Ruby is an American ghost town in Okanogan County, Washington State.
Ruby, Washington | |
---|---|
Coordinates: 48°29′57″N 119°43′32″W / 48.49917°N 119.72556°W | |
Country | United States |
State | Washington |
County | Okanogan |
Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific (PST)) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
Silver was discovered in 1886 on the slopes of Ruby Mountain and Peacock Hill. By 1887 a mining district was created and a camp grew up beside Salmon Creek. This camp was called Ruby, or Ruby City.[1]
Ruby had a population of 700. By 1888, 70 buildings were located along the main street. In 1888, Ruby was briefly declared the county seat. A publication called the Ruby Miner advertised the mineral richness of the area. When the Panic of 1893 caused silver prices to plummet, Ruby was slowly abandoned, becoming, eventually, a ghost town.[2][3]
References
edit- ^ "Local citizens make last visit to deserted city". The Ellensburgh Capital. October 28, 1932. p. 6. Retrieved June 17, 2015.
- ^ N.L. Barlee (2004), Gold Creeks and Ghost Towns of Northeastern Washington. Hancock House Publishers, ISBN 0-88839-452-7
- ^ Wayne S. Moen. "Conconully Mining District of Okanogan County, Washington" (pdf). Washington State Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved April 20, 2012.