Gold Hill, Nevada

Gold Hill Nevada 1870's
Gold Hill Nevada 1870's

Gold Hill History

Gold Hill, along with Virginia City, was one of the two settlements that popped up at the initial silver discoveries of the Comstock Lode. Although Gold Hill was smaller than Virginia City, it still became a significant city of around 8,000 people.

Gold Hill's prosperity lasted over two decades, from the mid-1860s until the late 1880s. Considered the working class city compared to the opulent and prosperous Virginia City, Gold Hill was the industrial center of the Comstock Lode. Both cities grew to the point that they essentially merged at a point known as "The Divide".

Crown Point Trestle - Gold Hill Nevada
Crown Point Trestle - Gold Hill, Nevada

Historic photos depict Gold Hill as a dense city built right among the mines. Mines such as the Yellow Jacket, Crown Point, and Belcher brought in over $10 million each in dividends.

1900 view of Gold Hill Nevada
Gold Hill had declined significantly by the time this 1900 photo was taken

Gold Hill declined along with the mines of the district. By the 1890s the great prosperity of the Comstock was largely over. Mining continued at various levels until World War II, so Gold Hill was never completely abandoned.

Modern View of Gold Hill Nevada
odern View of Gold Hill, Nevada

The Gold Hill post office remained in operation until 1943. Today Gold Hill exists as a shell of its former self; its population in 2005 was 191. Historical remnants of the town can still be seen, including the Gold Hill Hotel, promoted as Nevada's oldest hotel, in existence since some time prior to 1862; the former Bank of California building; the train depot; and remains of several of the mines.

Gold Hill Hotel
Gold Hill Hotel

The Comstock Lode: Nevada's "Big Bonanza"

Comstock Lode photos

Numerous additional photos can be viewed at The Comstock Lode: Nevada's "Big Bonanza".

Mill Locations of the Comstock Lode

Mill Locations of the Comstock Lode

The WMH Member's Journal Volume 2 - Mill Locations of the Comstock Lode takes a look at the distribution of over 200 historical mill sites from the peak years of the great Comstock mining era.

Nevada Mining Photos

A Collection of Nevada Mining Photos
A Collection of Nevada Mining Photos

A Collection of Nevada Mining Photos contains numerous examples of Nevada's best historic mining scenes.

Nevada Gold

Gold Districts of Nevada

Nevada has a total of 368 distinct gold districts. Of the of those, just 36 are major producers with production and/or reserves of over 1,000,000 ounces, 49 have production and/or reserves of over 100,000 ounces, with the rest having less than 100,000 ounces. Read more: Gold Districts of Nevada.