American Flat topic of virtual tour

A mobile exhibit highlighting the history surrounding the 1920s United Comstock Merger Mill at American Flat is on display at the Bureau of Land Management District Office in Carson City.

Capable of processing 2,000 tons of ore per day, the mill was reputed to be the largest cyanide mill in the world.

Its concrete-and-steel construction was designed to be solid and permanent. Over the years, the concrete structures gave into decay and the underground voids filled with water posing a serious risk to the public. The BLM contracted demolition of the American Flat Mill for public safety reasons in 2015.

The American Flat Mill exhibit includes a diorama of the historic mill along with descriptions, photographs and maps documenting the mill’s history. The exhibit allows the viewer to imagine the scale and scope of the operation and the mining activities conducted at each of the eight mill buildings.

The exhibit is currently available for viewing between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. at the BLM Carson City District Office public room, 5665 Morgan Mill Road, Carson City. The exhibit will be displayed at the Carson City District BLM office through the first half of December.

A virtual reality tour of the mill buildings as they were prior to demolition may be experienced at http://www.allaroundnevada.com/americanflat/.