A seven-man prospecting party led by a Charles Breyfogle located rich silver and gold deposits on the east side of the Toiyabe Mountains in 1863. In November of that year, the Geneva townsite was platted. A rush to the area developed and by 1864 the town had a population of 500. Businesses included a store, a saloon, a blacksmith shop, and a stage office. Breyfogle built a hotel but soon left to continue prospecting. The mines in Geneva continued to boom. The Big Smoky Mining Company built a mill after a rich ore strike on the Smoky Valley Ledge in April. The ore from the mine was originally assayed at $300 per ton. The mill, however, was a waste of money and operated for an extremely short period of time before low ore values forced its closure. Despite this setback, Geneva continued to prosper. Other mines in the area helped to keep ore production high. But Geneva’s hope for permanence was crushed when the mines gave out during late 1867 and the town was soon empty. All of the machinery from the mill and mines was removed leaving stone cabins as the only markers.

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!