Aurora - Mineral NVGenWeb

Aurora is a ghost town in Mineral County approximately 22 miles southwest of the town of Hawthorne, on the border along California.

At one point it was simultaneously the county seat of both Mono County, California and Esmeralda County, Nevada. Its California assemblyman was the speaker of the house while the Nevada legislative member was elected as president of the Nevada Territorial Legislature.

Prior to 1860 and the discovery of the mines, fewer than 100 people lived in the Aurora area. The primary mineral was gold.

James M. Cory, James M. Braly and E.R. Hicks founded the town in 1860. Originally named Esmeralda, it was renamed Aurora in the late 1860s. Aurora's mines were so rich that miners came from all over the west.

Like most mining boom towns, the population had a small number of women and children compared to a large male population. Family life was almost nonexistent due to the low number of women and children in the town.

Samuel Clemens began his writing career while living in Aurora, and not long after leaving he became known as Mark Twain.

By 1870, half of the town's houses were deserted and most of the mills and buildings had been dismantled.

Grave markers

Cemetery Listing as of 1959

Ball, Wm. H. ~ born 16 Jul 1833 Hollis NH; died 30 Jan 1902
Baker, Edwin B. ~ died 17 Jun 1880, 46y
Barlow, R. T. ~ 1866 – 1917; brother
Barlow, Richard ~ 1825 – 1884; father
Boerlin, Evelyn ~ 1912 – 1912
Booker, Anna L. ~ died 14 Apr 1896, age 27y; wife of J. G. Booker
Booker, Mary C. ~ 23 Apr 1829 – 13 Jun 1867; wife of S. M. Booker
Boring, W. M. ~ died 07 Aug 1872, age 43 or 48; a native of Tennessee; Nevada State Senator
Chamberlain, Juliette ~ died 10 Oct 1878, age 20y9m22d; wife of D. S. Chamberlain
Chambers, Adeline M. ~ 06 Mar 1886 – 04 Jan 1917
Compston, James ~ 10 Nov 1845 – 26 Jul 1900
Davis, E. P. ~ died 31 Jul 1887, 71y; native of Massachusetts
Erickson, John Maynard ~ born 17 Oct 1913 in Salt Lake City, Utah; died 14 Oct 1914
Ferris, Ellen ~ died 13 May 1869, 29y; wife of Andrew Ferris; buried with infant son 19d
Gallagher, Harry ~ 1886 – 1905
Hatch, Georgia ~ died 18 Oct 1879, 31y; wife of G. H. Hatch
Laughlin, Benjamin F. ~ 12 Dec 1882 – 15 Nov 1904
Lott, L. B. ~ died 24 Sep 1878, 64y; native of New York
McKeough, John ~ 1815 – 1904; I.O.O.F.
Marden, Hoddie ~ died 29 Mar 1884, 18y; child of Horace & Lizzie Marden
Marden, James ~ died 09 Mar 1865, 7y9m; eldest son of H. & Lizzie Marden
Marden, Daisy ~ died 26 Feb 1878, 4y; child of Horace & Lizzie Marden
Marden, Dick ~ died 16 Feb 1878, 6y; child of Horace & Lizzie Marden
Marden, Frank ~ died 20 Feb 1878, 8y; child of Horace & Lizzie Marden
Marden, Pearl ~ died 23 Feb 1878, 2y; child of Horace & Lizzie Marden

Parker, J. F. ~ 1906, 75y
Patterson, Alonzo H. ~ 1830 – 1905; native of Belfast, Maine
Pfeifer, Netta ~ 1880 – 1906; wife of F. C. Pfeifer
Reid, Mrs. Mary Ann ~ died 25 Nov 1879, 25y
Schnedicer, Baldwin ~ born 1822, Long Island, New York; died 28 Feb 1902
Scott, N. F. ~ died 1862, 40y; 1st sheriff of Mono County, California
Smith, Larkin ~ died 13 Dec 1877, 70y10m
Stephens, M. ~ born 1884; died 26 Mar; brother of M. Jessop
Thomas, Dennis ~ died Apr in Bodie, 66y
Walker, Henry W. ~ died 05 Oct 1877, 43y; F. & A. M.
Wells, Chester ~ died Bodie, California, 54y; native of Massachusetts
Wickmann, Rachael ~ died 18 Feb 1881, 40y6m; wife of Jacob Wickmann
Wickman, Jacob ~ died 11 Mar 1881, 32d
Williams, Henry ~ died 10 Nov 1890, 65y; native of Ireland
Williams, Mary ~ died 01 May 1892, 64y; native of Ireland
Wood, Edwin R. ~ died 13 Oct 1896, 50y9m8d; native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Wood, Lurie ~ born 06 Feb 1881; died 25 Aug 1887; daughter of Edwin & Mena Wood