Belmont, Nevada

United States historic place

Belmont

U.S. National Register of Historic Places

U.S. Historic district

Nevada Historical Marker No. 138

Belmont welcome sign on the edge of town

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Location| 46 miles northeast of Tonopah off State Route 376
Nearest city| Tonopah, Nevada
Coordinates| 38°35′42″N 116°52′34″W﻿ / ﻿38.59500°N 116.87611°W﻿ / 38.59500; -116.87611
Built| 1865
NRHP reference No.| 72000766[1]
MARKER No.| 138
Added to NRHP| June 13, 1972

Belmont is a ghost town in Nye County, Nevada, United States along former State Route 82.[2] The town is a historic district listed in the National Register of Historic Places. It is Nevada Historical Marker number 138.[3]

## History

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Belmont was established following a silver strike in 1865. Other minerals, such as copper, lead and antimony, were also mined in addition to the silver. The boom brought settlers in and the town of Belmont grew. In 1867, Belmont became the county seat of Nye County. The town boasted four stores, two saloons, five restaurants, livery stable, post office, assay office, bank, school, telegraph office, two newspapers, and a blacksmith shop.[4] As the price of metals fluctuated, so did the fortunes of the town.

By 1887, several of the mines closed. In 1905, the county seat of Nye County was relocated from Belmont to Tonopah. The mine dumps were reworked in the early part of the 20th century[4]

The post office was in operation from April 1867 until May 1911 and then again from September 1915 until 1922.[5]

During the 1870s it was known as a major mining boomtown producing silver, and was rumored to have a population of 15,000. However, the total population for the whole county did not top 9,000 people until 1980 so the rumored population total is highly unlikely.[6] Another source puts the peak population of Belmont at 2,000 in the 1870s.[7] Like many towns which are now ghost towns, this one lasted for only a short time.

The population was 28 in 1940.[8]

* Belmont in 1871. Photo by Timothy H. O'Sullivan.

* Ruined building

## Present-day Belmont

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Some of the buildings still standing include the original Nye County Courthouse, the Cosmopolitan Saloon, the Monitor-Belmont Mill, and the combination mill. Currently, the old Combination Mine and Mill office and Belmont Courier Newspaper office and associated buildings are under restoration and preservation, known as the Philadelphia House, a reference to the name of the lodging house in the 1880s, and the Philadelphia mining district. This building complex was a business for about 15 years known as the Belmont Inn and Saloon, and also the Monitor Inn. Restoration volunteers are being solicited.[4]

To the south of the site there is the Belmont Courthouse now belonging to Nye County and cared for by the "Friends of the Belmont Courthouse". The transfer from the Belmont Courthouse State Historical Park to Nye County took place in 2012.

## See also

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* List of ghost towns in Nevada

## References

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Belmont, Nevada.

1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
2. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Belmont
3. ^ "Belmont". Nevada State Historic Preservation Office. Retrieved August 2, 2020.
4. ^ a b c Wieprecht, Wilbur E. (1971). "Belmont". National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination Form. National Park Service. Retrieved April 28, 2009.
5. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Belmont Post Office (historical)
6. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 20, 2014.
7. ^ "Aurora Nevada". Western Mining History. Retrieved May 13, 2021.
8. ^ The Attorneys List. Baltimore, MD: United States Fidelity and Guaranty Co. p. 598.

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National Register of Historic Places in Nye County, Nevada

* Arthur Raycraft House
* Bass Building
* Belmont
* Berlin Historic District
* Board and Batten Cottage
* Board and Batten Miners Cabin
* Brann Boardinghouse
* Brokers Exchange
* Cada C. Boak House
* Cal Shaw Adobe Duplex
* Cal Shaw Stone Row House
* Campbell and Kelly Building
* Charles Clinton Stone Row House
* Combellack Adobe Row House
* Dr. J.R. Masterson House
* E. E. Burdick House
* E. R. Shields House
* Frame Cottage
* Frank Golden Block
* Gatecliff Rockshelter
* George A. Bartlett House
* H.A. McKim Building
* Hugh H. Brown House
* Irving McDonald House
* James Wild Horse Trap
* Jim Butler Mining Company Stone Row Houses
* John Gregovich House
* Judge W.A. Sawle House
* Manhattan School
* Mizpah Hotel
* Nevada–California Power Company Substation and Auxiliary Power Building
* Nye County Courthouse
* Nye County Mercantile Company Building
* Samuel C. Dunham House
* Sedan Crater
* St. Marks P.E. Church
* State Bank and Trust Company
* Stone Jail Building and Row House
* Tonopah Liquor Company Building
* Tonopah Mining Company Cottage
* Tonopah Mining Company House
* Tonopah Public Library
* Tonopah Volunteer Firehouse and Gymnasium
* Tonopah Extension Mining Company Power Building
* Tybo Charcoal Kilns
* US Post Office–Tonopah Main
* Uri B. Curtis House
* Uri B. Curtis House–Tasker L. Oddie House
* Verdi Lumber Company Buildings
* Water Company of Tonopah Building
* Wieland Brewery Building
* William H. Berg House
* Zeb Kendall House

* National Register of Historic Places listings in Nevada
* Nevada State Historic Places by county

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Municipalities and communities of Nye County, Nevada, United States

County seat: Tonopah

Unincorporated towns|

* Amargosa Valley
* Beatty
* Gabbs
* Manhattan
* Pahrump
* Round Mountain
* Tonopah

Nye County map

Other
unincorporated
communities|

* Carvers
* Crystal
* Currant
* Duckwater
* Hadley
* Mercury
* Scotty's Junction
* Sunnyside
* Tybo
* Warm Springs
* Yomba

Indian
reservations|

* Yomba Reservation

Ghost towns|

* Adaven
* Allred
* Archer
* Athens
* Atwood
* Belmont
* Berlin
* Bonnie Claire
* Bullfrog
* Cactus Springs
* Carrara
* Gold Center
* Grantsville
* Hot Springs
* Ione
* Johnnie
* Juniper Springs
* Leeland
* Lockes
* Lodi
* Manse
* Millett
* Nyala
* Pioneer
* Potts
* Rhyolite
* Springdale
* Wahmonie

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