Belleville
Mineral County, Mineral County, Nevada
Marker Inscription
Belleville. Founded in 1874 by Alsop J. Holmes, Belleville flourished by milling ore from Holmes’ Northern Belle Mine at Candelaria. The mill, located just east of here, made its first bullion-bar shipment (worth $9,200) in April 1875.Belleville was also the terminus and work camp of the Carson and Colorado Railroad that reached the town in December 1881. At that time Belleville’s population peaked at about five hundred and included an assay office, an express office, a telegraph station, a livery stable, a schoolhouse, two hotels, several restaurants and blacksmith shops, and seven saloons.By the late 1880s pipes delivered water to Candelaria and allowed local mills to begin operation, reducing the need for shipping costs. Belleville could not survive the competition and was deserted by 1892.STATE HISTORIC
Erected by Mineral County Antique Bottle Club
The Story
Founded in 1874 by Alsop J. Holmes, Belleville sprang up to mill ore from his Northern Belle Mine at Candelaria, shipping its first bullion bar in 1875. When the Carson and Colorado Railroad reached town in 1881, Belleville's population peaked near five hundred, supporting hotels, restaurants, a schoolhouse, and seven saloons. But once pipelines carried water directly to Candelaria's own mills in the late 1880s, the town lost its purpose and stood deserted by 1892.
Why it matters
Belleville's brief life traces the tight dependence of Nevada mill towns on ore, rail, and water—remove any one and a thriving community could vanish within two decades.
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Related people
- · Alsop J. Holmes
Themes & tags
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