Belmont

Belmont got its courthouse a decade after it needed one. Silver brought the rush in 1865, the town took the Nye County seat from Ione in 1867, and the handsome brick courthouse went up in 1876 — by which time the boom was already fading. The camp was loud while it lasted: a Chinatown, a red-light district, a music hall that drew touring acts, and a reputation for brawls and vigilante justice. Tonopah took the seat in 1905. Belmont never fully emptied, and the courthouse still stands above a street of ruins, watched over by a handful of residents.

What the plaque says

Belmont sits at an elevation of 7,400 feet. A spring flowing year round made this a gathering site of the Shoshone Indians for rabbit drives and celebrations. In 1865, silver ore discoveries led to the development of an attractive tree-shaded mercantile community. East Belmont became the mining and milling center. A wide range of nationalities worked the mines, operated businesses, and provided services. At its height, Belmont had schools, churches, a post office, and a newspaper, as well as a Chinatown, a red-light district, and a racetrack. The town was the Nye County seat from 1867 to 1905, and a courthouse survives from this period. Belmont had a reputation as a rowdy town. Incidents of saloon brawls, vigilante actions, shootings, hangings, and feuds made the town notorious. Well known Nevadans such as Jack Longstreet, Tasker Oddie, Jim Butler, and Andrew Maute all participated in local early history. Silver production totaling four million dollars was from high grade but shallow ore. By 1890, most mines ceased to be profitable and were forced to shut down. Belmont’s population dwindled as most residents left for new discoveries in nearby mining towns.

Where it stands

More markers nearby

• Round Mountain — 16 mi
• Manhattan — 17 mi
• Big Smoky Valley — 21 mi
• Ophir — 29 mi