what was mined in virginia city

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Is there gold in Virginia City Nevada?

LOCATION: At 6,200 feet on Mount Davidson, historic Virginia City is 25 miles from Reno and 45 miles from Lake Tahoe. Like many cities in Nevada, Virginia City was a mining “boomtown” with more than $400 million in gold and silver mined. In today's prices, that's more than $20 billion dollars.

What is Virginia City known for?

Virginia City, Nevada is an old west town that's famous for 1859's Comstock Lode silver ore discovery. With wild Virginia City events, sights, and culture that celebrate its deep roots, Virginia City is a step back in time, any day of the week.

When was gold discovered in Virginia City?

A number of newspapers were published out of Virginia City over the years, and several schools were established. In 1866, Virginia City became the first town in Montana to get a telegraph. The discovery of gold in Last Chance Gulch (Helena) in the summer of 1864 foretold the coming decline of Virginia City.

How was silver discovered in Virginia City?

The 19th-century mining bonanza that turned Virginia City into the most important industrial city between Denver and San Francisco, was the result of the Comstock Lode. A rich deposit of silver ore discovered by Henry Comstock, part-owner of the property on which it was discovered, in June 1859.

Is there still mining in Virginia City?

Virginia City Mines Today the mine is open for visitors. A guided tour lasts 45-minutes and is a 400-foot level walk. Visitors will see the original square-set timbering, silver ore, rock drills, as well as displays of old equipment.

Is Virginia City a tourist trap?

These days Virginia City (pop. 855) is both a tacky tourist trap and one of the most satisfying destinations in the state. It is reachable via a steep (grades in excess of 15 percent) 8-mi (12.8-km) drive up Hwy-341 from US-50.

Can you pan for gold in Virginia City?

Once you emerge into the daylight, let the kids discover another kind of mining – panning. Just across the street from the Ponderosa, the Virginia City Mining Company offers kids, and adults, the chance to strike it rich panning for either gems or gold. Eureka!

Can you pan for gold in Virginia City Montana?

A great family memory! Virginia City, Montana was known as a booming gold mining town, so one of the things you must try while visiting is panning for gold with Gold Rush Adventures.

Is Virginia City MT a ghost town?

Virginia City is a well preserved, very much alive, ghost town which is frozen in time. It is located just 20 miles west of Yellowstone National Park (90 miles by road).

Why is it called Bucket of Blood Saloon?

The Bucket of Blood Saloon, a remnant of Holbrook's lawless past, sits on a street of the same name. It's named for a bloody gunfight that occurred on the 1880s. Arizona is full of towns, roads and landmarks that bear ominous names. A listener asked how one spooky-sounding street got its label.

Is the Comstock Lode still being mined?

returned gold and silver production to the Comstock with its first pour of doré bullion and continues surface mining in lower Gold Hill.

How many miles of tunnels are under Virginia City Nevada?

350 to 750 milesThe Bonanza Saloon, where we had lunch the next day, runs tours through its subterranean maze, part of an estimated 350 to 750 miles of tunnels beneath Virginia City. After lunch we headed for the Chollar Mine, the only major mine on the Comstock Lode open for viewing.

Is Virginia City NV worth visiting?

If one is planning to stay in Reno, then Virginia City is a total must to see and explore. It is arguably one of the best-preserved boomtowns to see anywhere in Nevada. Another great attraction near Reno is the stunning Lake Tahoe - see here for a guide of where to say in Lake Tahoe.

Is Virginia City a ghost town?

Virginia City is a well preserved, very much alive, ghost town which is frozen in time. It is located just 20 miles west of Yellowstone National Park (90 miles by road).

Is Virginia City NV a good place to live?

Virginia City is in Storey County and is one of the best places to live in Nevada. Living in Virginia City offers residents a rural feel and most residents own their homes. In Virginia City there are a lot of bars and restaurants. Many retirees live in Virginia City and residents tend to be conservative.

Why is Virginia City called Virginia?

Settled in 1859 and named for a prospector, “Old Virginia” Fennimore, it became a booming mining camp after the discovery of the Comstock Lode (chiefly silver) on nearby Mount Davidson.

Initial Discovery

The 1859 discovery was made by Irish immigrants James McLaughlin and Peter O’Riley, at the location that would later become the town of Gold Hill, just adjacent to Virginia City.

Virginia City, A Frontier Metropolis

After hundreds of miners arrived at the new district in 1859, two initial communities were formed: Gold Hill at the site of the original discovery, and Virginia City just above that on the slopes of Mount Davidson.

Progress of the Comstock Mines

By 1860, placer deposits and surface outcroppings of ore had been mostly exhausted, and the opportunities for individual miners to strike it rich had mostly run out. The comstock deposits were proving to be extensive and deep, and only through organized capital could they be exploited.

The Big Bonanza

By 1869 the mines of the Comstock were waning and Virginia City was in the midst of a depression. Many began to wonder if the great riches of the district had finally run out. However, a great discovery would be made that would propel the Comstock Lode into even greater heights of international fame.

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Summary of the Ophir mine annual report details the destruction of the devastating 1875 fire, and discusses the great effort that went into rebuilding the mine infrastructure.

Where is the gold mine in Virginia?

Virginia City is the center of one of America's richest gold mining areas. The mining districts of Alder Gulch produced and estimated $50 million in gold, although some historians believe that number is too low and place the total value at around $150 million.

When was the gold discovered in Virginia City?

The spectacular gold deposit discovered in Alder Gulch on May 26, 1863, led to the rapid growth of this legendary gold camp. Thousands of fortune-seekers rushed to the area, and by 1864 the Virginia City area boasted an estimated 10,000 residents.

What happened at Alder Gulch in 1864?

By the end of 1864 all of Alder Gulch was staked with placer mining claims and divided into placer mining districts.

How much gold was recovered from Alder Gulch?

The company's two decades of dredging the seven miles of Alder Gulch were profitable ones with a total of $9,000,000 worth of gold being recovered. Shortly after the dredges were shut down, most were disassembled and the equipment sold for scrap while the heavy wooden barges were left to slowly rot away in their dredge ponds

How many dredges were built in 1915?

Ultimately, six dredges were constructed which, during the next 24 years, processed over 37 million cubic yards of ground along a seven-mile long stretch of bottom land from Virginia City to Alder. The Conrey company's most productive year was in 1915 when it had four electric dredges working at once.

When was the first placer dredge built?

The company bought up placer ground along the gulch as well as a number of ranches below the mouth of the gulch. The first dredge went into operation in 1899. Ultimately, six dredges were constructed which, during the next 24 years, processed over 37 million cubic yards of ground along a seven-mile long stretch of bottom land from Virginia City to Alder.

What districts were found in the Virginia City area?

The Granite district was established along Granite Creek, about two miles northwest of Nevada City. The Highland, Barton Gulch, and Williams Gulch districts were added later to what became the overall Virginia City mining district

Bloodlines and Traditions Live On

After breaking a bottle of whiskey and not wanting it to go to waste, James “Old Virginny” Finney christened the town of Virginia City by naming it after his homeland – Virginia. It wasn’t long after the California gold rush in 1849 that miners headed east towards Virginia City.

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A Comstock Adventure Pass is your access pass to embrace the history that fills our museums, go on a mine tour, explore our historic buildings, take a ride on the famous Virginia & Truckee Railroad and so much more all at a discounted price.

Where was gold mined in Virginia?

Most gold mining in Virginia was concentrated in the Virginia Gold-Pyrite belt in a line that runs northeast to southwest through the counties of Fairfax, Prince William, Stafford, Fauquier, Culpeper, Spotsylvania, Orange, Louisa, Fluvanna, Goochland, Cumberland, and Buckingham. Some gold was also mined in Halifax, Floyd, and Patrick counties.

When was gold first discovered in Virginia?

The earliest recording of gold mining activity in Virginia began about 1804 as placer mining, followed quickly by lode mining. Mining continued unabated until the onset of the California Gold Rush, at which point most serious speculators moved west. Production continued at a low level until the Civil War, when it virtually ground to a halt.

Where was the first gold mine in Goochland County?

the first gold mine in Goochland county. Dillard mine. Quadrangle: Columbia. Location: About 2.65 miles (4.27 km) northeast of Columbia, along the west side of Byrd Creek, 0.55 mile (.88 km) north of State Road 667 from a point approximately 0.35 mile (0.56 km) by State Road 667 west of its crossing over Byrd Creek.

Where are the mines in Goochland County?

Location: About 2.65 miles (4.27 km) northeast of Columbia, along the west side of Byrd Creek, 0.55 mile (.88 km) north of State Road 667 from a point approximately 0.35 mile (0.56 km) by State Road 667 west of its crossing over Byrd Creek.

Where is Shannon Hill Mine?

Location: About 2.7 miles (2.33 km) northeast of Columbia, along and on both sides of a stream flowing southward and near its confluence with Byrd Creek, about 0.65 mile (1.05 km) north of State Road 667 from a point approximately 0.35 mile (0.56 km) by road west of its crossing over Byrd Creek. Shannon Hill mine.

Where is the Louisa gold mine?

Location: About 2.0 to 3.0 miles (3.2 to 4.8 km) southwest of Mineral; according to the Spotsylvania County Deed Books, the mine is located on the old R.E. Dolan property known as the Louisa Gold Company Land tract comprising 766 arces, which includes the Waddy tract and the 104-acre (0.42 km 2) Waldorf tract; near the property of Lewis Thomasson on and along the old Richmond Road (U.S. Highway 33)

Where is Boxley's mine in Lake Anna?

Location: N 4,210,130 E 246,440 (Zone 18) Boxley's mine. Quadrangle: Lake Anna West. Location: About 5.4 miles (8.6 km) northeast of Mineral, just north of and now in the flooded area of Contrary Creek, just west of its intersection with State Road 652.

What was Virginia City known for in the 1870s?

In the 1870s, this used to be a major city that had its own opera house. Photograph: UK. Today, there is only little that could tell of the former world-historical significance of Virginia City. The city is a minor tourist attraction.

Who wrote the report on the silver mines in Comstock?

So we can look at pictures of the miners and their work. Not to mention the report written by Mark Twain, who always makes good reading. He had worked in the Comstock Lode himself.

What type of rock was found in the Virginia Range?

Volcanic vents to the east covered the area during the Tertiary, and a fault fissure opened the east slope of the Virginia Range. The east slope of the range forms the footwall of the Lode, and is composed of diorite, while the hanging wall is composed of andesite, which the miners called "porphyry". The fault fissures filled these fissures with "mineral-bearing quartz".

Where was silver discovered?

Discovery of silver. Bonanza ore, Consolidated California and Virginia Mine, Comstock Lode . Gold was found in this region in the spring of 1850, in Gold Canyon (near present-day Dayton, Nevada ), by a company of Mormon emigrants, one of whom, Abner Blackburn, was their guide.

How was cave in solved?

The cave-in problem was solved by the method of square set timbering invented by Philip Deidesheimer, a German mining engineer from San Francisco, who had been requested to survey the problem by the owners of the Ophir Mine. Previously, timber sets consisting of vertical members on either side of the diggings (ribs) capped by a third horizontal member to support the back (roof), creating a tunnel (drift). However, the Comstock ore bodies were not veins, but sporadic pockets too large for this method. Instead, as ore was removed it was replaced by timbers set as a cube six feet on a side (ribs), front (face) or top (back), all at the same time. Thus, the ore body would be progressively replaced with a timber lattice. Often these voids (stopes) would be re-filled with waste rock from other diggings after ore removal was complete. By this method of building up squares of framed timbers, an ore body of any width may be safely worked to any height or depth. Deidesheimer was appointed to the Ophir as mine manager for his ingenious idea.

How was silver ore extracted?

The ore was first extracted through surface diggings, but these were quickly exhausted and miners had to tunnel underground to reach ore bodies. Unlike most silver ore deposits, which occur in long thin veins, those of the Comstock Lode occurred in discrete masses often hundreds of feet thick. Sometimes, the ore was so soft it could be removed by shovel. Although this allowed the ore to be easily excavated, the weakness of the surrounding rock resulted in frequent and deadly cave-ins. The excavations were carried to depths of more than 3,200 feet (1,000 m) (eventually, after years of work).

Why is Nevada called the Silver State?

Nevada is commonly called the "Silver State" because of the silver produced from the Comstock Lode. However, since 1878, Nevada has been a relatively minor silver producer, with most subsequent bonanzas consisting of more gold than silver.

What is mining on the Comstock?

"Mining on the Comstock", depicting the headframes and mills of the various mines, and mining technology used at Comstock, most prominently the method of square-set timbering developed there to work the veins.

Where were the ore bodies found in the Lode?

The ore bodies were thinly scattered through the wide Lode "like plums in a charity pudding", and nearly all of them were found in the wide upper section and along or near the east wall. Although the miners extended their work in all directions, only "sixteen large and rich ore bodies" were found, most less than 600 feet (180 m) in depth.

When was Chollar Mine mined?

The Chollar Mine just so happens to be one that’s withstood time, and is available for tours today. This mining claim was originally staked in 1859 by William “Billy” Chollar, and later merged with the Potosi Mine to form the Chollar-Potosi Mine.

Is Virginia City a silver mine?

As home of the largest recorded silver strike in United States history, you can bet Virginia City has some impressive historic mine sites. It’s true, dozens of mines catapulted Virginia City from a modest mining camp to the richest city in the West, though very few remain today.

Overview

Most gold mining in Virginia was concentrated in the Virginia Gold-Pyrite belt in a line that runs northeast to southwest through the counties of Fairfax, Prince William, Stafford, Fauquier, Culpeper, Spotsylvania, Orange, Louisa, Fluvanna, Goochland, Cumberland, and Buckingham. Some gold was also mined in Halifax, Floyd, and Patrick counties.

History of Virginia gold mining

Museums and displays about gold mining

List of gold mines, claims, and prospects

Further reading

External links