Gold Hill, Nevada facts for kids
Gold Hill is a small town in Storey County, Nevada. It's not officially a city with its own government, which is what "unincorporated community" means. It's located just south and downhill from the famous Virginia City.
History of Gold Hill
Gold Hill became an official town on December 17, 1862. This was done to stop the bigger town of Virginia City from taking it over. At one time, Gold Hill was a busy place with at least 8,000 people living there.
The town was very successful for about 20 years, from 1868 to 1888. This success came from mining the Comstock Lode. This was a huge natural deposit of gold and silver ore. Mines like the Yellow Jacket, Crown Point, and Belcher each made over $10 million in profits.
You can still see parts of the old town today. These include the Gold Hill Hotel, which is said to be Nevada's oldest hotel, open since 1861. There's also the old Bank of California building and the restored Virginia & Truckee Railroad depot. You can also see the Crown Point Mill, built during the Great Depression, and parts of old mines and homes.
Even though it was close to Virginia City, Gold Hill had its own lively entertainment. The Gold Hill Daily News newspaper started in 1863. By 1862, Gold Hill also had a theater. Many people in Gold Hill worked in mining, and a large number of them were Irish immigrants. Many Cornish miners also settled in Gold Hill.
Later, mining continued in the area from 1927 until 1942. Mining stopped then because of a government order during World War II. This order shut down all gold mines in the United States that were not essential for the war effort. After 1930, almost a hundred million dollars' worth of ore was taken out of the ground. Today, mining has started again in lower Gold Hill. The Gold Hill post office stayed open until 1943.
In 1976, a man named Bob Gray bought a part of the old Virginia & Truckee Railroad line. He loved this railroad since he was a teenager. He put new tracks down and started running a steam-powered train for tourists. The track was extended to Gold Hill in 1992.
In 1994, the Gold Hill Historical Society was created. Their goal was to save the Gold Hill depot. This depot was one of the few wooden buildings in the area that survived a big fire in Virginia City in 1875. After many years of hard work, the railroad between Gold Hill and the Carson River is being rebuilt. Today, Gold Hill is a stop on this tourist railroad. Historic steam trains run here, bringing many visitors each year.
Today, Gold Hill is much smaller than it used to be. In 2005, only 191 people lived there. It is now part of the larger Reno–Sparks area.
Famous People from Gold Hill
- Marion Jones Farquhar (1879-1965): She won an Olympic bronze medal and was a two-time U.S. Open tennis champion. She was born in Gold Hill.
- Sarah Mower Requa (1829–1922): She was a kind person who helped others and was an early settler in California. She built a church in Gold Hill.
See also
In Spanish: Gold Hill (Nevada) para niños
