Vernon, Nevada, is a classic example of a short-lived mining boomtown in the American West, now classified as a ghost town. Located in Pershing County (northwest of Lovelock, in the Seven Troughs mining district), it emerged during one of Nevada’s early 20th-century gold rushes.
Founding and Boom Period
Vernon was founded in 1905 following the discovery of gold in the Seven Troughs district that year. It served primarily as a support base and commercial hub for the nearby mines, rather than a direct mining center itself. The townsite plat was officially accepted on September 21, 1906 (initially under Humboldt County jurisdiction before Pershing County’s formation in 1919).
A post office opened on October 31, 1906, reflecting the town’s rapid growth. By mid-1907, Vernon competed with nearby Mazuma for the title of the largest settlement in the district. At its peak, the population reached around 300 to 600 residents. Contemporary newspaper accounts captured the excitement of the boom: in early 1907, the camp grew from a handful of tents and buildings to a bustling site with real estate offices, a livery stable, feed store, hospital, and even a short-lived mining stock exchange in September 1907. The Vernon Water, Light and Power Company also began operations that year to support the community.
The town benefited from rich gold ore discoveries in 1908, sustaining activity for a few more years. It formed part of a cluster of boomtowns in the district, including Seven Troughs itself and Mazuma.
Decline and Abandonment
The mines’ ore largely played out by around 1910, leading to reduced operations and closures. Vernon’s population dwindled quickly—dropping to about 300 by 1907 in some reports and further to around 50 by 1913. The post office closed on July 31, 1918, marking the effective end of the town as a viable community.
In the late 1920s, the area saw a brief revival effort with the establishment of Tunnel Camp (about two miles north) in 1927 by the Nevada State Mining Company. This company built a cyanide mill and dug a tunnel to access older mine shafts. Many of Vernon’s wooden buildings were relocated to Tunnel Camp, hastening Vernon’s final abandonment. The last residents departed shortly thereafter.
Remains and Legacy
Today, Vernon is a true ghost town with minimal remnants. The most notable surviving feature is the crumbling ruins of a two-cell jailhouse (reportedly damaged by vandals over the years), along with scattered debris and foundations. The site lies in a remote area accessible via dirt roads from near Lovelock.
Today
Vernon is now a true ghost town with minimal remnants. What remains includes the old jail (in deteriorating condition, with visible structural lean and collapse in parts) and scattered debris, foundations, and mining adits (horizontal mine entrances). Little else survives of the once-bustling camp.
The site lies in a remote area accessible via dirt roads from near Lovelock (roughly an hour away on maintained and then unmaintained roads). It attracts ghost town enthusiasts exploring the Seven Troughs district, where nearby Tunnel Camp offers better-preserved ruins, including a brick office, stamp mill remnants, and houses—some originally from Vernon.
Vernon’s story highlights Nevada’s recurring pattern of mining booms: rapid growth fueled by gold discoveries, followed by swift decline and reuse or abandonment of resources. It remains a quiet testament to the transient nature of early 20th-century mining communities in the Great Basin.