Belleville

Mineral County

Note: Mineral County didn't exist until 1911. During Belleville's entire existence, it was part of Esmeralda County.

Belleville was founded in 1873. While most other places in Nevada came into existence because of mining, Belleville flourished as a milling town that handled the ore from the Northern Belle Mine near Candelaria. At that time, water was an issue in the Candelaria area. The Northern Belle Mine near Candelaria built their 20-stamp mill here. By the mid 1870's and into the very early 1880's, Belleville had a population that was estimated at over 500 residents. The town had restaurants, stores, saloons, hotels, schools, an assay office, a blacksmith, a telegraph station, etc. Belleville also had two newspapers. The Self Cocker and the Tarantula. By 1882, the Carson & Colorado Railroad finally reached Belleville. Unfortunately, this would be too late. The Northern Belle Mine would eventually run a water pipeline that brought in water to their area. In having immediate access to a large water supply, they no longer needed the milling to be done at Belleville. In its heyday, Belleville was known as a very lively place. Violence and gunshots were not an uncommon occurrence. The town was believed to have been totally deserted by the early 1890's.

Last Trip/ Road Conditions: I've been by since a couple times just for short stops, but the last time that I really explored it was in 2013. It's a paved, rural highway to get close. We just park and walk in from there.