Unionville

Unionville wore its politics in its name. Silver turned up in Buena Vista Canyon in 1861, and the first camp, settled by Southern sympathizers, was called Dixie—until enough Union men arrived to vote in a new name. It became the first seat of Humboldt County, and at its height filled nearly two miles of canyon with perhaps fifteen hundred people. The railroad bypassed it, the county seat moved to Winnemucca in 1873, and the mines thinned. Today some twenty residents, a few orchards, and an old schoolhouse remain in the canyon.

What the plaque says

Southern sympathizers settled in Buena Vista Canyon in 1861 after the discovery of silver ore. Appropriately called Dixie, their camp’s name changed to Unionville in 1862, when the will of the neutral and northern factions of the population prevailed. The town was designated as the seat of Humboldt County, which was itself the product of Buena Vista mining activity. Unionville lost this distinction to Winnemucca in 1873. By the late 1870s most of the local ores were depleted, but it remained a pleasant place, enjoying more amenities and less violence than most mining towns in spite of strong political feelings. Today, Unionville retains its picturesqueness.

Where it stands

More markers nearby

• Reunion in Unionville — 3.9 mi
• Star City — 7.2 mi
• Humboldt House — 14 mi
• Applegate-Lassen Emigrant Trail Cutoff — 15 mi