Washington’s Ruby City once had more than 1,000 residents during a silver rush; today the historic townsite lies among the state’s forested hills | World News
Once a thriving silver-mining settlement with more than 1,000 residents, Ruby City was at the centre of Washington’s mining boom in the late 19th century. Prospectors, investors and businesses flocked to the town as silver discoveries fuelled hopes of prosperity. However, declining silver prices, limited mineral deposits and high transport costs eventually brought its mining industry to a halt. Today, the former settlement is known as Old Ruby State Park Heritage Site, where forested hills and tall ponderosa pines surround a townsite with no standing buildings remaining. According to the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission, the site preserves the history of a once-busy community whose fortunes rose and fell with the silver rush.
How Washington’s Ruby City grew during the silver rush in 1886 and 1887
The opening of the former reservation lands for mineral claims and settlement on 1 May 1886 encouraged further prospecting. Four months later, Fred Wendt discovered the Nevada vein north of the future townsite and persuaded investors to join him in developing the prospect through the War Eagle Mining and Milling Company. John Cluman and James Milliken subsequently staked the Last Chance claim, while three miners discovered the First Thought claim in October 1886. According to Washington State Parks, the First Thought mine eventually developed more than 4,000 feet of underground passages across three levels and produced silver ore valued at more than $2.5 million in 2025 terms.As mining activity expanded, William Singleton and Thomas D. Fuller established Ruby City on land along Salmon Creek on 6 January 1887. The town was laid out with Main Street running parallel to the creek, while Ruby Street and Salmon Street lay to the west and east, respectively. Numbered streets extended from First Street at the northern end to Tenth Street at the southern end. Lots were offered for sale, and businesses developed to serve miners and other residents. However, the commission records that Singleton and Fuller did not initially own the land they were selling, leading residents to demand that the developers obtain legal title. The ownership dispute was not fully resolved until 17 March 1892.
Ruby City’s businesses and banking industry fueled its silver rush boom
Ruby City’s growth extended beyond its mines. Businesses supplied goods and services to the mining population, while the town developed financial and social establishments. Sam Lichtenstadter opened the Bank of Ruby, which issued distinctive pink checks because it had limited supplies of US cash. According to the state parks account, nearly $300,000 worth of these checks were once in circulation across central Washington and British Columbia. The town also had a brewery and several saloons, including the Mother Lode Saloon, the Office Saloon, the Silver Corner, the Snug Saloon and the Bachelors Saloon.Ruby City briefly became the seat of the newly established Okanogan County in 1888. The Washington Territorial Legislature approved the creation of the county on 2 February that year, and the county commissioners met to organise its government in March. Ruby City was selected as the county seat, but voters later chose to transfer that position to Conconully. The town’s promoters continued to advertise its commercial importance. In 1890, the Ruby Land Company described it as the “business center of the greatest mining region in the State of Washington”, highlighting its business activity and a reported monthly payroll of $10,000. Despite these claims, Ruby remained remote, and attempts to secure railway service or better roads were unsuccessful.
Why Washington’s Ruby City declined after the silver rush
The limitations of the mineral deposits became increasingly apparent within a decade of Ruby City’s founding. According to Washington State Parks, the silver-bearing veins extended only limited distances, restricting the amount of ore that could be extracted. Transport expenses also reduced the profitability of mining. Ore was typically hauled by wagon for 45 miles to Brewster, transferred to riverboats for an 80-mile journey to Wenatchee, and then moved onto railway cars bound for smelters in Tacoma or Montana.The commission also identifies wider economic developments as a factor in the town’s collapse. The Sherman Silver Purchase Act, enacted by the US Congress on 14 July 1890, increased the federal government’s required silver purchases and gave mining activity a temporary boost. However, the agency explains that the resulting increase in circulating dollars, without corresponding growth in government gold stocks, eventually contributed to a fall in silver prices. Together with global economic trends, this helped bring about the Panic of 1893. Mining operations in Ruby City subsequently failed. Ellensburg mayor Austin Mires visited in August 1899 and recorded that “the town was entirely deserted”. By 1904, only a few deteriorating buildings remained.
Ruby City’s silver mines reopened but struggled with transport costs
Mining did not end permanently with the first collapse. Operations resumed at the Arlington, First Thought and Last Chance mines in the early 1920s, and several shipments of ore were completed. However, the cost of transporting the material continued to make mining unprofitable, and the operations closed again. A concentrating mill was constructed at the Arlington Mine in 1936 to process ore on site and reduce shipping costs. Mining continued until 1940, when operations stopped.Efforts to preserve Ruby City’s history began decades later. Washington State Parks records that the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission started systematically identifying and preserving historic sites and buildings in the late 1950s. Following the allocation of preservation funding under Referendum 28, the commission began prioritising the acquisition of the former townsite. In May and June 1977, it purchased portions of nine blocks from four sellers for $44,300. Today, the site is known as Old Ruby State Park Heritage Site. The commission states that “No standing structures remain”, and the only development at the park site is an interpretive sign maintained by the Okanogan County Historical Society. The former mining settlement is therefore documented through its historical record and the preserved townsite rather than surviving buildings.
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