37.896484, -118.335294

This district was organized in 1862, but there wasn't much happening here until Sam Witherill discovered the Indian Queen Mine around 1870, which started producing in the following years, with a revival in the early 1900's. Known as Hutch's Canyon until fairly recently, Paher says the town site of Gold Hitt came into being based on the mines in Queen Canyon, but you know what? I don't believe him. I think it's too tough to get to from Queen canyon. I believe that Gold Hitt was more dependent upon the nearby Tip Top and Buckskin mines.

As a matter of curiosity, there was a townsite named "Indian Queen" which was platted in then-Esmeralda county, on Dutch Creek on the very west side of Walker Lake, back in 1906 or thereabouts.

HUTCH'S CANYON, April 13, 1875. EDITORS SENTINEL: Thinking perhaps that a few lines from an old resident of Eureka in relation to matters in this vicinity might not prove uninteresting to some of your readers, I concluded to send you a short communication. The location of our mine and mill is in what is known as Hutch's Canyon, in Esmeralda county, about three miles from the California line, and at the north end of the White mountains, twenty-live miles west of Columbus, and fifteen miles east of Benton, which is in Mono county, California. A. E. Davis, of Eureka; John Howell, our present superintendent ; some San Francisco parties, and myself, purchased the property a few months ago. We think me have made a good purchase. We have an abundance of wood and water, and a very rich mine. The mine is about three miles from the mill and at the upper end of the same canyon, with a good, easy grade. We have twenty-five men at work on the road, which will soon he completed, and we expect to have the mill running in about six weeks. Yours, truly, Wm. ADAMS.
-Eureka Daily Sentinel, April 20, 1875

Sporadic mining continued in the area until legal issues brought things to a halt.

Howell's big team is engaged in hauling ore from the Indian Queen Mine to Queen Station, on the C. & C. The ore will be shipped to Reno for reduction.
-Nevada State Journal, February 17, 1887

The Indian Queen Mine of Esmeralda county has been producing bullion in a small way, for a year or two. In April it turned $13,300; in May, $9,100, and in June $2,200.
-Nevada Sate Journal, August 18, 1877

The Indian Queen mine, Esmeralda county, Nevada, has only four stamps running, but has paid $45,000 in dividends in the past eight months.
-Reno Evening Gazette, August 9, 1881

Couldn't help but wonder if this was a case of holiday depression.

Suicide at Hutch's Canyon.
Last Monday morning about half past five o'clock, says the True Fissure of the 17th, the report of a pistol was heard above the noise made by the Indian Queen mill, situated at that place. Investigation led to the discovery that an employe named Meurer had shot himself in the right temple. The pistol used was one of dragoon size, made by Smith & Wesson. The face where the ball entered was blackened by powder, and the hole made by the ball was a frightful one. He was unconscious when found and lingered until two o'clock in the afternoon, when he expired. Some few effects were found on his person and about the cabin, which were placed in the hands of the proper authorities. No cause is assigned for the act, the deceased always having been a quiet, peaceable and industrious person.
-Yerington Times, December 24, 1881

Discoverer of the Indian Queen mine, Sam passes away.

Sam Witherill, the Piute who discovered the Indian Queen mine, near Benton, died at the mine a few weeks ago. Witherrill was an intelligent and well-behaved Piute, aged perhaps 40 years.
-Walker Lake Bulletin, August 5, 1885

The new mining discovery, about two miles south of the Indian Queen mill, is likely to prove a second Indian Queen mine. The ore is of high grade and a fair quantity is already exposed. Sam Witherrill, the Indian who showed the Indian Queen mine to William Witherill, also pointed out this late discovery to Hugh Jones.
-Walker Lake Bulletin, August 19, 1885

Delinquency notices begin to appear, indicating that the mine is not doing well, most likely due to ongoing legal issues.

Indian Queen M. & M. Co.--
Property in Hutch's Canyon.........$137.95
Penalty and costs.........$16.00
-Walker Lake Bulletin, December 31, 1890

Garner & Williams' mine in Hutch's canyon is looking fine and is destined to be the leading mine of the county. There are six men working there. The Indian Queen Company is not doing much now as they have been notified by Witherall, Summerville, and Co. to quit working in the tunnel.
-Walker Lake Bulletin, November 4, 1891

Phoenix Mill and Mining Co-- N 1/2 of NE 1/4, sec 36, tp 1N, R 32 E, M.D.M., 80 acres, and remnants of old quartz mill in Hutch's or Queen's canyon, known as old Indian Queen mill, blacksmith shop, boarding house, and all improvements, including car, track, tools, etc, at in and around the Queen mine; tax..... $21.13. Delinquency...... $2.11. Costs.... $6.00
-Walker Lake Bulletin, January 15, 1904

Don't know if this is referring to the area of the mines or not.

Frank Lenot and Dick Kennedy came back from Benton last Saturday. Frank is interested in the new camp of Queen. He says a townsite has been laid out near the old Queen Station.
-Inyo Independent, February 2, 1906

We did locate a town plat for "Indian Queen" but not for Queen.

Things began being active again during the boom cycle- for a while, anyway.

QUEEN STATION WILL SHIP ORE
OLD DISTRICT IS HEARD FROM AGAIN
Country That Produced the Old Indian Queen Mine Has Other Big Ones,
QUEEN, Esmeralda County, August 3.—Stocking, Dennison and Fallen have just made a rich strike on one of their group of claims. These claims are located in Queen canyon, about four miles from Queen Station, Esmeralda. county, Nev., and .were entered a year ago last June. They have been working them ever since. At one time a force of sixteen men was working on the claims. A tunnel 486 feet has been driven in the hill, and 250 feet more puts them on big ledge, from which large assays have been made. The present strike is on group No. 3 and at twenty feet from the surface. The ledge is now eleven inches wide and horns clear across. Free gold can be seen in nearly every piece taken out. The ledge was two feet on top, then went to two inches at fifteen feet, and at twenty it is eleven inches, solid ore and free milling. The group is about one-half mile from Indian Queen mine, from which $4,000,000 was taken. In group No. 3 there is enough silver and lead to pay for milling. Dennison says the hornings he gets are the largest he has seen in any camp in this county, and he has worked in nearly all the big camps. They have a deal on now for the property. There are enough mines here of low grade ore going from $7 to $40 per ton to keep a mill going the year around. There are over twenty tons of ore on the dump at No. 3 that will go over $100 per ton. Just back of Queen Station a new strike has been made. They are now building a road to the mine .As soon as the road is ready several mines will start shipping. New arrivals are coming daily and within, the next thirty days will see this camp at Queen Station shipping ore. F. L. S.
-Reno Evening Gazette, August 3, 1906

The old Indian Queen mine is also starting up again. Over $6,000,000 was taken from this mine in the early days and no work has been done below 300 feet.
-Reno Evening Gazette, August 24, 1908

L. H. STANLEY of the Tonopah Investment company has gone to San Francisco fur the purpose of promoting a deal for the sale of the Indian Queen Extension Mining company near Queen station on the narrow gauge railroad 10 miles from Sodaville. The original Queen was one of the famous producers of the country until it became involved in litigation.
-Tonopah Daily Bonanza, February 10, 1913

The road up here is fairly decent, just someminor washouts. There is an elevation change from about 6100 feet at the valley floor to about 9100 feet at the top of the mines. There are several ruins to explore up here. We did not locate the remains of the 1870's mill, which is supposed to be somewhere near the mouth of the canyon. The site is split in two by the Mineral / Esmeralda border, so we listed it as Esmeralda.