This collection contains correspondence, business papers, ledger books, maps and reports of the Consolidated Virginia Mining Company of Virginia City, Nevada, dating from 1876-1955. The materials document mines and mineral resources in Nevada; the Comstock Lode and other mines, and the mining industry and finance.

The Consolidated Virginia Mining Company on the Comstock Lode at Virginia City, Nevada, was organized in 1867, but the sinking of a shaft was delayed for two years. The lode was difficult to find, work stopped, and the stock fell considerably in 1870. In 1871, James Flood began to buy stock in Consolidated Virginia and, joined by John Mackay, James Fair, and William O'Brien, formed the Bonanza Firm. They bought the land owned by the Consolidated Virginia Mining Co. and hoped to find rich ore in that section between the Gould & Curry and the Ophir mines. In 1873, they struck the Big Bonanza, which produced over $100 million of ore from 1873-1882. The firm bought control of the adjoining Ophir and Mexican mines in 1877. Although the firm dominated the Comstock from 1876-95, when Mackay sold the interests to San Francisco stockbrokers, the last dividend was paid in 1880. The Con-Virginia was the most successful mine on the Comstock and one of the few to pay more in dividends than it levied in assessments. In the 1930s, the company was reactivated to mine and mill the lower grade ore still remaining. The reactivated firm in 1933 collected old maps and also made detailed new maps of the older workings, level by level.

Approximately 1,300 pieces

The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from or publish images of this material, nor does it charge fees for such activities. The responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and obtaining necessary permissions rests with the researcher.

Open to qualified researchers by prior application through the Reader Services Department. For more information, contact Reader Services.