Virginia City, Nevada is one of America’s largest Historical Landmarks. It is Located just south east of Reno, Nevada, and this historical mining town is easily accessible by car from Lake Tahoe, Reno, or Carson City. It has been rumored that Virginia City’s rich gold and silver mines financed the Civil War. Rich in history, Virginia City and the Comstock Lode still maintain the feel of the hifalutin mining days, when Mark Twain roamed the streets and everybody wanted a piece of the richest place on Earth. The town started with two miners named Pat McLaughlin and Peter O’Reilly when they discovered gold at the head of Six-Mile Canyon in 1859. A fellow miner, Henry Comstock, stumbled upon their find and claimed it was on his property. The gullible McLaughlin and O’Reilly believed him and assured Comstock a place in history when the giant lode was named. The biggest problem in this newly found paradise was the sticky blue-gray mud that clung to picks and shovels. When the mud was assayed, it proved to be silver ore worth over $2,000 a ton. The resulting boom turned Virginny Town, named after miner James Finney or more fondly known as ‘Old Virginny’ into Virginia City, the most important settlement between Denver, Colorado and San Francisco, California, and turned the grubby prospectors into instant millionaires who built mansions, imported furniture and fashions from Europe and the Orient, and financed the Civil War.
At the peak of its glory, Virginia City was a boisterous town with something going on 24 hours a day both above and below ground for its nearly 30,000 residents. A devastating fire nearly wiped out the town in 1875, destroying over 2,000 structures, but the town rebuilt itself in just one year, and many of the historical buildings standing are from that time. The mines closed in 1942, and after World War II, the city began attracting tourists. Today, many mansions such as the Castle, the Mackay Mansion, and the Savage stand as monuments and can be toured by visitors who want to get a feel for the life of a miner during the Comstock. The Virginia & Truckee Railroad runs again from Virginia City to Gold Hill. The largest federally designated Historical District in America is maintained in its original condition. The main business street, is lined with 1860’s and 1870’s buildings with specialty shops of all kinds. Visitors can pan for gold, and there are several restaurants open to the public. There are staged gunfights, saloons, and people in period clothing everywhere you look. The enormous graveyard can also be tored, but wear sturdy shoes as you will have to climb to take it all in.
