A presentation of the Nevada Historical Society, High Noon with Neal Cobb is a monthly history series that delves into Nevada topics with local experts. Neal Cobb is a passionate historian and honorary curator for the Nevada Historical Society. Each month, he is joined by a different guest presenter.

This month’s presenter is Sean Pitts, historian and director of the East Ely Railroad Depot Museum, discussing Hamilton, Nevada, White Pine County's original county seat.

Explore the rich history of eastern Nevada’s first mining boom using historic maps and photographs. Learn how the 1867 silver discovery at Treasure Hill in White Pine Mining District launched one of the most intense mining rushes in American history, which helped establish Hamilton by May, 1868. Hamilton grew rapidly as a bustling mining town, becoming the first county seat of White Pine County in 1869. This was a short-lived silver stampede. The silver vein was shallow, two fires destroyed the main portion of the town and then the courthouse, and the county seat was moved to Ely in 1887, so the city declined.

Pitts has an educational background and has been instrumental in preserving the history of Ely and the surrounding areas. His work at the museum and in the community has been significant in documenting and sharing the stories of the past. After studying museum administration at Utah State University, Pitts’ lifelong dream of becoming a museum director materialized in 1989, when he was hired as the director of the White Pine Public Museum in Ely. He has been the director of the East Ely Railroad Depot Museum since 1991.

Register to join High Noon with Neal Cobb on Zoom. Recordings of past episodes are available on the library’s YouTube channel.