Silver City Idaho – A Ghost Town?
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| Our Lady of Tears Catholic Church, Silver City Idaho |
Silver City is advertised as a ghost town in Owyhee County, Idaho. At its height in
the 1880s, it was a gold and silver mining
town with a population of around 2,500 and approximately 75 businesses. Silver
City served as county seat of Owyhee County from 1867 to 1934.
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| Today's County Office, also serves as a gift shop and family home. |
Today, the town has about 70 standing buildings, all of which are privately
owned. Many of the owners are third or fourth generation descendants of the
original miners. There are a handful of small businesses, but no gas or
service stations. The property is now owned by the Bureau of Land Management. Did I mention this was advertised as a ghost
town???
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| From 1897 to 1908 this building served as the miner's hospital. Now a privately owned home. |
Silver City was founded in 1864 soon after silver
was discovered at nearby War Eagle Mountain. War Eagle Mountain is at an elevation of
8,065 ft. It is also located deep
within the mountains, the only way to get there is by driving a dirt road (with
tons of huge pot holes) 20 to 22 miles! Many
times we thought about turning around but the draw to a Ghost Town – which was
all we knew about it at the time – was to strong!!
The settlement grew quickly and was soon considered one of the major cities
in Idaho Territory. The first daily newspaper
and telegraph
office in Idaho Territory were established in Silver City. The town was also
among the first places in present-day Idaho to receive electric
and telephone
service.
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| Masonic Hall |
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| The most recent Hotel built in 1866 |
Below memories from the past.
The mines became depleted around the time Idaho became a state in 1890. Due
in part to its extremely remote location, Silver City began a slow decline but
was never completely abandoned. Did
someone say ghost town??? Small-scale
mining continued off and on until World War II.
The Idaho Hotel in Silver City was restored and re-opened for tourists in
1972. It relies on the use of propane refrigerators and stoves in order to
supply cold drinks and snacks or a complete meal to guests during the summer
months. The rooms are fitted with indoor plumbing and furnished with antiques,
making it a tourist destination.
In 1972, the town and its surrounding acreage were listed on the National
Register of Historic Places as the Silver
City Historic District.
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| The Idaho Standard School |
Ruins of the original hotel "The Silver City Hotel
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| Silver City Cemetery |
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| The lovely two story home above is the newest home on the block! |
I know, I know, they said it was a ghost town! I think someone needs to explain to their
advertisers the correct definition of a “ghost town”! Although Silver Springs was a unique "old’ town" and everyone we met were super nice and very proud of their town, there
were no ghosts … sad … I must also say the folks who chose to live in Silver
City year round are a very hearty group!
Jan 🌷🌷🐾🐾
