Silver ore was discovered here in 1962, and the town of La Plata was formed in 1863. The town's name is Spanish for "silver". La Plata was the county seat of Churchill County from 1864 to 1868. A post office was opened in 1865 and closed in 1867. The mines here never amounted to much, and the town faded away by 1870.

Currently there are just a few stone ruins at the site. The largest, shown above, is believed to be the remains of the county courthouse.

I visited this site in June 2024.