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Keith’s Corner: Tent Living in McGill 1906-09

December 28, 2023 by Bristlecone Tribune Leave a Comment

This photo must have been taken in 1907-9 as you can see the houses in the upper townsite, namely A, B and C rows. The location of these tents is about where the gas station is now.

You see the bank building and the large Campton Store in the center of the picture. The Drugstore is just to the right of the Campton. The houses in the upper townsite loom larger due to the enlargement.

What was it like living in a tent on a wooden platform? Certainly not what we think of as a good place to live, but at that time and place these quarters probably seemed acceptable to most people. These were mostly immigrants from poorer countries and were glad to have a good job and a roof over their heads, even if it was just canvas. These tents were on wooden platforms and had electric lights, which was a giant step above candles or oil lamps.

The copper company at this time was the Nevada Consolidated Corporation of NCC. The company tried to make things as nice as possible for the workers and their families. NCC provided electric lights and fresh water. They also took care of garbage disposal and sewer waste.

I have been curious as to how they did all those things and have been searching to find out just what it was like to live under those conditions. If anyone has some family history of those conditions, please let me know.

Filed Under: Opinion Tagged With: Keiths Corner

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The Bristlecone Tribune is a locally owned and operated newspaper that serves White Pine County, Nevada. Founded in 2021 by Teresa Stewart, the Tribune is dedicated to providing accurate and unbiased news coverage of the community. [Learn More]

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