Virginia City is the county seat of Storey County, Nevada. The town was named for James "Old Virginny Finney" Fennimore, one of the most successful prospectors in the region. After the Comstock Lode's discovery in 1859, the town developed overnight, and the Comstock's flood of silver and gold ore into the American economy supported the Union cause during the American Civil War. The population exploded from 4,000 in 1862 to 15,000 in 1863, and the Big Bonanza of 1873 resulted in the city's wealth and population (at 25,000 residents) peaking. Cornish and Irish miners and Chinese laundry workers and cooks immigrated to Virginia City in large numbers, but the demonetization of silver in 1873, an 1875 fire, and the depletion of the city's material resources led to the population falling to 11,000 in 1879. By the 21st century, Virginia City was primarily a tourist hub, with many residents working in downtown shops and eateries. By 2020, the census-designated place had 787 residents, significantly down from 1,200 in 1920.
Gallery[]
