Cherry Creek, Nevada
Encyclopedia
Cherry Creek is a historic community located in northern White Pine County
, in northeastern Nevada
in the western United States
. It is a census county division
(CCD), with a population at the 2010 census of 72.
It is located in the northern part of the long Steptoe Valley
, north of the modern communities of McGill
and Ely
. Immediately to the west is the Cherry Creek Range
, while to the east is U.S. Route 93 and the Schell Creek Range
. Just to the south, in Egan Canyon, the Pony Express
and subsequent stage lines made their way through the mountains of central Nevada in the 1860s.
In the early 1860s, gold and silver were discovered nearby. The town was built in 1873, starting a cycle of boom and bust
. It may have had a population of up to 6000 in the late 1870s, many of whom left when the original mines played out in the mid-1880s. The discovery of additional deposits in the early 1900s and in the 1930s briefly revived the economy. Today there is an estimated population of just 20 residents and, of course, a working saloon. Many historic structures, including a museum, an early one-room schoolhouse, and the Cherry Creek Barrel Saloon, still stand among more modern buildings. As of July 2010 the Barrel Saloon closed.
White Pine County, Nevada
White Pine County is a county located in the U.S. state of Nevada. Its population at the 2010 census was 10,030. Its county seat is Ely. It is the home of Great Basin National Park...
, in northeastern Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
in the western United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is a census county division
Census County Division
A Census County Division is a subdivision of a county used by the United States Census Bureau for the purpose of presenting statistical data. A CCD is a relatively permanent statistical area delineated cooperatively by the Census Bureau and state and local government authorities...
(CCD), with a population at the 2010 census of 72.
It is located in the northern part of the long Steptoe Valley
Steptoe Valley
The Steptoe Valley is a long basin located in White Pine County, in northeastern Nevada in the western United States. From the historic community of Currie, the valley runs south for approximately 100 miles . To the west are the high Egan Range and the Cherry Creek Range, while to the east is the...
, north of the modern communities of McGill
McGill, Nevada
McGill is a census-designated place in White Pine County, Nevada, United States. The population was 1,148 at the 2010 census.-Geography:McGill is located at ....
and Ely
Ely, Nevada
Ely is the largest city and county seat of White Pine County, Nevada, United States. Ely was founded as a stagecoach station along the Pony Express and Central Overland Route. Ely's mining boom came later than the other towns along US 50, with the discovery of copper in 1906...
. Immediately to the west is the Cherry Creek Range
Cherry Creek Range
The Cherry Creek Range is a line of mountains, Basin and Range faulted, in northern White Pine and southern Elko Counties, in northeastern Nevada in the western United States. The range runs generally north-south for approximately 50 miles...
, while to the east is U.S. Route 93 and the Schell Creek Range
Schell Creek Range
The Schell Creek Range is a linear mountain range in central White Pine County, in east-central Nevada. Its length is approximately in a north-south direction....
. Just to the south, in Egan Canyon, the Pony Express
Pony Express
The Pony Express was a fast mail service crossing the Great Plains, the Rocky Mountains, and the High Sierra from St. Joseph, Missouri, to Sacramento, California, from April 3, 1860 to October 1861...
and subsequent stage lines made their way through the mountains of central Nevada in the 1860s.
In the early 1860s, gold and silver were discovered nearby. The town was built in 1873, starting a cycle of boom and bust
Boom and bust
A credit boom-bust cycle is an episode characterized by a sustained increase in several economics indicators followed by a sharp and rapid contraction. Commonly the boom is driven by a rapid expansion of credit to the private sector accompanied with rising prices of commodities and stock market index...
. It may have had a population of up to 6000 in the late 1870s, many of whom left when the original mines played out in the mid-1880s. The discovery of additional deposits in the early 1900s and in the 1930s briefly revived the economy. Today there is an estimated population of just 20 residents and, of course, a working saloon. Many historic structures, including a museum, an early one-room schoolhouse, and the Cherry Creek Barrel Saloon, still stand among more modern buildings. As of July 2010 the Barrel Saloon closed.