Gold Point, Stateline, Lida & Palmetto, Nevada

Gold Point 

A mining town that had its beginning in 1868, Gold Point thrived until the 1960s, when an accident shuttered the industry. Today, only 27 residents welcome visitors to their town.

Mining continued up until the 1960’s, when, at the 1000 ft. level of the Dunfee Shaft, a dynamite charge went off wrong and caved a large part of the ceiling in. Rather than put out more money, on what had declined to a marginal operation, they turned off the lights and closed the doors.

Stateline Mine 

Although gold was first discovered here in 1864, Stateline did not develop until 1881 due to its remote location, lack of water and Indian harassment.  Within a year the town featured a Post Office, several types of merchants and five saloons, but by 1891 the diminished population promoted the removal of the Post Office.  Later revivals caused brief flurries of mining, but the town and mines were eventually abandoned.

Lida

Lida enjoyed two boom periods. Lida was first founded in the late 1860's, an outgrowth of the Aurora boom. It boomed again in the first decade of the 20th century, it being rejuvenated during the Tonopah / Goldfield boom. Mexican and Indian prospectors were working small claims in the Lida region and in nearby Tule Canyon prior to 1867, when American prospectors organized a district. The townsite of Lida was laid out in 1872 and began to gather all the trappings of an outpost town. On March 17, 1873, the United States Postal Service authorized a post office to be opened, but confusion over state boundaries in this isolated region had placed the office in Inyo County, California. This was recognized and corrected the next month, and the office was thereafter operated as Lida, Nevada beginning April 31, 1873.  Steam powered stamp mills were constructed and operated utilizing water from springs in the area. Higher grade ore was sent to Austin and Belmont for treatment. Lida began to fade along with mining statewide by the 1880s. The region remained quiet but still populated until Tonopah and then Goldfield sparked increased interest in the entire region. In 1905, three hundred people called Lida their home.  Lida prospered until later in 1907, when many of the richest mines found themselves in litigation. Lida began to go into a slow decline. The post office closed December 14, 1918 and mail transferred to nearby Gold Point

Palmetto

Thinking that local Joshua trees were related to Palm trees, the 1866 prospectors named the mining camp Palmetto.   Although a local 12-Stamp Mill worked the silver ore.  The town died for lack of profitable material.  New discoveries in the late 1880's brought Palmetto back to life, but once again meager deposits caused it's demise.  New prospecting in 1903 caused Palmetto to grow to a town of 200 tents on a platted town site at its peak in 1906.  The commercial street contained all the necessary mining camp businesses.