Reveille was one of the first settlements in Nye county, and also one of the most remote. Ore was discovered here in 1866. By 1867 there were more than forty mines in the district. Ore from the mines had to be hauled by wagon to a mill in Austin, in northern Nevada, and lumber for buildings had to be hauled from Eureka. In 1869 a mill was built twelve miles to the west in Reveille Valley, greatly reducing shipping costs. Eventually there were more than 950 claims near the town!

In its prime, Reveille had about 150 people. It also had a boarding house, a blacksmith, two stores, and a post office. But the town also experienced many ups and downs, and the post office was closed and reopened intermittently. In 1880 all the mines closed, but the town still had thirty residents, and in 1882 the post office reopened once again. It continued to operate until 1902. In 1886 some of the mines went back into production and the mill was restarted.

After the discovery of ore at New Reveille, some people moved but many chose to continue living in the original town. In 1911 there were still about 20 people living in Reveille. The town finally was abandoned after the mines at New Reveille shut down.

As of 2024 there are several stone ruins at the townsite. The only intact structure is a wooden schoolhouse which is leaning badly and will probably fall over soon. In the 1970s and 1980s it was used as storage by a modern mining operation just over the hill to the north. It would be nice if some individual or organization would prop the building up so it could last a little longer.

I visited Reveille in July 2024.