The valley that is now the site of Silver City once served as an Apache
campsite. With the arrival of the Spaniards, the area became known for its
copper mining. After the American Civil War, a settlement developed and became
known as la Ciénega de San Vicente(the Marsh of St. Vincent). With a wave of
American prospectors, the pace of change increased, and Silver City was founded
in the summer of 1870. The founding of the town occurred shortly after the
discovery of silver ore deposits at Chloride Flat, on the hill just west of the
farm of Captain John M. Bullard and his brother James. Following the silver
strike,
