View of Salina. A carpenter named Henry Von Myrinck discovered the Melvina mine (named after his mother. In 1873 the town of Salina had thirty families and in 1875, over one hundred residents. There was a general store, saloon,and assay office. In 1881, there was a hotel, the Salina House & several more stores and three mills. The town was named after the Kansas town of the same name probably because some of the early settlers were from Salina Kansas.