A silver deposit was discovered in the area in 1869 which was worked by Alta Mine, one of the territory's richest silver mines. The interests were sold in 1876 to a group of investors headed by William W. Wickes. The town grew to around 1,500 residents by 1893. When the
Sherman Silver Purchase Act of 1890 was repealed the company closed its smelter. In 1896 the mine was closed. In 1901 a fire destroyed the entire business portion of the town. In 1909 a new townsite was laid out near the railroad tracks. The
Corbin railroad station was moved to Wickes. The school operated until the 1930's. A newspaper, the Wickes Pioneer, was started in August 1895 by publisher Robert G. Bailey. It ended shortly after the mine closed in 1896. ==References==