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All the United States Nevada White Pine County Hamilton Ghost Town

Hamilton Ghost Town

A Nevada mining boomtown that ran out of silver and luck.

White Pine County, Nevada

Added By
Hannah Wagner
Email
Been Here
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Ruins of the Wells Fargo building   Mark Hufstetler
Ruins of the Wells Fargo building   Mark Hufstetler
A building using metal cans for walls   Ghost Town Explorers
Mill ruins   Ghost Town Explorers
The remains of a stone building   Ghost Town Explorers
The remains of a stone building   Ghost Town Explorers
Remains of a few wooden structures survive.   slgwv / Atlas Obscura User
A precarious ruin indeed!   slgwv / Atlas Obscura User
Remains of a stone building.   slgwv / Atlas Obscura User
Abandoned equipment, including a couple of steam engines.   slgwv / Atlas Obscura User
Foundation of a mill built into a slope just outside town.   slgwv / Atlas Obscura User
Abandoned equipment, perhaps crushers.   slgwv / Atlas Obscura User
Derelict brick building.   slgwv / Atlas Obscura User
Ruins of the J.B Withington Hotel   Ghost Town Explorers
Incongruously, an abandoned late 20th century building has joined the 19th century ruins.   slgwv / Atlas Obscura User
Ruins of Hamilton   QKC
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About

After silver lodes were discovered high on Treasure Hill in 1867, miners flocked to the area below hoping to profit off Earth’s shining minerals. The settlement was called “Cave City” since many miners lived in surrounding caves as materials for buildings were scarce. Ignorant of the brutality of winter in high altitudes, the workers held fast to the hope of riches, and many were successful.

As more bodies came to the area to test their good fortune, the need for an established settlement grew. The town was born after three promoters visited to map out the area, including the W.H. Hamilton, the town's namesake. As the population swelled, banks set up branches, saloons were built up on street corners, and a schoolhouse was established. 

In 1869, the population was 20,000. By then, the booming town had a skate rink, dance halls, banks, two competing newspapers, breweries, an opera house, a soda factory, churches, and a fraternal order. However, nothing lasts forever.

Progress halted when the mines failed. Residents emigrated to the nearby town of Ely. More bad luck arrived when the U.S. Congress demonetized silver in 1873. The population shrunk to just under 4,000 souls. Later that year, a fire destroyed half the town when a cigar shop worker attempted to burn down his shop for insurance money. The town population dwindled to a mere 500. The poor husk of a town was finally wiped out when another fire swept through 10 years later and burned whatever was left wooden and standing.

Today, visitors can return to Hamilton, strewn with the ruins of long-abandoned buildings, to walk back into the memories of the Old West. Driving the scenic route into Hamilton you'll see ragged mountains in the background, and sprawling fields where old stagecoaches used to be robbed twice a week. You can retrace the steps of the intrepid miners who sought the silver in the distance, or imagine sipping a drink in one of the more than 100 saloons that filled a town once full of life.

Related Tags

Ghost Towns Old West Mines

Know Before You Go

The best time to visit is summer or fall. Be warned that the town may resembled a muddy mess during wet seasons.

Community Contributors

Added By

hcw2rp

Edited By

icatsstaci, slgwv

  • icatsstaci
  • slgwv

Published

August 15, 2017

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Sources
  • http://www.exploringnevada.com/scenic-drives/hamilton-scenic-drive.php
  • http://www.ghosttownexplorers.org/nevada/hamilton/hamilton.htm#bmark
  • http://www.ghosttowns.com/states/nv/hamilton.html
  • https://www.reviewjournal.com/entertainment/entertainment-columns/trip-of-the-week/trip-to-hamilton-ghost-town-takes-visitors-back-in-time/
Hamilton Ghost Town
White Pine County, Nevada
United States
39.253056, -115.485

Nearby Places

Belmont Mill

Hamilton, Nevada

miles away

Washburn's Station

Willow Grove, Nevada

miles away

Garnet Hill Rockhound Area

Ruth, Nevada

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of White Pine County

White Pine County

Nevada

Places 2

Nearby Places

Belmont Mill

Hamilton, Nevada

miles away

Washburn's Station

Willow Grove, Nevada

miles away

Garnet Hill Rockhound Area

Ruth, Nevada

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of White Pine County

White Pine County

Nevada

Places 2

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Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
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