You’ll find the ruins of Metropolis 15 miles northwest of Wells, Nevada, where ambitious developers launched a farming utopia in 1909. The settlement boasted modern amenities like electric lighting, cement sidewalks, and a magnificent three-story hotel built with bricks from San Francisco’s earthquake. Despite its grand vision for 7,500 residents, the town crumbled under relentless drought, pest invasions, and water rights disputes. Today, scattered brick foundations and a stone arch tell a cautionary tale of desert dreams.
Key Takeaways
- Metropolis was an ambitious 1909 Nevada town designed for 7,500 residents, featuring modern amenities like electricity, running water, and railroad access.
- The town failed due to severe drought conditions, devastating crop failures, and a legal battle over water rights.
- Notable structures included a three-story hotel built with San Francisco earthquake bricks and a $25,000 brick schoolhouse.
- The Hotel Metropolis burned down in 1936, marking a significant turning point in the town’s decline.
- Today, visitors can explore brick foundations, hotel ruins, and the Valley View Cemetery, with the stone school arch remaining prominent.
The Grand Vision Behind Nevada’s Farming Utopia
While many Nevada ghost towns emerged from mining booms, Metropolis stood apart as an ambitious agricultural experiment launched in 1909 by the Pacific Reclamation Company.
You’ll find its location 15 miles northwest of Wells, where New York developers pursued their farming aspirations to transform sagebrush lands into thriving wheat fields. The company constructed a 100-foot dam to support their agricultural dreams.
The developers crafted an impressive vision, designing a modern city for 7,500 residents complete with paved streets, fountains, and streetlights. They specifically targeted Mormon farmers, promising abundant water and ideal growing conditions. Similar to ancient Greek cities that were called mother cities, Metropolis was intended to be the central hub for the surrounding agricultural region.
Developers envisioned a sophisticated oasis, promising Mormon farmers a modern utopia equipped with amenities and perfect agricultural conditions.
When the Southern Pacific Railroad extended its line to Metropolis in 1912, it seemed their dreams might materialize. Yet beneath these grand plans lurked serious irrigation challenges that would ultimately determine the town’s fate, as water rights disputes and limited resources began undermining their agricultural paradise.
Life in Early Metropolis: Modern Amenities in the Desert
Despite its remote desert location, you’d have found remarkable urban comforts in early Metropolis, where graded streets, cement sidewalks, and streetlights transformed the frontier settlement into a modern town.
The crown jewel was the magnificent hotel, boasting amenities that rivaled big city establishments with its electric generator, central heating, and hot running water in every room. This impressive structure tragically met its end when a devastating fire destroyed it in 1936.
Your daily life would have been supported by essential infrastructure including a post office, municipal water system, and railroad connection to the Southern Pacific line, making this planned community surprisingly sophisticated for its era. A bustling education system emerged with the construction of a brick schoolhouse costing $25,000 in 1914.
Urban Comforts Out West
Although Metropolis emerged in Nevada’s harsh desert landscape, the town’s founders equipped it with sophisticated urban amenities that rivaled those of established Eastern cities. Originally established as a wheat farming settlement, the area was transformed into a modern outpost.
You’d have found broad cement sidewalks, streetlights, and hydrants lining the commercial district, while the impressive Metropolis Hotel offered electric lighting, telephones, an elevator, and even a vacuum-cleaning system. The desert lifestyle was transformed by modern conveniences like private baths and local services, including a bank, barbershop, and drugstore housed within the hotel complex.
The town’s thoughtful design incorporated two parks, an amusement hall serving multiple community functions, and a striking stone-arched schoolhouse. In 1936, the hotel’s grandeur came to an end when it burned down, destroying one of the town’s most notable landmarks.
A railroad spur with an elaborate depot connected residents to the outside world, while the Chronicle newspaper kept everyone informed about local happenings.
Modern Hotel’s Luxury Features
Standing as a symbol of modern ambition in the desert, the three-story Hotel Metropolis showcased luxuries that rivaled Eastern establishments of its time.
You’d find hot and cold running water in every room, a feature that set this $75,000 brick establishment apart from typical frontier accommodations. The hotel’s infrastructure included its own electric generator and central heating system, ensuring your comfort despite the harsh desert environment.
Beyond the building’s luxury amenities, you’d experience the sophistication of urban planning through graded streets, cement sidewalks, and strategically placed hydrants and streetlights.
A dedicated Southern Pacific railroad spur delivered you directly to the hotel’s doorstep, connecting this remote desert oasis to civilization while supporting the town’s vision of permanent settlement.
The bricks used to construct this impressive hotel were sourced from the ruins of San Francisco’s 1906 earthquake, providing a unique connection to the West Coast’s history.
Electric Power Meets Desert
While most frontier towns relied on kerosene lamps and candlelight, Metropolis blazed a pioneering path as one of Nevada’s first electrified desert settlements. You’d have found an impressive power infrastructure installed by the Pacific Reclamation Company, bringing desert electricity to both homes and businesses across the ambitious development.
Walking the broad cement sidewalks at night, you’d have seen modern streetlights illuminating the commercial district – a rare sight in early 1900s Nevada. The town’s buildings showcased additional innovations, featuring central heating and running water that set Metropolis apart from typical frontier settlements.
This electrical revolution wasn’t just about comfort; it represented the town planners’ progressive vision of transforming harsh desert terrain into a modern oasis. Even as water struggles plagued the settlement, its power grid remained a proof of technological ambition. The town’s modern amenities attracted over 700 settlers by 1912, making it a beacon of progress in the Nevada desert.
Agricultural Dreams Meet Harsh Reality
Despite grand visions of an agricultural paradise, Metropolis’s founders severely misjudged the harsh realities of Nevada’s desert environment. The Pacific Reclamation Company’s promise of abundant water and long growing seasons proved devastatingly false, as agricultural challenges mounted rapidly after 1914.
You’ll find that drought ravaged crops for years, while jackrabbits and Mormon crickets devoured what little managed to grow. The Southern Pacific Railroad built a direct line to support the emerging town’s development. Hotel Metropolis burned to the ground in the 1930s, dealing another blow to the struggling community.
Though the community showed remarkable resilience through social gatherings and shared determination, their farming dreams crumbled against nature’s resistance. The expensive irrigation system, built with 6.5 million bricks from San Francisco’s earthquake ruins, couldn’t overcome the region’s inherent limitations.
Despite their unbreakable community spirit, Metropolis’s settlers ultimately surrendered to the desert’s unyielding resistance against agricultural ambitions.
Water rights disputes restricted reservoir capacity, and by 1920, fewer than 100 residents remained where 700 once lived. The desert had prevailed, reclaiming what settlers had briefly borrowed.
The Battle for Water Rights
As Metropolis struggled to establish itself in 1912, the Pacific Reclamation Company‘s construction of a 100-foot dam on Bishop Creek sparked a pivotal legal battle that would seal the town’s fate.
The water allocation dispute erupted when Lovelock farmers downstream filed suit, asserting their senior rights had been violated. The court’s ruling set critical legal precedents in Nevada water law, limiting Metropolis to enough water for just 4,000 acres of irrigation.
You can trace the town’s decline directly to this decision, as Pacific Reclamation went bankrupt by 1913. The irrigation disputes forced farmers to adapt to less water-intensive agriculture, but success proved elusive.
This victory for downstream rights highlighted the tension between Nevada’s development ambitions and established water users, shaping water management policies for decades to come.
When Nature Struck Back: Pests and Environmental Challenges
The legal battle over water rights marked only the beginning of Metropolis’s environmental struggles.
From 1914 to 1918, you’d have witnessed a devastating drought that pushed the town’s environmental resilience to its limits. The harsh desert climate of the Great Basin showed no mercy, as scarce rainfall and extreme temperatures crippled farming efforts.
Nature’s assault intensified when jackrabbits and giant crickets overran the settlement. Without modern pest control methods, these creatures decimated what little crops survived the drought.
By 1916, a typhoid epidemic struck the weakened community, claiming numerous lives. The combination of water scarcity, pest infestations, and disease outbreaks proved insurmountable.
Fire later consumed many remaining structures, leaving behind only scattered ruins of a town that nature had reclaimed.
The Final Years of a Failed Dream
When Pacific Reclamation Company declared bankruptcy in 1920, it dealt a fatal blow to Metropolis’s already fragile existence.
The Pacific Reclamation Company’s collapse in 1920 sealed Metropolis’s fate, marking the beginning of its slow descent into oblivion.
You’d have witnessed the town’s rapid unraveling as economic instability gripped the community, with businesses shuttering and essential services vanishing one by one. The Southern Pacific Railroad’s departure in 1925 further isolated the struggling settlement.
Community conflicts over water rights and dwindling resources accelerated the town’s demise throughout the 1930s.
You would’ve seen the once-proud hotel burn in 1936, never to be rebuilt. The post office’s closure in 1942 and the school’s shutdown in 1947 marked the final chapter of this failed dream.
Exploring the Ruins Today: What Remains of Metropolis
When you visit Metropolis today, you’ll find the most striking feature is the stone arch from the old school building, which stands as a solitary sentinel with its detailed brickwork still intact.
You can access the ghost town via passable roads from Wells, Nevada, about 15 miles away, though it’s best to travel in dry weather conditions.
Throughout the site, you’ll discover scattered brick foundations, the partially standing hotel ruins embraced by sagebrush, and a preserved cemetery that connects visitors to the town’s early inhabitants.
Standing Structures Today
Modern visitors to Metropolis, Nevada will find only scattered ruins of what was once a bustling agricultural community, with the Lincoln School’s prominent arch serving as the most notable surviving landmark.
While ruin exploration is possible, you’ll need to exercise extreme caution due to hazardous floor holes and unstable surfaces throughout the remaining structures.
The school’s basement remains accessible via concrete stairs, though the ground floor is treacherous. The once-impressive Hotel Metropolis has been reduced to mere foundations and scattered blocks.
Historical preservation efforts haven’t maintained the town’s infrastructure – the train depot, post office, and other civic buildings have vanished entirely.
The original commercial district’s cement sidewalks and hydrants have largely surrendered to nature, though Valley View Cemetery endures as a preserved piece of the town’s past.
Getting There Safely
Reaching the remnants of Metropolis requires careful navigation of dirt roads that stretch approximately 12 miles northwest of Wells, Nevada.
You’ll encounter varying road conditions, from well-graded paths suitable for RVs to challenging two-track routes that demand off-road vehicles.
Before heading out, stock up on supplies in Wells, as you won’t find services at the ghost town.
Essential safety tips include carrying plenty of water, wearing sturdy footwear, and informing others of your plans due to spotty cell coverage.
Watch for unstable foundations, sharp debris, and concealed holes while exploring the ruins.
During summer months, plan for intense heat and limited shade.
Remember you’re traversing private ranch lands, so stick to established paths and respect property boundaries.
Frequently Asked Questions
Was There Any Crime or Law Enforcement Presence in Metropolis?
You won’t find any documented crime statistics or formal law enforcement presence there. The town relied on social order and company oversight rather than traditional policing methods during its existence.
Did Any Hollywood Movies or Shows Ever Feature Metropolis?
You won’t find any Hollywood productions filmed at Metropolis. Unlike other Nevada ghost towns that’ve attracted filmmakers, there’s no evidence of movies or shows using Metropolis’s locations for their scenes.
What Happened to the Residents After They Left Metropolis?
Like scattered seeds in the wind, you’ll find that residents dispersed to Mormon communities, nearby towns like Wells and Lovelock, or turned to ranching. Many abandoned farming altogether for more sustainable livelihoods.
Were There Any Churches or Religious Buildings in the Town?
You won’t find dedicated church architecture in Metropolis – the Mormon settlers conducted their religious practices in the town’s amusement hall, which served as their makeshift worship space instead.
Did Any Famous People Ever Visit or Live in Metropolis?
You won’t find any celebrity sightings in this town’s history books! Historical records show no famous visitors or residents during Metropolis’s brief existence – just hardworking Mormon settlers and agricultural hopefuls.
References
- https://travelnevada.com/ghost-town/the-metropolis-that-wasnt/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metropolis
- https://travelnevada.com/ghost-town/metropolis-ghost-town/
- https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/metropolis-ghost-town
- https://www.nevadaappeal.com/news/2018/may/24/the-rise-and-fall-of-metropolis-nevada/
- https://chewandchat.com/2017/05/metropolis-nevada-remembering-town-died-thirst.html
- https://www.supermansupersite.com/metropolisnev.html
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IYbyJATnUc
- https://nevadamagazine.com/issue/september-october-2016/3737/
- https://www.ghosttowns.com/states/nv/metropolis.html
