Tuscarora
Elko County, Nevada
Tuscarora, named for a warship from the Civil War, was founded in Elko County after an expedition by trader William Heath to find gold. As miners flocked to the burgeoning town — which boomed after the discovery of silver ore — so too came Chinese American men, previously employed by the Central Pacific Railroad and now turning to placer mining for work. The town’s most productive years were from 1870-1890 when its mines produced $40,000,000 in silver.
Highlights: Tuscarora’s population was about 4,000 people at its height, split almost equally between whites and Chinese Americans. It included a Chinatown, supporting its Chinese American residents but also offering services and goods to other communities in the town.