Pyramid City Nevada
Pyramid City Nevada Overview
Pyramid City, also known as Pyramid and Lower Pyramid, was a ghost town located south of Sutcliffe in Washoe County, Nevada. This town is not the one located north of Sutcliffe.
No structures remain standing in the former township.
Learn more about Ghost Town in Nevada and Ghost Towns in the Southwest.
Year Established/Founded
1876
Pyramid City Nevada History
Pyramid City consisted of two mining camps, Upper Pyramid (also known as Jonesville) and Lower Pyramid, also known as Pyramid City.
Although silver veins had been discovered as early as 1860 in the area, the Pyramid district did not attract any significant attention until the spring of 1876, when an interesting ore specimen was noticed by a Reno physician. The physician was assisting an ill miner when the doctor noticed the specimen on the man’s table. Assaying the mineral resulted in a strong prediction of excellent returns. A silver rush followed after news of the discovery had spread to other mining camps. Pyramid City sprang from up from this desert area and a two—stamp mill was built to crush silver ore.
Of the five townships that were established in the district, Pyramid City became the most important.
Timeline
- March 1877 – The city had two saloons, a Chinese washhouse, a store, a boarding house, and a stage line with daily service to Reno.
- Winter 1877 – Sixty miners were working the area, with only one woman living in the camp (she dressed in masculine apparel)
- February 1879 – The post office opened
- October 1879 – The post office closed
- Late 1880s – Pyramid City became vacant
- April 1880 – The post office opened
- February 1889 – The post office closed
Mines
Silver
Post Office
Pyramid City had a Post Office from February 1879 until October 1879 and from April 1880 until February 1889.
View the list and history of Nevada Post Offices.
The Population of Pyramid City
In the summer of 1876, the population of Pyramid City was nearly 300.
Elevation
4,377′
GPS Coordinates
39° 51′ 50.67″ N, 119° 37′ 6.67″ W
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References Used
- Paher, Stanley. Nevada Ghost Towns and Mining Camps, Howell-North Books, 1970, p. 35
- United States Geological Survey – Pyramid City Nevada