Ruth, Nevada

Nearest town: Ely, Nevada 10 miles.
Location: West of Ely on Highway 50 to Ruth junction, then south 1 mile on paved road to town.

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The town of Ruth began in 1903 when it was founded as a company town for workers employed at copper mines in the nearby Robinson District. Within a year, the town had a post office, a hospital, and several boarding houses. In the late 1920s, the town had more than 2,000 residents.

Originally the mines near Ruth were underground operations, but they became open-pits with the introduction of steam shovels in 1907.

In 1958, the Kennecott Copper Corporation acquired all of the companies in the area and began an aggressive expansion. The whole town of Ruth had to be moved and the original site was covered with mine tailings.

Ruth McDonald, daughter of Daniel C. and Minnie M. McDonald, was born Oct. 13, 1896. She is best known as the inspiration for the naming of the Ruth townsite, but an important mining claim staked by her father also carries her name. She resided in Ely for many years and was a founder of the White Pine Public Museum.

Source: Ely Interpretive Site Display.
"Roadside History of Nevada," by Richard Moreno.