Hamilton, Nevada facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Hamilton
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Ruined facade of the old Wells Fargo building, Hamilton, Nevada, September 2007
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 Hamilton
Location in Nevada
Hamilton
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Nevada |
| County | White Pine |
| Established | May 1868 |
| Elevation | 8,058 ft (2,456 m) |
| Population
(2010)
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| • Total | 0 |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific (PST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| GNIS feature ID | 859930 |
| Reference #: | 53 |
Hamilton is an abandoned mining town located in the White Pine Range in western White Pine County, Nevada, United States. Today, only scattered ruins remain, showing what was once a busy place.
History of Hamilton
Hamilton started because a lot of silver was found nearby at a place called Treasure Hill. The first people who came to live here in May 1868 actually lived in the many caves around the area. Because of this, the town was first called Cave City.
Hamilton's Boom Years
The town quickly grew after rich silver was discovered. With about 600 people, it was renamed Hamilton, after a person who helped promote the mines, W. H. Hamilton. The first post office opened on August 10, 1868. At that time, the community was part of Lander County.
White Pine County was created in March 1869. Hamilton was chosen as its first county seat, which means it was the main town where the county government was located. By the summer of 1869, Hamilton was at its busiest. Its population was thought to be around 12,000 people.
During this time, Hamilton was a very active town. It had almost 100 saloons, several breweries, and 60 general stores. There were also theaters, dance halls, and skating rinks. A Miners’ Union Hall and a special club called a fraternal order also existed. Nearly 200 mining companies were working in the area, digging for silver.
Hamilton's Decline
However, Hamilton's success did not last long. People soon found out that the local ore (the rock containing silver) was not very deep underground. This meant there wasn't as much silver as they first thought. Because of this, by 1870, less than two years after it began, the town was already shrinking.
Many mining companies left the area once they knew the silver deposits were shallow. Hamilton's population and economy quickly went downhill. By the census of 1870, the population was 3,915. This was less than a third of what it had been the summer before.
On June 27, 1873, a big fire spread through the business area. It caused about $600,000 in damage. Most businesses that burned down were left empty and not rebuilt. By this time, the town's population had shrunk to only about 500 people. Another fire destroyed the courthouse in Hamilton in January 1885. All the county records were lost. After this, county records were kept at the Ely courthouse starting January 5, 1885.
Even though Hamilton was the first county seat of White Pine County, the town kept shrinking. It lost its county seat status to the town of Ely in 1887.
The Lincoln Highway, an important road, still went through Hamilton as late as 1913. But by 1924, the town was no longer on the main route. The Hamilton post office closed in 1931. Today, Hamilton is a ghost town, with only scattered ruins left at the site.
Hamilton in Popular Culture
The 1967 TV show episode "Solid Foundation" was set in Hamilton. This episode was part of the Death Valley Days series, hosted by Robert Taylor. In the story, a prospector named Jim Otis (Gil Peterson) doesn't find gold. Instead, he finds money hidden by outlaws and then discovers silver. Some of this silver was even used to build his house. Susan Seaforth Hayes played Jim's wife, Martha. She wanted her husband to go back East after three months in the West.
