Eureka, Nevada
Encyclopedia
Eureka is an unincorporated township
in and the county seat
of Eureka County
, Nevada
, United States
. Eureka is by far the largest community in Eureka County. Attractions include the Eureka Opera House
(built in 1880 and restored in 1993), Raine's Market and Wildlife Museum (built 1887), the Jackson House Hotel (built 1877), and the Eureka Sentinel Museum (housed in the 1879 Eureka Sentinel Newspaper Building).
Eureka is part of the Elko
Micropolitan Statistical Area
.
, in a draw on the southern end of Diamond Valley, between Antelope
and Newark valleys. The total population of Eureka and the surrounding area
(census tract 1 — Eureka CCD) is 1,103. http://factfinder.census.gov http://www.citymelt.com/city/Nevada/Eureka-CCD-NV.html
The town is located along U.S. Highway 50
, nicknamed "The Loneliest Road in America": aptly named, as the nearest towns along the highway are Austin
(71 miles (114 km) west) and Ely
(77 miles east). The nearest town is Duckwater
, Nevada
, 59 miles (94 km) south.
The climate is typical of the Great Basin
: hot and dry in the summer with occasional monsoon
al thunderstorms from late July through August; cold and relatively dry. Snow accumulations vary from virtually none in mild winters to in excess of 3 foot (0.9144 m) in more severe years. Temperatures routinely drop to -20 °F or lower in the winter.
The town was first settled in 1864 by a group of silver prospectors from nearby Austin, who discovered rock containing a silver-lead ore on nearby Prospect Peak. The town became the county seat in 1873, when Eureka County was carved out of adjacent Lander, Elko, and White Pine counties.
Mining
, especially for lead
, was the town's economic mainstay, as the nearby hillsides ranked as Nevada's second-richest mineral producer, behind western Nevada's Comstock Lode
. Two of the largest concerns in Eureka were the Richmond Mining Company and the Eureka Mining Company. These two companies often collided, and in one instance, their litigation reached the U.S Supreme Court. http://supreme.justia.com/us/103/839/case.html The population boomed, reaching a high of 10,000 by 1878, but shrank as decreasing mine production and changing market conditions led to the closing of mines.
The External Link below to the Eureka Self-Guided Tour contains many modern and historical photographs of existing buildings, and historical tales of the area.
In 2009 a new brick and steel fire house was built on Main Street in Eureka, at the time of its building it was the second largest fire house in the State of Nevada. In addition to being a modern fire fighting facility, it contains a museum of Eureka fire department equipment and vehicles dating back to the 1870s. The fire-museum may be viewed through the large glass windows, or a tour may be taken by contacting a local fireman.
Eureka boasts 3 fine parks, a modern enclosed swimming facility, 2 baseball fields, a new (in 2009) track, and football field.
The 1880s Eureka Opera House was re-modeled in recent times and regularly schedules excellent performers.
The 1876 Eureka Court House is both historic, and modern. It stands as the functioning governmental and legal center of Eureka County.
The Eureka Elementary School houses students in grades Pre-school - 6th and is a modern facility built in 1996 at a cost of $17,500,000.
The high school mascot is the Vandals, and school colors are green and gold. The school offers academic olympics, basketball, wrestling, football, softball, volleyball, baseball, and track.
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
in and the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Eureka County
Eureka County, Nevada
Eureka County is a county located in the U.S. state of Nevada. As of the 2000 census, the population was 1,651. Its county seat is Eureka.Eureka County is part of the Elko Micropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
, 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...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Eureka is by far the largest community in Eureka County. Attractions include the Eureka Opera House
Eureka Opera House
Eureka Opera House is an auditorium and convention center in Eureka, Nevada. Built in 1880, and since then has remained an important center of town activities. When motion pictures were first shown there beginning in 1915, the building was renamed the Eureka Theater. It was later closed as a movie...
(built in 1880 and restored in 1993), Raine's Market and Wildlife Museum (built 1887), the Jackson House Hotel (built 1877), and the Eureka Sentinel Museum (housed in the 1879 Eureka Sentinel Newspaper Building).
Eureka is part of the Elko
Elko, Nevada
Elko is a city in Elko County, Nevada, United States. The population was 18,297 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Elko County. The city straddles the Humboldt River....
Micropolitan Statistical Area
Elko micropolitan area
The Elko Micropolitan Statistical Area is a two county Nevada statistical area of . The area includes portions of the Humboldt River Basin , the Snake River Basin , and the Central Nevada Desert Basins subregion ....
.
Geography and climate
Eureka is located at 39.51159°N 115.961723°W, in the southern part of Eureka County, at 6,481 feet (1,900 m) in the Diamond MountainsDiamond Mountains
The Diamond Mountains are a north-south mountain range in east-central Nevada northeast of Eureka. The range is along the Newark Valley and is part of the drainage divide demarcating the Little Smoky-Newark Watershed....
, in a draw on the southern end of Diamond Valley, between Antelope
Antelope Valley (Eureka County)
The Antelope Valley of southern Eureka County is a small 35 mi long valley, surrounded by four mountain ranges. Antelope Wash flows north, to endorheic flatlands at the valley's north end. Eureka, Nevada lies 20 mi east nestled among mountain ranges. From Eureka U.S...
and Newark valleys. The total population of Eureka and the surrounding area
(census tract 1 — Eureka CCD) is 1,103. http://factfinder.census.gov http://www.citymelt.com/city/Nevada/Eureka-CCD-NV.html
The town is located along U.S. Highway 50
U.S. Route 50
U.S. Route 50 is a major east–west route of the U.S. Highway system, stretching just over from Ocean City, Maryland on the Atlantic Ocean to West Sacramento, California. Until 1972, when it was replaced by Interstate Highways west of the Sacramento area, it extended to San Francisco, near...
, nicknamed "The Loneliest Road in America": aptly named, as the nearest towns along the highway are Austin
Austin, Nevada
Austin is a small, unincorporated community located in Lander County, Nevada, in the United States. As of 2004, its population is approximately 340. It is located on the western slopes of the Toiyabe Range at an elevation of . U.S...
(71 miles (114 km) west) 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...
(77 miles east). The nearest town is Duckwater
Duckwater, Nevada
Duckwater is located in the central portion of the U.S. state of Nevada, at about the same latitude as Sacramento, California. It is in Nye County, on the eastern edge of the Duckwater Indian Reservation, near the Red Mountain Wilderness. The city of Las Vegas is about 200 miles to the...
, 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...
, 59 miles (94 km) south.
The climate is typical of the Great Basin
Great Basin
The Great Basin is the largest area of contiguous endorheic watersheds in North America and is noted for its arid conditions and Basin and Range topography that varies from the North American low point at Badwater Basin to the highest point of the contiguous United States, less than away at the...
: hot and dry in the summer with occasional monsoon
Monsoon
Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
al thunderstorms from late July through August; cold and relatively dry. Snow accumulations vary from virtually none in mild winters to in excess of 3 foot (0.9144 m) in more severe years. Temperatures routinely drop to -20 °F or lower in the winter.
History
Mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
, especially for lead
Lead
Lead is a main-group element in the carbon group with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed...
, was the town's economic mainstay, as the nearby hillsides ranked as Nevada's second-richest mineral producer, behind western Nevada's Comstock Lode
Comstock Lode
The Comstock Lode was the first major U.S. discovery of silver ore, located under what is now Virginia City, Nevada, on the eastern slope of Mount Davidson, a peak in the Virginia Range. After the discovery was made public in 1859, prospectors rushed to the area and scrambled to stake their claims...
. Two of the largest concerns in Eureka were the Richmond Mining Company and the Eureka Mining Company. These two companies often collided, and in one instance, their litigation reached the U.S Supreme Court. http://supreme.justia.com/us/103/839/case.html The population boomed, reaching a high of 10,000 by 1878, but shrank as decreasing mine production and changing market conditions led to the closing of mines.
The External Link below to the Eureka Self-Guided Tour contains many modern and historical photographs of existing buildings, and historical tales of the area.
Public Services
Eureka is served by an all Volunteer Fire Department, which provides fire protection, rescue, and vehicle rescue services for Eureka township and the surrounding areas.In 2009 a new brick and steel fire house was built on Main Street in Eureka, at the time of its building it was the second largest fire house in the State of Nevada. In addition to being a modern fire fighting facility, it contains a museum of Eureka fire department equipment and vehicles dating back to the 1870s. The fire-museum may be viewed through the large glass windows, or a tour may be taken by contacting a local fireman.
Eureka boasts 3 fine parks, a modern enclosed swimming facility, 2 baseball fields, a new (in 2009) track, and football field.
The 1880s Eureka Opera House was re-modeled in recent times and regularly schedules excellent performers.
The 1876 Eureka Court House is both historic, and modern. It stands as the functioning governmental and legal center of Eureka County.
Celebrations
July 4, Independence Day, is a huge celebration in Eureka. Every year the Eureka Volunteer Fire Department puts on a large parade followed by street events, which close off the heart of Eureka to all but foot traffic from 9am to 2pm. At 9pm the Eureka Volunteer Fire Department puts on a large fireworks display.Sports
The Eureka County High School houses students in grades 7 - 12, and underwent an $8,000,000 renovation in 2006.The Eureka Elementary School houses students in grades Pre-school - 6th and is a modern facility built in 1996 at a cost of $17,500,000.
The high school mascot is the Vandals, and school colors are green and gold. The school offers academic olympics, basketball, wrestling, football, softball, volleyball, baseball, and track.