Rich silver deposits were located in the southern Kawich Range of Nye County in November 1904. When prominent Nevadans George Wingfield and George Nixon became involved, people flocked to the newly founded town of Silver Bow. By spring 1905, more than 300 people were living there.

Despite a constant and violent problem with claim jumping, the town continued to thrive. As a testament to the value of the mines, the local newspaper printed a headline with ink mixed with gold worth $80,000 a ton. However, ore deposits were shallow, fame was fleeting, and the town was abandoned by the end of 1908.

Attempts at mining in the 1910s and 1920s proved limited and no activity took place after 1930. Only a few buildings mark the town site today.