Overview

Perched on the side of a mountain in the Nevada desert, Virginia City existed for one reason only: to make money. The mining frenzy of the mid-nineteenth century uncovered veins of precious metals that would be expressed in billions today, attracting the enterprising madam Cad Thompson, the charismatic highwayman Nickanora and a plethora of swindlers. Miners, flush with their wages, supported a healthy economy of gambling, drinking and prostitution and even launched a few political careers. Sam Clemens, who became Mark Twain while reporting for the Virginia City Territorial Enterprise, called it the livest town that America had ever produced. Join author Peter B. Mires as he explores the seamy side of this quintessential mining boomtown.

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9781467144308

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Peter B. Mires, a Vermont native, has been fascinated with the western Great Basin and Sierra Nevada for thirty years. He received his doctorate in historical geography from Louisiana State University in 1988 and subsequently taught at the University of Minnesota-Duluth and the University of Delaware. His publications include several books and more than fifty scholarly articles, book reviews and op-ed pieces. Dr. Mires is retired and lives in Carson City, and when not reading or writing, he may be found hiking the Tahoe Rim Trail or exploring the Nevada outback.

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