41°35'24" N, 117°27'10" W - SPRING CITY quad
Our Breakfast: Corned Beef Hash and eggs at The Griddle, Winnemucca
Our Supper: Ribeyes at Veteran's Park, Winnemucca
From Fallon: 175 miles
The first locations in the Paradise Valley (aka Mount Rose) District were made in 1868, and the Mount Rose Mining District formed in 1873. The mines were active from 1879 to 1891. There was a revival of interest from 1907 to 1915, and again from 1931 to 1935, when small amounts of silver ore were mined. Gus Rogers built a 60 ton floation plant in the 1930's to work waste dumps and ore from the Spring City Mine.
Paher describes it as a "...lively burg containing an express office, seven saloons, two hotels, restaurant, brewery, bookstore, and daily stage serve to Winnemucca via Paradise City." He suggests a population of "about 150."
A few snippets from local papers of the day.....
"A REPRESENTATIVE MAN. People in SPRING CITY call Paradise Gouge Eye and the people of Paradise call SPRING CITY Bung Eye." Silver State, November 12, 1878
"Ho! for Paradise! New stage line! From Winnemucca to Paradise Village and mines! Rickard and Morse, proprietors. Carrying mail, express and freight. Agents in Winnemucca and Paradise. Fare to Paradise $5.00, to SPRING CITY $6.50." Paradise Reporter, May 17, 1879 [$157 in 2012 dollars]
"Eagle Chop House. Main Street. SPRING CITY, Nevada. Mrs. S. J. Dill, proprietress. Now compares with any hotel in the mountains. Sleeping apartments. Eating department." Paradise Reporter, July 19, 1879
"There is to be a grand spelling match at SPRING CITY. The BungEye spelling club has challenged the GougeEye orthographists to a spelling contest to be decided according to Webster's rules for a prize of twenty standard dollars." Silver State, January 21, 1880
"Jacob Lowenthal formerly of Eureka is now located in SPRING CITY. He is favorably impressed with the mining outlook in that section and thinks SPRING CITY will witness lively times when warm weather opens. About 100 men are now employed in the mines. The town contains several businesses and growing steadily." Silver State, February 25, 1880
"Ology Saloon. Main Street. SPRING CITY, Nevada. W. T. Burns, proprietor. Announcing to Drinkologers and Sportologists keep wines, liquors, cigars. Cards and card tables as any other Barologist in the State. Mrs. W. T. Burns now keeping a first class lodging house." Paradise Reporter, April 10, 1880
"D. McPheters, who has been in business in SPRING CITY almost since the organization of Mount Rose District, in town. Says snow is three feet deep in town. Thinks SPRING CITY will be a lively place again next Spring." Silver State, January 21, 1881
"Paul Pinson of Paradise is in town. Says that a shower of frogs fell between SPRING CITY and Paradise. At any rate whether they fell from the skies or came out of the ground, there were millions of them." Silver State, May 29, 1882
"Messrs. Bell and Burns have opened a restaurant and saloon at SPRING CITY which is again showing signs of activity and is expected to be as lively as it ever was next summer as it is in the immediate vicinity of the Paradise mines." Silver State, January 7, 1884
"A pack train strayed from SPRING CITY, Nevada December 7th, 1879. One mare and six mules. Twenty dollars reward. Hughes and Hinkey." Silver State, January 17, 1884
"On the night of the 14th a man known as Tex was playing billiards in a saloon at SPRING CITY at 10:00 P. M. and four hours later was a corpse. There is some suspicion that his death did not result from natural causes." Silver State, January 17, 1884
"Coroner Oppenheim left for SPRING CITY to hold an inquest on the remains of James Shropshire commonly called Tex who died suddenly at that place. The Coroner was informed that the belief was prevalent that Tex was poisoned. The deceased had been addicted to drinking to excess." Silver State, January 20, 1884
"It appears that James Shropshire commonly called Tex whose sudden death was reported died at Paradise Village and not at SPRING CITY. He had been drinking very hard for the last six weeks and his death is attributed to that fact. Deceased was about 50 years of age and believed leaves no relatives." Silver State, January 21, 1884
"A note from SPRING CITY says the great world has been shut out from that camp during the winter and little occurs to break the monotony. A dog fight for $50 a side. Quiet now but will be livelier this season as the mines are looking well." Silver State, March 12, 1884
"Among the Schools. SPRING CITY School District No. 10. Organized December 9th, 1879 out of the northern mountainous portions of Paradise School District it is 10 miles to the north from Paradise. It owns no house but lease a small building which serves the present needs of the town." Silver State, May 30, 1884
"SPRING CITY Store. SPRING CITY, Nevada. Miners supplies, groceries and provisions. General notion and variety store. A. Gintz, proprietor. A. Gintz well known to every old resident of the county has opened a store at SPRING CITY in the Paradise mines where he keeps a general assortment of all kinds of goods needed in a mining camp. Silver State, September 4, 1884
"The ball given by the SPRING CITY Miners Union was very largely attended and passed off pleasantly. There were some sixty ladies in attendance and about twice that number of gentlemen. Music by Bauman and Wilder's band and supper provided at Bell and Burns hotel." Silver State, October 27, 1884
Easy to get to, there is even a sign on the way. Not much left besides the remains of the old mill and-- further up the canyon- the townsite itself. Some large cottonwoods planted in a straight row, one completely collapsed building, and some foundations mark the site.