Eureka’s heritage has been well preserved, making for a nice place to visit

One of the best preserved of vintage Nevada mining boom towns, Eureka remains a good place to explore the state's colorful past and a nice town to visit. Born of a silver-lead boom in 1865, Eureka still benefits from mining in a county with some of the biggest gold mines in the world. Although its population, presently about 1,900 people, grows when mining thrives, the sedate county seat will never again become Nevada's second largest city as it was in the 1870s with a population of nearly 11,000.

Located along US 50 in the state's mid-section, Eureka lies between Austin and Ely about 320 miles from Las Vegas by the shortest route. Follow Interstate 15 north to the US 93 junction near Apex. Just north of Alamo, take Highway 318, the Sunnyside Cutoff, from Hiko through Lund to US 6. Head northeast to Ely to junction with US 50. Eureka lies 77 miles northwest of Ely.

An old mining queen with a past, Eureka strives to preserve its heritage. On a walking tour of the historic core of town, visitors see many remnants of the past, homes and buildings still occupied or repurposed and in use. Note several sturdy church buildings; the Parsonage, a residence turned bed and breakfast inn; Raine's Market, a store combining two old commercial buildings, and five cemeteries. The structures tend to be built of brick or stone as raging fires sweeping the town in the early years consumed wooden structures. The townspeople rebuilt with fireproofing in mind, even perfecting metal fire shutters that were forged in Eureka and distributed widely.

One of the town's finest restored buildings, the Eureka Opera House, rose from the ashes of the Odd Fellows Hall in 1881, following a downtown conflagration. It served for decades as a cultural center for the region. From 1915 to 1959, it was a movie house. Restoration to its original beauty began in 1993. Much remained, including the stage, a horseshoe balcony and a 1920s curtain painted with period advertisements. The handsome Eureka Opera House today hosts community events, cultural presentations, conventions and meetings.

The elegant Jackson House, next door to the opera house, opened in the late 1870s, welcoming guests to its hotel rooms, restaurant and bar. Renovated and restored, it now offers nine guest rooms. Make reservations through the Best Western Eureka Inn, the largest modern motel in town.

Across the street from the hotel and opera house, the renovated and stabilized Eureka County Courthouse still serves the county's needs, and is one of the best examples of 19th century courthouses in the state. It boasts original tin ceilings, fine wooden wainscoting and fancy brass fixtures. The stately two-story brick structure also has an art gallery with a permanent collection and touring exhibits in an adjacent hall.

Just behind the courthouse stands the Eureka Sentinel building, built in 1871. Now a historical museum, it preserves and interprets Eureka's past with exhibits on two floors. From May through October, it stays open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. It remains open the same hours Tuesdays through Saturdays from November through April. An 1880s press room and a small area devoted to mining history occupy the first floor. Upstairs, walk into the past as you tour an 1880s schoolroom, barbershop, kitchen and Victorian parlor.

Eureka once boasted several newspapers, 100 saloons, a red light district and a festering Chinatown complete with opium dens and violence in the streets, including the notorious Charcoal War of 1879. It had foundries and 16 smelters that fouled its air with toxic compounds and gave it the name "Pittsburgh of the West." To feed its furnaces, woodcutters denuded the forested hills for 50 miles around. Those elements of life in early Eureka are part of her past now. As for the forest, it took a century to cover the hills once the need for charcoal was gone.

Eureka looks forward to community events such as the upcoming Eureka County Fair, Aug. 7-9. The fair features rodeo events, horse shows, a 4-H livestock show and auction and a barbecue Aug. 8, music Aug. 7-8 and much more. For details, call (775) 237-6026.

Margo Bartlett Pesek's column appears on Sundays.