Gabbs, Nevada

Gabbs is an unincorporated community in Nye County, Nevada, United States. The population was 318 at the 2000 census, at which time it was a city. Since then, it has been dis-incorporated, effective May 8, 2001.^[1]

History

Gabbs was founded around December 1941 as a company town for Basic Magnesium, Inc. (BMI), who operated a magnesium production plant in the area. The town grew out of an earlier mining camp named Brucite (after the magnesium oxide brucite that occurred locally), and took the name of the surrounding Gabbs Valley, itself named after palaentologist William Gabb (who had studied fossil specimens from the area). World War II demand for magnesium fuelled the plant's expansion under the direction of the War Production Board, and policing, a jail, and a school district were established during 1942. Gabbs became a township in June 1943, with a population of 426. Settlements at North Gabbs, South Gabbs, and Tent City (which later largely merged into North Gabbs) were served by a library, city hall, parks, and tennis courts, and a succession of local newspapers. The city incorporated on March 29, 1955.^[2]

In September 1944 the original magnesium plant was closed, having produced enough ore to meet targets for the projected duration of the war. The local population initially fell, but revived when a new plant administered by Basic Refractories, Inc., producing magnesium for the private sector, was opened in 1955. The town's population climbed to 796 by 1960.

In 1982 BRI laid off half its 350 workers, prompting the town's population to decline once more. An influx of workers to a gold mine in nearby Paradise Peak briefly expanded the population again during the 1980s and 90s, but this plant too closed in 1994, and in 2001 Gabbs lost its incorporated status.^[3] Today the town retains a high school, stores, and homes.

Geography

Gabbs is located at (38.866469, -117.925512).^[4]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city had a total area of 3.0 square miles (7.8 km²), all of it land.

Demographics

As of the census^[5] of 2000, there were 318 people, 133 households, and 84 families residing in the city. The population density was 105.2 people per square mile (40.7/km²). There were 183 housing units at an average density of 60.5 per square mile (23.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 88.99% White, 2.20% Native American, 0.63% Asian, 0.63% Pacific Islander, 1.57% from other races, and 5.97% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.23% of the population.

There were 133 households out of which 32.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.1% were married couples living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.8% were non-families. 33.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 3.07.

In the city the population was spread out with 29.6% under the age of 18, 5.0% from 18 to 24, 23.6% from 25 to 44, 28.9% from 45 to 64, and 12.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 100.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $28,500, and the median income for a family was $32,917. Males had a median income of $33,365 versus $40,938 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,322. About 6.3% of families and 11.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.6% of those under age 18 and 14.3% of those age 65 or over.

References