Henry Comstock

Henry Tompkins (or Thomas) Paige Comstock (1820—1870) was an American miner after whom the Comstock Lode was named.

Referred to by history books variously as a "sanctimonious gaffer",[1] an "illiterate prospector",[2] and a "quick-thinking loudmouth",[3] he was known by his contemporaries as "Old Pancake", because he could not be bothered to bake bread.[4] The bare facts of his life story are less humorous.

He was born at Trenton, Ontario. He may have worked as a fur trapper and sheep drover. He came into knowledge of the enormous silver lode which is named after him, but sold out his interest early and did not profit from it. Later he worked as a surveyor and miner, both independently and for a large mining firm, both failing to make his fortune. He committed suicide by his own pistol and is buried in the Sunset Hills Cemetery in Bozeman, Montana.[5]

References

  1. ↑ Lucius Morris Beebe and Charles M. Clegg (1950). Legends of the Comstock Lode. Stanford University Press. p. 12.
  2. ↑ Clifford E. Clark, Joseph F. Kett, Neal Salisbury (2011). The Enduring Vision: A History of the American People Since 1865 - Volume 2. Wadsworth, Cengage Learning. p. 529.
  3. ↑ Peter Booth Wiley Trust (2000). National Trust Guide/San Francisco. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. p. 31.
  4. ↑ Helen S. Carlson (1974). Nevada Place Names: A Geographical Dictionary. p. 84.
  5. ↑ Dan L. Thrapp (1991). Encyclopedia of Frontier Biography, Volume 1: A-F. Bison Books. p. 306.

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