El Dorado Canyon, running toward the Colorado River from this point, was the site of one of the biggest mining booms in Nevada history. Gold and silver mines were developed here about 1859, and rich mines were soon opened. In the 1860's the canyon was bursting with a rowdy population of nearly 500 men, many of them said to be deserters from the Civil War. Because the river was navigable at the time, food and supplies could be brought in by boat. Notorious for feuds and shootings, the canyon was also well known for its three largest mines, the Techatticup, Wall Street, and Savage, which yielded five million dollars during 40 years of operations.