Rock Point Mill site at Dayton State Park, about 40 miles southeast of Reno

Old storage room cut into the rock wall

Rock Point Mill ruins

Impressive foundations of the Rock Point Mill

Founded in the early 1850s after gold and silver were discovered in the area, Dayton is one of Nevada’s most historic mining communities. At the east edge of town, adjacent to Dayton State Park, are the remains of the Rock Point Mill, a remnant of Dayton’s mining glory days.

Charles C. Stevenson, who was Nevada’s governor from 1887 to 1890, built the mill in 1861. Constructed at a cost of about $75,000 (a considerable sum at the time), the mill had 40 stamps that crushed silver and gold ore carried over the mountain from Gold Hill via an elaborate tram system.

At the peak of the Comstock mining boom, the mill was enlarged to include 56 stamps and more than $170,000 in modern equipment. The mill was one of three important ore processing plants located in Dayton and was instrumental in the development of the Comstock mining district.

In 1909, the Rock Point Mill was destroyed in a fire, but its owners immediately rebuilt it using galvanized iron. The second mill remained in use until about 1920 when it was closed for good and dismantled.

Today, a couple of small wooden signs at the site offer a few details about the history of the mill. Many of the ruins date to the second mill built on the site, including the cement foundations. Others, such as the stone walls, date from the original mill, which was one of the first to process ore from the fabulous Comstock Lode.

You can wander the ruins, open to the public year round, via a series of marked trails. At the top of the hill overlooking the ruins is a large, round concrete structure that was once part of the mill complex. From there, you can get a marvelous view of the Dayton Valley.

At the base of the mill you can find a small rock hole (it looks like a cave) cut into the rock wall. Portions of a wooden wall and door frame the hole, which goes back about five feet.

The mill foundations are quite large and extensive. Climbing onto one of the concrete blocks, which are bigger than a person, gives some indication of the size of the mill’s buildings.

Surrounding the foundations are clusters of mature cottonwoods–very colorful in the fall–and nearby is the remnants of a small earthen and concrete dam that once must have captured water for use at the mill.

Dayton State Park is a picturesque spot located on the banks of the Carson River. It has tall, shady cottonwoods, developed picnic areas and a campground with 10 sites for tents or self-contained RVs. Additionally, the park offers drinking water, RV dump station, flush toilets, and picnic areas. It is open all year. For information call 775-687-5678.—Richard Moreno

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