An attempt to win Statehood in 1863 was defeated, but in 1864 when it became evident that two more Republican votes were needed in the U.S. Senate for reconstruction purposes, party lead ers at Washington urged the people of Nevada to adopt a Consti tution and enter the Union as a patriotic duty. The third Con stitutional Convention in its history met at Carson City and drew up a Constitution which was duly ratified, and in October of that year, President Lincoln proclaimed the new State. The eastern boundary was pushed eastward to its present location on the 37th meridian (W. of Washington) in 1866, and the southern boundary was also fixed in that year. Being "battle-born," Nevada was loyal to the Union throughout the Civil War, and furnished a company of troops in 1861 which was joined to a California regi ment. In 1863 the Territory raised six companies of infantry and six of cavalry (about i,000 men), which saw no actual service against the Confederates but were useful in subduing hostile Indians.
The history of the State since its organization has been largely a history of its mines. From 1864 to 1868 there was a general reaction in the industry due to unwarranted speculation and in flated values. After 1868 there came a period of consolidation, of more systematic workings, and of deeper development. In 1873 came the discovery of the "big bonanza" by Mackay, Fair, O'Brien' and Flood, who became the four "bonanza kings" of Nevada. In 1873, $21,000,000 was taken from the Comstock and production increased until the maximum of $36,000,000 was reached in 1878. The Sutro Tunnel intersected the lode in the latter year, and drained the mines. But the richer workings soon proved below the tunnel level and the shafts were sent deeper. In 1882 an im mense flow of hot water was struck which flooded the principal mines up to the Sutro Tunnel level. The miners were forced to return to the upper levels and work the lower grade ores. Produc tion decreased and with the end in sight the market slumped. Also, the National Government had abandoned its artificial maintenance of the price of silver. The period of depression lasted until about 190o when the discovery of a new mineral belt in southern Nevada brought renewed prosperity. Tonopah, 6o m. from the rail road, became the new Mecca, and fast upon the heels of its dis covery came that at Goldfield. A railway was completed to the new camps in 1904 and Tonopah has since been one of the largest and steadiest producing districts of the State. Copper ores of vast extent were discovered at Ely at about the same time and the Nevada Northern railway was completed to this camp in 1907.
The depression immediately before 190o served a good purpose in turning attention to the agricultural and live stock possibilities of the State. The river valleys under irrigation proved most fertile and these were soon settled by large-scale ranchers. On the river bottoms the ranchers raised their hay, and controlled a still larger acreage of the upland grazing ground. Private irrigation systems were supplemented by Federal undertakings the most notable be ing the Truckee-Carson project. Many beautiful valley towns now have their prosperity founded on the permanent basis of agriculture rather than the uncertain one of mining.
Until the silver agitation of the '9os Nevada was safely Repub lican. The State's politics in the early period were replete with corruption, and many of its rich mine owners were accused of buying their seats in the United States Senate. For four state elections the Silver Party swept the State. After the issue sub sided the old parties came again into control. In the national elections of 1932 and 1936 the State returned Roosevelt and the Democratic ticket by heavy majorities. Since the legalization of gambling in 1931, and the reduction to six weeks of the residence requirement for divorce, Nevada has become a divorce and resort centre, which lightened the economic depression. From 1933 to the suspension of the Federal Agricultural Adjustment Adminis tration, in 1936, the farmers received $178,593 in benefit pay ments. In 1936 Boulder Dam across the Colorado river, 25 miles southeast of Las Vegas, Nevada, was completed.