Hamilton

The mines of the White Pine District were first discovered in 1865 and supported many thriving towns from 1868 to 1875. The most famous of these early towns was Hamilton, with nearby communities including Eberhardt, Treasure City, and Sherman Town clustered 11 miles south of this point; all are now ghost towns. Hamilton and its nearby cities were established after large-scale silver discoveries in 1868, and during the intense but short-lived silver stampede of 1868 to 1869, about 10,000 people settled in huts and caves on Treasure Hill at Mount Hamilton at elevations from 8,000 to 10,500 feet above sea level. Hamilton was incorporated in 1869, became the first county seat of White Pine County that same year, and was disincorporated in 1875. In that brief period, it developed into a full-sized town with a main street, usual businesses, and a fine brick courthouse built in 1870. Fire destroyed the main portion of the town on June 27, 1873, and it never fully recovered; another fire in 1885 led to the removal of the White Pine county seat to Ely.

Ruth, Nevada · United States