Resurrecting a Ghost Town : Couple Reviving Mine--and Its Community

When Don Tibbals first arrived here, he was a hay hauler with a broken-down truck. Disgusted with his job, he sold the truck and went to work for Anaconda Copper Co., which owned the town and a nearby mine.

That was 40 years ago. Today, Tibbals owns the mine and the town. And therein lies a tale of one man’s efforts to bring his community back to life.

In its peak years, Anaconda employees operating giant shovels, bulldozers and trucks gouged 50,000 tons of earth from a huge open pit mine each day. And every day, 300,000 pounds of copper was refined from the earth they removed. The mine at one time employed 550.

Prices Plunge

But copper prices plunged. Anaconda sold the mine to Arco in 1976. Two years later the mine shut down. Weed Heights became a ghost town. Only Tibbals and his wife remained.

Tibbals, 57, had played a part in the mining operation from the day construction started until the mine played out. He had quit the mine to begin his own business in 1955, Tibbals Construction Co., a company that eventually employed 45 and worked almost exclusively for the Anaconda Copper Mine.

When the mine closed, the mill, shops, offices and 256 company homes stood vacant for seven years. The huge open pit slowly began filling with water. Arco, the last owner, put the property on the market in 1983. Tibbals made a modest bid. It was accepted.

A former Arco executive recalled the sale: “We wanted to liquidate the property. We sold it to Tibbals at a bargain-basement price. Essentially, we gave it away.” Neither Tibbals nor Arco revealed the amount.

But Tibbals owns 4,000 acres of land, the huge hole, the old shops, equipment, the mill, offices and the former town of Weed Heights, which includes the homes, the old post office, a community hall, a recreation hall, swimming pool and park.

Tibbals’ wife, Joy, 53, worked in accounting and personnel for Anaconda. They live in one of the company homes she and her husband are refurbishing.

“It was Don’s idea to buy the old town and mine. He could see great potential here,” Joy Tibbals said.

“Joy and I just hated to see the place die,” Don Tibbals said. “The homes were well-built. I know. I helped build them. The sewer and water systems were redone in the 1970s. I know. I did the work. We wanted to breathe new life into this place.”

100 Homes Restored

The Tibbals have put new kitchens, bedrooms, carpeting, acoustic ceiling and windows in the 100 homes they have already restored. They are renting the one-to-four-bedroom houses for $290 to $375 a month.

Many retired Southern Californians are living in the homes. The Tibbals said they have a long waiting list of people wanting to move into the houses still to be renovated. They have refurbished the community hall, which now is being used not only by the residents of Weed Heights but of nearby Yerington as well.

They have erected a large gazebo in the town park, opened the recreation hall and fixed up the swimming pool.

“This summer I’m going to start mining copper again, using sophisticated methods that require no smelting, no refining, and there will be no pollution. I’m going to widen the hole and rework the tailing,” Tibbals said.

Since last October, 50 men have been constructing a $4-million plating mill and other facilities, which Tibbals said will begin producing 25,000 to 30,000 pounds of copper per day, beginning in late July.

When the operation starts up again after an 11-year hiatus, Weed Heights Mine will employ 30 to 50 miners and other personnel.

“Joy and Don Tibbals are certainly on the right track,” said Joe Dini, 60, owner of the Lucky Club Casino in Yerington and Speaker of the Nevada State Assembly. “They’re resurrecting a ghost town that would have sat there and rotted away if they hadn’t come along.”

The Tibbals have high hopes for Weed Heights, named after Clyde Weed, a former chairman of the board of Anaconda Copper Co. They hope to see it become an incorporated town. They are looking forward to the reopening of the Weed Heights Post Office.

Would Tibbals like to become mayor?

“No, that’s not in the cards. I’m not a politician,” he said with a big grin. “If Joy would like to run for mayor, that would be fine with me.”