Hamilton, Nevada

Successfully making it into Hamilton is all the more satisfying because this is no easy feat.  It’s only a 10 mile road into Hamilton and Treasure City, but don’t even consider it if the roads are wet. This picture is from our 1st attempt in April.  The road to Hamilton is a seasonal road, and completely closed during winter months.  Summertime access is your best bet.

Wild horses

A favorite ghost town among Nevadans, Hamilton and Treasure City brought in $20 million dollars in silver. Today, it's considered to have been one of the purest silver discoveries in the state.

Now more than 150 years old, it has taken a beating both by fire and long-term exposure to the high desert Nevada elements. You’d think that means little to nothing can still be seen here, but guess again guys. Miraculously enough, both Hamilton and Treasure City has tons of still-standing relics.

Hamilton

Notice the construction on this building.  It's covered entirely of flattened tin cans. Though common to the era it was built, not too many examples of this construction can be found.

 Eberhardt sprang up in 1869 in Applegarth Canyon five miles southeast of Hamilton. The largest mine, the Eberhardt, had silver veins assayed as high as $1000 per ton. Even though the White Pine district declined in 1870, the Eberhardt expanded its operations. By 1871, the townsite was at its peak included a post office, several saloons, a carpenter shop, a wagon shop, a blacksmith, and several general stores. Disaster struck on August 31, 1872 when one of the largest mills was destroyed by a suspicious fire. The mill was rebuilt and started operating in November of 1873.  Mining activity slowed, but picked up in 1876.  The town was abandoned in 1885.  The murder of Nora Ahern, the popular proprietress of a boarding house, by a Frenchman, "Crazy Louie" was the most shocking event that happened here.

Lunch time

We had never seen a square nail of this size

Old cans with soldered tops

Eberhardt Tunnel

Very cool log cabin, but I couldn't find any information on it

In need of a T.L.C.

Some impressive stone masonry in Treasure City.  Most of the debris found in Treasure City are a testament to the lifestyle and wealth in this 1870's boomtown.

Think you left the Loneliest Highway in the rearview mirror when you turned off to Hamilton? While you did indeed leave the modern day Lincoln Highway behind you, the original route went right through Hamilton upon its 1912 completion. Keep your eyes peeled for a historic marker that designates this celebrated route.

These are the same wild horses we saw this morning only in a different area

Belmont Mill, near Hamilton, is one of the most intact early 20th century mining camps still found in Nevada.  Belmont Mill in White Pine County (not to be confused with the better-known mining town of Belmont in Nye County) is often so overlooked that it doesn’t even show up in some ghost town books.  Perhaps because of this lack of attention, Belmont Mill has managed to remain one of the better-preserved mining camps.

The main mining mill building is quite impressive, sitting on a hillside overlooking a narrow canyon.

Peeking inside the main building you can still see the milling equipment and a variety of other mining paraphernalia.

You can also still find large elevated wooden bins filled with rocks. Apparently, these carts served as counter-weights to lift the ore containers to the top of the mill.

Also intact is an aerial tramway that runs through the center of the building and stretches a quarter-mile or so up the hillside to several dig sites. The tram’s thick support cable, while rusted after decades of neglect, still looks like it could haul a fair bit of ore.

Several rusted cars of more recent vintage.

While a business district never developed at Belmont Mill, a handful of decaying wooden structures which appear to have been residences.

Adjacent to the large mill structure are other metal buildings, including the original office, as well as a boarding house and a machine shop.

Despite its relatively short life, the mill is a classic example of a turn-of-the-century Nevada mining camp and has undoubtedly survived better than most.

More wild horses