Ullaine and the Lost Pick Handle Mine: A Tale of Lost Gold in the Shoshone Range

The tale begins around the turn of the 20th Century with a sheepherder discovering a vein of gold-bearing quartz near the mouth of Becker Canyon in the Shoshone Range. Marking his vein by sticking a pick in the crotch of a tree with the handle pointing toward the site, the sheepherder hurried off to record his find. Returning, he could find neither his pick nor the rich quartz vein. In 1906, gold was discovered in veins up in the range itself, setting off a rush and the formation of a tent camp. It also set off a long list of questions.  

Speaker Bio:  Joe Tingley came to Nevada in 1960 for graduate studies at UNR. He worked as an exploration geologist for various companies in the western U.S., from 1962-1978, then joined the faculty at the Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology at UNR in 1978 as a research geologist, retiring in 2004. 

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Every Saturday in July join us for a FREE Artown talk and tour! Nevada history is rich with characters, legends, and lore. Hear the stories of the way Nevada and Reno came to be in five short history talks. Then pick up a camera and record your own bit of our state with a photo clinic. Tour the galleries and our Educational Gallery Guides can give you the inside scoop on artifacts. Seating is limited so arrive early. The Nevada Historical is located on the UNR campus across from the Fleischmann Planetarium. Free parking passes are available.