PIOCHE, Nevada
Lincoln County
A Historical Treasure

The "Million Dollar Courthouse"

Pioche, Nevada is one of the West's richest concentrations of history. Aside from the marvelous scenery in and around, the wonderful old buildings, and the unmatched western flavor, this town is one of the most hospitable, memorable experiences you will ever have in old Nevada. If you have not made the trip, spent the night in one of the hotels, conversed with the local townsfolk, and petted the "Town Dog", you have missed an experience indeed. The following information was provided by Barbi Cammarano, owner of the Silver Cafe. This little cafe serves up the absolute BEST western cooking in the entire state of Nevada, to say nothing of the genuinely friendly service and great atmosphere. Our hats are off to Barbi and her staff for making us feel welcome and keeping our stomachs full with fantastic food while we were in town. We highly recommend a visit to the Silver Cafe!

The town of Poiche, named after Francois L.A. Pioche--a San Francisco financier who never actually made a personal visit to the town, resulted from the discovery of the Panacker Ledge in 1864 by William Hamblin on the northeast side of Ely Mountain. Because of Indian hostilities around nearby Panaca, prospecting and the Meadow Valley Mining District was shut down for a time. E.M. Chubard and Joseph Grange reorganized the district and in 1868 renamed it Ely in honor of John H. Ely, who arrived late in 1868. Shortly thereafter, Francois LA Pioche purchased the properties, and in 1869 the new town which had been laid out by P. McCannon, L. Lacour and A.M. Bush was named Pioche.

Pioche, in the 1870's, was considered one of wildest mining camps in the West. According to a number of sources, 'hired gunmen were imported at the rate of about twenty a day during boom times to fight mining claim encroachments.' Evidence of the "Toughest town" image was the reference that early day residents would make when they'd point to "Boot Hill" where seventy five men were buried before anyone in the roaring mining town died a natural death.

The original and present day buildings are mostly one-story, and are made principally of wood and with stone and brick. The town grew rapidly in the early 1870's and business and population increased with the increasing shipments of bullion until it had become the most active and important mining town in southeastern Nevada by 1871.

The Silver Cafe has been known as such since the late 1920's to 1930's. The building is believed to have been originally built sometime in 1907. The history behind the Silver Cafe is quite interesting. It has survived the wild west, the Depression, and still continues to prosper. In one story about the cafe sometime around the 1930's, there used to be beautiful plate-glass windows floor to ceiling along the front. After several incidents with cars coming through and into the cafe, it was decided to go with brick and smaller windows.

Surprisingly, for a restaurant, the Silver Cafe has only gone through a small handful of owners throughout the years. Currently, the owners are Sal and Barbi Cammarano.

There's so much to see in Pioche. The Million Dollar Courthouse (pictured at the top of the page), the Miner's Cabin, Boot Hill, etc. A great starting point is the Museum.

This was the "Suite" we enjoyed staying in while in Pioche. It is in the Overland Hotel, another great place with friendly people and great old-time atmosphere. The building (pictured above) was burned in a fire in the 1940's and rebuilt. Through the years, it has undergone a number of renovations. Like every other building in Pioche, it's a little out of level, a little crooked, and a little outdated. When in Pioche, your expectation should be to enjoy this feature...it's a rare thing in today's world. The rooms are not equipped with telephones, but there's a pay phone at the nearby gas station/grocery store.

Dave looking out the second floor window of the Suite at the Overland. The shutters, if you look closely, are painted on. It was Memorial Day weekend. The bar downstairs filled up with people as the night wore on. The band, Justice, entertained the patrons, who stayed and danced, drank and enjoyed good old-fashioned fun until 3:00 AM.

We were able to spend a little time in the "Million Dollar Courthouse", now a museum/tourist attraction complete with antique furnishings, books, photos and dummies (above). Note the third one from the left on the front row--a very lifelike dummy. "The notorious "Million Dollar" Lincoln County Courthouse was built in 1871 at an original estimated cost of $16,400.00. The combination of many things, resulted in the building finally costing the "Million Dollars" It was paid off in 1937 as the New Courthouse was being built..."

View of town from the window of the Courthouse.

Jail behind the courthouse... an easy 25 feet away from the judge's seat.

There is so much to say about Pioche we can't say it all here. A trip is well worth it, especially if you like the old West. This town has a style all its own.

Here's a list of links to learn more:
http://www.lincolncountynevada.com/towns/pioche.htm
http://www.calneva.com/pioche/
http://www.nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com/NV/Lincoln/state.html
http://www.vegas.com/attractions/outside_lasvegas/pioche.html?f=m0at&t=outvegas
http://www.angelfire.com/journal/difleys/pioche.html

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