Star City

A silver camp in Star Canyon

Star City is a ghost town in the Star Mining District, in Pershing County. Nevada State Historical Marker No. 231 says the town was founded in 1861, after rich silver ore was found in the area. Nevada Expeditions says the silver was found in Star Canyon in 1861 and that a community followed the next year. It lists a post office that ran from April 15, 1862, to September 21, 1868.

The sources differ on the peak. The state marker places the boom in 1864 and 1865, with about 1,200 residents, two hotels, three general stores, a Wells Fargo office, a church, and a dozen or more saloons. Nevada Expeditions puts the 1,200 figure in 1863, calls Star City the largest town in Humboldt County (Pershing County was later split from it), and says seven mining companies were active in 1864 and 1865. SummitPost says only that it reportedly passed 1,000 residents and was the largest town in the Humboldt area in 1863.

The Sheba mine and the decline

The marker calls the Sheba Mine the largest operation in the district, with roughly $5,000,000 in silver by 1868, the year its rich ore ran out. Nevada Expeditions credits the Queen of Sheba mine with about $5 million between 1862 and closure and says the Sheba Company ran a ten-stamp mill. The town emptied quickly. The marker says 78 people remained in 1871, and Nevada Expeditions says it was a ghost town by 1880.

What remains

The marker says what is left is crumbling foundations and rusted mill equipment. Nevada Expeditions shows photos of the Sheba Mill and supports from an old aerial tramway but does not describe their condition. SummitPost mentions the Queen of Sheba, DeSoto and Silver Star mines in the area and says some can still be visited, without describing their condition. None of the sources says who owns the townsite or the mill, and none describes the shafts. Treat any mine opening as dangerous, and do not assume the land is open to everyone.

Visiting today

The marker stands at State Route 400 and Star City Road, and the townsite is about seven miles west of it, according to the marker and NoeHill. A SummitPost route description says NV 400 is paved, that a signed dirt road leaves it on the west side, and that the road is manageable in a passenger car to the canyon mouth. It says the last 1.5 miles or so are rough and narrow, and that low-clearance vehicles should park earlier and walk. A 2005 visitor reported the road impassable during a Mormon cricket infestation. The state marker’s own page notes the marker was damaged and awaiting repair. Roads change with weather and washouts, so check current conditions with the local land manager before going. Leave all artifacts where they are.