Among the most important mining discoveries in American history was the Comstock Lode in 1859. Located on the eastern slope of Mount Davidson in Nevada's Washoe County, its mines would produce an estimated $700 million worth of silver and gold ore over the course of sixty years.
The camp set up here to accommodate fortune hunters was called Virginia City. It grew into a boisterous 24/7 town of nearly 30,000 residents at its peak and briefly counted Mark Twain among its residents. So rich was the Comstock Lode that mines were excavated to depths of up to 3,200 feet beneath the town. The area became known as the "Richest Place on Earth.''
By 1920, however, the Lode gave out and miners moved on, leaving just a few small businesses and 500 people behind by 1930. Today, stately old mansions, preserved 19th century shops, and a revived railroad draw about two million visitors a year to Virginia City and the remains of the Comstock Lode mining operations, which have survived as America's largest National Historic Landmark.
The Comstock Lode is located about 23 miles south of Reno, Nevada. Walking tours are free and a number of museums are open to the public, including the Comstock History Center, Comstock Gold Mill, and Ponderosa Mine Tour. The Virginia City Convention and Tourism Authority can be found at the northwest corner of C and Taylor streets.
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