Mills along the Carson River (Images of America)

Nestled along the picturesque Carson River in the state of Nevada were the quartz mills that crushed and extracted the values from the Comstock ore. These mills were built starting in 1859, when gold and silver were discovered on the Comstock, with the last mill being demolished around the 1920s. Mills were huge plants, in many cases crushing tons of ore a day, sometimes seven days a week. To support these mills, the towns of Empire and Dayton were established to house workers and provide needed supplies. Remnants of these mills have all but disappeared, and in a few more years, there will be nothing to remind people of the wealth these establishments created for individuals, the state of Nevada, and the United States.