Esmeralda County

Esmeralda County 4×4 trails are in one of the first counties in Nevada when it was founded in 1861.  The country was named after Esmeralda the gypsy dancer from the Victor Hugo novel The Hunchback of Notre Dame by James Manning Cory, a California Miner from San Jose.  

The original jurisdiction was in the Nevada Territory south of the 39th parallel and East of Mason Valley.  The territory was nearly cut in half with the foundation of Nye County in February 1864. The later formation of Mineral County further decreased the size of this County.

Aurora, Nevada as it existed in the 1800s was the Esmeralda County seat.
Aurora, Nevada as it existed in the 1800s was the Esmeralda County seat.

The original county seat Aurora, Nevada was maintained from 1861 to 1883. Oddly enough, Aurora was at one time the county seat for both Esmeralda County and Mono County in California at the same time.  Hawthorne, Nevada held the honor from 1883 to 1907.  The seat is currently held by Goldfield, Nevada.  Esmeralda county contains 3,589 square miles and 783 people as of the 2010 census.

Boundary Peak has an elevation of 13,147 feet and it located in the county.

Esmeralda Trail Map

Esmeralda County 4×4 Trails

Esmeralda County Ghost Towns

Located in Blair, Nevada the Pittsburg-Silver Peak Gold Mining Mill

Blair Nevada – Esmeralda County Ghost Town

Blair Nevada is a ghost town and mine site located in Esmerelda County.   The town site is located a few miles north of Silver…
Columbia, Nevada - Paher

Columbia Nevada – Esmeralda County Ghost Town

The Columbia Nevada ghost town and mine site is location just one mile north of Goldfield in Esmeralda County Nevada. Originally named Stimler, the town…
Columbus Nevada Late 1870s

Columbus Nevada – Esmeralda County Ghost Town

Downtown Columbus, Nevada, late 1870's. Spanish miners discovered silver in the area in 1863. A small mining camp was established in the area which became…
DiamondField Nevada - 1904 - Paher

Diamondfield Nevada – Esmeralda County Ghost Town

Located just five miles north-northeast of Goldfield, Diamondfield is a ghost town and mine camp in Esmeralda County, Nevada. The camp was founded by Jackson…
Hornsilver / Gold Point Nevada in 1908

Gold Point Nevada – Esmeralda County Ghost Town

Founded in 1860s, Gold Point, is a ghost time and silver mining camp located in Esmerelda County, Nevada. The townsite was known by three different…
Lida Tent City in 1905

Lida Nevada – Esmeralda County Ghost Town

Now on private property, Lida Nevada is a ghost town and mining camp located in Esmeralda County, Nevada just off State Route 266. The area…
Millers Nevada about 1905 - Mrs. Harry Mighels Collection

Millers Nevada

Millers Nevada State Historic Marker 101 is located at a rest stop alone highway 6 a few miles west of Tonopah, in Esmeralda county, Nevada.…
Nivloc mine and camp - Tonopah Times-Bonanza - Nevada Ghost Towns and Mining Camps - Paher

Nivloc Nevada – Esmeralda County Ghost Town

In 1907, Gold was discovered at the town site which would be known as Nivloc Nevada by a Native American prospector. The town derived its…

Palmetto Nevada – Esmeralda County Ghost Town

Tent business in Palmetto, 1906 Palmetto Nevada is a ghost town located just off of highway 168 about 30 miles west of Lida, in Esmeralda…
Tents and autos parked along side during during the goldrush of 1927 - Leonard Trayner Collection - Paher

Weepah Nevada – Esmeralda County Ghost Town

The site of the last major gold rush in 1927, Weepah Nevada is a ghost town and gold mine site located in Esmeralda County. Named…

Historic Markers

Nevada State Historical Markers identify significant places of interest in Nevada’s history. The Nevada State Legislature started the program in 1967 to bring the state’s heritage to the public’s attention with on-site markers. Budget cuts the program became dormant in 2009.
Located in Blair, Nevada the Pittsburg-Silver Peak Gold Mining Mill

Blair Nevada – Esmeralda County Ghost Town

Blair Nevada is a ghost town and mine site located in Esmerelda County.   The town site is located a few miles north of Silver…
Columbus Nevada Late 1870s

Columbus Nevada – Esmeralda County Ghost Town

Downtown Columbus, Nevada, late 1870's. Spanish miners discovered silver in the area in 1863. A small mining camp was established in the area which became…
Columbus, Nevada 1870s - Stanley W. Paher, Nevada Ghost Towns and Mining Camps, (1970), Howell North, p 427, Mrs. Estelle Funke Collection

Columbus Nevada State Historic Marker #20

Columbus NSHM is Nevada State Historical Marker number twenty and is located in Esmeralda County, Nevada. Nevada State Historical Markers identify significant places of interest…
Hornsilver / Gold Point Nevada in 1908

Gold Point Nevada – Esmeralda County Ghost Town

Founded in 1860s, Gold Point, is a ghost time and silver mining camp located in Esmerelda County, Nevada. The townsite was known by three different…

Goldfield NSHM Nevada State Historic Marker #14

Goldfield NSHM is Nevada State Historical Marker number fourteen and is located in Esmeralda County, Nevada. Photograph of half-tone print of a busy main street…
Jackson Lee "Diamondfield Jack" Davis (12 Aug 1863–2 Jan 1949)

Jackson Lee Davis “Diamondfield Jack”

Jackson Lee "Diamondfield Jack" Davis who was pardoned for murder in Idaho and moved to Nevada where he founded several mining camps. Davis was a…
Rhyolite Train Depot is located at the north end of town in Rhyolite, Nye County, Nevada. - Photo by James L Rathbun

Las Vegas and Tonopah Railroad

The Las Vegas and Tonopah Railroad was a standard gauge railroad which operated along 197 miles between the town of Las Vegas and Goldfield, NV.…
Lida Tent City in 1905

Lida Nevada – Esmeralda County Ghost Town

Now on private property, Lida Nevada is a ghost town and mining camp located in Esmeralda County, Nevada just off State Route 266. The area…
Millers Nevada about 1905 - Mrs. Harry Mighels Collection

Millers Nevada

Millers Nevada State Historic Marker 101 is located at a rest stop alone highway 6 a few miles west of Tonopah, in Esmeralda county, Nevada.…

Palmetto Nevada – Esmeralda County Ghost Town

Tent business in Palmetto, 1906 Palmetto Nevada is a ghost town located just off of highway 168 about 30 miles west of Lida, in Esmeralda…

Palmetto Nevada State Historic Marker #158

Palmetto Nevada is Nevada State Historical Marker number one hundred and fifty eight and is located in Esmeralda County, Nevada. The ghost town is located…

Esmeralda County Personalities

Christian Brevoort Zabriskie

Christian Brevoort Zabriskie

Christian Brevoort Zabriskie was a vice president and general manager Pacific Coast Borax Company located in Death Valley National Park. Zabriske served teh Pacific Coast…
Jackson Lee "Diamondfield Jack" Davis (12 Aug 1863–2 Jan 1949)

Jackson Lee Davis “Diamondfield Jack”

Jackson Lee "Diamondfield Jack" Davis who was pardoned for murder in Idaho and moved to Nevada where he founded several mining camps. Davis was a…

Resources

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