Arden, Nevada

History

The San Pedro, Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad (later part of the Union Pacific Railroad) began operating through the area in 1905. The railroad's Arden station, located about 12 mi south of Las Vegas, was named for Arden, the New York estate of E. H. Harriman, the railroad's co-owner. By 1906, Arden was serving as a shipping point for the Potosi mine.

The Arden post office was established in 1907. Around that time, William K. Moore, who has been credited as Arden's founder, discovered gypsum deposits in the nearby mountains. With financing from Southern California businessmen, Moore started the Arden Plaster Company, which opened a mill at the site in 1908. It was reported to be the second largest gypsum plant in the country.

The plaster plant burned down in 1912, but was quickly rebuilt. In 1919, it was purchased by the United States Gypsum Company. The plant was closed and dismantled in 1930 due to a decline in the construction industry.

A railroad spur line was built in 1925 to connect Arden to the Blue Diamond Mine, 11 mi to the northwest.

A gravel pit was established at Arden in the mid-1950s, and operated until 1978, growing to 160 acre in size. A commercial operation has since resumed operations at the site.

Clark County built a fallout shelter at Arden in the 1950s or 1960s to house regional government leaders in case of an attack on Las Vegas. The shelter was maintained at least until the 1980s.

On April 21, 1958, United Airlines Flight 736, a Douglas DC-7 passenger aircraft with 47 aboard. crashed onto then-empty desert two miles SE of Arden after a mid-air collision with a United States Air Force F-100 jet fighter flown by two pilots.{{cite news | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041031102825/http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/1998/Apr-21-Tue-1998/news/7353003.html | archive-date = October 31, 2004 | access-date = | url-status = dead |access-date= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210620160524/https://www.nevadaappeal.com/news/2008/apr/21/memorial-sought-to-mark-site-of-1958-las-vegas-air/ |archive-date=June 20, 2021 |url-status=live |access-date= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180421125831/https://www.reviewjournal.com/local/local-las-vegas/fatal-las-vegas-crash-in-1958-led-to-modern-air-safety-system/ |archive-date=April 21, 2018 |url-status=live | access-date=

The Arden post office was closed in 1971. In 1981, Arden was reported to have around 40 residents.

References

References

1. (2007-10-25). "US Board on Geographic Names". [[United States Geological Survey]].
2. "Map of Unincorporated Towns". Clark County.
3. {{Railroads of Nevada and Eastern California 2
4. Nolan Listerview. (August 6, 2012). "Former township steeped in history of Union Pacific Railroad". Las Vegas Review-Journal.
5. {{Harvnb. Myrick. 1992
6. (January 9, 1906). "Schwab buys the old Potosi". Reno Gazette-Journal.
7. (April 14, 1906). "Arden". Las Vegas Age.
8. Helen S. Carlson. (1974). "Nevada Place Names: A Geographic Dictionary". University of Nevada Press.
9. Katherine Sheehey. (May 10, 1981). "Gypsum strike built tiny Arden". Las Vegas Review-Journal.
10. (January 18, 1908). "Immense plant". Las Vegas Age.
11. (February 15, 1908). "The Arden Plaster Company". Salt Lake Mining Review.
12. (June 1, 1912). "Arden plaster mill". Las Vegas Age.
13. (August 15, 1919). "Mine, mill, and general construction news". Salt Lake Mining Review.
14. (March 24, 1931). "Bureau of Mines reports gypsum output less". Reno Evening Gazette.
15. {{Harvnb. Myrick. 1992
16. (May 26, 1978). "BLM closes Arden sand, gravel pit". Las Vegas Review-Journal.
17. Henry Brean. (July 14, 2013). "Take a tour of a quaint Cold War relic, the bunker". Las Vegas Review-Journal.
18. Dale Pugh. (May 31, 1981). "Arden bunker serves as disaster command center". Las Vegas Review-Journal.
19. "DC-7 and F-100 collision".
20. (1983). "Nevada Post Offices: An Illustrated History". Nevada Publications.