The Comstock Lode achieved legendary fame due to the staggering richness of its silver and gold ore deposits, the unprecedented individual fortunes it created, and the revolutionary underground mining engineering techniques required to extract minerals from deep, unstable, and hot water-logged shafts. Furthermore, the immense wealth generated from the Lode fueled the rapid development of infrastructure across the American West, helped finance the Union during the Civil War, and put Nevada permanently on the global economic map.