Please remember to exercise caution when exploring Nevada's Ghost Towns & Mining Camps. Open shafts, drifts going into mountainsides, and old buildings, are all DANGEROUS. Be aware of your surroundings, and let someone know where you are, especially if your plans change.

A Short History of Lander County

"Lander County, the largest in the state, was created on December 19, 1862, soon after discoveries were made at Austin. White Pine County was carved out of Lander on April 1, 1869, Elko County on March 5, 1873, and Eureka County on March 1, 1873.

The "Rush to Reese River" during the early 1860s led to a huge influx of people. Austin and many smaller towns sprang up, but most faded just as quickly. The Austin discoveries were the first major strikes in Nevada since the Comstock Lode. Prospectors combed the mountains and canyons throughout Lander County. Towns such as Kingston, Canyon City, Yankee Blade, Clinton, Geneva, and Amador flourished briefly.

The Pony Express played an important role in Lander County's development. A number of stations were established in the county, and one of them, Jacobsville, became the first county seat. It was a Pony Express employee from Jacobsville who made the first Austin discoveries.

The completion of the Nevada-Central Railroad in 1880 opened the heart of Lander County to easy rail access for mining and ranching interests. But mining slowed dramatically until after the turn of the century. Then Tenabo, Hilltop, and Betty O'Neal boomed through the 1920s. During the next forty years, however, only Galena had significant success.

Microscopic gold has become the new boom for Lander County. Mines near Battle Mountain, Big Creek, Buffalo Valley, Gold Acres, McCoy, and Cortez have already produced more than was mined in the county during the first hundred years. Production from 1862 to 1969 was more than $110 million. During the last thirteen years, that figure has doubled.

Battle Mountain now serves as the county seat. Austin, although it lost the seat in the 1980s, retains its quaint historic flavor. Lander County has had an illustrious history and with renewed mining activity, continued successful ranching, and a growing tourist trade, the county's future is bright indeed."

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