Virginia City was one of the most famous mining boomtowns in the American West, established during the Comstock Lode, the first major US discovery of silver ore. Between 1859 and 1878, the Comstock Lode was the richest silver mine in the world, and created immense fortunes. At that time, Virginia City had a population of 30,000, but when the Comstock Lode ended, declined rapidly to its present day population of 1,000. Today, Virginia City's main street, with its victorian buildings, wooden sidewalks, and tourist attractions, stands as a remains of this past.
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