Washington
[Not to be confused with Washington in Storey County]
Discoveries in 1860, 1862, and 1863 lead to the creation of the Washington (or Columbus) Mining District as well as the Washington townsite in 1863. That year, a ten-stamp mill was also built by the New Hope Mining Company for $40,000. Unfortunately, it's boom was brief and by 1865 mining came to a close. Unlike most boom-and-bust camps, however, Washington held on due to fertile ground as an agricultural hamlet. An abundance of trees also led to the conversion of the old stamp mill to a sawmill. A small silver revival began in 1870, but it too was short lived and ended two years later.
Mining resumed in 1918 (not including a failed venture in 1912), when the Warner Mining and Milling Company reopened the Warner Mine, site of the original 1860 discovery. A new cyanide and concentration plant was erected, connected to the mine by a 1500-foot tramway. The operation lasted until 1922, after a loss of financial backing. A revival in the mid-1930s brought construction of a new mill and tram, and a small tungsten operation existed from 1956 until 1957, but no lasting work has been done and only some remnants can be found.
