Silver City
Though some earlier placer work was done in Gold Canyon as early as 1850, Silver City wasn't established until after the Comstock discovery in 1859. Silver City grew, and quickly became an important place with a number of hotels, boarding houses, saloons, and other businesses. By 1861, the population had grown to 1200, and Silver City was the main stop between the Comstock mines and mills on the Carson River. In 1862, the foundry of Mead, McCone, and Tascar was moved from Johntown to Silver City; it was Nevada's first iron works. Additionally, the first silver mill on the Comstock, the Pioneer, was constructed in Silver City. Other mills opened throughout the 1860s, and by 1871 8 mills with 95 stamps operated in the canyon.
Following the completion of the Virginia and Truckee Railroad in 1869, Silver City lost much of its freight business. Silver City began to decline, although mining continued. The first and longest running cyanide mill on the Comstock operated at the Donovan Mill from 1894-1959. In 1934, the 200-ton Dayton Consolidated Mill was built at the south end of town, and it closed until 1942. Today the community has less than 200 residents. Only a few historic buildings remain amid some newer housing; fires in 1928 and 1935 destroyed most from the early days.
