USA, Nevada. Old steam locomotive at historic Gold Hill train station Virginia CIty, Nevada.


Virginia City is one of the oldest established communities in Nevada. Folklore indicates that the town got its name from a man named James Finney who was nicknamed "Old Virginy". Finney was credited with discovering the Comstock Lode. His real name was James Fennimore, and he had fled his home state of Virginia after killing a man. Like many cities and towns in the state, Virginia City was a mining boomtown; it appeared virtually overnight as a result of the Comstock Lode silver strike of 1859. At its peak, Virginia City had a population of over 15,000 residents and was called the richest city in America. During the 20 years following the Comstock success "about $400 million was taken out of the ground." Most of the miners who came to the city were Cornish or Irish. In 1870, Asians were of the population. When the Comstock Lode ran out in 1898, the city's population declined sharply.


Size: 4287px × 2848px
Location: virginia cIty, nevada.
Photo credit: © Michael DeFreitas North America / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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