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Location: From Lovelock, NV go north on Interstate 80, to the Oreana exit (approximately 13 miles). Turn east and follow the paved road, about 3 miles and you will see a dirt road turning off on the right and a sign that points to old Rochester. This is a graded gravel road in good condition. Lower Rochester is located approximately 4.7 miles up this road. Upper Rochester is buried beneath a modern mining operation 1.9 miles ahead.
GPS: Lower Rochester 40º 18.89' x 118º 15.81'
History: Gold was discovered here in the 1860's by immigrants from Rochester, NY. The major boom to the area happened with the discovery by Joseph Nenzel of rich silver ore in 1912. By November of 1912,
a mad rush was on. Four town sites were established along a 2.5 mile long stretch of the canyon including saloons, hotels, and other businesses. They could even
boast of having The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. In 1914 the railroad came to town in the form of the Nevada Short Line Railway. This line was already running between
Oreana and up nearby Limerick canyon. At first the railroad ended at Lower Rochester but in 1915 the tracks were extended to the mine in order to haul ore directly to the mill. The
operation of the railroad was extremely undependable and a new tramway was installed to bring the ore from the mine at the end of the canyon, to the mills in Lower
Rochester.
The mine operated up to 1942 and produced $9 million dollars. The mine has been operated off and on including the present modern operation. This new operation
has had the unfortunate distinction as having buried all of the Upper town site under the giant tailings pile shown in the picture below. The lower site still has many
foundations and some wooden structures. The old rail bed can be followed most of the way through the canyon.
While visiting in 2002, I met a man that was metal detecting around the old tent city location. He told me that a fire had swept through the area a couple of years ago and had "cleared" some of the brush. After that, several people had been detecting in the area and had found many odds and ends that previously had been hidden under the brush. Always check with the local BLM office or the owners of any property before doing any treasure hunting.
A quick note on the many roads in this mining area. The only way out without using 4WD is the same way you got in. I drove up the steep road at the old tent city location, only to find it came to a dead end at a gate to the new mining operation. Other roads both north and south are rough at best. The dirt road heading north from Lower Rochester goes to a small mining operation on the other side of the mountain but it ends at a locked gate just above the road you came in on. There is a very rough road down to the main dirt road you can use without turning back. It is very steep in places and 4WD is highly recommended. I did get a cut sidewall resulting in a flat tire coming down this way. Having to change a tire on a hot day, on the side of a mountain leaves a lot to be desired.
| One of the mill buildings located in Lower Rochester. The tramway for hauling the ore from the mine down to the mill led to this mill. Another mill foundation is located across the dirt road and slightly west of this one. |  |
Reference: Nevada Ghost Towns and Mining Camps by Stanley W. Paher
Try the atlas by Paher, Nevada Ghost Towns and Mining Camps Atlas.
