Eureka is a well-preserved historic mining town, established in 1864 and situated on Highway 50, "The Loneliest Road in America." Many of the local buildings in Eureka hail from the original silver and gold mining glory days of 1864 to 1891. Here is a link to our informative Eureka Self-Guiding Tour and other pages with area history and information.
Eureka is in the center of unlimited outdoor recreation including fishing, hunting, camping, hiking, horseback riding, and much more for your vacation pleasure. Raine's Market provides information for self-guided tours of the historic area and sells maps and supplies for off-road tours and hunting and fishing trips.
Eureka came into existence in 1864 when prospectors from Austin, 70 miles west, found mining claims in the area. It was named for the ancient Greek term, Eureka, meaning, "I have found it." In 1873, Eureka County was formed from parts of Lander, Elko and White Pine Counties because the residents of the new mining camp complained that Austin was too far to go for county business. Eureka has always been the county seat.
In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Eureka became the second richest mineral producer in the state of Nevada. The main mineral produced was lead. 1878 was the peak year of production and more than 10,000 people lived here, most working at the mines and support services. At its peak, Eureka is said to have had 125 saloons, 25 gambling houses, and a hundred other businesses.Eureka County has a total area of 4,180 square miles. In the 2000 census, it had 1651 residents.
