Pioche is an unincorporated town in Lincoln County, Nevada, United States, approximately 180 miles (290 km) northeast of Las Vegas. U.S. Route 93 is the main route to Pioche and bypasses the town middle just to the east, with Nevada State Route 321 and Nevada State Route 322 providing forward access. Its elevation is 6,060 feet (1,850 m) above sea level. Pioche is the county seat of Lincoln County. Pioche is named after François Louis Alfred Pioche, a San Francisco financier and home speculator originally from France. The town’s population was 1,002 at the 2010 census.

The first modern settlement of the Place occurred in 1864 past the initiation of a silver mine. The settlers forlorn the area when local Indian tribes launched a series of raids and massacres. Recolonization was launched in 1868, after the Indian raids were stopped and François Pioche bought the town in 1869. By the to the lead 1870s, Pioche had grown larger, to become one of the most important silver-mining towns in Nevada. Because of the town’s remoteness which had earlier allowed the Indian raids to occur, Pioche had a reputation for visceral one of the roughest towns in the Old West.

Due mostly to confusion higher than the precise location of mining claims, mine owners finally resorted to hiring guards. In 1872, Tom and Ed Newland hired gunmen to accept over the definitely profitable mine owned by William H. Raymond and John Ely. They in position hired four more men who during a skirmish in the center of the night killed one of the guards and drove off the remainder. One of the four hired gunmen, Michael Casey, killed miner Tom Gossen after refusing to pay interest upon a $100 loan. Before he died the next day, Gossen left a $5,000 compensation to the man who killed Casey. Jim Leavy swore Casey had not shot Gossen in self defense, and Casey challenged Leavy to get his gun. The two men met in stomach of Felsenthal’s store. Leavy shot Casey and then stress him to death taking into consideration his pistol. Leavy in turn was offended by David Neagle, who shot Leavy through the cheeks, leaving him at all times disfigured.

It was reported that approximately 60 percent of the homicides reported in Nevada during 1871–72 took place in and as regards Pioche. Local lore says 72 men were killed in gunfights past the first natural death occurred in the camp. This legend is immortalized by the initiation of Boot Hill, now a landmark in the city.