Skip To Main Content

Community

Storey County is one of the smallest counties in the state in terms of area and population. Storey boasts just over 4,100 residents and is home to 401 students. We have 4 schools in Storey County, with Hillside being nestled in the beautiful Truckee River corridor an hour away from the Comstock Schools. 

Storey County was created in 1861 and named for Captain Edward Farris Storey, who was killed in 1860 in the Pyramid Lake War. It was the most populous county in Nevada when organized in 1861. 

The Comstock Lode is an ore body of gold and silver ore located under the eastern slope of Mount Davidson in Virginia City. It's also known as Sun Mountain during the springtime when the sunflowers burst into a stunning array of yellow. The first major discovery  was made in 1858 by the Grosh brothers, it was later named after Henry Comstock (Comstock Lode). 

After the discovery was made, it sparked a rush of gold and silver prospectors to the area scrambling to stake their claims. The discovery caused considerable excitement in California and throughout the United States - the greatest since the California Gold Rush in 1849. The gold and silver was so highly prized by the United States, the territory was fast tracked to become a state called "Nevada" (which means 'snow capped' in Spanish) on October 31, 1864. Nevada Day remains a very important holiday in Storey County. 

The highest population Storey County has ever seen was in 1880 with (maybe 25,000) 16,115 residents. 

As the fame of the Comstockers gold and silver mines spread through the nation, the word, "Mucker", became a more prominent and meaningful word in Nevada's society. 

Muckers were some  of the toughest people on earth. They made up about ninety percent of the workforce in the mining days of the Comstock Era (1859-1880's). Being paid the highest union wage in the world ($4 per day), muckers worked six days per week, twelve hours per day on one of the world's most dangerous workplaces ever. With only a candle, simple tools and a strong sense of determination, Muckers were sent down nearly three thousand feet to unearth and load ("Muck") the greatest gold and silver ore body that the world has ever known. 

Threats to Muckers' lives were a daily reality. They included: explosions (especially since black powder was so unstable), cave-ins, numerous lung diseases, hot water geysers which were pressurized and averaged 170 degrees fahrenheit, foul air and incredibly hot working temperatures --- sometimes as much as 130-150 degrees fahrenheit. 

A Muckers' greatest fear, however, is fire. The great mines needed vast amounts of timber to prevent cave-ins. However, an accidental candle left burning that caught timber on fire could quickly spread throughout the entire workings. Mine superintendents were sometimes forced to "cap" the mine entrance in an attempt to suffocate the fire, knowing full well that all Muckers trapped below would die a terrible death. In the center of the adjoining picture are the Bickbell brothers, three of the 38 Muckers who died in the Great Yellow Jacket Fire of 1869. 

Muckers knew that in order to survive the brutal elements of their work environment, they had to count on their toughness, intelligence, and each other. Because of these traits Storey County schools have a rich tradition of academic and athletic excellence. Hence the proud term: MUCKER PRIDE!