Discoveries in 1860 in Washington Canyon led to the development of the Warner mine. Further discoveries in 1862and 11863 led to a fairly active rush to the area. A townsite was platted in 1863 and soon Washington had three saloons, a bakery, a livery stable, two stores, and the first billiard hall in Nye County. The rush was over by 1864 when the supply of ore came to an end. Many people moved away and some stayed hoping for better things to happen. The remaining inhabitants turned to agriculture for a living. The canyon’s rich soil was excellent for root vegetables and cabbage which had markets in Austin and Ione. But that was not to last. By the 1889s the entire canyon belonged to ghosts. The canyon remained empty until 1918 when the Warner Mining and Milling Company reopened the Warner mine and began new operations that continued until 1922 when financial backing was withdrawn. There was limited activity until 1957 and then Washington became a ghost town again.

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!