Early Mining Discoveries in Nevada
The discovery of gold at Sutter’s Mill in California marked a pivotal moment in American history, triggering a massive influx of prospectors to the West Coast. This era, spanning roughly a decade, was characterized by a whirlwind of fortune-seeking, fraught with both immense opportunities and profound challenges. Tales of sudden wealth became commonplace, overshadowing even the fantastical stories of Aladdin’s Lamp. The California Gold Rush, however, was just the opening act. The next chapter in this saga of mineral wealth would unfold in the rugged landscapes of Nevada, specifically on the eastern slopes of Mount Davidson, with the discovery of silver by the Grosh brothers.
The story of early mining discoveries in Nevada is punctuated by chance encounters, scientific ambition, and the relentless pursuit of riches. Occasionally, fragments of these historical events resurface, reminding us of the extraordinary circumstances that led to the creation of a new state and the enrichment of the world. As the fervor of the California Gold Rush began to subside, some prospectors retraced their steps, seeking new opportunities in the uncharted territories of Nevada.
Gold, a metal never shy about announcing its presence, is constantly subjected to the forces of nature and the endeavors of humankind. Erosion, seismic activity, and mining activities all contribute to its displacement from its original source. Once dislodged, gold succumbs to gravity, perpetually moving downward. Every storm and natural disturbance further disintegrates its rocky encasement, while the stones within riverbeds relentlessly shape and smooth its form. Thus, a seasoned prospector, upon discovering a small grain of gold miles from its origin, can often discern the distance it has traveled by its appearance.
In the early 1850s, the allure of gold drew prospectors to the Carson River, near present-day Dayton. Following the river upstream, they traced the wash from Mount Davidson. Along this ravine, they unearthed significant quantities of gold, effectively washing the precious metal from the mountain’s eastern slope. As early as 1854, gold hunters from Placerville, California, arrived at the river, finding profitable returns with their picks and pans in what is now known as Six-Mile Canyon. This marked the true beginning of early mining discoveries in Nevada.
The Grosh Brothers: Pioneers of the Comstock
In 1857, E. Allen Grosh and Hosea B. Grosh, sons of a Unitarian clergyman from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, began their work on the Comstock Lode. According to accounts from miners who knew them, the Grosh brothers possessed considerable scientific knowledge, excelling as chemists, assayers, and metallurgists. They arrived at their claim, later the site of the Trenck Mill, equipped with a well-stocked library of scientific texts and an array of assaying instruments. Captain Gilpin and George Brown were also considered partners in their endeavors.
The Grosh brothers journeyed to the Comstock region from Mud Springs, California, in 1857, spending nearly a year prospecting. During their explorations, they encountered a young Canadian named McLoud, approximately twenty years old, who had crossed the plains with a group of Mormon emigrants. McLoud joined the Grosh brothers in their cabin, which was also frequented by Henry Tompkins Paige Comstock, the man for whom the legendary Comstock Lode would eventually be named. The early mining discoveries in Nevada would not have been the same without the Grosh Brothers.
At this time, mining activity around Mount Davidson primarily focused on gold. The black sulphurets, abundant in silver, were deemed worthless and discarded. Miners generally regarded the presence of these sulphurets with disdain, unaware of the wealth they represented.
Although no official records exist of assays performed by the Grosh brothers, their equipment suggests they conducted them. In the fall of 1857, they confided in Comstock about the existence of rich silver mines in the area and their intention to return to Philadelphia to secure the necessary capital for their development.
The Grosh brothers staked several claims, although formal mining districts had yet to be established, preventing official recording. They entrusted Comstock and McLoud to remain at their cabin over the winter, with McLoud responsible for cutting wood and maintaining the cabin until their return.
Tragedy struck as the Grosh brothers prepared for their journey to Philadelphia. While prospecting, Hosea sustained a pick wound to his foot, which led to a fatal case of lockjaw. He passed away on September 2, 1857, and was buried near their camp, his grave marked by a few large rocks. Years later, his father sent a headstone from Philadelphia to honor his memory.
Following Hosea’s death, Allen abandoned the trip to Philadelphia. Instead, he traveled with McLoud to Last Chance, California, departing around November 1. Their journey across the mountains to Mud Springs took them through Georgetown and across Lake Tahoe, then known as Lake Bigler. Caught in a series of severe snowstorms in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, they suffered immensely from the cold and nearly froze to death. They eventually reached Last Chance in Placer County, but both men had suffered severe frostbite. McLoud underwent amputation of his feet, but Grosh refused. He died in December 1857 and was buried in the area. Tragically, neither the Grosh brothers nor their families ever benefited financially from their discovery, which would contribute over seven hundred million dollars to the world’s wealth and provide crucial support to the American Union during the Civil War. The story of the early mining discoveries in Nevada has its fair share of tragedy.
McLoud, however, survived to recount the tale of the first silver assay conducted on the Comstock. The Grosh brothers kept the specifics of their findings private, but McLoud told a storekeeper in Last Chance that he witnessed them "pour some of the silver ore in a glass after pounding it in a pot and wetting it," and that "they got very much excited." This description, provided by McLoud, undoubtedly represents the first assay of the silver deposits of the Comstock. McLoud later relocated to Montreal, Canada, where he practiced medicine.
The scene of these fortune-seekers illuminated by the glow of a cupel furnace as they examined the dissolved silver button would have made a powerful image for a painter. The results of that assay held the potential to change the lives of countless individuals. From that small glass emerged the wealth that built the grand buildings of San Francisco and catapulted Nevada and California to fame. However, it also brought despair and financial ruin to many, burying them beneath the debris of shame and oblivion. Like a genie unleashed, this discovery proved to be a force capable of both creating and destroying destinies.
George Brown, who was working on the Humboldt River, was considered a partner of the Grosh brothers, though the precise nature of their partnership remains unclear. He was murdered at Gravelly Ford on the Humboldt River shortly before Hosea Grosh injured his foot. The Grosh brothers referred to him as "our partner" and mentioned that he was bringing them $600 in assistance. They were deeply saddened by the news of his death. They learned of Brown’s fate from Mrs. Louisa M. Ellis, who later stated that she met the Grosh brothers in Nevada as early as 1854.
In 1857, the Grosh brothers shared their discoveries with Mrs. Ellis, pointing to Mount Davidson and explaining that the large silver ledge lay at the mountain’s base. They offered her 300 feet of their claim. Intrigued, Mrs. Ellis considered selling her property in California and investing $1,500 in developing the discovery. However, winter arrived, and Mrs. Ellis returned to California, never having the opportunity to invest.
Johnson Simmons of Oakland, California, who was temporarily residing in Last Chance, provided the following account:
"I remember when two miners were brought into Last Chance in the winter of 1857. Some men were hunting deer when they found the two lying in the snow, nearly dead from cold and hunger. One, named Grosh, never spoke after being rescued. The miners carried them, as they were too weak to walk. Grosh lived for about three days. His stomach rejected food, and his legs were frozen. The other man recovered, but his feet had to be amputated. The miners took him to Michigan Bar, kept him there until spring, and then collected funds to send him to his relatives in Canada. Before leaving, he recounted their journey. They ran out of provisions after passing Lake Bigler, and their suffering was terrible.
They had packed their supplies on a mule, but it could only find small twigs to eat and grew so weak that they had to kill it. They roasted portions of the mule’s flesh. The meat was lean, tough, and unappetizing, but their hunger made it bearable. They ate their last cooked mule meat on the banks of the Truckee River. Slinging what roast meat they could carry on their shoulders, they pushed on. They became so weak that they could only carry their blankets, so they ate as much as they could and discarded the rest. At that point, Allen Grosh, who had kept his maps and assays throughout the journey, decided to abandon them as well. He tied them in a piece of canvas and placed them in the hollow of a large pine tree. McLoud said he never saw the assays, as Grosh kept them private. All he knew was that they indicated high levels of silver, and from overhearing a conversation, he believed they were extremely rich. The tree had broken about twenty feet from the ground. Grosh explained that a broken tree was safer than a standing one, which could be uprooted in a storm. The hollow in the tree was small, and after depositing the records, he marked the tree with his knife and placed a large stone in front of the hollow. The next day, a major snowstorm hit. They eventually discarded their blankets because they were soaked, and their matches were useless. For four days and nights, they wandered in the mountains, nearly dead from exposure and hunger.
At night, they could hear wolves howling, but they never came close enough to attack. Once, they crossed a bear’s tracks. They eventually collapsed from exhaustion near some rocks. Grosh said he would rather die there than try to go any further. Just when they had given up hope, they heard gunshots. McLoud roused himself and went in the direction of the shots, finding a party of miners hunting deer. He led them to Grosh, who was only a few hundred yards away, and then collapsed beside him. The miners carried them to Last Chance, a nearby camp, where Grosh died after a few days, never having been able to speak. McLoud was certain that if Grosh had been able to speak, he would have shared details about his discoveries."
The Comstock Claim and Subsequent Events
In the spring of 1858, Henry Comstock, upon learning of Allen Grosh’s death, seized the opportunity to capitalize on his acquired knowledge. Grosh’s partner later claimed that Comstock ransacked the cabin for papers and data, enabling him to relocate the ledge. However, this is unlikely, as the Grosh brothers were unlikely to trust him with any information or leave anything behind that could benefit him. More likely, he simply explored the area where he had seen them prospecting and located the most promising sites.
An article in the Record-Union newspaper on November 2, 1859, reported:
"The tide is slowly ebbing back. Prospectors who ventured out yesterday and the day before are returning from the new diggings. I estimate that a dozen or fifteen have returned.
I feel sorry for some of these miners and those who have placed their hopes in these mines, but they do not seem to meet the expectations of their friends. In truth, no one seems to have found the exact location. I spoke with a reliable person who searched uphill and downhill for a day and a half, losing not only the scent but also any trace of gold. He said that after crossing the hills northeast of Six-Mile Canyon, he entered a rugged area with no quartz or other signs of gold. He encountered nearly a hundred people looking for new diggings but heard of no one who had struck it rich. There were rumors that the real spot lay across the Carson River, southeast of here, and parties have gone in that direction.
The general belief is that the new mines are a complete sham. Nevertheless, I met a man this evening who claims to have come directly from the spot. His name is J. Clark, formerly of Placerville, California, and recently involved in trading ventures to Ragtown and the surrounding area. He tells a moderate story and speaks truthfully about what he claims to have seen. Instead of lumps, nuggets, and chispas, he speaks of surface prospects yielding 10 cents per pan, which is unlikely to satisfy the restless desires of the excited fortune-hunters. Ragtown, for those who may not know, is about seventy miles northeast of here, on the edge of the Great Desert. It is the first trading post reached by overland emigrants after crossing that ‘melancholy waste’ and reaching the frontier settlements of our state. There are still two other deserts on this side of Ragtown that emigrants must cross before reaching the Carson Valley."
When the miners returned in the spring, Comstock was present, claiming everything. In 1859, he began deeding land to newcomers and sold the Burning Moscow Mine, which appears to have been the second location on the Comstock, after the Ophir Mine. The first deed issued by Comstock, likely the first recorded on the ledge, was for a mere $40, followed by another for $30. The Virginia Mine, or middle lead, commonly known as the Red Ledge, ran parallel to and adjoined the Comstock on the west and the Black Ledge on the east. The discovery of the Burning Moscow Mine in 1859, which revealed a body of ore as rich as any found in the district, brought it to prominence. It contained large quantities of native silver and free gold. Among other locations claimed by Henry Comstock in the Virginia City district was one on the Red Ledge, officially recorded on June 27, 1859.
Adjacent to this location, the Ketch and Baker Company and the McBee Mining Company claimed land on March 23, 1859, extending to Cedar Ravine on the north, officially filing their claim.
The land covered by these notices was later conveyed to the Iowa Mining Company, incorporated in 1862. Its early promoters included Louis McLane, Thomas Bee, William C. Ralston, Oliver Eldridge, W. F. Babcock, William Blanding, and E. A. Miller. These individuals would later become prominent figures in business circles on the West Coast, associated with some of the grandest enterprises in its history.
Conversely, Henry Comstock, who initiated these men’s paths to riches, died poor. He sold out early, squandered his wealth, and spent the remainder of his life searching for another Comstock Lode.
After the Grosh brothers’ demise, Melville Atwood, a chemist and metallurgist residing in Grass Valley, assayed a rock sample brought from Nevada by a man named Walsh. This assay was from the first ton and a half of ore ever transported over the mountains from Nevada. The following are excerpts from the original letters written by him regarding the find. He mistakenly referred to the Truckee River instead of the Carson River at the time of writing.
Grass Valley, June 30, 1859.
My Dear Sir: On Monday morning, a miner, a friend of Walsh from Alpha, who had been locating a ranch near the Truckee River, came into our office with a sample of rock that he said was taken from the lead he had discovered near the Truckee River, and near which some miners had obtained large returns of gold.
I recognized it as a rich silver ore, and Walsh got him to divide the ground he had taken up into six shares, of which Walsh and self are to have one-sixth each. I made the assay on Tuesday, and they proved to be so rich that Walsh and a friend of his left yesterday morning for the mine. In the assay made at Nevada City, California, they did not discover the silver. The mine (the Ophir) is in the Utah Territory, about 120 miles from this place. I have just heard that there is great excitement in Nevada City about it. I do hope Walsh will be in time to secure our ground. My assays gave from 15 to 20 percent. silver. I am much hurried and will write you again on Walsh’s return. He will bring 200 or 300 pounds of ore down with him. You may yet have something better than the sulphurets to ship to England. In great haste, yours most truly,
Melville Attwood. To Donald Davidson, Esq., San Francisco.
Attwood followed up with another letter a few weeks later:
Gold Hill Mines, Grass Valley, July 15, 1859.
Dear Sir: I have forwarded you through Wells, Fargo & Co. a small box containing samples of silver ore from the Ophir Mine referred to in my former letter. Mr. Walsh and Mr. Woodworth brought down about sixty pounds, and what I send you is some of the poorest of it. If you wet the pieces, I have marked, you will note the black sulfate of silver.
Melville Attwood
Years after the Comstock Lode had become a major bullion producer, the Grosh brothers’ heirs attempted to claim their rights on the Comstock through litigation. They hired Benjamin F. Butler, then the most prominent lawyer in the United States, to handle the case.
After a thorough examination of the matter, Butler advised the litigants that while the heirs had a strong legal claim to some of the most valuable land on the Comstock, the defendants were so well-established and had access to unlimited funds, that they could easily influence any jury selected to try the case, making a victory impossible.
The Grosh heirs wisely decided to abandon their attempt to wrest the mines from the hands of William Sharon and the Bank of California.
The Comstock Lode established Nevada’s reputation as a mining state, and its output of $700,000,000 has never been surpassed.
Modern mining operations in Nevada frequently compare their achievements and output to the historical record of the past, and the founders of new camps often describe their holdings as "another Comstock." However, statistical data often tells a different story.
In conclusion, we must acknowledge the crucial role of the hardy prospector who paves the way for future wealth. Driven by hope, they brave the perils of mountains and deserts to uncover nature’s hidden treasures.
They plant the seeds of wealth that others harvest, realizing the dreams that flicker in the haze of their campfires. Unselfishly, they push onward, leaving behind the bustling life of populous cities and the hum of industries that emerge from their pursuit of fortune. The followers of the prospector dwell in opulence, while their bones often lie in unmarked and forgotten graves or bleach on the sands of the unforgiving wilderness they sacrificed their lives to conquer.