Star City

Pershing County

Before getting into the history of Star City, I would first like to say that this is a beautiful place. My impression may have something to do with the fact that we went in May. When the spring runoff was high and everything was turning green. The first couple of photographs will show you just how much water was coming down the canyon when we were there. Also, my photos don't do justice to how pretty things were up in the canyon. Star City is one of those towns where it's hard to believe that what they say was there, really did exist there. Rich silver ore was discovered in 1861. By 1862, the rush to Star City was in full swing. Historians estimate that the population reached somewhere between 1,000 and 1,200 residents. Star City had a telegraph office, two hotels, a dozen saloons, several stores, a Wells Fargo office, school, livery stable, church, etc. There was also a central plaza or park plaza that many of the businesses overlooked. Some of these establishments were said to have sold products of only the finest quality. Several of these businesses were not your typical mining camp operations. Quickly and cheaply built. These were high end establishments with lavish accommodations. In 1864, the Humboldt Register boasted of the extravagant parade that was held jointly amongst the communities of Star City, Dun Glen and Unionville. Complete with artillery fire. The large producer in the area was the Sheba mine. Stock from the Sheba was sold on the San Francisco Stock Exchange. Several other mining companies also operated successfully here through the mid 1860's. High grade ore at Star City was valued as high as $2,000 a ton. For reasons not known to me, some of this ore was sent all the way to England. By 1868, the ore gave out at the Sheba mine. The mill was eventually dismantled and moved to Unionville. This spelled the end for Star City. By 1871, the population of Star City was only 78 residents. By 1880, Star City was completely abandoned for good. As you browse through the photos below, think back to the paragraphs above that describe what this town once was. With the few crumbling relics that are actually left at Star City, it's very hard to imagine that this place was ever a prominent boom town.

Post Office: April 15, 1862 to September 21, 1868.

Last Trip/ Road Conditions: My first time here was in May of 2022. I had been planning this one for several years, but it never worked out. The road isn't bad, but it's not great either. It's not a sedan road. The road up higher in the canyon can get thin on the ledges where the creek flows below. There were a few spots on this part of the road above the creek where we had to watch our tires. It had washed out in a few spots on the edges. That's not the place where you want to have a tire slip over the side. This sounds way scarier than it really was. Just pay attention and don't be in a huge hurry. Take it slow in those places. We never needed four-wheel drive.