Meet a Nevada Mining Town: Eureka
Nevada is home to dozens of old mining towns that popped up overnight, attracted thousands of people in search of their fortune, only to see the area left to history once the boom busted. Get to know a Nevada mining town, Eureka.
Eureka, Nevada was one of Nevada’s most successful 19th century mining regions. Silver-lead ore was discovered in the area in 1864, but the technology to separate the minerals wasn’t available in Nevada, resulting in ore having to be shipped out of state at a significant expense.
Fortunately, the innovative spirit of Nevada mining was alive and well in Eureka. General W.W. McCoy developed and built a new type of smelter in Eureka in 1869, kicking off a major mining boom. Eureka exploded in the 1870s, home to 50 mines and a population of 10,000 people, making it the second largest city in Nevada.
Natural disasters, a labor dispute resulting multiple casualties, and the depletion of ore in the late 1870s caused the boom to come to its conclusion. By the mid-1880s, all of Eureka’s major mine operations had shut down.
Eureka’s story was far from over though. Today, the community is still home to 600 citizens and is a hub for recreational activities in the area. Signs of Eureka’s past remain, and the town has gone to great lengths to maintain and refurbish buildings constructed during the mining boom. One of those buildings, the Eureka Opera House, hosted some of the 19th century’s most well-known performers. Today, the building has been completely refurbished and hosts a number of conventions and special events throughout the year.