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Nevada Historical Marker #58
Old Boundary. The 37th degree north latitude marked at this point the dividing line between the territories of Utah and New Mexico under the provisions of the Compromise of 1850, which originally organized the land ceded by Mexico in 1848.When the territory of Nevada was carved from western Utah in 1861, this line became the southern boundary of the new territory and continued to serve as such when the territory and state were enlarged by extensions to the east in 1862 and 1866, respectively.In 1867, the Nevada legislature approved the action of Congress to add the portion of the territory of Arizona which lay to the south of this line, west of the 114 degree west longitude and the Colorado River, and to the east of the boundary of California. This action, taken on January 18, 1867, gave the state of Nevada the permanent boundaries as they are today.
Great Basin Hwy, Caliente, NV, United States
Nevada Historical Marker #59
Stokes Castle. Anson Phelps Stokes, mine developer, railroad magnate and member of a prominent eastern family, built Stokes Castle as a summer home for his sons. After the castle (or the tower, as theStokes family always referred to it) was completed in June 1897, the Stokes family used it for two months. Since then, with one possible exception, the structure has remained unoccupied.Stokes Castle is made of huge, granite stones, raised with a hand winch and held in position by rock wedging and clay mortar. The architectural model for the castle was a medieval tower Anson Stokes had seen and admired near Rome. This building originally had three floors, each with a fireplace, plate glass windows, balconies on the second and third floors, and a battlemented terrace on the roof. It had plumbing and sumptuous furnishings.Stokes Castle has served for decades as an iconic Nevada building often photographed by enthusiasts of Western history.
Forest Rd 43242A, Austin, NV, United States
Nevada Historical Marker #6
Eldorado Canyon. Eldorado Canyon, the site of a mining boom, runs east from here to the Colorado River. Prospectors began digging for gold and silver here about 1859, forming the Colorado Mining District. The three largest mines, the Techatticup, Wall Street, and El Dorado Rand Group, yielded over $6,000,000.This portion of the Colorado River was navigable before the construction of Hoover Dam, allowing steamboats and barges to freight goods 350 miles from the Gulf of California to the mouth of Eldorado Canyon and upriver. The steamboat era peaked in the 1860s but continued to the turn of the twentieth century.In 1867, the US. Army established an outpost at Eldorado Canyon to secure the riverboat freight and to protect miners in the canyon from Native Americans. The military abandoned the camp in 1869. In the 1870s the mines flourished again, producing ore until World War II.
, Boulder City, NV, United States
Nevada Historical Marker #60
Hawthorne Present Mineral Co. Seat Former Esmeralda Co. Seat. The Hawthorne townsite, selected in 1880 by HM. Yerington, president of the new Carson and Colorado Railroad Co., was a division and distribution point for the railroad originally envisioned to extend to Bodie, in Mono County, California. Mineral development southeast in the Columbus Mining District, redirected the route southerly to California.Originally, to be called Millbrae, Yerington changed the name to Hawthorne, after William A. Hawthorne, a Nevada pioneer lumberman. In 1878, Hawthorne located a mine on Mt. Grant and started a ranch on Cat Creek. He worked for Yerington in 1880 as road superintendent on the company’s Bodie Toll Road, later serving as Justice of the Peace at Hawthorne.On April 14, 1861, the first train arrived loaded with prospective buyers for the new town lots. In 1883, Hawthorne took the Esmeralda county seat from declining Aurora, but later lost it in 1907 to booming Goldfield. In 1911, Hawthorne again became a county seat, when Mineral County was created.In 1926, a destructive munitions explosion in the East caused the Navy to select Hawthorne for a new ammunition depot. In 1928, Nevada-born and Hawthorne-raised Governor Balzar, turned the first shovel of dirt and dedicated the new depot, which was officially commissioned in 1930.
10th St, Hawthorne, NV, United States
Nevada Historical Marker #61
Moundhouse. Mound House was located one-half mile north of this point. Originally constructed in 1871 as a station and siding on the Virginia and Truckee Railroad, it served for some time simply as a wood and water stop. In 1877, a post office was established. Mound House came into its own in 1880, when the V & T began construction of a narrow-gauge railroad from here to the mining camps of western Nevada and the Owens Valley region of California. Named the Carson & Colorado, it turned Mound House into a booming shipping point.The Southern Pacific Railroad purchased the C & C from the V & T 1900, just prior to the Tonopah silver strike. In 1905, the Southern Pacific built a short line from its new station at Hazen, on the main line, to intersect the C & C at Fort Churchill. The Hazen cutoff took most of the booming Tonopah-Goldfield business away from the V & T.From 1900 to 1920, extensive gypsum mining and milling operations, to produce plaster, were carried on immediately northwest of Mound House.The narrow-gauge line was abandoned from Mound House to Fort Churchill in 1934 and the V & T track from Carson City to Virginia City in 1938. Within a few years, Mound House had disappeared.
, Mound House, NV, United States
Nevada Historical Marker #62
Truckee River. Native Americans settled for thousands of years in the Truckee Valley. Their camps were on these flats near the river. They used fish blinds near here and left petroglyphs on boulders in the area.The Truckee River runs from Lake Tahoe to Pyramid Lake, and was first discovered by Captain John C. Frémont in January 1844.The Stephens-Murphy-Townsend party in 1844 also followed the Truckee River into the Sierra, and crossed the mountains via Donner Pass. Two years later, the ill-fated Donner party rested in the Truckee Meadows, at present Reno, but they tarried too long and were caught by the Sierra snows. Despite the Donner tragedy, many emigrant trains to California, particularly from 1849 until 1852, traversed the Truckee route.In 1868, the Central Pacific Railroad followed the Truckee’s course. From the 1920s to the 1950s, the surrounding meadows echoed with the heavy exhausts of the giant Southern Pacific, cab-ahead, articulated, steam locomotives. During the same period, the Emigrant Trail, and the early toll roads, were developed into the Lincoln and Victory highways, and then into U.S. 40 and 1-80, today’s freeway.
Dwight D Eisenhower Highway, Mogul, NV, United States
Nevada Historical Marker #63
Truckee River. The Truckee River, seen below, runs from Lake Tahoe to Pyramid Lake. The river’s first recorded discovery was by Captain John C. Frémont in January 1844. He camped by its terminal at Pyramid, and then followed it to the big bend at Wadsworth. Captain Frémont named the stream the Salmon-Trout River. At the end of his 1845 sojourn in Nevada, he followed it into the Sierra and crossed Donner Pass.Beginning with the Stephens-Murphy-Townsend party in 1844, the Truckee River became a route for California emigrants until the advent of the Central Pacific Railroad in 1868-1869 brought the wagon train period to a close. After the Southern Pacific took over the railway in 1899 and relocated much of its Nevada alignment, the old Central Pacific roadbed between Sparks and Wadsworth was deeded to Washoe County in 1904 for road purposes. In 1917, the road became a portion of state road 1, which in 1920 became the Nevada section of the victory highway. In 1925, when federal highway names were replaced by a numerical system, the Victory Highway became U.S. highway 40. In 1958, after reconstruction, this route became the initial section of interstate 80 across Nevada. The river provides water for Reno, Sparks, the Fallon agricultural area and Pyramid Lake.
, Sparks, NV, United States
Nevada Historical Marker #64
Ophir. Well up into the canyon above, the massive stone foundations of a costly and splendid stamp mill as well as the stone walls of an elegant office and mansion are visible. This is the site of Ophir, now a ghost town.In 1863, S. Boulerond discovered ore at Ophir. In 1864, the Murphy Mine opened and became the leading local producer. In 1865, a 20-stamp mill was completed costing over $200,000. This included the first experimental Stetefeldt furnace ever built. When the Murphy Mill was built, the town of Toiyabe City was established, growing to a population of 400. Through poor management, the work in the mines declined in 1869. Ophir was almost deserted. In the 1880s, the mines were reactivated, and Ophir had another period of prosperity. By the 1890s, the town was deserted but some mining activity at the Murphy Mine continued sporadically into the 20th century.More than $3,000,000 worth of gold and silver were mined from the Murphy vein and from surrounding properties. Iron, copper and arsenic were also found in the area.Ophir managed to have all the accouterments of a large community, including a school, a church, various lodges, and, of course, several saloons.
Tonopah-Austin Rd, Round Mountain, NV, United States
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Nevada Historical Marker #65
Palisade. Located in the tank-like depths of Palisade Canyon, Palisade—first named Palisades—was surveyed and laid out by the Central Pacific Railroad in February 1870. During the 1870s, it rivaled Elko and Carlin as a departure point on the Central Pacific for wagon, freight, and stage lines to Mineral Hill, Eureka, and Hamilton.In October 1875, with completion of Eureka and Palisade Railroad, Palisade became the northern terminus and operating headquarters for this little, ninety-mile narrow-gauge line stretching southward to Eureka. Between 1875 and 1930, the town was the principal transfer and shipping point on the Central Pacific (which later became the Southern Pacific) and on the Western Pacific Railroad after its 1909 completion.At its peak, the town boasted a population of 300. It was a self-contained community, and railroading was its business. There were passenger and freight stations, sidings on both the Southern Pacific and Western Pacific Railroads, and a large ore transfer dock between the narrow gauge and standard gauge lines. All Eureka and Palisade (Eureka-Nevada after 1912) headquarters facilities were situated here.After the narrow-gauge line ran its last train in September1938, Palisade went into a long decline. The post office was finally closed in 1962.
Eureka/Carlin Rd, Carlin, NV, United States
Nevada Historical Marker #66
Jacobsville. The site of Jacobsville is one-half mile north. George Washington Jacobs, the first sheriff of Lander County, founded the town on the banks of the Reese River in 1859. Jacobsville was the Overland Stage and mail station and became a Pony Express stop in 1860. In the early 1860s, it had a population of about 400 people and boasted of having the first telegraph relay station, a post office, courthouse, three stores and two hotels.Jacobsville was the first county seat of Lander County which extended over most of northeastern Nevada. The county seat was moved to the more populated town of Austin the same year it was established in Jacobsville. The only remnants of the town are a few stones used in the foundations. The Reese River, just west of here, was discovered by the exploring party of John Reese in 1854.
Lincoln Highway, Austin, NV, United States
Nevada Historical Marker #67
Austin Churches St. Georges Episcopal Church, to the east, was consecrated in 1878. The Reverend Blackiston used an eloquent, enthusiastic Easter sermon in 1877 to secure pledges for church, retaining wall, pipe organ, and bell and for a twenty-dollar gold piece from every employee or a local mine. The organ was shipped around the Horn and hauled by wagon from San Francisco. St. Augustine’s Catholic Church, to the west, was built in 1866 of native brick and stone. Father Monteverde, the first pastor, conducted the first mass at midnight Christmas Eve, 1866. Admission of $1 per person was charged to limit the number of people attending. The Methodist Church, to the north, was built in 1666. A canny minister formed the Methodist Company, and sold stock as Far away as the East Coast to finance the building of the church. Lectures and entertainment were part of the church scene for benefit purposes. Emma Wixom attended Sunday school here. Later, as world-famous Emma Nevada, she brought her troupe to Austin and gave a benefit concert in the church.
Main Street, Austin, NV, United States
Nevada Historical Marker #68
Wadsworth. From 1868 until 1884, the Central Pacific’s Truckee Wadsworth Division was located on this site. In 1882, work was started on a new site across the river, and by 1883, a new roundhouse, shop, and other buildings were completed there. A fire on April 15, 1884, fanned by heavy wind, destroyed the remaining railroad buildings as well as the town. Damage exceeded $100,000. Lack of adequate water contributed to the extensive damage. After another fire in 1902, the railroad planned to move to a new site. In 1904, division facilities moved west to an entirely new location, which became Sparks, Nevada.
Main St, Wadsworth, NV, United States
Nevada Historical Marker #69
Jarbidge. As early as 10000 years ago, Native American hunting parties camped near horn to hunt game. About a thousand years ago, Shoshone-speaking people entered the region, where they continue to live today. The name Jarbidge comes from a Shoshone word meaning “a bad or evil spirit”.Dave Bourne discovered gold in this isolated area in 1909 and production eventually totaled 59 million. Population size varied, but in the early l920s, the Jarbidge district replaced fading Goldfield as the premier gold-producing area in Nevada. The Jarbidge mines railed beginning in the tale 1920s.On a stormy December 5, 1916, the last stagecoach robbery and murder in the history of the West took place in Jarbidge Canyon, ¼ mile south of the town.
Charleston Jarbridge Rd, Jarbidge, NV, United States
Nevada Historical Marker #7
Dayton. Dayton, one of the earliest settlements in Nevada, was first known as a stopping place on the river for California–bound pioneers. Coming in from the desert, they rested here before continuing westward.In 1849, Abner Blackburn found a gold nugget at the mouth of Gold Canyon and prospecting began in the canyon to the north. Ten years later, this led to the discovery of the fabulous ore deposits at Gold Hill and Virginia City. Called by several different names in its early years, the place became Dayton in 1861, named in honor of John Day who laid out the town.For many decades Dayton prospered as a mill and trading center. It remained the county seat for Lyon County until 1911.
Lincoln Hwy, Dayton, NV, United States
Nevada Historical Marker #70
Bliss Mansion. BUILT BY DUANE L. BLISS LUMBER & RAILROAD MAGNATE 1879. In its time the most modern & largest home in Nevada. Entirely constructed of clear lumber & square nails. First home in Nevada entirely piped for gas lighting.
, Carson City, NV, United States
Nevada Historical Marker #71
Methodist Church Of Carson City. Dedicated in 1867, this church serves a congregation that dates to 1859. Like many other buildings in Carson City, the stone used in its construction was quarried at the nearby State Prison. Reverend Warren Nims (Pastor 1863-1866) was responsible for much of the original construction. Altered extensively over the years, the structure, with its octagonal porch posts and pointed-arch windows, is one of Nevada’s oldest religious structures.
, Carson City, NV, United States
Nevada Historical Marker #72
Nevada Children’s Home. The Nevada Orphans’ Asylum, a privately funded institution, was opened in Virginia City in 1864 by the Daughters of Charity. By 1870, most of its functions were taken over by the Nevada State Orphans’ Home at Carson City, authorized in 1869 by the legislature and constructed on this site. The first child was admitted October 28, 1870.In 1903, the first building gave way to a larger one, constructed of sandstone from the state prison quarry east of Carson City. This edifice served until 1963 as Nevada’s home for dependent and neglected children. In 1951, its name was changed to the Nevada State Children’s Home. The stone building was in turn replaced in 1963, in accordance with the modern concept of family-sized groups housed in cottages. The facility closed in 1992.
, Carson City, NV, United States
Nevada Historical Marker #73
Unknown Soldiers. Victims of the influenza epidemic of 1918, ten soldiers died and were buried here without identity. During World War I, troop trains ran regularly through Montello. As soldiers became ill en route, they were unloaded at the nearest hospitals. The Southern Pacific Railroad kept a doctor at Montello who checked every train en route. III passengers were treated in a makeshift hospital at the town’s hotel.The graves were unmarked for years but through the persistent efforts of Mr. and Mrs. Kimber of Montello, and the 40 & 8 of Las Vegas, the previously unmarked graves, although still unidentified as to name, were marked in 1975.Unfortunately, fires had destroyed the original government records, making identification impossible.
Front Street, Montello, NV, United States
Nevada Historical Marker #74
Wellington. Following the mining boom in the Aurora District in 1860, Jack Wright and Leonard Hamilton built a bridge across the West Walker River and established a stage station at this location. Wagons and stages were repaired and horses shod. The station soon became a trading center for nearby ranches and farms.In 1863, Daniel Wellington bought Wright and Hamilton’s interests and the place became known as “Wellington’s Station”. The Wellington Hotel, located about a half mile south of the station, was constructed by wagonmaster Zadok Pierce in 1875. Over the years it has served as a livery stable, freight station, general store, and post office.
Wellington Cutoff, Wellington, NV, United States
Nevada Historical Marker #75
Federal Government Building (1888 1970). Following the mining boom in the Aurora District in 1860, Jack Wright and Leonard Hamilton built a bridge across the West Walker River and established a stage station at this location. Wagons and stages were repaired and horses shod. The station soon became a trading center for nearby ranches and farms.In 1863, Daniel Wellington bought Wright and Hamilton’s interests and the place became known as “Wellington’s Station”. The Wellington Hotel, located about a half mile south of the station, was constructed by wagonmaster Zadok Pierce in 1875. Over the years it has served as a livery stable, freight station, general store, and post office.
, Carson City, NV, United States