A Brief History of the Comstock Lode
Being that we are just downhill a few miles from the famous Comstock Mining District, it was an obvious choice where we would be conducting our next ghost hunting foray. I have always been fascinated by its colorful history. (Pictures courtesy of the Nevada Historical Society). While the quest for gold may have been the siren song that brought many men out West, it was silver that made men's fortunes in Nevada. The Comstock Lode is one of the most important mining discoveries in American history, yielding both silver and gold. It was the first major silver discovery in United States history: of the total ore taken out from the area, approximately 57 percent was silver, and 42 percent was gold. It is the most dramatic event in Nevada's nineteenth century history, with men making and losing fortunes within a short span of years. In just under 20 years, between 1859-1878, about $400 million in silver and gold was taken out of the Comstock. Gold was discovered in Nevada in the