Highland
(Wheelerville)
Silver was discovered on the east side of the Highland Range in 1868. A camp, Highland, was established with a boardinghouse, brewery, saloon, and homes. Ore was transported to Bristol, and though a thirty stamp mill was planned, it never materialized. For a while, some 25 tons of ore was recovered per day.
According to Paher, Highland was abandoned in the 1870s. However, topographic maps continue to show the town (and a school) as late as 1918. In 1949, the Black Prince Mining Company (J.B. Wheeler, President) located a group of claims nearby. By 1953, the site of Highland was relabeled on maps as the Wheeler Ranch, and on at least one mining map as Wheelerville. It is not known to me how long the operation lasted, but it appears to have been abandoned some time ago.
