39°04'47.0"N 114°41'07.0"W

Cherry Creek has had its ups, downs, and sideways since its inception. A few notes on this hisotric site:

The original mineral discoveries in this district took place in Egan Canyon by soldiers of the Second Cavalry California Volunteers, a cavalry regiment in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It spent its entire term of service in the western United States, with most of its companies dispersed to various posts. The Gilligan vein was located and a five stamp mill was built. In 1868, mill shut down but more than $80,000 worth of gold had been shipped. At Cherry Creek, mining began in 1872, with mines operating for more than a decade, and resulting in as many as 5,000 inhabitants. The star Mine had its own generator and ball mill- parts of an old 20 stamp mill are still in the vicinity. THe Williamson Dance Hall was famous at the time, with people coming from miles around to attend dances there. When Hamilton declined around 1880, Cherry Creek tried to wrest the County seat away from it.
-Nevada State Journal, July 25, 1974

This is how it begins.

MORE STAMPEDING-- Cherry Creek, eight miles north of Egan Canyon, is now the center of interest among prospectors. The recent rich discoveries of silver up there are cause no little excitement in and around Pioche. Stampeders are moving that way constantly.
-Pioche Record, May 23, 1873

They're bringin' 'em in by stage, now.

DAILY STAGE LINE
PIOCHE to HAMILTON
Also half-daily from Hamilton to Robinson an Schell Creek
And tri-weekely from Hamilton to Cherry Creek - Travis & Co., proprietors
Carrying U.S. Mail and Wells, Fargo, and Co's Express
The three lines newly stocked with fine American Horses and new Concord Coaches
Its stages leave Pioche daily at 8 A.M. making close connections with Railroad Stage from Hamilton
-Pioche Record, January 24, 1874

These are the occupations it takes to run a town.

Cherry Creek 1880 census shows 35 people "At Home," one barber, three blacksmiths, two running a boarding house, one boilermaker, one boot maker, one butcher, 3 carpenters, one running a "China store," two contractors, 16 cooks, four engineers, one farmer, one justice of the peace, four keeping house, 73 laborers, two laundrymen, one running the livery stable, one running a lodging house, one lumberman, two machinists, one metallurgist, 105 miners, two painters, one physician, one printer, one retired merchant, one rope maker, three saloon keepers, two servants, one smelter, one speculator, two stock drovers, two stock raisers, one stone mason, 14 teamsters, 1 waiter, two viqueros [sic] and one wood chopper. About 26 folks of Chinese descent lived here.
-National Archives Film T9-0759 Inhabitants of Cherry Creek, in the County of White Pine, State of Nevada 1880

Things are hopping now.

White Pine News: From J. B. Williamson we learn that the mining outlook at Cherry Creek has never been brighter than at present. The Star mine is looking unusually well and is employing a full force of miners. At the Gray Eagle, the indications are that the lucky owners are about to uncover a bonanza. Other mines in the vicinity are being vigorously prospected. with fair hopes of a generous reward. Cherry Creek is at present the liveliest camp in Eastern Nevada, if we can except Eureka. There are few if any idle men in the district.
-Pioche Record, May 8, 1880

Help wanted

Cherry Creek, Nevada, a camp with nearly a thousand inhabitants, hasn't a tailor within its municipal boundaries, the last one having packed his goose and vamoosed for Wood River.
Reno Gazette Journal, May 18, 1882

Uh-oh. ALready talking about it in the past tense.

Cherry Creek, 50 miles north of Ely in old White Pine county and in the same range as Ely's great copper deposits, the Egan range, is the only gold camp in eastern Nevada and had the first quartz mill ever set up in the state in 1862. Cherry Creek was a great bonanza camp in the old days-- the greatest production record of any camp old White Pine county has ever developed, and the county has had some big boom camps in the past and she is going to have a lot more of them in the near future, for it is a great mineral region.
-Nevada State Journal, March 11, 1906

Railroad a-comin'

CHERRY CREEK A GOLD CAMP
No Longer Known For Silver Operations
Old Mines Being Re-Opened and New Ones Discovered-- Will Soon Have Railroad
Formerly Cherry Creek was known for its silver operations. But for years it has only existed-- living, not in the present, but in the past. Recently new life has been infused in the district, and the future possibilities are great. This is the only gold camp in Eastern NEvada, and as a man from Goldfield remarked the other day upon seeing some fine ore upon the dump of on the of the properties here, "If the people of Goldfield and Tonopah could only see such ore you would see a wonderful boom."
-Reno Evening Gazette, March 7, 1906

They're still digging...

CAMP CHERRY CREEK REVIVED; OLD MILL RECONSTRUCTED
Cherry Creek, the old camp that during the early days of White Pine county was credited with the production of some millions of dollars to swell the metal output of the district, is showing renewed life and activity. New businesses are being opened up and it is reliable stated that ever house in the town is fit for habitation,is occupied and a number of tents, the abiding places of some of the new-comers, can be seen dotting the landscape, here and there.
-Nevada State Journal, September 2, 1929

NEW PROSPERITY IS ENJOYED BY CHERRY CREEK
The old mining camp of Cherry Creek is coming back-- is already back--and its new lease on life is based upon a solid foundation of gold and silver in a huge tonnage of ore in the old dumps and back-filled stopes, and upon a great tonnage of proven silver ore in the old mines which could not be worked profitably under old time methods, but which will yield a good profit under modern practice.
-Reno Evening Gazette, October 22, 1929

CHERRY CREEK'S MILL PRODUCES
Both mining and milling operations are being continued by the Cherry Creek Tungsten Mining Company at Cherry Creek in White Pine county, the operators report. The company resumed work early in 1943 after being idle for a few months. About 16 men are employed in the mine and the 50-ton flotation mill.
-Nevada State Journal, June 22, 1944

Did an atomic bomb blast cause a fire at Cherry Creek?

HOME DESTROYED AT CHERRY CREEK
The old mining camp of CHerry Creek in Steptoe Valley some 40 miles north of Ely was the scene of a fire Friday morning, the cause of which may be laid to the atom bomb test held near Las VEgas. The home of the J. M. Barrela family burned to the ground. Mr. Barela had left for the depot where he is employed, and Mrs. Barela and children, Celina, Helen, Louis, and ROger were up. THe blaze apparently started between the ceiling and the roof, and was burning briskly when it was discovered, THe family got out safely but had no time to save their possessions. FLames quickly spread to the house of Clarence Filmore, which was unoccupied, destroying it. QUick action on the part of the men of the town kept the fire from spreading to another house which belongs to Mrs. Frank Henry of Elko. At the height of the fire it appeared that most of Cherry Creek might go up in flames but there was little wind and the work of the townspeople kept the fire from doing more da,age. Cause of the fire is unknown but it is believed possible that bomb test No. 6 could have shaken the stovepipe loose. About fifteen minutes before the fire was discovered the atom test explosion had rocked houses and rattled windows. Few of Cherry Creek's residents had heard or felt any other other tests, but almost all heard this one. One citizen, Bob Boundy, reported seeing the flash.
-Nevada State Journal, February 8, 1951

An interesting little place. Reportedly, about 70 people still live here, in a mixture of new, old, and very old buildings. There is a mill up the road that's clearly marked "Go Away" so we didn't get a chance to see it. There are three separate graveyards to check out. Several interesting mine workings are in the area. THe supports for what we're assuming is the water tower for the train remain near th roadroad tracks up the road-- the actual station was moved to Ely and is at their county museum.