(Photo credit: Scenic 4)
Norwegian miners stuck a rich silver ore vein along Silver Creek in 1861. The site was five miles northeast of Ebbetts pass at an elevation of 6411′. Soon the town of Kongsberg or Konigsberg developed. By 1862 the population had exploded to over 1000.
Silver Creek
(Photo credit: Alpine Chronicle)
The Konigsberg post office opened in 1863 and closed briefly in 1864. In 1865 the post office name was changed to Silver Mountain City.
(Photo credit: Ghost Towns)
In 1864 Silver Mountain city became the first county seat of newly formed Alpine County. 3000 eventually people called the mountainous city home. Business included general stores, bakeries, restaurants, hotels, assay offices and blacksmith shops.
Daniel Davidson constructed one of two smelters in Silver Mountain City in 1862. Lewis Chalmer purchased the smelter and surrounding land in 1870. Chalmer was a native of Scottland and left his wife and five children at home while he sought his fortune. He built a beautiful home which is now known as Chalmer’s Mansion.
After the death of Chalmer’s wife in Scottland, he married his housekeeper Antoinette “Nettie” Laughton in 1880. He had two more children with his second wife. In 1884 Chalmer returned to his homeland to raise capital to save his mine and smelter. He never returned to Silver Mountain City and died in Scotland in 1904.
The mines dried up and many miners moved to booming Bodie. In 1875 Silver Mountain City lost the Alpine county seat to Markleeville. Many of the buildings were dismantled or moved to Markleeville. In 1882 a fire destroyed what was left of the former county seat.
(Photo credit: Ghost Towns)
The Fiske Hotel built in 1863 was one of the structures relocated to Markeeville where it was renamed Hot Springs Hotel then later Alpine Hotel. The building still stands and has been a variety of restaurants. It is being remodeled and will open as a brewery.
Nettie Chalmer died in 1913 and was buried in a small pioneer cemetery close to the mansion. Also buried at the site is Lewis and Nettie’s young son, Nettie’s son from a previous marriage and Lewis’s oldest son from his first marriage.
Headstones were destroyed or stolen many years ago. Today the graves are marked by bricks from the Chalmer’s Mansion smelter.
The Silver Mountain City jail was relocated to Markleeville in 1875. Foundation stones remain at the site along with two informational markers.
The jail’s iron cells were laid on a log foundation at the new site. Using the mortise and tenon method, logs were added to complete the exterior. The jail was moved to its present location the Markleeville Museum in 1969.
Silver Mountain City is a great stop combined with hiking to Showshoe Thompson’s Cave, Woodfords, Monitor or soaking at Grover Hotsprings.
Visited 6-2020
References
- Alpine Chronicle: Silver Mountain City Tour
- Clairitage Press: Silver Mountain City, Finding Your way There
- Ebbetts Pass Adventures: From Markleeville to Silver Creek, Apline County, California
- Dustman, Karen. Ghost of the Sierras: Silver Mountain City. Clairitage Press, 2011.
- Dustman, Karen & Rick. Walking Tour of Historic Markleeveille. Clairitage Press, 2019. Pages 11-13.
- Ghost Towns: Silver Mountain City
- Record Courier: Finding the Ghosts at Silver Mountain City
- Scenic 4: Silver Mountain City
- Sierra Nevada Geotourism: Silver Mountain Jail, Alpine County
- Western Mining History: Silver Mountain, California
- Wikipedia: Silver Mountain City, California
Tami says
From William. I’m sorry, I cleaned my database which deleted pending comments.
“anyone who knows anything about camp nelson 1 mile from silver mountain city. i am a 3 rd generation of the nelson family. ollie nelson was my grandfather. his brother was ted nelson. i have not been there in 30 years . ollie was raised in silver mountain..”
Tami says
William, this might have some information. It is a historic book of mines in Alpine County. I will check my books and see if I can find anything. I will also ask Karen Dustman who authored the book on Silver Mountain City.
https://ia800609.us.archive.org/4/items/minesandmineral08clark/minesandmineral08clark.pdf