Wonder was established in May 1906 when prospectors from the town of Fairview discovered rich quartz veins in a dry wash north of Chalk Mountain.

As was typical of the era of the 'second' silver rush in Nevada, hundreds of people soon flocked to the site, and the town of Wonder was born.

[3] By the fall of 1906 Wonder was going full-bore; it had a stage line connecting it to both Fairview and Fallon, and the usual assortment of stores, assay offices, freight depot, restaurants, hotels, boarding houses, and- of course- saloons.

Backed by capital from eastern concerns, its operations produced the largest yields in silver and gold from the mines, and in 1913 a large mill was built onto the hillside just to the east of the town, were the ore was soon being processed.

One should be extremely careful while exploring the area, as open pits leading down into old mine shafts present a hazard for falling.