Jefferson began as a silver ore town in 1865 although more substantial discoveries were made in 1871. It was not until construction of the two stamp mills had been completed that interest in the Jefferson area increased. By the end of the summer of 1874, the town contained two separate sections. The main city district was three quarters of a mile above the mining and milling area. It included most of the hotels, boardinghouses, stores, saloons, restaurants, a butcher shop as well as most other business. Lower Town included mills, a boardinghouse, mine offices, and a few homes. Jefferson’s peak years were 1875 and 1876 and its production value during that time was almost $1.5 million. The population during those years was slightly more than 800 but by the fall of 1875 the mills were operating only part time. Many families began to leave and only five students were left in the school. The mill at the Jefferson mine closed in 1876 and the post office closed in 1879 sounding the death knell for the town. In January of 1883 a revival began when the Jefferson Silver Mining Company was formed and began operations. Life returned to the town and about 150 people moved back and business began operating again. But things began to go bad in 1885. The revival was over and the town quickly emptied again. There were many attempts to revive the town between 1885 and 1933 at a cost of several million dollars. None were successful. After producing $2.3 million worth of ore, the mines closed forever. The Jefferson ruins are extensive and extremely interesting.

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!