Gold Point

Esmeralda County

AKA: Lime Point; Hornsilver

There were many ups and downs for this town. Originally named Lime Point after lime deposits were discovered in the area in 1868. Silver discoveries were made here in the very early 1880's. Expensive transportation costs and milling inefficiency at Lida spelled the end for this camp by 1882. After 1900, the boom at Tonopah provided better opportunities to process the ore coming out of this area. With the boom at Goldfield in 1904, the revival quickly faded again. Many from the area rushed to Goldfield. The Great Western Mine regenerated interest in the area in 1905. See the page on Gold Point-Hornsilver Mining District. Photographs of the Great Western Mine are included there. The biggest boom for this camp occurred in 1908. Good Hornsilver discoveries were being made and the new rush was on. Hence the change of the name to Hornsilver. A post office opened and new businesses began flooding into the district. E Clampus Vitus (Queho Posse Chapter) claims that the new town had "about 800 residents, at least 11 saloons, a post office, telephone service and a paper." Paher claims that there were 13 saloons. The newspaper was called the Hornsilver Herald. A chamber of commerce was also organized. With automobiles being a new advancement, auto stages began running to several other towns in the area, to include Cuprite, Lida and Goldfield. A common occurrence in Nevada mining camps, were the claim disputes and legal battles over mining. Hornsilver saw this problem arise in 1909. Ore processing issues didn't help the area either. Things picked up again after 1915. The Great Western Mine was still a good producer. By 1930, gold became the primary commodity coming out of the mines. As you may have guessed, the name was changed to Gold Point in late 1932. WWII spelled the end for mining in this area. The war effort drew away many of the miners. Several decades ago, a man bought the town and began extensive restoration projects. I haven't checked recently, but as of a year or two back, you could still rent some of the old buildings for overnight stays. You could also go into the bar and get a drink. When we were there, you couldn't purchase a beer. The owner would offer you a beer as a guest. There was a donation box for anyone who wanted to contribute to the restoration projects of the town. There were still a few people who lived here full time, but I believe the number was well under ten.

Post Office: May 16, 1908 to October 16, 1932 (as Hornsilver); October 16, 1932 to January 12, 1968 (as Gold Point)

Last Trip/ Road Conditions: I've been here several times. The photographs are from several different trips. Gold Point is not very close to any modern conveniences. Goldfield, which only has a couple hundred residents and very limited convenience, is 30 miles away. Tonopah and Beatty both have much more convenience. They 57 and 67 miles away respectively. Cell phone service has never been good for me out here.