The Big Bonaza: Comstock Lode, Virginia City, Nevada

I stumbled across my 1947 edition of Dan De Quille's book on the history of the discovery, mining and people of the Comstock Lode. He wrote the book while he was a writer for the Territorial Enterprise newspaper in Virginia City, Nevada.  He worked at the paper for 31 years (1862-1892).  Mark Twain was also writer at the newspaper.  For a few years Twain worked with De Quille.

Dan De Quille (William Wright)

The book was conceived by the Barons of the Comstock:  Mackay, Fair, Jones and Ralston.  They decided in 1874, about 15 years after the discovery of the bonanza lode that a history of the district should be written.  Based in part on the recommendation by Twain to Mackay, De Quille was selected to be the write the history of the Comstock, a newspaper writer that lived and worked on the Comstock. The book was published in 1876.  The book is written in a style similar to a series of newspaper articles.  It has 439 pages and 73 chapters; that is only an average of six pages per chapter.  My favorite thing about the book are the many pen and ink illustrations from the Comstock.

First edition volume of The Big Bonanza.

The edition of the book that I bought in Virginia City in 1988 was published by Alfred A. Knopf in 1947.  I purchased the book used for $35.  The book was originally purchased from The Broadway Store book section. (In the 1960's and before, The Broadway Department stores of California had book sections.) The Broadway sold the book for $5.00.

The original first edition is available via the internet and more recent editions are also available.



Title page for this edition, published to commemorate the discovery of gold and silver in California and Nevada.

"Song of the Honest Miner:"  One of the many pen and ink illustrations from the book.

The RED outline is area burned in the fire of 1875 [The highlighting is mine]

Satellite view of Virginia City at the same angle and direction as the above lithograph.  Source:  Google Earth.

The book is a wonderful history of the Comstock and the early days of Nevada including its colorful characters, the mining and milling, the miners, the mine accidents, the fire of 1875 and the fantastic fortunes that were made for the fortunate "few."  Pickup a copy of the book for a fascinating read about the Comstock Lode.

A Glimpse at the Comstock Lode, Virginia City, NV

Happy New Year's 2016 from Virginia City,

I decided to take a drive up to the Comstock Lode from Reno to see what winter looks like in Virginia City, now that California and Nevada are experiencing a "real" winter.  And, I took a look at what the Comstock would be like at today's silver and gold prices.

Early prospecting by Hosea and Allen Grosh in 1852 discovered silver and gold while placer mining in Gold Canyon.  Unfortunately, they both died in 1857 before the potential of the district was known.  In January 1859, James Fenemore "Old Virginny" and Henry T.P. Comstock discovered gold in the upper reaches of Gold Canyon.  Although some historians think that Comstock just "horned in" on the discovery.  Then in the spring of 1859, Peter O'Riley and Patrick McLaughlin discovered gold at the head of Six Mile Canyon.  This discovery turned out to be at the top of the Ophir bonanza vein.  The early prospecting and placering encountered the "blasted blue stuff" which made the recovery of gold difficult.  In June of that year a rancher from the Truckee Meadows had a sample assayed in Grass Valley, California.  It showed that the blue material was sulphurites of silver.  Source:  Paher, Stanley W., 1970, Nevada Ghost Towns and Mining Camps:  Nevada Publications, 492 p.




 

USGS Topographic Maps of Virginia City

 

Oblique satellite image of Virginia City and the Comstock Lode.  Source: Google Earth.

US postage stamp issued in 1959 for the 100th anniversary of the discovery of the Comstock Lode.

 



 



The relative value of silver versus gold has varied throughout history.  At the time (1860 to 1880) of main production from the Comstock the price of silver was about $1 per ounce (all data in troy ounces) and gold was approximately $20 per ounce.  But at the current prices gold is valued higher than silver on a per ounce basis.  The following table compares the value of silver versus gold for the Comstock District during the main period of production versus today's metal prices.  At today's prices the Comstock would be a gold district and not a silver district.  And, Nevada would be the second "Golden State."  The metal production figures are from the Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology Bulletin 70, 1969, Bonham and Papke,140 p.
 

A bit of trivia:  Sir Isaac Newton was the Master of the United Kingdom Mint which set the price of gold in 1717.  The price gold in the United States was $20.67 from 1834 until 1934 when the price was increased to $34 per ounce.

 

 

 

 Comstock Monument, Virginia City, Nevada.

 

 

 

 

 

 Ore car on the Comstock.

 

 







 

 

 

 

 Glimpses of the Comstock.

  

 

 

 The Mackay Mansion.

 

 

 

 

 

Piper's Opera House which is still used for plays and concerts.

 

 

 

 

 

 Mine remnants.



 

 

 

 

 The fading remains of the Comstock. 



 

 

 

 

 



 An entertaining reenactment in Virginia City summer 2015. 

 

 

 



St. Mary's in the Mountains is one of the beautiful churches of the Comstock.

 

 

 A snow blanketed cemetery.

 

 

A trip to Virginia City is a great way to revisit the past glory days of mining and the west.  And now you can enjoy a train ride on the Virginia and Truckee Railroad... a wonderful trip for people of all ages.