McGill, Nevada

McGill is a census-designated place about 12 miles north of Ely via US 93. The McGill Ranch post office was established in 1891 but the town didn't occur until William N. McGill sold part of his ranch to the Steptoe Valley Mining and Smelter Comapny (Nevada Consolidated Copper Company by another name, later sold to Kennecott Utah Copper Corporation). In McGill is where the main smelter and reduction plant were constructed for processing ores mined near Ruth.

As a company town, everything in the town was strictly managed. No saloons, no gambling dens, no bordellos... for that matter, the town was actually segregated by nationality, and the center of McGill was reserved for those folks who'd risen high in the mining company's hierarchy.

The concentration mill and several other buildings caught fire and burned down in July, 1922. The whole place was rebuilt by 1930 and was handling 14,000 tons of copper ore every day.

The smelter closed in the 1990's but McGill is still a populated town with a thriving business district.