Before the arrival of the Spaniards in 1775, the region encapsulating Nelson and Eldorado Canyon was inhabited by the prehistoric Puebloan Indians, later succeeded by the Paiutes and Mojave tribes. Minute quantities of silver were discovered by the Spaniards, however, it was not until the 1850s that a significant gold mine was discovered, marking one of Nevada’s earliest major gold rushes. It’s estimated that the Nelson region has produced over 500 million dollars worth of ore spanning nearly a hundred years. The renowned Techatticup Mine, contributing over 2.5 million dollars in gold, silver, copper, and lead, remained in operation until 1943.