White Oaks grew to a bustling territorial 'city' of 4,000. At its peak in the 1880's and 1890's it had four newspapers, two hotels, three churches, a planing mill, a bank, numerous saloons and gambling houses.

Gold mines by the name of North Homestake, South Homestake,The Boston Boy, Lady Godiva, Comstock, Little Mack, and Old Abe produced a bonanza of gold. Th Old Abe mine is reported to have produced more than $3,000,000. The gold boom lasted for twenty years before the mines played out. The town was a trading center, school, and post office for surrounding communities until the 1950's.