What was the Comstock Lode?

The Comstock Lode is a lode of silver ore located under the eastern slope of Mount Davidson, a peak in the Virginia Range in Virginia City, Nevada, which was the first major discovery of silver ore in the United States and named after American miner Henry Comstock.

After the discovery was made public in 1859, it sparked a silver rush of prospectors to the area, scrambling to stake their claims. The discovery caused considerable excitement in California and throughout the United States, the greatest since the California Gold Rush in 1849. Mining camps soon thrived in the vicinity, which became bustling commercial centers, including Virginia City. After 1878, the bonanza rather rapidly petered out, and, although the Comstock was to produce ore until the 1940's, it was at a greatly reduced rate.

It was one of the most important mining discoveries in American history. This one event was indeed so significant, Nevada could not have attained statehood when it did.