Candelaria was founded in 1864 when Mexican prospectors working the area discovered silver deposits on the northern slopes of the mountain.

The success of the mine attracted people and business to the area, and by 1875, the Candelaria district became the most productive in southwestern Nevada.

Inhabitants of the area breathed in the fine particulate dust created by the dry stamping process, which brought about respiratory tract infections and diseases which often ended in death".

[2] The town had two hotels, numerous stores, multiple saloons, doctors and lawyers and other businesses.

[6] In 1882, the completion of the Carson and Colorado Railroad to Candelaria helped to alleviate the water shortage.