Empire and the Carson River Mills
Carson City, Carson City, Nevada
Marker Inscription
Empire And The Carson River Mills. When the Comstock Lode was discovered in 1859, the problem of reducing the ore from the fabulously rich Virginia City mines had to be solved. Mills were built in Gold Canyon and Six Mile Canyon, in Washoe Valley, at Dayton, and on the Carson River which offered the most abundant source of water to operate the mills.On the east shore of the river near the town of Empire the first small mill, built in 1860, was later enlarged to become the Mexican. The site of this mill lies to the southwest. Other large mills were then constructed farther downstream, spurring the growth of the town of Empire. Ore was hauled to the mills at first by wagon and later by the famous Virginia and Truckee Railroad built in 1869. Fortunes in gold and silver were produced in over 40 years of operation by the Carson River mills including the Mexican, Yellow Jacket, Brunswick, Merrimac, Vivian, and Santiago. Traces of Empire and its mills can still be seen today.
Erected by Nevada State Historic Preservation Office
The Story
When the Comstock Lode broke open in 1859, the riddle of how to crush and reduce its fabulously rich ore fell to a string of mills, and the Carson River — with its steady water power — became the answer. Beginning with a small mill in 1860 that grew into the Mexican, a line of works rose downstream, feeding the town of Empire and producing fortunes in gold and silver for more than forty years. Ore first came by wagon and later aboard the famed Virginia and Truckee Railroad, built in 1869, past mills with names like Yellow Jacket, Brunswick, and Santiago.
Why it matters
The Carson River mills show the hidden industrial machinery behind a mining boom — the water, rail, and reduction works that turned raw Comstock rock into the bullion that shaped the nation's economy.
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Related events
- · Comstock Lode discovery
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
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