Wells Fargo and Company Express Building, Bank building in Silver Reef, US.
The Wells Fargo and Company Express Building is constructed from red sandstone with a parapet encircling the single-slope roof and contains two equal-sized rooms with multiple entry points. A vault occupies one side while a basement below once served as a stable for horses and pack animals.
Built in 1877 during the silver mining boom, the structure initially served both as a supply store for mining operations and as a banking facility. It was later repurposed as office space for the Western Gold and Uranium Company.
The building represents how Western financial networks connected remote mining areas to the rest of the country. It shows the role that trading posts and banking operations played in supporting the growth of frontier communities.
The building sits in Silver Reef, a ghost town that is best explored on foot through the sparse settlement. The area is remote and largely undeveloped, so visitors should plan accordingly and get their bearings before wandering off.
The building is one of only three remaining structures in Silver Reef, which was rapidly abandoned after the silver market collapsed. It stands today as a testament to how quickly a thriving mining settlement could be left behind when economic conditions changed.
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