Rio Tinto came about in 1932 after Franklin Hunt discovered copper a few miles south of Mountain City. His discovery started a boom that rejuvenated Mountain City as well as created Rio Tinto. Rio Tinto has the distinction of being one of Nevada’s last boomtowns. The town was named after the Rio Tinto copper mines in Spain that produced ore for 3,000 years.

The onset of World War II hurt many mines in the West, but Rio Tinto flourished because of copper’s strategic nature. With the decrease of the price of copper during and after World War II led to the eventual closing of the mines. All operations ceased in 1948, and the town was abandoned in 1949.

Since Rio Tinto is on private property and is now posted "No Trespassing," all photos had to be taken from a distance using a telephoto lens. Because of the posting, I was unable to tour and photograph any of the mine or mill.