Silver mining
Mining shaped Nevada's economy for many years (see "Silver mining in Nevada"). When Mark Twain lived in Nevada during the period described in "Roughing It", mining had led to an industry of speculation and immense wealth. Both mining and population temporarily declined in the late 19th century. However, the rich silver strike at Tonopah in 1900, followed by strikes in Goldfield and Rhyolite, created a second mining boom in Nevada and Nevada's population.