Belmont, Nevada
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Belmont | |
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Nevada Historical Marker #138 | |
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Belmont welcome sign on the edge of town | |
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| Location | 46 miles northeast of Tonopah off State Route 376 |
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| Nearest city | Tonopah, Nevada |
| Coordinates | 38°35′33″N 116°52′16″W / 38.59250°N 116.87111°WCoordinates: 38°35′33″N 116°52′16″W / 38.59250°N 116.87111°W |
| Built | 1865 |
| Governing body | Local |
| NRHP Reference # | 72000766[1] |
| MARKER # | 138 |
| Added to NRHP | June 13, 1972 |
Belmont is a ghost town in Nye County, Nevada, United States along former State Route 82. The town is a historic district listed in the National Register of Historic Places. It is Nevada Historical Marker number 138.[2]
History
Belmont was established following a silver strike in 1865. Other minerals, such as copper lead and antimony, were also mined in addition to the silver. The boom brought settlers in and the town of Belmont grew. In 1867, Belmont became the county seat of Nye County. The town boasted four stores, two saloons, five restaurants, livery stable, post office, assay office, bank, school, telegraph office, two newspapers, and a blacksmith shop.[3] As the price of metals fluctuated, so did the fortunes of the town. By 1887, several of the mines closed. In 1905, the county seat of Nye County was relocated from Belmont to Tonopah. The mine dumps were reworked in the early part of the 20th century[3]
During the 1870s it was known as a major mining boomtown producing silver, and was rumored to have a population of 15,000. Like many towns which are now ghost towns, this one lasted for only a short time.
Today
Some of the buildings are still standing, including the courthouse, the Cosmopolitan Saloon, the Monitor-Belmont Mill, and the combination mill.[3]
Currently there are plans to renovate the boomtown into a small city. The plans have yet to be finalized due to the fact that the site is on government property. To the south of the site there is the Belmont Courthouse now belonging to Nye County and cared for by the "Friends of the Belmont Courthouse". The transfer from the Belmont Courthouse State Historical Park to Nye County took place in 2012.
Other plans for the town are still pending.
References
- ↑ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2009-03-13.
- ↑ "Belmont". Nye County Historical Markers. Nevada State Historic Preservation Office. Retrieved 2011-06-21.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Wieprecht, Wilbur E. (1971). "Belmont" (PDF). National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination Form. National Park Service. Retrieved 2009-04-28.
External links
Media related to Belmont, Nevada at Wikimedia Commons
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