The Historic Groom Mine & Residence has been owned an operated by us, the Sheahan family, since 1889. Rich in several precious metals including lead, silver and gold, we diligently mined the land, paving our way in Nevada mining history. In time, the Groom Mine became our foundation, livelihood and home. In the 1940s, the U.S. Government set their sights on southern Nevada as prime real estate for an aircraft testing facility. Slowly, the U.S. Government drove every mine in the vicinity out of the area- except for our family, who held and continues to hold six patented mining claims dating back to 1864 and 15 unpatented claims. After Congress passed the General Mining Act of 1872, President Ulysses S. Grant not only signed the White Lake and Conception Patents, but in writing, granted us the “exclusive right to enjoyment of all the lands within the boundaries, forever.” Due to the stature of such claims, our family was able to remain living on and continue mining our land. On June 23, 1954 at approximately 12 p.m., the heart and soul of our property, the mill, was bombed causing more than $1 million in damages. The destruction was devastating, as we watched decades of hard work, dedication and history burst into flames. The wreckage forced us to uproot our home, relocate and re-start our careers elsewhere. Less than a year later, the USAF acquired the land just north of the Groom property and established an Air Force Base, known today as Area 51. Since, we have been granted limited access to our property.