Silver State Sights – The Silver Terrace Cemetery

VIRGINIA CITY, Nev. (KOLO) - While many struck it rich during the days of the Comstock Lode in Virginia City, The life of mining was not an easy one, and often led to a short life expectancy.

“Some of them didn’t live very long. They were 30. It’s a shame,” said Nicola Draper, a recent visitor to Virginia City’s Silver Terrace Cemetery.

And when you walk around the cemetery you’ll be seeing graves from the century before last, most of which belonging to miners and their families.

“A unique feature of that cemetery is that every plot is bordered, a fixture of the Victorian era,” explained Tracie Barnthouse of Travel Nevada.

The cemetery proves that the mines of Virginia City were a cultural melting pot of the time period, with most of those buried there not being Nevada natives, and many, not even native to the U.S.

The most prominent gave – belonging to the man the county was named for, captain Edward Faris Storey.

You can now experience an audio tour during your visit. If you choose to do the whole thing there are 29 stops and it takes about an hour and a half. The best way to download the audio onto your phone is to do so ahead of time in a place where you have access to Wi-Fi.

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