Long ago Pioche, Nevada was known as one of the toughest towns in the West. But even as the old mining heydays dried up, people still needed to have a little fun. Now, there is an effort underway to bring the only theater in Lincoln County back to life.
Pioche’s Gem Theater, which opened in 1937, was a key way for the small town to stay connected to World War II America. Since then, the Gem has closed and opened a few times before it was locked up in 2002 after a wind storm blew the roof off.