Belmont

''Elevation: 7,424'

A former mining camp and small outpost, 46 miles northeast of Tonopah.''

Belmont proceeded the former mining "king" of the area, Ione, a few years after silver was found at the foot of the Monitor Range in 1865. Belmont proved to be a true fortune city where other minerals such as copper, lead, antimony, and traces of gold were mined regularly in addition to the huge amount of silver. The sudden boom prompted an overnight increase in population, particularly from the town of Ione whose residents were said to arrive in droves. Throughout the year in 1866, Belmont swelled dramatically, so much in fact that by 1867, it became the new county seat of Nye County. The town grew to a population of 15,000 residents and boasted four stores, two saloons, five restaurants, a livery stable, a post office, an assay office, a bank, a school, a telegraph office, two newspapers, and the elegant two-story Cosmopolitan Hotel.

Belmont prospered longer than many camps in Nevada, but with fluctuating metal prices, several of the once-rich mines closed for good in 1886. Although the town had fanned out to but a few lingering residents, it remained the Nye County seat until 1905 when the seat was relocated to Tonopah. Belmont is best known for abundance of original structures, a well-groomed main street, and most notably, its ornate, two-story brick courthouse building, one of the last remaining such buildings left in the western United States. The all original 1867 Belmont Courthouse was partially-restored by Nevada State Parks in 1985 and is open for tours during the summer months.

Demographic
Founded: November 4, 1865

Population: 18 (2010) Zip Code: 89002

Distance in miles from
Tonopah -- 46

Austin -- 98

Eureka -- 144

Hawthorne -- 149

Ely -- 202

Las Vegas -- 255

Reno -- 271