38.532222, -116.888056

Monarch could have been one of Nevada's largest and most successful mining camps in its history, except for two small problems. There was never any ore, and it was all a scam.

"Reverend" Ben Blanchard was a turn of the century con-man who, according to Mike McCormick of the Terre Haute, Indiana Tribune Star, "...acquired the reputation of being one of the slickest, likable, con men in the West." Blanchard discovered the largest strata of pure rock salt in the Western Hemisphere near Hutchinson, Kansas in 1887. He founded the nearby town of South Hutchinson, which still exists today. the other two towns he founded, Blanchard, Arizona, and Monarch, Nevada, were cons resulting in the theft of thousands of dollars. Blanchard sold lots and bilked investors out of their money and then vanished like a thief in the night. In Monarch, he managed to sell about 2400 lots, and eventually 130 residents lived there. But when the creditors came a'callin', the bubble burst, and Monarch was no more.

Well, if the newspaper says it's OK, let's grab our shovels and head over there!

A PAPER AT MONARCH. The Monarch Tribune is the name of a new paper just established at Monarch, which is about five miles south of Belmont. The paper is being edited by Lester W. Haworth of the Manhattan Mail. The editor in his salutatory in part says: "The Monarch Tribune expects to enjoy long life and a fair portion of prosperity. It is not here to boom Monarch. It is here to tell what the people of Monarch do and propose to do." The paper is a four-page folio and its initial number is a very creditable one. May its life be a long and prosperous one.
-Tonopah Bonanza, August 8, 1906

All signs point to success!

MANHATTAN NOW HAS HEALTHY RIVAL
Monarch Is the Name of a Thriving New Camp Backed By Standard Oil Which Has Sprung Up Eighteen Miles South of Southern City
Manhattan is to have a rival. The newest wonder is located eighteen miles from Manhattan and already has a newspaper, the Monarch Tribune. Volume 1, No. 1. is just out and tells a great many things about the camp that cannot help but be interesting. The Reno Stock Brokerage Company has had representatives at the place for the past few weeks, but so quietly has the camp been started that only a few knew of it until recently. A letter received by a well-kn own Renoite yesterday, best tells of the conditions at Monarch. It is as follows:
I take pleasure in informing you of the rush into Monarch, the new mining camp located eighteen miles from Manhattan. Three days ago the news was brought into Manhattan that there was a company in the field buying and locating all the claims they could get; yesterday over 300 people left here for the strike. I managed to arrive there yesterday at noon and spent twenty-four hours looking over the properties. I was greatly surprised to find out that a company, backed by the Standard Oil had been operating in this district for over two months and had 180 claims located and surveyed and recorded. The company's intentions were to buy and locale everything they could before the outside world beard of it but the news leaked out. They have contracted for a number of brick buildings and frame buildings on lots in their townsite, also for a great deal of work, so you can see they mean business. The first issue of the Monarch Standard will be out tomorrow. I will send you a copy as soon possible.
-Nevada State Journal, August 22, 1906

Uh-oh. This doesn't sound good.

EXCITEMENT AT MONARCH
MANHATTAN, October 3.—Attachments aggregating $30,000 have been plastered upon the property of Rev. Benjamin Blanchard and the Monarch Townsite company, which is alleged by its creditors to be in an insolvent condition. Every visible bit of property belonging to the corporation has been levied upon and the creditors are anxiously seeking Blanchard, whom reports says left Monarch a few days ago with all the funds of the company, $40,000, derived from the sale of lots to local and eastern people. Blanchard's friends deny this story and say that the company is solvent and flourishing and that Blanchard will return. Affairs are in an uncertain condition. The air is charged with suspicion and in spite of the assuring statements of Blanchard's associates creditors are hastening to file their claims. Charles Wise, C. L. Richards and A. McKimmons, who allowed their names to be used in the formation of a directorate for the company, have disclaimed all interest in it or knowledge of its affairs and say they know nothing of Blanchard or where he has gone. Blanchard located in Manhattan several months ago and recently floated the Monarch Townsite scheme. He claimed the vicinity of the camp was highly mineralized and proposed to colonize a large number of Kansas City and other Missouri people at Monarch. He laid out a site containing 2400 lots and these he sold mainly in Kansas City and the surrounding country. Ha then planned for several big excursions to run from Kansas • City to Monarch to bring the new settlers who were assured abundant work, a mining claim and a town lot each. From the outstart several of the Southern Nevada newspapers criticised the district. claiming it carried little or no pay ore and that there was nothing to sustain the camp. The Monarch Tribune, located in the camp, has always defended the district, however, claiming that it would become a producer and that the people who were investing would not lose their money. The Tribune still insists that Blanchard has been cruelly wronged by false reports, that he will return and that no one will lose. It ridicules the story that he left with the funds of the corporation. A large number of carpenters and other mechanics have been employed by Blanchard erecting cabins and business buildings. These mechanics have faith in Blanchard's enterprise and have so expressed themselves in a public meeting. The largest creditors of Blanchard are located at Tonopah. In that camp alone he owes about $24,000. The bulk of the remainder is owed at Manhattan. The creditors are greatly worried over the state of affairs.
-Reno Evening Gazette, October 3, 1906

TOWN OF MONARCH IS HAVING TROUBLE
Most uncomplimentary remarks are made on every side regarding Blanchard and his alleged misrepresentations. Among other things he is reported to have sold lots in the townsite for ranching and farming purposes. The purchasers being at present living as far east as Missouri. Their expectations of farming on the arid and waterless desert are likely to experience a rude awakening. It is claimed that Rev. Blanchard through his religious calling, preyed upon the unsuspecting and, therefore, his hypocrisy was all the greater. Probably the greatest hardship resulting from the present complications, will fall upon the numerous laborers, to whom it is stated wages aggregating $10,000 are owed. A number of those interested have expressed themselves as believing that Blanchard will yet clear up the trouble and that the work will proceed. Blanchard's scheme, it is alleged, is to gather together as much money as possible from sale of lots and other sources and then allow the proposition to drop. That matters have not as yet reached a point where such a thing would be possible, is a reason advanced by some, as leading them to think that he will return to take care of his obligations. At the present time he is supposed to be in the east.
-Tonopah Bonanza, October 6, 1906

Yo Reverend! We have some folks that want to chat you up.

They didn't know it, but it was over before it even started.

Monarch But A Memory.
Monarch is now simply an unpleasant memory: it no longer possesses even a chimerical entity. The site of the most pernicious wildcat scheme in the history of the State is resolving itself back into the dust and desolution that gave it birth. The laborers and business people are now convinced that Rev. Benjamin Blanchard is a fakir and a fugitive. Those who are able have left the camp and others are leaving daily. daily. Some of those that linger in the wildcat camp are still toiling away with as little hope as Sisyphus in the barren earth. They have had no pay in many weeks and the supply of blasting powder has long been exhausted. The boarding house has been closed by attachment and the caretaker of the company store has received strict orders from Deputy Sherie Enkhouse to dispose of no goods on credit. Thursday evening fifteen miners from Monarch held a meeting in Judge Chambers' office. An average of $200 each is owing to them by the wildcat. After discussing the matter for some time it was decided to assign all the claims to one person and employ a lawyer to recover under a mechanic's lien. This brings the amount of the claims against Blanchard, et al, up to $73,000 with more to follow. It is rumored that proceedings of a very sensational nature are shortly to be instituted.
-Tonopah Bonanza, October 27, 1906

And now it's really over.

SHERIFF'S SALE.
IN THE DISTRICT COURT OF THE STATE OF NEVADA. IN AND FOR THE COUNTY OF NYE.
Lothrop-Davis Company, a Corporation, Plaintiff.
Vs.
Ben Blanchard, et al, Defendants.
By virtue of an execution issued out of the District Court of the Third Judicial District, County of Nye, State of Nevada. wherein Lothrop-Davis Company, a corporation, plaintiff, and Colonial Investment Company, a corporation; National Gold & Copper Company, a corporation; Ben Blanchard, Monarch Investment Company, a corporation; Howell Mining Company, a corporation; Continental Consolidated do Mining Company, a corporation, and Benoni Copper Company, a corporation, defendants, upon a Judgment rendered to on the 21st day of December, A. D., 1906, for the sum of five thousand two hundred and eighty-one dollars and sixty-three cents ($5,281.63). United States gold coin, besides costs and interest, I have this day levied upon all the right, title, claim and interest of said defendants, Colonial Investment Company. a corporation; National Gold & Copper Company, a corporation; Howell Mining Company. a corporation; Continental Consolidated Mining Company, a corporation, and Benoni Copper Company, a corporation, of in and to the following described real estate, to-wit:
Lot 116 Main street and the two-story frame building located thereon;
Lot 83 Main street and one-story frame building located thereon;
Lots 80 and 82 Main street, and three one-story frame business houses located thereon;
Lots 67 and 69 Main street, and two 2 frame business houses located thereon; one small one-room frame building, known as a Paint Shop, and the lot , upon which same is located; one frame building about one-half mile south of the Town of Monarch, known as the Company's blacksmith shop, and the land upon which same is situated; Lot 3 125 "D" and one three-room cottage located thereon;
Lot 137 "D" and one three-room frame cottage located thereon;
Lot 157 "D" and one three-room frame cottage located thereon;
Lot 97 "C" and one three-room frame cottage located thereon;
Lot 117 "C" and one three-room cottage located c thereon;
Lot 65 "C" and one three-room cottage located thereon;
Lot 55 I "B" and one two-room cottage located I thereon;
Lot 69 "B" and one three room cottage located thereon;
Lot 117 I "B" and one three-room cottage located thereon;
all of the said property being located at the Town of Monarch, Nye County, Nevada. Public notice is hereby given that I will on Monday. the 11th day of February, A. D., 1907, at 2 o'clock p. m. of said day, in front of the Court House Door of the County of Nye, sell at public auction for United States gold I coin, all the right, title,. claim and interest of said defendants, Colonial Investment Company, a corporation; National Gold & Copper Company, a corporation; Howell Mining Company, a corporation; Continental Consolidated Mining Company, a corporation, and Benoni Copper Company, a corporation, in and to the above described property or so much thereof as may be necessary to raise sufficient money to satisfy said Judgment with interest and cost. etc, to the highest and best bidder.
J. J. OWNES, Sheriff.
By Vail Pittman, Deputy.
Dated Jan. 15th. 1907.
First publication January 19, 1907.
-Tonopah Bonanza, February 2, 1907

And "Reverend" Blanchard? Well, according to Ben Blanchard: Triumphs and defeats - Part V by Mike McCormick, after moving around to escape creditors-- including a stint in England between 1910 and 1923-- he eventually wound up living in a windowless shack without water or electricity, herding goats-- yes, really-- in the Chesapeake Valley. He eventually died in his sister's home in Terre Haute on March 24, 1942, at age 84.

Something was here, but it's hard to tell what- we couldn't find much in the way of foundations or ruins in the area, although there is quite a bit of glass and numerous can dumps.