Western Mining History : Reliving the Industrial Revolution of the West

Nevada has a long history of silver and gold production. in the late 1850's, the comstock lode silver discovery became one of the most significant events in the history of the mining west. Virginia City, born from the Comstock mines, was one of the West's most important mining centers. The Comstock lode was possibly the most valuable single ore deposit ever discovered. Nevada ranks 5th in total gold production among the western states and remains an important gold producer to this day.

Nevada was also the location of the last of the great gold rushes at Goldfield. Goldfield also became the biggest boom and bust story in the West as it quickly became the largest city in Nevada and then suffered a dramatic series of events that left it virtually abandoned by the 1920's