Candelaria and Metallic City

Candelaria nearly died of thirst. Mexican prospectors struck silver here in 1864 and named the camp for Candlemas; the Northern Belle mine made it the richest silver district in southwestern Nevada, throwing off some fifteen million dollars. But there was almost no water—hauled nine miles, a dollar a gallon, two dollars to bathe—so the stamp mills ran dry, and the silica dust they threw gave miners a fatal "consumption." A pipeline and the railroad eased it in 1882; fire, a strike, and the 1893 silver crash finished it. Stone ruins remain.

What the plaque says

Seven miles to the west lie the ghost towns of Candelaria and Metallic City. Candelaria was presumably named after a mine of that name located in 1885, and also after the Catholic Candelmas Day. Metallic City, the "sin city" of Candelaria, and also known as Pickhandle Gulch, lies ¾ mile to the south of Candelaria. The name, Pickhandle was derived from the most popular weapon used for settling disputes. In 1880, Candelaria was the largest town in the immediate area and boasted of having 3 doctors, 3 lawyers, 2 hotels, 6 stores and 10 saloons. Water piped from Trail Canyon in 1882 caused the price of water to drop from $1.00 to $0.05 per gallon. The leading mine, the Northern Belle, was located in 1864 (relocated in 1870). It is reported to have produced an estimated $7 million, mainly in silver.

Where it stands

More markers nearby

• Columbus — 5.0 mi
• Belleville — 9.7 mi
• Silver Peak — 18 mi