Alder Gulch

The money came from gold, discovered in 1860's.  It led to a 14 mile long city of mining from Virginia City to Alder.  By the turn of the century, companies were dredging the entire valley, literally turning the soil inside out leaving it nothing but rocks.  Dredging financed Harvard in the 1920's.  Now the valley is all but abandoned, miles and miles of water tainting tailings- mounds of rocks not suitable for growing or livestock. They seem proud of their colorful history, but it will take centuries for the land to heal.