39.464167, -118.061389

From Fallon, Highway 50E from Fallon 40 miles, Turn N on Dixie Valley Road (121) about 1.8 miles, Turn NE about 11.5 miles. Left at Wonder, continue up Hercules Canyon a little over 2 miles.

Hercules was a silver camp adjacent to Wonder, born of the mining boom and excitement of the era. Paher's book Nevada Ghost Towns &Mining Camps notes the St. Francis Hotel was the camp's largest structure but it burned down in 1907. The vulture and Jackpot mines are nearby.

As the mines played out, Hercules withered and by the time the paper and post office folded, not much was going on here.

HISTORY
Vanderburg (1940, p. 54) summarized the early history of the camp as follows: "The first location in the Wonder district was made in April 1906 by T. J. Stroud on the Jackpot group of claims, and the Nevada Wonder Mine was located shortly afterward by Murray Scott, William May, and others. The discovery of rich silver-gold ore started quite a stampede from Fairview that began in May of that same year, and, in a few weeks over 1,000 locations were made". According to Schrader (1947, p. 25) "Many of the more promising properties were soon taken over by mining companies or mining men of experience and means, with the result that, by 1908, the Nevada Wonder, Jack Pot, Spider and Wasp, Vulture, June Wonder, and Capitol Wonder companies were working in good ore. Of these, the Nevada Wonder had 5,000 sacks of ore ready for shipment, the Jack Pot 1,000, the Spider and Wasp 1,600 and Vulture had shipped 16 tons. Fully 30 other properties were working on ore bodies or prospects assaying from $2 to $50 to the ton". Although the district was only 4 miles by 6 miles, it is in very mountainous terrain which led to the development of townsites adjacent to favorable workings. As a result, the townsites of Hercules, 2 miles north, Victor, 4 miles northwest and Red Top, 3 miles west, were developed around the main camp of Wonder (Shamberger, 1973, p. 13). The life of such townsites depended on the mines and when it was found that the ore bodies did not extend much below a hundred feet, mining operations were halted and the camps quickly died. The financial panic of 1907, resulting from the San Francisco earthquake and fire of 1906, also had a serious impact on the camp by drying up venture capital, slowing or halting the development of many properties.
-WONDER DISTRICT (FROM NBMG OFR 87-2) Tingley

In another description from Hugh Shamberger:

Hercules Townsite
The townsite of Hercules was recorded with the Churchill County Recorder July 24, 1906. The promoters were N. A. D'Arcy and Charles Frey, operating as the Hercules Townsite Company. It will be remembered that N. A. (Nick) D'Arcy grubstaked Thomas J. Stroud, and was therefore a party to the first discoveries in the Wonder Mining District. Stroud located a number of claims, including the Jack Pot, which soon became widely acclaimed as one of the best prospects in the area. Other important prospects soon developed on the Vulture, Doctor, Hercules and Queen groups of claims, all adjacent to Hercules Canyon. This resulted in a great deal of activity, which gave D'Arcy the idea of developing a new townsite. Unlike the Wonder townsite, Hercules was situated in a narrow canyon adjacent to the Jack Pot claim, through which storm waters drained from a considerable area, including the terrain around the town of Wonder. The town of Hercules resembled many other western mining towns in its straitened and constricted dimensions, caused in this and most other instances by being situated in a narrow canyon with steep slopes on both sides. Apparently little thought was given to the danger of floods in laying out the townsite. No evidence has been found that the town of Hercules was ever damaged by floods, but this happy circumstance was due entirely to the town's short existence. The original townsite was about 300 feet wide and 3,300 feet long. Two small prongs of the townsite extended eastward 600 feet up small canyons that drained into Hercules Canyon. Early in 1907 the Vulture Addition was added, extending the townsite 1,300 feet northward. As early as July 11, 1906 there were strong rumors of a probable new townsite location in Hercules Canyon, near the Jack Pot workings. At that time it was thought that the name of the town would be "Queen", the name taken from the big group of claims north and east of Hercules Canyon and adjoining the Jack Pot group. The issues of THE WONDER MINING NEWS which are still available (January 25, 1908, to and including November 11, 1912) contain hardly any news about Hercules. Only one small news item was found, and that referred to a dance held in Hercules November 18, 1912. The initial 1906-1907 mining excitement died down when it was found that the grass-root ore values did not go to any depth. This grim situation, aided and abetted by the financial crisis throughout the country in 1907, caused the town of Hercules to wither. It was reduced to becoming only a bedroom area for the miners in the immediate vicinity.
-Wonder: Early History, Development, Water Supply - Hugh Shamberger

I'd think twice about having any dealings with this guy.

N. A. D'Arcy, a Hercules mining and townsite promoter engaged in a crap game at Fairview Monday, and after losing his supply of cash, issued checks to the extent of $2500, which were placed by the dealer as they were won, in the bank roll on the dealer's side of the table. When D'Arcy became disgusted with his luck, he called the house up to the bar for a drink, and while the gamesters were drinking to his health, he walked quietly back to the crap table and picking up his checks tore them into shreds. For a moment pandemonium reigned, but no bloodshed resulted, and now the owner of the game is trying to recover from D' Arcy. Just what course will be pursued to get back his lost winnings is not known.
Churchill Standard, September 8, 1906

All the mining activity in the Wonder and Fairview Districts was drawing a bit of attention.

S. L. Green, a mining man of Hercules, arrived in Fallon, Wednesday and spent a couple of days here, before continuing his journey homeward. Mr. Green is one of the substantial men of the southern part of the county.
-Churchill Standard, December 15, 1906

Just to give you some idea, presently Caliente, NV has a population of about 680 people; Eureka has a population of a little over 400.

J. J. MOSS PREDICTS GREAT FUTURE FOR WONDER CAMP
"Wonder is assuming metropolitan airs," said James. J. Moss, former pioneer of Tonopah and Goldfield, who arrived yesterday in the Wonder Mining District the day after the first strike was made and who fortunately, secured by purchase, several valuable groups of claims situated in the heart of the district. One remarkable feature is that five townsites have been surveyed and all of them are in prosperous conditions. At present Wonder leads with a population of 600. Hercules comes next, close to the mines, with 500. The others, Victor, Hercules, and Red Top, are also rapidly building as fast as lumber can be brought to the scene.
-The Goldfield News and Weekly Tribune, March 2, 1907

That's a pretty big hotel for a little bitty town.

Water was needed for all those folks out there, and mining and milling activities.

MORE WATER WANTED IN FAIRVIEW DISTRICT
Hayes-Monnette Will Drill for Flow at Mouth of Hercules Canyon—Work to Start Soon.
FAIRVIEW, April 10.—Within a short time the Hayes-Monnette well-drilling outfit will be moved from Fairview to the Wonder district and will drill for water at the mouth of Hercules canyon, about one mile from the camp of Hercules.
-Reno Evening Gazette, April 10, 1907

Could have used a little more water.

THE ST. FRANCIS HOTEL AT HERCULES BURNS TO GROUND
(Special to the Gazette.) FALLON, May 11.—The St. Francis hotel, the largest hostelry in Hercules, the prosperous mining camp in the Wonder mining district, burned yesterday morning and many guests narrowly escaped being burned alive. The fire occurred at an early hour while the hotel, which was a large building, was crowded with sleeping guests. The blaze spread rapidly, swept by a strong wind, and in a few minutes the large wooden building was wrapped in flames. Many of the guests were not awakened until the building was blazing on all sides and then had to fight their way through flames and smoke to safety. Hardly a person in the building succeeded in dressing before being driven from the burning structure, but clad in night clothes rushed out of the building and stood shivering in the cold morning air while the hotel and all their belongings burned. The structure was totally consumed, together with all the furniture. Last evening a telephone message was received in the city stating that the mining camp of Wonder had been destroyed by fire, but on telephoning to Fallon the Gazette learned that it was the St. Francis hotel at Hercules, not the town of Wonder that had burned.
-Reno Evening Gazette, May 11, 1907

Must has skipped with the insurance money-- or was there another reason?

J. Francis Smith, a hotel keeper of Hercules, Churchill County, skipped out last week, leaving bills amounting to several thousand dollars.
-The Eureka Sentinel, June 1, 1907

I guess there was.

HERCULES MAN IS BRANDED AS A BIGAMIST
OFFICERS ARE LOOKING FOR J. FRANCIS SMITH
Deserts His Bride at Hercules—The Wronged Woman Says That He Has Wife in Boise.
FALLON, August 5.—J. Francis Smith, who was proprietor of the Hercules hotel at Hercules, which was destroyed by fire some time ago, has deserted his young wife and has been branded as a bigamist. The officers are now looking for Smith, who was last seen in Reno by Fallon people during the latter part of June. Mrs. Smith, who is in a delicate condition and who is a bright, young German woman, is heartbroken over the desertion of her husband, but states that if he is captured she will offer all the evidence she has in her possession to prove him a bigamist and have him sent to prison. Mrs. Smith, who was formerly Miss Anna Sietz, declares that a few weeks ago after Smith had deserted her she received letters which proved to her conclusively that Smith has a wife living in Boise, Idaho. She states that Smith must have learned that his second marriage has become known in Boise, because he left her very suddenly and has never written to tell her where he is.
-Reno Evening Gazette, August 5, 1907

The financial panic wasn't helping.

STOCK TO BE TAKEN TO FALLON
The stock of the P. Y. Gillson store at Hercules, which is in the hands of a receiver in bankruptcy, is to be taken to Fallon next week and there closed out. Mr. Roche, who has had charge here for several weeks, has sold out at private sale most of the stock to residents here, and as the balance, consisting of odds and ends, principally hardware, is not in demand here at present, it will be taken to the metropolis of the county and there probably sold at auction. - Wonder News
-Churchill County Standard, October 22, 1908


Pay those taxes, people.

Delinquent Tax Sale
Notice is hereby given that the following described property will be offered for sale at the Court House in Fallon, Churchill County, State of Nevada, at one o'clock p.m. on the third Monday in January, A.D. 1909, towit: January 18, 1909 for the amount of taxes due thereon:
Fairbanks Morse & Company
One 50 hp hoist at Hercules..... 1250
M Nelson
Restaurant building at Hercules ...75
Personal property ... 25
Vulture Mining Co.
Blacksmith outfit at Hercules ... 50
Office and residence Hercules 400
-Churchill Standard, December 24, 1908

Still, there was ore to be dug out and processed. The newspaper went out of business by this time, and the post office had closed its doors.

Jack Pot Will Begin Work.
The Jack Pot Mining Company, whose property is situated at Hercules, in the Wonder Mining District, will within the next sixty days, commence work in a very active manner on its property. At the present time but two men are employed, but before the time stated has elapsed, this force will be multiplied by twenty, and a great deal of money spent in improvements of various kinds. A number of law suits now face the company, but none of them are regarded in a serious light, and so positive is the company of this that an abstract of the title has been completed and legal counsel are busied with the work of shaping up the affairs of the company, preparatory to commencing the new work. The Jackpot stock has been an active trader on the San Francisco stock exchange and is now selling at around 10 cents.
-Churchill County Standard, April 22, 1909

N. A. D'Arcy, who was one of the original promoters of the Jackpot mine at Hercules, and still retains a substantial interest in thin company, passed through Fallon Thursday on his way to Hercules, where he will look over conditions. He returned Monday on his way home and says that he will spend the coming three months on a prospecting tour in Northern California. He had nothing new to give out relative to the Jackpot property.
Churchill Standard, June 24, 1909

Things picked up a little.

More freight laden outfits are going out from Fallon to Rawhide, Fairview and Wonder and returning with ore for outside smelters than for a long time. The roads to the south and east of Fallon are lined with freighting outfits and the traffic denotes a very healthy condition throughout the county's mining districts. This week a carload of lumber arrived in the local yards for the Jack Pot at Hercules, the owners of which are displaying new activity in line with the general trend of events.
Churchill County Standard, July 28, 1910

Don't know if the mill ever got built.

WILL HAVE BIG PRODUCTION
This County Will Be a Big Producer of Precious Metals in Another Year.
Churchill county's mineral production during the year 1912 will be close to one and one-half millions of dollars. This estimate is based upon what we can glean of the production of the county's two operating milling plants without taking Into consideration the third, which will be erected by the Jack Pot Company with valuable properties at Hercules, which upon completion, will make two great milling plants for the Wonder district. The Jack Pot mill will probably cost its builders around $300,000, and like the Nevada Hills and Wonder Milling company plants, will be a model of mechanical excellence.
-Churchill County Standard, November 15, 1911

For crying out loud, don't bring him over here!

There is a case of smallpox at Wonder and the patient, who was placed under quarantine in the first stages of the malady, was taken down to Hercules, about three miles from Wonder, and placed in a cabin, There he is being cared for. He had just arrived from Colorado and evidently contracted the disease during his journey. Dr. Lehners, health officer, states that there is no likelihood of the spread of the disease.
-Churchill County Standard, March 10, 1915

Dec 1906 - Oct 1908

Hercules is situated in a shallow canyon located northwest of Wonder. Surprisingly, there are more artifacts left in Victor than Wonder since the latter is so well known and conveniently located. Cans abound, and there are lots of broken bottles and metal artifacts. Slightly up canyon from the actual townsite are a few wooden structures still standing. Someone wrote "Victor Garage" and stapled it on the inside of one of the structures, probably not knowing that Victor is almost three miles away. Most of the mines are pretty much caved in and surrounded by tiny fences.
UPDATE July 2023 Forgotten Nevada SPecial Correspondent Kevin reports, "Just a quick update for your website: Hercules is inaccessible from the Wonder side as the road totally washed out with 5 foot deep ruts. Will try from the Dixie side next week and let you know how that looks."