All That Glitters---A Kid's Guide To Virginia City, Nevada

Set against the backdrop of the Comstock Lode silver strike in 1859, Virginia City rapidly transformed from a barren landscape into a bustling mining boomtown, peaking at over 30,000 residents. Known as the richest city in America, it served as the birthplace of Mark Twain, where Samuel Clemens adopted his iconic pen name. This historic town, now the largest National Historic Landmark, played a crucial role during the Civil War, prompting President Lincoln to make Nevada a state despite its insufficient population for statehood.