The rich mines of Ruby Hill were first discovered in 1869. By the early 1870s, a camp began to form around the mines. As more mines were discovered, the camp continued to grow. By 1873, several large mining corporations were working a number of mines in the Ruby Hill District. In 1875, the Ruby Hill Railroad was completed that provided transportation of the ore to Eureka three miles away. By 1878, Ruby Hill had reached its peak populati0n of 2,500 and there were two newspapers that served the town. By the middle of the 1880s, mine production had fallen off and the population had decreased to 700 residents. The Eureka-Nevada railroad was washed away by a thunderstorm in 1910 ending the life of the town of Ruby Hill. Several buildings still remain on Ruby Hill but only two predate 1906. Ruby Hill is a fascinating place to visit. The site is now private property and permission is required.

Submitted by: Shawn Hall from his book Romancing Nevada's Past: Ghost Towns And Historic Sites Of Eureka, Lander, And White Pine Counties Click here to purchase his book!