The Seven Troughs Mining District lies on the western slope of the Seven Troughs Mountain Range just west of Lovelock. The range and district took their name from seven water troughs built by local sheep rancher Frank M. Ward in 1984 to water his sheep. Large deposits of silver and gold were found there in 1905, and in 1906 and 1907 other valuable minerals led to the formation of the district. From 1907 to 1955, historic production totaled 158,468 ounces of gold grading 35.6 g/t and 995,876 ounces of silver grading 223.9 g/t. Joe Therian, a local blacksmith, received credit for the first discovery of gold and silver ore within the district. Louise A. Friedman was the dominant figure in the district along with William Stauts, who located nine claims along the sides of the canyon that later became part of the Seven Troughs Therian Gold Mines Company. The three northernmost claims were purchased by the Mazuma Hills Extension Mining Company, and around the same time O.T. Owens and Frank Crumpacker made another discovery to the south that later consolidated with Therian. The district included four major town sites. Vernon, the first reached from Lovelock, had a post office, provided mail service to the area, and still retains the remains of its original jail house. Mazuma, at the mouth of Seven Troughs Canyon, was nearly destroyed by a flood on July 18, 1912, when 11 people died. E.H. Bennet recalled that the torrent rushed down the canyon, devastated everything in its path, and swept away members of the Kehoe family and Perry Gillespe near Main Street. Five miles north lay Farrel, named for Jack Farrel after a supposedly unbelievable strike near the town site. At the top of the canyon stood the town of Seven Troughs, where town lots were being sold in 1907 for $250 to 500.00. Other encampments included Tunnel Camp, established in the latter part of 1926 as work increased on an 11,900-foot deep tunnel, and Halfway House, built in 1906 midway between Vernon and Lovelock. Small operations still pull minerals and precious metals from mine sites in the district today.