Shermantown
In summer 1868, Major E.A. Sherman and Joseph Carothers started a new camp called Silver Springs, meant to serve as a milling center for the surrounding mines. By the end of the year, Silver Springs had gained a few brick buildings, the ten-stamp Oasis Mill (moved from Austin, smelting furnace, assay office, and two sawmills.
At the beginning of 1869, a townsite was platted and renamed Shermantown. As the White Pine district grew, Shermantown quickly became the milling center it was planned to be, and that year eight mills were in operation with a combined 69 stamps. Numerous businesses were opened, a telegraph line was built, and water was brought to town by the Silver Springs Water Company. Two newspapers were in print, and it is said that as many as 3000 people lived in Shermantown before the end of the year.
Unfortunately, Shermantown's prosperity was short lived. Before the end of 1870, mines on Treasure Hill began to fail. Shermantown quickly declined as a result, dropping to only 200 by spring 1871. By 1875, only the family of Dr. E.X. Willard remained in town. Most remaining buildings were relocated to Hamilton, and after the Willard family left in 1891 Shermantown was officially a ghost town.
