If the California Gold Rush had people racing west — another major discovery a decade later did nothing to slow down the excitement. When they discovered silver in the mountains of Nevada (Then the Utah Territory), it made a tiny western town the center of the universe. Virginia City boomed when they began pulling silver ore out of the Comstock Lode.

A rail line, The Virginia&Truckee, connected the town with the rest of the world — and to bring the rich ore down out of the mountains. In later years things slowed — and Virginia City nearly became one of those western ghost towns. Then came the TV show Bonanza. It re-introduced people to the classic old western town, and the tourists have been coming ever since. Now they require new construction to have that “old” look. The results, a town that feels like it’s right out of the old west — because it is. Here’s a Small Town Americana story with a good ending.