Barbie recently visited Virginia City, Nevada, which is one
of the oldest and at one time richest cities in the West. It is a very well preserved historical
landmark.
In 1859 prospectors began mining the area in and around the
town and it soon became the site of the largest silver and gold strikes in the
country. They called it the Comstock Lode. The miners worked the seven major mines from
1859 to 1898. They produced nearly 400
million dollars worth of silver and gold.
Using today’s dollars, the amount they mined would be worth billions.
Virginia City was the major hub between Denver and San
Francisco. At its peak there were close
to 15,000 people living in the area. By
the 1930’s, just after the depression, there were only a few hundred people
still living in the town.
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| Virginia City, Nevada |
Today Virginia City contains over one hundred historic
buildings, along with other memorabilia and furniture from the heyday. Barbie enjoyed strolling down C Street on the
wooden sidewalks. It’s the major street
in this Old West town, and is lined with souvenir shops, restaurants, museums,
and saloons. Three of the most popular
saloons are the Bucket of Blood (est. 1876), The Red Dog Saloon (est. 1875) and
The Delta Saloon (est. 1883).
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| MacKay Mansion |
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| Fourth Ward School (1876) |
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Silver Dollar Queen
made with 3,261 Silver Dollars
which were minted in Carson City.
Her belt has 28 twenty-dollar gold
pieces and her necklace and
bracelets
are made using dimes. She
stands
15 feet tall and 8 feet wide
|
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St Mary's in the
Mountains Church
St Mary's in the Mountains Church (1876) Called the "Bonanza
Church" because of the Rich Silver mines of the 1800's |
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| Inside St. Mary's in the Mountains Church |
You can take train rides on the old Virginia & Truckee
Railroad that runs between Virginia City and Gold Hill during the warmer months
(usually Memorial Day through October).
There are also mine tours, trolley rides, ghost tours, a Wild West show,
and tours of many of the old buildings. As
you walk or drive the steep streets of the town you will also see several well
preserved Victorian homes.
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| A Cowboy from the Wild Wild West Show |
Barbie really enjoyed walking through the old Silver Terrace
Cemetery, located on the edge of town.
The site is full of history and interesting grave markers. Most plots have some sort of fencing or
border around them, which was common in the Victorian period.
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| Silver Terrace Cemetery |
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| Silver Terrace Cemetery |
There were five fires during the Comstock years. The largest and most famous became known as ‘The
Great Fire of 1875’. The fire was started
when a coal oil lamp was knocked over in Kate Shea’s Boarding House. Since there were high winds that day, the
fire spread rapidly. When it was all
said and done, there were about two thousand buildings lost. The city was rebuilt in the years following
the fire.
If you visit, be sure to take the Comstock Highway, which is
the twenty mile winding road (which reaches a summit of 6789 feet) that takes
you through Virginia City. On your way you
might even see some wild horses roaming. You will have a chance to stop at some
scenic pullouts for some extraordinary views of the surrounding mountains and
valleys, and will see numerous reminders of the areas rich mining history.
A visit to Virginia City is always a good time, and a fun
way to experience a little bit of the wild wild West!
