Comstock Lode
CountryUSA
RegionNevada
Year Opened1859
Size/Depth4 km long
MineralSilver/Gold
About Comstock Lode
The first major silver strike in the United States, made in 1859. The lode ignited a rush to the Nevada hills. Silver from here helped fund the North during the Civil War. Virginia City boomed to 25,000 people with theaters and newspapers. Mark Twain launched his career at its famous newspaper. Output collapsed by the 1880s, but the wealth built San Francisco.