Vanderbilt
Silver-lead discoveries in 1869 and 70 led to the establishment of Vanderbilt, below the mine for which it was named. Quickly it grew, reaching a population of nearly 150 by summer, with three stores, two boarding houses, and saloons. A 10-stamp mill was built by the Sierra Valley Mining & Milling Co. for $40,000, but growth at Eureka overshadowed the town and many residents left. A fire which destroyed the mill in September 1872 further sealed Vanderbilt's fate, and it quickly emptied.
By 1880, only twenty-five people remained in the district, when the Geddes and Bertrand Mining & Milling Co. (which was the primary producer and had continued on a small scale since the original boom) built a $300,000 20-ton mill and furnace. The camp experienced a revival, this time taking the name Geddes after Sam Geddes, the Company president. Fire consumed this mill on August 15, 1886, but activity continued until 1896. Lessees worked intermittently until 1940, by which time $722,000 was produced by the district, $630,000 of which was by Geddes and Bertrand.
