Ruth

History

Ruth began as a settlement for workers of the White Pine Copper Company in 1903. It derived its name from the Ruth mining claim which was named for Ruth McDonald, daughter of the original owner of the mining claim. With the opening Nevada Northern Railway in the year 1906 copper production began to boom. In 1905, Daniel C. Jackling "evaluated a low-grade copper prospect", which he turned into "an impressive open-pit and satellite cave (the Veteran Mine)." Jackling went on to become president of the Nevada Consolidated Copper Company. By 1910 the settlement was already established a small distance from the first site. Ruth was a company town for the Nevada Consolidated Copper Company: the houses belonged to the mine and the city and were administered by them. Saloons and bordellos were not permitted in the company town but were plentiful in the neighboring community of Riepetown. A mine explosion in Ruth on July 12, 1912, killed ten people. In 1929 there was another explosion set off by dynamite blasts. 2 men were killed with a third injured. One of the killed men was Giovanni Simonetta from Cortale, Italy. At the beginning of the Great Depression, Ruth had almost 2,300 inhabitants. Nevada Consolidated Copper Co. was taken over by Kennecott Copper Corporation in 1933. Ruth ceased being a company town in 1955 when the houses were sold to the John W. Galbreath Company. Occupants were given the opportunity to purchase the homes they had been renting. Around this time the community was moved two miles north to make way for expansion of the Deep Ruth mine. which went into decline. The elementary school closed in 1986. BHP reopened the mine in 1996. From 1996 to 1999, the BHP Nevada Railroad was based here. The mine closed again in 1999. Quadra FNX Mining…

Race & ethnicity

Largest nearby schools

• David E Norman Elementary
  Elementary · Ely · 395 students · 20.8:1 ratio
• White Pine High School
  High · Ely · 379 students · 379:1 ratio
• White Pine Middle School
  Middle · Ely · 245 students · 122.5:1 ratio
• Learning Bridge
  Elementary · Ely · 176 students · 22:1 ratio
• Steptoe Valley High School
  High · Ely · 31 students · 31:1 ratio
• Steptoe Valley Adult High School
  Other · Ely · 15 students
• Early Childhood
  Other · Ely · 13 students