In 1907, Gold was discovered at the town site which would be known as Nivloc Nevada by a Native American prospector. The town derived its name from for the former owners “Colvin” who operated the site in 1923. The name spelled backwards was Nivloc and such is the haste in the Nevadan desert.
Discovery and Early Development
Gold was discovered in 1907 by Tom Fisherman (also referred to as Tom Risherman in some accounts), a Shoshone prospector. He reported the find to Harry Stimler (a key figure in the Goldfield discoveries). Stimler did limited work, and the site was initially associated with the name Stimler. In about 1909, Chicago millionaire broker W.H. Colvin acquired the property and renamed it Nivloc—“Colvin” spelled backward. Early development was modest; a shaft was sunk, but significant production did not follow immediately.
The broader district had earlier roots: mining activity in the Silver Peak Range began in 1863, with the Red Peak (later Silver Peak) Mining District organized in the mid-1860s. Nearby centers such as Silver Peak and Blair processed ore from the area, including with large stamp mills.
Limited work continued intermittently. In 1928, Colvin appointed Fred Vollmar, Sr., as superintendent. Vollmar improved water supply and repaired the camp after a flash flood, but ore reserves did not justify a mill at the time. Colvin largely abandoned the property by 1934. Vollmar relocated claims; after his death the property passed to his son, Fred Vollmar, Jr. In 1936 the Red Mountain Mining Company was organized. The following year the property was acquired by interests linked to Bralorne Mines (Canada), which formed Desert Silver, Inc., to operate it.
Peak Production Era (1937–1943)
Extensive development followed. A 200-ton (sometimes described as rated ~175 tons, operating higher) cyanide mill began operations in November 1937. The mine featured a substantial vertical shaft (reports note depths around 440–600 feet with further work via winzes approaching or exceeding 900 feet in places, and extensive lateral workings; one account mentions a deeper shaft figure). Ore was moved via rail trestle to the mill.
From 1937/1938 to 1943, Nivloc was one of Nevada’s leading (and for several years the largest) silver producers, also yielding gold (and minor lead). Production figures commonly cited are over $3.9 million in silver and gold (some sources note roughly $2–3 million or more specifically for the main period), from more than 400,000 tons of ore. The operation ran at substantial capacity (averaging over 200 tons daily at times).
Role in the area: Nivloc contributed significantly to the Silver Peak district’s output during the late Depression and early World War II years, when silver mining provided important economic activity in remote Esmeralda County. It exemplified successful development of deeper, previously under-exploited vein systems in a district with a long but fluctuating history. The company-built townsite supported the workforce near the mine rather than relying solely on Silver Peak.
Population and Community
At its height around 1940, Desert Silver had a payroll of approximately 156 workers at the mine, with about 60 of them having families living in the camp. Including others in the immediate district, the population was reported as nearly 250. Stanley W. Paher described it as a “one-saloon camp,” indicating a modest, work-focused settlement rather than a large boomtown with numerous commercial establishments.
Post Office
The Nivloc post office operated from October 11, 1940, to November 15, 1943 (service then transferred to Silver Peak). An earlier short-lived Stimler post office had existed briefly in 1907–1909. The establishment of the Nivloc office reflected the camp’s size and isolation during the production peak; local advocates noted the inconvenience of traveling to Silver Peak for mail.
Newspapers
No newspaper was published in Nivloc itself. Residents relied on papers from nearby communities such as Silver Peak, Goldfield, or Tonopah.
Buildings and Infrastructure
The camp and mine complex included:
- A company townsite with residences (including a manager’s residence and other houses; some were later moved away in 1943 as operations wound down).
- Mine support buildings (hoist house, blacksmith shop, operations structures).
- A large steel headframe over the main shaft.
- An impressive wooden ore trestle (one of the more notable remaining features, roughly 120 feet long and elevated).
- The 200-ton cyanide mill complex, water facilities/tanks, and related processing infrastructure.
- At least one saloon.
Many structures and the mill plant (which had cost hundreds of thousands of dollars) were present during the peak years. After closure, equipment was often sold or scrapped.
Decline and Later History
Operations were heavily affected by World War II manpower shortages, rising costs, and wartime restrictions. The night shift was cut, and the mine closed in 1943 (around July–November accounts). The plant was placed on sale, and some houses were relocated. Postwar attempts included organization of Nivloc Mines, Inc., in 1946 and later involvement by U.S. Mining and Milling Corporation (some bullion production in the late 1950s before focus shifted elsewhere). Activity remained sporadic; the shaft was reported badly caved by the 1960s. Estimates in the 1960s suggested remaining mill-grade ore, and later companies explored or held claims, but no major sustained revival occurred.
Present Day
Nivloc is a classic Nevada ghost town/mine site on or near public land (BLM-managed areas are common in the region). Notable remaining features include the headframe, the distinctive trestle, mill ruins and foundations, scattered buildings or remnants (including houses), tailings, and mine dumps. It attracts explorers interested in mining history, though sites like this can have hazards (unstable structures, open shafts, etc.). Access is typically via dirt roads from the Silver Peak area.
In summary, Nivloc was a relatively late-blooming but productive silver-gold camp whose main significance came in the late 1930s–early 1940s as a major district and statewide silver contributor, supporting a temporary population of a few hundred people with basic company facilities and a short-lived post office, before wartime conditions and economics turned it into a ghost town.
Town Summary
| Town | Nivloc, Nevada |
| Location | Esmeralda County, Nevada |
| Latitude, Longitude | 37.71583, -117.75722 |
| Elevation | 6,170 feet |
| GNIS | 851592 |
| Post Office | October 1940 to November 1943 |
Nivloc Map
