Virginia City, NV.

These are old photos from 8 years ago that we visited Lake Tahoe with my first DSLR camera D70.  There are some great history in this little town, I could not remember how's this little town started.  So therefore, I copy, and pasted the article below from Nevada.com for more details.

Project History: 

Established upon discovery of the famed Comstock Lode in 1861, Virginia City quickly grew to become the richest mining boomtown in the world. Like many mining towns, Virginia City was impossibly sited on the steep slopes of Mt. Davidson in Nevada's Washoe Mountains. The twisting roads to nearby Reno and Carson City are still spectacular trips through time and some of Nevada's most breathtaking country.

The wealth of Virginia City spread far in the late 1860s and 70s. More than $400 million in high-grade silver was mined during the 20-year boom that put Virginia City on the map, and helped make Nevada a state. The wealth of the Comstock Lode also built San Francisco, and provided a needed boost to the Union effort in the Civil War. During this period, Mark Twain also began his fabled writing career here more than 140 years ago, reporting for the Territorial Enterprise.

At its peak, Virginia City was a rollicking town of nearly 30,000 residents. There were visiting celebrities, Piper's Opera House, opium dens, competing fire companies, fraternal organizations, at least five police precincts, a thriving red-light district, and the first Miner's Union in the U.S. The International Hotel was six stories high and boasted the West's first elevator, called a "rising room.

After decades of hard times and decay in the mid-1900s, today's Virginia City is remarkably preserved. The wooden sidewalks and lively storefronts along 'C' Street giving a good glimpse into the past. Opulent casinos and saloons like the Delta and Bucket of Blood still draw patrons to a truly authentic taste of Old West history. Within walking distance of 'C' Street are fine old churches, lavish Victorian mansions, old mine structures and score of nineteenth century homes.

The city, with the surrounding Comstock Historic District, encompasses the Comstock mines, and the towns of Gold Hill and Silver City where it all began. The entire area is now a National Landmark and is easy to reach, just 23 miles southeast of Reno and 23 miles northeast of Carson City.