Gerlach-Empire, Nevada
Encyclopedia
Gerlach-Empire is a census-designated place
(CDP) in Washoe County
, Nevada
, United States
. The combined population was 499 at the 2000 census. A former company town
for United States Gypsum Corporation, Empire was once home to more than 750 people. It is part of the Reno
–Sparks
Metropolitan Statistical Area
. Most of the population lives in the two tiny settlements of Gerlach, a neighboring hamlet with fewer than 200 people that shares its schools with Empire; the rest live on outlying rural ranching properties. The nearest town, Nixon
, is 60 miles to the south on a reservation owned by the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe
.
, the CDP has a total area of 94.1 mi2, all land. Its elevation is 3946 ft (1,202.7 m).
of 2000, there were 499 people, 234 households, and 146 families residing in the CDP. The population density
was 5.3 people per square mile (2.0/km2). There were 297 housing units at an average density of 3.2 per square mile (1.2/km2). The racial makeup of the CDP was 91.18% White, 2.81% Native American, 0.20% Asian, 4.61% from other races
, and 1.20% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 11.02% of the population.
There were 234 households out of which 26.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.3% were married couples
living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.2% were non-families. 34.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.13 and the average family size was 2.71.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 22.6% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 31.5% from 25 to 44, 29.5% from 45 to 64, and 9.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 116.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 120.6 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $35,088, and the median income for a family was $43,125. Males had a median income of $36,000 versus $23,056 for females. The per capita income
for the CDP was $14,793. About 10.3% of families and 14.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.8% of those under age 18 and 12.7% of those age 65 or over.
, and hunting. Gypsum
mining was the historic staple of the local economy until 2011. Empire was the classic company town
of the United States Gypsum Corporation (USG). All residents of Empire worked for USG and USG owns the properties and buildings. The Empire gypsum mine was the longest continually operating mine in the US, operating for eighty eight years from 1923 to 2011. Most mines were shut down during World War II
as resources were diverted to the war. It was determined that gypsum was an 'essential' resource and the mine was never closed during that period. The town had a church, a public pool, a 9-hole golf course, a post office (89405), and Empire Airport
for light planes. There was also a day care facility for the employees of Empire, and a convenience store with a gas station—the only store for more than 50 miles (80.5 km).
The gypsum plant in Empire closed its doors on January 31, 2011, eliminating 95 jobs. Residents with children were allowed to continue inhabiting their company homes through June 20, 2011, the end of the school year. After that date, Empire effectively became a ghost town
. In response, the local ZIP Code
, 89405, was also discontinued. Four USG employees remain to maintain the property.
The other major industries are a Union Pacific switching station in Gerlach and public services of Washoe County
, which includes its roads department and a K–12 public school owned by the Washoe County School District
; the future of the Gerlach K–12 School is unknown, as it is estimated that after the gypsum plant closes only around a dozen children will remain in Gerlach. Many of the inhabitants of Gerlach are elderly retirees. Many people in Gerlach also have small private businesses. Many are Internet-based, due to the town's remote location. Hunters from all over the west travel to Gerlach to hunt a wide variety of game such as chukar
, geese, deer, antelope, etc. Joe's Gerlach Club hosts an annual chukar feed in late January. Bruno's restaurant hosts several other private parties in a large room in the back which is available for rent.
Since 1991, Burning Man
, a week long countercultural festival with 51,454 participants , has been held nearby. Due to the appearance and actions of many of the participants, local enthusiasm is mixed, but the event is responsible for around 20% of the sales at the few commercial establishments in the area, which include the closest permanent fuel and grocery stops to the event site. The Black Rock Desert
is also the site of many other recreational activities, organized and otherwise, throughout the year.
of the Western Pacific Railroad
between 1905 and 1909.
Empire was founded in 1923; in that year miners formed a tent city while mining a claim originally established by the Pacific Portland Cement Company in 1910. U.S. Gypsum has owned the town since 1948, which reached a maximum population of 750 in the early 1960's. But when the recession forced the company to shut the plant in 2011, the town was unable to survive.
, State Route 48
, and State Route 49
(also known as Jungo Road).
Each town has an airfield, suitable only for light planes. The Gerlach field is simply a graded dirt strip, which is no longer useable. The Empire field is dirt, but light towers at a baseball field directly adjacent to and in line with the eastern end of the runway make approaches from or departures in that direction hazardous. Neither should be used unless under emergency.
's first (credited) film, The Winning of Barbara Worth
(1926).
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
(CDP) in Washoe County
Washoe County, Nevada
Washoe County is a county located in the U.S. state of Nevada. The population was 421,407 at the 2010 census. Its county seat is Reno. Washoe County includes the Reno-Sparks metropolitan area.-History:...
, Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The combined population was 499 at the 2000 census. A former company town
Company town
A company town is a town or city in which much or all real estate, buildings , utilities, hospitals, small businesses such as grocery stores and gas stations, and other necessities or luxuries of life within its borders are owned by a single company...
for United States Gypsum Corporation, Empire was once home to more than 750 people. It is part of the Reno
Reno, Nevada
Reno is the county seat of Washoe County, Nevada, United States. The city has a population of about 220,500 and is the most populous Nevada city outside of the Las Vegas metropolitan area...
–Sparks
Sparks, Nevada
Sparks is a city in Washoe County, Nevada, United States, located east of Reno, Nevada. The 2010 U.S. Census Bureau population count was 90,264. Sparks is often referred to as half of a twin city .-Geography and Climate:...
Metropolitan Statistical Area
Reno-Sparks metropolitan area
The Reno–Sparks Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of two counties in western Nevada, anchored by the cities of Reno and Sparks...
. Most of the population lives in the two tiny settlements of Gerlach, a neighboring hamlet with fewer than 200 people that shares its schools with Empire; the rest live on outlying rural ranching properties. The nearest town, Nixon
Nixon, Nevada
Nixon is a census-designated place in Washoe County, Nevada, USA. The population was 418 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Reno–Sparks Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, is 60 miles to the south on a reservation owned by the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe
Pyramid Lake Indian Reservation
The Pyramid Lake Indian Reservation is a United States reservation in northwestern Nevada ~approximately northeast of Reno, in Washoe, Storey, and Lyon Counties. It lies almost entirely in Washoe County , with but tiny amounts of land in the other two counties . It is governed by the Pyramid Lake...
.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the CDP has a total area of 94.1 mi2, all land. Its elevation is 3946 ft (1,202.7 m).
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 499 people, 234 households, and 146 families residing in the CDP. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 5.3 people per square mile (2.0/km2). There were 297 housing units at an average density of 3.2 per square mile (1.2/km2). The racial makeup of the CDP was 91.18% White, 2.81% Native American, 0.20% Asian, 4.61% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.20% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 11.02% of the population.
There were 234 households out of which 26.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.3% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.2% were non-families. 34.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.13 and the average family size was 2.71.
In the CDP the population was spread out with 22.6% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 31.5% from 25 to 44, 29.5% from 45 to 64, and 9.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 116.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 120.6 males.
The median income for a household in the CDP was $35,088, and the median income for a family was $43,125. Males had a median income of $36,000 versus $23,056 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the CDP was $14,793. About 10.3% of families and 14.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.8% of those under age 18 and 12.7% of those age 65 or over.
Economy
The economies of Gerlach and Empire focus on tourism in the nearby Black Rock DesertBlack Rock Desert
The Black Rock Desert is an arid region in the northern Nevada section of the Great Basin with a lakebed that is a dry remnant of Pleistocene Lake Lahontan...
, and hunting. Gypsum
Gypsum
Gypsum is a very soft sulfate mineral composed of calcium sulfate dihydrate, with the chemical formula CaSO4·2H2O. It is found in alabaster, a decorative stone used in Ancient Egypt. It is the second softest mineral on the Mohs Hardness Scale...
mining was the historic staple of the local economy until 2011. Empire was the classic company town
Company town
A company town is a town or city in which much or all real estate, buildings , utilities, hospitals, small businesses such as grocery stores and gas stations, and other necessities or luxuries of life within its borders are owned by a single company...
of the United States Gypsum Corporation (USG). All residents of Empire worked for USG and USG owns the properties and buildings. The Empire gypsum mine was the longest continually operating mine in the US, operating for eighty eight years from 1923 to 2011. Most mines were shut down during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
as resources were diverted to the war. It was determined that gypsum was an 'essential' resource and the mine was never closed during that period. The town had a church, a public pool, a 9-hole golf course, a post office (89405), and Empire Airport
Empire Airport (Nevada)
Empire Airport is a public airport located on the west side of Empire, in Washoe County, Nevada, USA.- Facilities :Empire Airport covers and has two runways:* Runway 7/25: , Surface: Dirt* Runway 18/36: , Surface: Dirt...
for light planes. There was also a day care facility for the employees of Empire, and a convenience store with a gas station—the only store for more than 50 miles (80.5 km).
The gypsum plant in Empire closed its doors on January 31, 2011, eliminating 95 jobs. Residents with children were allowed to continue inhabiting their company homes through June 20, 2011, the end of the school year. After that date, Empire effectively became a ghost town
Ghost town
A ghost town is an abandoned town or city. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it has failed, or due to natural or human-caused disasters such as floods, government actions, uncontrolled lawlessness, war, or nuclear disasters...
. In response, the local ZIP Code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
, 89405, was also discontinued. Four USG employees remain to maintain the property.
The other major industries are a Union Pacific switching station in Gerlach and public services of Washoe County
Washoe County, Nevada
Washoe County is a county located in the U.S. state of Nevada. The population was 421,407 at the 2010 census. Its county seat is Reno. Washoe County includes the Reno-Sparks metropolitan area.-History:...
, which includes its roads department and a K–12 public school owned by the Washoe County School District
Washoe County School District
The Washoe County School District is a public school district providing public education to students in Washoe County, Nevada, including the cities of Reno, Sparks, Verdi, Incline Village, and Gerlach. As of September 2006, the school district had 63,098 students enrolled. It is the second...
; the future of the Gerlach K–12 School is unknown, as it is estimated that after the gypsum plant closes only around a dozen children will remain in Gerlach. Many of the inhabitants of Gerlach are elderly retirees. Many people in Gerlach also have small private businesses. Many are Internet-based, due to the town's remote location. Hunters from all over the west travel to Gerlach to hunt a wide variety of game such as chukar
Chukar
The Chukar Partridge or Chukar is a Eurasian upland gamebird in the pheasant family Phasianidae. It has been considered to form a superspecies complex along with the Rock Partridge, Philby's Partridge and Przevalski's Partridge and treated in the past as conspecific particularly with the first...
, geese, deer, antelope, etc. Joe's Gerlach Club hosts an annual chukar feed in late January. Bruno's restaurant hosts several other private parties in a large room in the back which is available for rent.
Since 1991, Burning Man
Burning Man
Burning Man is a week-long annual event held in the Black Rock Desert in northern Nevada, in the United States. The event starts on the Monday before the American Labor Day holiday, and ends on the holiday itself. It takes its name from the ritual burning of a large wooden effigy on Saturday evening...
, a week long countercultural festival with 51,454 participants , has been held nearby. Due to the appearance and actions of many of the participants, local enthusiasm is mixed, but the event is responsible for around 20% of the sales at the few commercial establishments in the area, which include the closest permanent fuel and grocery stops to the event site. The Black Rock Desert
Black Rock Desert
The Black Rock Desert is an arid region in the northern Nevada section of the Great Basin with a lakebed that is a dry remnant of Pleistocene Lake Lahontan...
is also the site of many other recreational activities, organized and otherwise, throughout the year.
History
Gerlach was founded during the construction of the Feather River RouteFeather River Route
The Feather River Route is a rail line that was built and operated by the Western Pacific Railroad. It was constructed between 1906 and 1909, and connects the cities of Oakland, California, and Salt Lake City, Utah...
of the Western Pacific Railroad
Western Pacific Railroad
The Western Pacific Railroad was a Class I railroad in the United States. It was formed in 1903 as an attempt to break the near-monopoly the Southern Pacific Railroad had on rail service into northern California...
between 1905 and 1909.
Empire was founded in 1923; in that year miners formed a tent city while mining a claim originally established by the Pacific Portland Cement Company in 1910. U.S. Gypsum has owned the town since 1948, which reached a maximum population of 750 in the early 1960's. But when the recession forced the company to shut the plant in 2011, the town was unable to survive.
Transportation
Primary highway access to both Empire and Gerlach is provided by State Route 447. Gerlach can also be accessed via three former state highways: State Route 34Nevada State Route 34
Former SR 34 is a signed decommissioned State highway in Nevada from prior to the state's highway restructuring in 1978. Today a portion of former SR 34 is maintained by the Washoe County as a county highway with the not well known designation CR 34...
, State Route 48
Nevada State Route 48
State Route 48 is the previous designation for State Routes 399 and 854 from Interstate 80 at Lovelock northwest to near Eagle Picher Mine, then northwest along an unimproved road to meet former State Route 49 east of Gerlach....
, and State Route 49
Nevada State Route 49
State Route 49, also known as Jungo Road, is an unimproved road from State Route 447 near Gerlach east to Winnemucca via Sulphur and Jungo...
(also known as Jungo Road).
Each town has an airfield, suitable only for light planes. The Gerlach field is simply a graded dirt strip, which is no longer useable. The Empire field is dirt, but light towers at a baseball field directly adjacent to and in line with the eastern end of the runway make approaches from or departures in that direction hazardous. Neither should be used unless under emergency.
In film
Gerlach was one of the film locations for the film Far From Home (1989). Gerlach was also the site for Gary CooperGary Cooper
Frank James Cooper, known professionally as Gary Cooper, was an American film actor. He was renowned for his quiet, understated acting style and his stoic, but at times intense screen persona, which was particularly well suited to the many Westerns he made...
's first (credited) film, The Winning of Barbara Worth
The Winning of Barbara Worth
The Winning of Barbara Worth is a silent western film, released by United Artists in 1926, and starring Ronald Colman, Vilma Bánky, and Gary Cooper . The film is based on the novel of the same name by Harold Bell Wright and was filmed in the Black Rock Desert, Nevada...
(1926).