William H. Talcott discovered silver while hauling wood. His horse dislodged a chunk of quartz that Talcott had assayed in Virginia City. One year later, fast growing Austin became the county seat with 10,000 residents. Schools, saloons, banks, newspapers, stores, churches and 366 homes had been built in that one short year. By 1864, there were five preachers, a dozen doctors and thirty-three lawyers. Austin remained a metropolis until the mines ran dry in the 1880's after $50 million in ore had been extracted.
Austin is located on US 50, 327 miles from Las Vegas