Monday, October 24, 2016

Humboldt City, Nevada

About 500 people lived here once, but Humboldt City has been a ghost town since the post office was removed in 1869.  Silver was discovered here in 1860, and the city was built here to support several mines.  But, it didn’t last long.
A dirt road runs from the valley through the center of town.
Humboldt City is located along a creek that runs through a canyon high on a mountain in the Humboldt Range of Nevada.  There were 200 buildings here, and now you can still find many rock ruins scattered through the underbrush and on the hillsides.
Some of them, like this one with the double windows, have signs that people tried to move in here long after the city was abandoned.  We found a cinder block fireplace added to this old rock wall.
This cabin also has some modern materials like rusty window screens.  It was hard to get to because it was built in a deep gully next to the creek.  I don’t understand why it wasn’t washed away years ago.
There were two hotels here; the Coulter House and the Iowa House.  I’m guessing that this ruin was one of them because of the large front room and a smaller room in back that could have been a kitchen.
The view from the hotel looked up the canyon toward the mountains where the mines were located.  It looks like it has been a long time since the last “No Vacancy” sign went up.

Humboldt City is just a couple of miles from busy Highway 80, near Mill City, Nevada, but being there is like being in a different world.

Remember, all my photos are copyrighted.  Please do not use them for any purpose without permission.

3 comments:

  1. Hi, I have a stock certificate made at Humboldt Cityin 1863, purported to be the only one extant. It's in an exhibit of Nevada Territory stock certs. I'd like to dress up the description with one of your photos. Best, Michael Mahler

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    1. Hi Michael. That certificate sounds like a very interesting artifact. I need to learn more about your exhibit and usage of the photo. I often donate photos for non-profit uses, but charge a reasonable fee for anything else. Where is your exhibit? Is the purpose of the exhibit to sell the certificate or is it simply on display in a museum setting? Would the photo be printed just once or multiple times, for example on a postcard or t-shirt? I just need more details then we can discuss terms. It would be better to email me at idbearlakers@msn.com.
      Thanks, Ross

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