Jim Butler Days & Nevada State Mining Championships
Honor the man (and the burro) who made the accidental discovery that founded Tonopah during the nine-day, town-wide party that is Jim Butler Days.
‘Twas the spring of 1900 when a prospector named Jim Butler was camping near Tonopah Springs. His burro wandered off, and during Butler’s foot pursuit of his companion, he picked up a rock to throw. The rock had an odd weight to it, so Butler took it home to then-booming Belmont to have it assayed. Turns out, the rock was spectacularly lucrative high-grade silver. That right-place-at-the-right-time discovery led to the development of the Tonopah Mining District, which eventually produced more than five million tons of silver ore.
Celebrate the “Queen of the Silver Camps” during Jim Butler Days, a nine-day, town-wide party with all kinds of events. The Jim Butler Stampede features all your favorite rodeo events—like ranch bronc riding, team roping, barrels, and more—while the Nevada State Mining Championships showcase the physically demanding methods used by early hard rock miners. Other festivities include a parade, a pageant, a craft fair, street dances, stock car races, spirit tastings, events for kids, live music, a raffle, and tons more.
Some Jim Butler Days events are free, while others require paid admission. For a complete schedule of events and where to stay in Tonopah, visit Jim Butler Days’ website or contact the Jim Butler Days Committee at (775) 482-9466.
