Entry No. 47 — the Las Vegas file — filed under: history
Frenchman Mine
Established in 1907, the Frenchman Mine was a notorious stock scam orchestrated by a Belgian immigrant who was mistaken for French. The promoters lured investors with false claims of rich gold and gypsum veins, building a 100-ton mill in 1913 before abruptly fleeing the area. Today, only concrete foundations of the mill and scattered tailings piles remain at the base of Frenchman Mountain.
The story
In 1907, a Belgian immigrant named Paul—whom everyone in the valley incorrectly assumed was French—helped launch the South Nevada Gold Mining Company alongside its president, George Hillegas. The duo claimed to have struck rich veins of gold and gypsum in the craggy, sun-baked slopes east of Las Vegas. To convince prospective investors that the operation was legitimate, they hyped a major strike in 1912 and went so far as to erect a heavy 100-ton reduction mill directly against the mountainside in 1913.
It was a classic desert stock scam. Once the impressive mill was completed and enough investor cash had been pocketed, the promoters abruptly skipped town, leaving behind zero extracted riches and a massive, useless concrete skeleton. The scheme was so prominent, however, that it permanently stamped the landscape: Frenchman Mountain took its name from a Belgian swindler's lie, giving Las Vegas one of its earliest industrial ghost sites.
What it's like
You'll head to the southern base of Frenchman Mountain in Sunrise Manor, picking up local desert footpaths that lead toward the incline. Don't expect to descend into underground tunnels—the original mine shafts are sealed shut for safety. What you will find are the stark, stepped concrete foundations of the 1913 mill climbing the hillside like ancient ruins. Aim your trip for late afternoon; the decaying concrete takes on a deep amber glow at golden hour, and the high vantage point offers a clean, wide-angle look at the Las Vegas Strip powering up in the distance.
The move: Hike the trails along the southern base of Frenchman Mountain to photograph the concrete mill ruins and watch the sunset over the Las Vegas Strip.
📍 Before you go The mine shafts are sealed and dangerous, but the concrete mill ruins and tailings piles are legally viewable from the surrounding public trails.
- 📍 Sunrise Manor
- 💸 Free
- ⚡ Low-key
- 🌗 Outdoors
Where: Frenchman Mine, Sunrise Manor, NV 89110, USA
Hours: Added 2026-07-20 — confirm current access before you go.
Pair it with
- Woodlawn Cemetery — Pair the concrete carcass of a 1913 mining fraud with the 1914 cemetery where many of early Las Vegas's legitimate pioneers and mob enforcers were eventually laid to rest.
- The Neon Museum — Night Tours — Trade the quiet industrial ruins of pre-boom Las Vegas for the illuminated metal carcasses of mid-century Strip casinos.
- Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort — Blacksmithing Classes — Contrast a turn-of-the-century stock scam with actual hands-on survival history inside Nevada's oldest non-native structure.
Good to know
Can you go inside the Frenchman Mine underground tunnels?
No. The subterranean shafts are completely sealed off and hazardous. Access is restricted to viewing the concrete mill foundations, tailings piles, and outer ruins along public surface trails.
Was any actual gold ever mined here?
Virtually none. The entire enterprise was a stock promotional scheme built around exaggerated claims of gold and gypsum to fleece investors before the organizers fled.
Where is the site located?
The ruins sit along the southern base of Frenchman Mountain in Sunrise Manor, roughly eight miles east of downtown Las Vegas near Boulder Highway and Cheyenne Avenue.
Is there an entry fee or set opening hours?
No. The ruins sit on public desert terrain accessible via hiking footpaths, though you should always confirm local access conditions and stick to daylight or dusk hours for safety.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: raisethestakeseditions.com · nevadaexpeditions.com · nvexpeditions.com · Wikipedia
last checked: 2026-07-20