Virginia City

Virginia City was the site of the 1859 discovery of the Comstock Lode, the gigantic deposits of gold and silver in Six Mile Canyon. The discovery, and the resulting influx of prospectors, made Virginia City the most important settlement between Denver and San Francisco. The silver ore discovered in Virginia City was worth $2000 per ton in 1859 dollars. It is estimated that $4 billion to $8 billion (in today's dollars) worth of silver came from the Virginia City mines. At its peak, Virginia City had 30,000 residents, including Mark Twain, who wrote for the Territorial Enterprise, Nevada's first newspaper. And because this was a mining town in the newly forming West, there was something going on nearly 24 hours a day. There were visiting celebrities, Shakespearean theater, opium dens, 2 newspapers, competing fire companies, fraternal organizations, at least five police precincts, a thriving red light district, and the first Miner's Union in the U.S. The International Hotel was six stories high and boasted the West's first elevator, called the "rising room."

A fire nearly wiped out Virginia City in 1875, but it was rebuilt, and many of the buildings we saw are original. The ride to Virginia City was another steep drive up the mountain, but the views are really breathtaking once you're there. Yes, it's a little bit touristy. But the sidewalks are still mostly boardwalk, the buildings are, if not original, at least restored to their original appearance (it's easy to tell which ones really are old). And the history is fascinating. This town is the reason most of the Jeffrey pines were cut down around Lake Tahoe. And it's the reason many people became fabulously wealthy in the mid to late 1800s. Because of the mining in Virginia City, the Virginia & Truckee Railroad was built, which ran from Reno to Carson City to Virginia City and later to Minden.
There is no indication in Virginia City of any great wealth. It is small and dusty and the town gives no hint to its past. The answer is San Francisco: Virginia City is the town that built San Francisco. San Francisco's banks, businesses, magnificent architecture, hotels all were built with money from the Virginia City mines. It is hard to imagine how dangerous it was for the miners and how people had the vision to take a chance in this remote spot. Samuel Clemens, of course, got his start here. After 22 months he left Virginia City as Mark Twain. There are some interesting small museums that we spent some time in, and if you can look beyond the T shirts and souvenirs it is a fascinating place with gorgeous scenery.