The small mining town of Pioche is still known primarily for its Million Dollar Courthouse.  However, its history as one of the rowdiest towns in the wild west is not to be forgotten.

Upon entering this quaint town, you can visit historic places built in the late 1870s and early 1900s.  Take the walking tour along McCannon, Cedar, and Main streets where you will encounter the Pioche Museum, the Commerce Cottage and the Pioche Heritage Park. As you drive around town, you’ll see the Lincoln County Courthouse, Thompson Opera House, Miner’s Union Hall, Pioche Oddfellows Lodge and The Nevada Club.

A stop at the Lincoln County Museum is a must.  Built around 1900, it was a victim of fire and rebuilt. In 1929, it became a mercantile store but was later closed and the Gottfredson family donated the building to Lincoln County in 1960 to become a museum.  It is one of the best museums of its kind with many old artifacts, a printing press, newspaper clippings, organs, photographs and much more.

Of course, you cannot leave town without touring the Million Dollar Courthouse!  Built in 1871, the Lincoln County Courthouse was designed by Edward Donahue and constructed of brick and stone in the Classic Revival style.  You can tour the entire 2-story building showcasing original libraries of legal books, offices, the courtroom and even the jail.

The staff at the museum and courthouse are very knowledgeable and friendly.  You will feel very welcome and have an opportunity to delve into the fascinating past of this once silver booming, wild west town.

From Las Vegas, take the I-15 North to Hwy 93 North for 176 miles

From Reno, Take Hwy 50 East to Hwy 93 South for 428 miles

At over 6,000 feet above sea level, be cautious of the altitude

Check the weather in advance – it can get very cold

Wear comfortable walking shoes

Be sure to have your batteries fully charged – there’s lots of great photo ops

Pioche was one of the many mining towns that sprung up in the 1870s.  Mining has been the leading industry in Lincoln County throughout most of history with more than 130 million worth of ore being produced in the Pioche area.  It’s often been called “the camp that came back” after it had its second boom extending from 1937 until 1958.

The ores of Pioche were first located in 1864, but the town didn’t appear until 1869.  During the two-year rush that followed, there was a period of extravagance and lawlessness that had few equals in the Far West. There were about 6,000 people including several hundred “rowdies” or vandals; with its gun fights and killings, forty murders went unpunished in those first two years.   Pioche became known as the roughest, toughest mining camp in the West.

The area seemed likely to surpass the Comstock Lode as a producer of silver, however, the first bonanza only lasted for about 5 years ending in 1876.

During these prosperous years, the county officers built a $16,400 courthouse and spent an additional $10,000 for the jail.  Due to cost overruns and the manner in which they financed the building, the delayed interest and payments ballooned to over $800,000 when it was finally paid off in 1936.  The rustic building still stands today where tourists can visit what is now called the “Million Dollar Courthouse.”

The aerial tramway that operated in the 1920s and 1930s carried ore from the mines on Treasure Hill to Godbe Mill.  Built by the Pioche Mines Company, the tramway was mainly gravity powered with the aid of a 5 horse-power motor.  The weight of the ore in the full buckets going to the mill pulled the empty buckets back to the sin.  In 1928, the cost of delivering ore via the tramway to the mill was 6 cents a ton.

The first lending libraries in Pioche, at the Pioche Commerce Cottage, were operated by commercial establishments in the 1870s.  In 1940, this building was purchased by Lincoln County for a public library, replacing a jewelry store.  It was enjoyed as a library until 1960 when the Gottfredson family donated the Thompson building to the county for a museum and library.  In 1984, the building was refurbished to become the Commerce Cottage.

Pioche maintains its historic ambience as you visit the old buildings and learn the history of this wild west, silver boomtown.