Although silver was discovered at Barcelona in 1867, it was not until 1874 that serious operations began. A fairly good-sized camp of 175 miners was formed. A number of buildings were erected including three boarding houses, an assay office, and the usual business establishments. The town’s boom quickly faded when the ore ran out and by 1877 the town had only a handful of residents. In 1880 Barcelona was the site of renewed activity that lasted only a short period of time and the town was once again abandoned. There were a number of short bursts of activity during the next five decades none of which was significant. The last revival began in 1917 and was the most productive. It lasted until 1923 when the town closed for good. A number of old stone and adobe ruins remain at the townsite along with a few old mine shafts. The site is worth the trip and there fresh water is available.

Submitted by: Shawn Hall from his book Preserving The Glory Days: Ghost Towns And Mining Camps Of Nye County, Nevada Click here to purchase his book!