Last updated on December 20, 2023.

At a rest area along US Highway 93 in the middle of nowhere, Nevada, a historical marker tells the story of the ghost town of Schellbourne, which was a town and mail station on the famed Pony Express line. The town sat four miles to the east of the rest area.z

Schellbourne Rest Area in Nevada
Schellbourne Rest Area

 

Pony Express

The Pony Express station formed first in 1860 and lasted just a year. in 1861, the Overland Stage Company took over the route. A military outpost called Fort Schellbourne protected the station until 1862.

A path from the parking lot leads to a silhouette of a rider on his horse. Interpretive panels along the path have information on the Pony Express.

Pony Express trail at the Schellbourne Rest Area in Nevada
Pony Express trail
Pony Express panel at the Schellbourne Rest Area in Nevada
Pony Express panel

 

Aurum Mining District

Later on in the 1870s, a town developed immediately east of Schellbourne after silver ore was discovered nearby. Over 500 people lived in the Aurum Mining District until 1885, when the ore was depleted and other mining towns pulled people away. The town is now part of a private ranch.

 

Lincoln Highway

Another panel at the rest area commemorates the historic Lincoln Highway, which once ran along this stretch of US 93.

Lincoln Highway panel at the Schellbourne Rest Area in Nevada
Lincoln Highway panel
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Owner of Paisadventure. World traveler. Chicago sports lover. Living in Colombia.

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