Virginia City developed as a boomtown with the 1859 discovery of the Comstock Lode, the first major silver deposit discovery in the United States, with numerous mines opening. The population peaked in the mid-1870s, with an estimated 25,000 residents. The mines' output declined after 1878, and the population declined as a result. As of the 2020 Census, the population of Virginia City was 787.
Peter O'Riley and Patrick McLaughlin are credited with the discovery of the Comstock Lode. Henry T. P. Comstock's name was associated with the discovery through his own machinations. According to folklore, James Fennimore, nicknamed Old Virginny Finney, christened the town when he tripped and broke a bottle of whiskey at a saloon entrance in the northern section of Gold Hill, soon to become Virginia City.
After the discovery of the Comstock Lode in 1859, the town developed seemingly overnight on the eastern slopes of Mount Davidson, perched at a 6200-foot elevation. Below the town were dug intricate ...
Wat Na Phra That, located in Mueang Sing Buri District of Sing Buri Province, Thailand, is an ancient temple ruin whose history reaches back to the Dvaravati period between the 6th and 11th centuries AD, with some archaeological traces possibly even earlier from the Funan or pre-Dvaravati era. The site is widely regarded as the heart of the old city of Sing Buri, sometimes referred to in historical records as Singhaburi or Singhapura, a once-important settlement along the Chao Phraya River basin.
Originally known to locals as Wat Hua Mueang, meaning “Temple at the Head of the City,” or Wat Sisa Mueang, it served as a major Mon-Dvaravati Buddhist center. The prominent brick prang that still stands today was probably constructed to house sacred relics, which explains the later name “Phra That” (relic stupa). The architecture shows strong Khmer influence from the Lopburi (Lavo) period of the 11th to 13th centuries, indicating the structure was rebuilt or significantly expanded when Khmer culture ...
Wat Prasat วัดปราสาท is a historic Buddhist temple complex in Nonthaburi Province, Thailand, widely regarded as the oldest temple in the province. Located along the Chao Phraya River, in Nonthaburi Thailand, it serves as a serene spiritual and cultural landmark just north of Bangkok. The temple blends ancient architecture, religious significance, and natural beauty. It’s a Mahayana Buddhist temple and a designated national historic site, attracting visitors for its tranquility and historical murals.
Built during the Ayutthaya period (17th century), the temple’s construction is attributed to either the reign of King Prasat Thong (1629–1656) or King Narai the Great (1656–1688), making it over 400 years old. The name “Prasat” refers to the ornate, castle-like spires (prasat) that adorn its structures, a distinctive feature in Thai temple design. Over time, it has become a repository of Nonthaburi’s artistic heritage, with additions like murals painted by local craftsmen in...
Ku Ban Prasat, a modest 11th to 13th-century Khmer ruin Nakhon Ratchasima Province, Thailand, embodies the transitional Buddhist phase of the Angkor Empire’s northeastern frontier.
Constructed primarily of laterite with remnants of sandstone carvings, the site centers on a raised rectangular platform that once supported three brick towers aligned east-west—hallmarks of the Bayon-style architecture promoted by King Jayavarman VII (1181–1218).
The towers, now reduced to scattered foundations and fragmented walls without a surviving prang superstructure, were likely dedicated to Mahayana Buddhist worship, as evidenced by unearthed fragments of Buddha heads in Dvaravati-influenced local style.
Originally a Hindu outpost in the 11th century under Suryavarman I, the complex evolved amid the empire’s shift toward Buddhism, incorporating motifs of lotuses and guardian figures on eroded lintels.
Enclosed by a single moat and a partial gallery, it served as a rural waystation along pilgrimage ...
