Metallic City History
Metallic City, also known as Pickhandle Gulch, was the second settlement built among the mines of the Candelaria district. It's most notable mine was the Mount Diablo mine, which was one of the district's top producers.
Settled around 1876, Metallic City peaked in the years 1880 and 1881 with a few hundred residents, and during this brief period the town had a post office. It was said to have a store, barbershop, and five saloons.
Although this was never a town of much renown, it get mentioned in newspapers on occasion–some of which is included below.
Metallic City in the News
From the The Daily Appeal Carson City, Nevada December 22, 1881:
Candelaria, with its foster sister, Metallic City, near the head of Pickhandle Gulch, contains a population of perhaps 700 or 800, divided in a proportion of four to one, Candelaria being the greater. Situated on the southern slope of the Candelaria range, or "mountains," the larger place has two prominent natural advantages, viz: good drainage and proximity to the prominent mines. Its disadvantages are dearth of water and a north side location. Metallic City is pretentious, but is in the "gulch" and has no room to spread itself. Candelaria is not at present a bustling town, though its business is on the increase, and its pros- pects very favorable.
From The Pioche Record 29 Aug 1876:
David Burns, a miner in the employ of the Metallio Company, was shot at the door of Mulloy's saloon, Metallic City, near Columbus, on Tuesday evening last. He says that a couple of his friends were "arguing" in the saloon, and as they were coming out of the door he endeavored quietly to take a six shooter away from one of them. Burns did not know that the pistol was cocked and in twisting it around somehow it went off, the ball entering the inside of his left leg above the knee.
From the Yerington Times 09 Sep 1882:
Metallic City boasts an unique appearing house. Its walls are made of empty candle boxes filled with sand and piled on each other. The outside has been painted a brick color, and striped so that the structure looks as though it was made of bricks.
From The Pioche Record 03 Jul 1880:
According to the True Fissure this happened in a quiet place: The "Hard man from Candelaria" glared on the "Hard man from Pickhandle Gulch." At the end of three minutes as each went his way, the fondest mother in the land could not have recognized her son in either of the disputants.
From the Walker Lake Bulletin 13 Feb 1884:
There was another shooting matinee at Pickhandle Gulch on Thursday night. The affair occurred in John Sellers' saloon, where Ed Iliff, who bears the nickname of "Tantoodler," and Sam Vickery were playing cards. They quarreled about a difference of two bits, resulting in the former taking a shot at the latter. It missed the intended mark, but made a hole in the fleshy part of John Dee's left shoulder. No bone was hit and the wound is not serious. The shooter gave himself up and his examination began yesterday and was continued until today. The result was not learned up to the hour of going to press.
Nevada Mining Photos
A Collection of Nevada Mining Photos contains numerous examples of Nevada's best historic mining scenes.
Nevada Gold
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.
