Eberhardt
T.E. Eberhardt discovered rich silver and located the Eberhardt Mine in December 1867; the mine was said to be rich enough to have walls and ceilings lined with silver. In early 1869, construction was started on the Stanford (or California) Mill. In June, the thirty-stamp International Mill began construction as well. In the meantime, a camp of more than 200 developed. The Stanford Mill was finally placed into operation on October 20, 1869, while the International Mill didn't start until May 1871 (delays occured due to construction of a massive tramway, at the time the largest in the nation). Pipelines were laid by the British-controlled Eberhardt & Aurora Company to Applegarth Springs, a mile and a half away, to provide water to the town and International Mill.
On August 31, 1872, the International Mill was destroyed by a mysterious fire, but it was rebuilt and placed back into operation in November of the following year. In 1876, the Stanford Mill ceased operation and was dismantled. Nevertheless, Eberhardt maintained a population of 170 into the 1880s, before beginning to decline. In 1885, the International Mill was closed. By 1897, only two remained in the town, and the last work (done by lessees) ended in 1904.
