How silver strikes built western boomtowns

The mining boom in the American West brought more than 82 million dollars' worth of silver mining in Colorado, making it the state's second great mineral boom. It was largely the consequence of large-scale purchases of silver by the United States Government authorized by Congress in 1878.

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The reading path

1. Read
   

   the mining boom in the american west · Wikipedia · 5 min read

   The Colorado Silver Boom began in 1879 with the discovery of silver at Leadville and endured throughout the 1880s. It brought an intense increase in Colorado's population and wealth, especially in the mountains.

2. Read
   Virginia City Historic District, Nevada (U.S. National Park Service) · nps.gov · 5 min read

   The Comstock discovery near Virginia City was unusual for its large presence of silver as well as gold and the spectacular wealth it generated. That wealth helped Nevada grow and fueled rapid growth in the San Francisco Bay area through residents' investments in the Comstock mines. In 1859, placer miners and prospectors made two remarkable strikes of silver and gold ore near Virginia City, Nevada. Between 1860 and 1880, these towns were the model for what would become the classic frontier mining boom town in the American West.

3. Book
   

   The Big Bonanza: An Authentic Account of the Discovery, History, and Working of the Comstock Lode · Bookshop.org

   The Big Bonanza by William Wright provides a vivid narrative of the Comstock Lode, illustrating the excitement and chaos of the mining boom while highlighting the human stories behind the wealth.

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