Arden Quarries

What secrets do the scarred hills hold? We’re at Arden Quarries, a place etched into the Las Vegas landscape. Arden Quarries isn’t just a hole in the ground. It whispers stories of a boom-and-bust past, tied to the rise and fall of industries. Arden Quarries takes its name from a railroad stop on the San Pedro, Los Angeles & Salt Lake Railroad. The station was named after E.H. Harriman’s New York estate. He was a railroad tycoon. The railroad arrived in 1905, opening up the area for development. Soon after, gypsum was discovered. By 1907, the Arden Plaster Company was formed. A narrow-gauge railroad snaked five miles into the hills, carrying gypsum from the mines to a new mill at Arden. The mill at Arden Quarries wasn’t always smooth sailing. It faced difficulties, including a devastating fire in 1912. It was rebuilt and eventually bought by U.S. Gypsum Company in 1919. They operated the mill until 1930. Another gypsum operation sprung up nearby in 1925 by the Blue Diamond Corporation. They built their own mill and a standard-gauge rail line. Both rail lines, however, eventually fell into disuse. The little town of Arden, once bustling with activity, faded. By the 1970s, only a water tower remained, a lonely sentinel against the encroaching growth of Las Vegas. The tower was repurposed as a cell tower, a symbol of the changing times. Today, Arden Quarries exists amidst a sea of modern development, a scar on the landscape that reminds us of the industries that once thrived here. Traces of the old railroad grades can still be found, hidden among the housing tracts. They are like whispers of a bygone era, a reminder of the boom and bust cycles that have shaped the Las Vegas Valley. So, next time you pass by these scarred hills, remember the stories of Arden Quarries. Remember the clang of machinery, the whistle of the train, and the workers who toiled to extract the valuable gypsum. Arden Quarries is a silent testament to their efforts.