It’s amazing to think of ALL the amazing history that’s hiding underneath our noses wherever we find ourselves in the Silver State. You just never know what kind of places will turn out to have fascinating stories behind them, like the old Lincoln County Courthouse in the rough ‘n tumble town of Pioche, Nevada. First of all, it’s amazing that this historic courthouse is even still standing. However, it’s the story behind this building—often called the Million Dollar Courthouse—that makes it a must-visit destination for history enthusiasts. Stop by and check out this fascinating time capsule of Pioche history!
Get a glimpse of the fascinating and wild history that's hiding in Pioche when you visit the historic centerpiece of the town, often referred to as the Million Dollar Courthouse.
John Fitzwater/Google
Back in the day, Pioche was a no-joke, rough-and-tumble type of town—the likes of which set the tone for the Wild West. Violence was a part of everyday life back then, at least until the community was able to construct necessities like a brand new courthouse and jail in the 1870s.
It's evident that residents believed that Pioche was one of the state's most promising up-and-coming towns, so they went all out when it came time for construction on the courthouse. The initial budget for the project was a whopping $26,000—quite a bit of money for that time.
However, that money wouldn't even end up being the final cost of the project. Construction on the building went way over budget, and it ultimately cost around $88,000 when all was said and done. Today, that amount of money would be equal to 16 million dollars. But wait, that's not all!
Things were not going well for Pioche at this time. The silver mined has been used up, people were leaving, and the county was in huge debt. They couldn't even afford to make payments on the cost of the courthouse, and interest caused the total to swell to $670,000 by the 1900s. Yep, you read that number correctly.
This was obviously a gargantuan amount of debt the county found itself in over a humble courthouse. They didn't pay off the entire amount until 1937 when the interest surged the price to $1 million. To top it all off, by this time the courthouse was considered out-of-date and it was officially condemned.
The Million Dollar Courthouse sat empty and withering away for decades until preservation began on the historic structure. Today, you can visit the infamous courthouse yourself and witness the relics of Pioche's wild and dangerous early days. Learn more about it along with its seasonal hours here.
