for many years Nevada's foremost silver producer,produced about. 250 tons of profitable ore daily when operating at capacity. Massive ledges are said to he blocked out in the lower levels. Rising costs and the manpower shortage seriously handicapped the activities.
-Sacramento Bee, November 06, 1943

OK, then! We kicked fascist butt and it's time to start digging again!

NIVLOC SILVER MINE IS TO RESUME OPERATION
Foremost Nevada Producer Closed By War; New Company Takes Over
The Nivloc mine, seven miles south of Silver Peak and formerly operated by Desert Silver, inc., is being reopened by a newly-organized company, Nivloc Mines, inc., the Times reports at Tonopah. During the years 1938 to 1943 Nivloc, headed by Ira B. Joralem, was Nevada's largest silver producer. It was shut down in 1943 when war conditions had made the operation impossible and It appeared that the scrap value of the mine and mill plant would exceed the profit over a long and costly suspension of operations. Substantial ore reserves had been opened in the mine by Desert Silver and the value of these has been materially increased by the recent rise in silver to 90.5 cents an ounce. In addition to the tonnage of positive ore left by former operators, it is said there are 28 points in the mine where ore was opened during the last period of operation, none of which could be developed because of the acute labor shortage after the start of the war. These known ore occurrences are expected to make important additions to the already known reserves. Operations at the mine have started and will be accelerated as fast as equipment can be secured and labor recruited. At present ore will be treated at one of the custom mines in the area. A 100-ton mill will be placed on the property as soon as the materials can be purchased. Nivloc Mines, inc. is headed by Harry H. Hughes, president and manager. Hughes has been in Nevada since 1933, except for the war years. As a mining engineer he has operated in Canada, the western United States, Mexico, Central and South America. During the war he mined quartz crystals for the Metals Reserve company in Brazil, under its program for securing critical war materials. Leonard F. Traynor, native of Tonopah and who has had wide experience throughout Nevada, is vice president of the company and will superintend mine operations. James J. Clark, also a native of Tonopah, is secretary-treasurer of the new company.
-Reno Evening Gazette, August 31, 1946

The Nivloc didn't have much to offer near the surface-- everything was down deep.

NIVLOC SILVER MINE IS WORKED ON DEEP LEVELS
State's Largest Pre-War Producer May Again Supply Milling Plant
Increased activity in the mines of the Silver Peak district, Esmeralda county, was seen by southern Nevada mining men as it was announced in the Review-Journal in Las Vegas that a lease has been granted to the Eureka company on the easterly section of the famed Nivloc mine on the 700 and 800 foot levels by Nivloc Mines, Inc. The Nivloc mine, operated prior to World War II by Desert Silver, Inc., is 10 miles west of Silver Peak and was Nevada's foremost silver producer prior to its closing because of war restrictions. The Eureka company owns the Big Horn Extension group of claims which adjoin the Nivloc mine and for some time has been negotiating for the lease on the easterly section of that mine, officers of the company reported. Some of the ore already mined shows a value up to $35 per ton, it was said. On the 700-foot level of the leased block, which will be one of the main working levels, a drift follows the vein from the Nivloc shaft 1750 feet toward the Big Horn Extension. About 600 feet of this drift, however, is caved in spots and will require retimbering, it was said. The distance from the Nivloc shaft to the sideline of the Big Horn Extension is about 2000 feet. The Eureka company, it is reported, ported, will clean out the drift on the 700-foot level and retimber where necessary, with the purpose of continuing the working to the line The electrical power plant on the Nivloc property, it was said, is too small to operate efficiently and the Eureka company plans to install at once a 70-kw generator to take up the load. The added power will enable the Nivloc mines to hoist and ship ore now broken in the stopes while the Eureka company prepares to start operations. Officers of the Eureka company will install a mill as soon as ore-bodies are developed along the vein. Use of the mill facilities by the Nivloc Mine company is promised on al fifty-fifty basis; it was said.
-Reno Evening Gazette, May 5, 1948

Major mining activity ground to a halt and from now on, extracting mined ore and getting it milled economically was the challenge.

The Nivloc Silver Mine was operated from 1937 to 1943 under the name of Desert Silver Inc. and was Nevada's largest silver producer fa several years with a total production of $3,977,329.00. This mine was forced to close during the war due to wartime restrictions and the management chose to sell the mill and equipment rather than face an expensive shutdown of several years' duration. There was developed ore left in the mine but after the war it was difficult to commence operations due to the lack of milling facilities, In 1946 approximately 1,000 tons of ore were mined and shipped to the smelter. In April of 1956 a group acquired an option to purchase the Nivloc Mine and also entered into a sales contract to purchase the Bruhi mill located at Silver Peak which is a new modernly equipped 250 ton mill for the treatment of silver-gold ores. The group subsequently assigned all their rights to the United States Mining and Milling Corporation which company is now controlled by Levine and associates. Plans are now underway to bring the mine into production and to operate the mill on an expanded scale.
-REPORT ON THE HOLDINGS OF UNITED STATES MINING AND MILLING CORPORATION - SILVER PEAK AREA December 12, 1956

Things are pretty much dead now. Maybe we'll turn it into a fishing spot?

Development of a reservoir at Nivloc, south of Silver Peak in almost the exact center of the count, also could provide good fishing. A stream of water coming from the mine shaft at Nivloc has already been filed on by the fish ad game commission. Construction of a dam could create a lake five miles long, although revival of mining activity at Nivloc could forestall such a program.
-Reno Evening Gazette, January 30, 1965

But you never know-- there is still ore down there. Will someone go get it?

An estimated 681,000 tons of "mill grade" ore remains in the Nivloc mine, Mid-Continent and Sunshine Mining Co. reported.
-Reno Evening Gazette, March 18, 1966

Just a short ride up the canyon. The trestle here is probably thr most impressive remnant of the site.