<P> After the discovery was made public in 1859 , it sparked a silver rush of prospectors to the area , scrambling to stake their claims . The discovery caused considerable excitement in California and throughout the United States , the greatest since the California Gold Rush in 1849 . Mining camps soon thrived in the vicinity , which became bustling commercial centers , including Virginia City and Gold Hill . </P>
what happened to virginia city after comstock discovered silver ore in six mile canyon
bustling commercial centers