Hiko

Hiko was a rich man's expensive lesson. W.H. Raymond laid out the town in 1866 and bet heavily — buying a five-stamp mill, shipping it up the Colorado River to Callville, then hauling it a hundred and forty miles by oxen. He sank close to nine hundred thousand dollars and got little back. The town held the county seat from 1867 until Pioche took it in 1871, by which time Raymond's mill had already moved to Bullionville. The name, from a Shoshone word, means "white man's town." A few ranches and a red stone store remain.

What the plaque says

As early as 1865, a camp was established here, and during the spring of 1866, W. H. Raymond and others laid out the townsite. The name Hiko is apparently based on a Shoshone term for “white man” or ‘white man’s town. Raymond purchased a five-stamp mill and had it shipped via the Colorado River to Callville and then hauled by oxen the 140 miles to this site. In November 1866, milling began on Pahranagat ores and soon after, Hiko became the first county seat of Lincoln County. In March 1867, Raymond spent nearly $900,000 developing the region before the enterprise failed. The mill was moved to Bullionville in 1870. Hiko consequently declined in population and importance, which accelerated following the removal of the county government to Pioche in February 1871.

Where it stands

More markers nearby

• Crystal Springs — 4.5 mi
• Pahranagat Valley — 17 mi
• Delamar, “The Widow Maker” 1893-1909 — 24 mi