The Comstock Lode silver rush of 1859 still ranks as one of the biggest mining booms in history. It brought economic prosperity to the year-old town of Carson City at least as far as business goes, because the population only grew ever so slightly. In the 1860 Census, Carson City had 714 people. It was small, but had alot of clout, both politically and economically. When Carson City became the capital of the new Territory of Nevada one year later, the population was about 750. However, in the decade of the 1860s, the population grew by a whopping 326%! When the 1870 Census was undertaken, it was recorded that Carson City had grown from 714 people to 3,042! Becoming the capital had alot to do with the dramatic increase, but the early to mid 1860s were also the peak years of the mining boom. During this time, nearby Virginia City had grown to a staggering 30,000 people! I have never understood why Virginia City did not become the capital because it was by far the biggest town in Nevada at the time and it is also the only town at the time that had more wealth and power than Carson City did. That is not a complaint because Carson City is a great town to have as a capital city!
While this part of Nevada was booming, the Civil War was raging in the east. The President, Abraham Lincoln, needed another Union State and he had alot of supporters in Nevada. This led to full statehood for Nevada on October 31, 1864. Nevada became a state even though it did not even come close to the required minimum population for statehood. In fact the population of Nevada was only about 1/3 of the necessary minimum. Despite this, Nevada was now a state with the same rights and privileges as other states, even powerful California next door.
Carson City was a wild and woolly frontier town, despite the fact that it was the seat of government for a territory and, eventually, a state. The Carson City of the 1860s has one of the most lawless reputations of the Wild West Era even to this day. Carson's City's reputation is comparable to places such as Tombstone, Arizona; Bodie, California; Dodge City, Kansas; Abilene, Kansas and both Virginia Citys--Nevada and Montana!
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Carson City, In The Beginning
1858 is the pivotal year that started the state of Nevada on its present course. That is the year that Abraham Curry arrived in the Eagle Valley. Soon thereafter he surveyed and platted a townsite. When Curry arrived, there was already talk about this area being separated from Utah Territory and becoming its own territory. Curry was so sure that his new town would become the capital that, when he drew up the town plat, he left a large, vacant space in the heart of town so the future territory would have a place to build a capitol building.
Curry's new town was indirectly named after the famed western explorer Kit Carson. The town was named for the Carson River and the river was named for Kit Carson.
Shortly after Carson City was settled, Abraham Curry built the Warm Springs Hotel and immediately began renting out rooms.
At first, Carson City was a sleepy little village. However, one year later, the Comstock Lode Mining Boom began and brought people from all over the country to this corner of Nevada Territory. This time, it was not gold that attracted people to pull up stakes and leave, it was silver. There was silver everywhere! The biggest lodes of silver ever discovered! Silver is still the principal mineral that is mined in Nevada. The silver rush of 1859 brought economic prosperity to Curry's new town, which was only a year old. Not only did Carson City become a "mining camp," but so did most of the other towns in the immediate area. Most of the mining was done in and around Dayton, Virginia City and Silver City. There was also gold found just to the south of Virginia City and this led to the creation of the town of Gold Hill.
This boom of 1859 brought about 20 years of economic prosperity to this area.
On March 2, 1861, the United States Congress did the inevitable and separated Nevada from Utah and declared it a new territory. The booming town of Carson City was declared the temporary capital by the newly created Territorial Legislature, much to the delight of Abraham Curry. Curry began leasing space in his hotel as meeting rooms for the fledgling government, since his open plaza in the middle of town was being used to graze cows.
Curry's new town was indirectly named after the famed western explorer Kit Carson. The town was named for the Carson River and the river was named for Kit Carson.
Shortly after Carson City was settled, Abraham Curry built the Warm Springs Hotel and immediately began renting out rooms.
At first, Carson City was a sleepy little village. However, one year later, the Comstock Lode Mining Boom began and brought people from all over the country to this corner of Nevada Territory. This time, it was not gold that attracted people to pull up stakes and leave, it was silver. There was silver everywhere! The biggest lodes of silver ever discovered! Silver is still the principal mineral that is mined in Nevada. The silver rush of 1859 brought economic prosperity to Curry's new town, which was only a year old. Not only did Carson City become a "mining camp," but so did most of the other towns in the immediate area. Most of the mining was done in and around Dayton, Virginia City and Silver City. There was also gold found just to the south of Virginia City and this led to the creation of the town of Gold Hill.
This boom of 1859 brought about 20 years of economic prosperity to this area.
On March 2, 1861, the United States Congress did the inevitable and separated Nevada from Utah and declared it a new territory. The booming town of Carson City was declared the temporary capital by the newly created Territorial Legislature, much to the delight of Abraham Curry. Curry began leasing space in his hotel as meeting rooms for the fledgling government, since his open plaza in the middle of town was being used to graze cows.
Carson City, a refresher
I talked about Carson City, Nevada at length on my other travel blog, "In My Travels," but since I have not talked about it since June, I will start with a refresher.
In September, 2008, I visited Nevada's capital city for the first time. I spent two nights there and fell in love with the city! It is one of the oldest cities in Nevada. In fact, all of Nevada's oldest settlements are in this western part of the state near Lake Tahoe and the California border. Until the early 1900s, this area contained over 95% of Nevada's population. Las Vegas didn't exist until 1905!
Carson City is located in the beautiful Eagle Valley, in the eastern foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains.
Ranchers began moving into the Eagle Valley in 1849, the year of the famous California gold rush. Many of them spent the winter here instead of trying to cross the formidable mountain range in the coldest part of the year. Alot of them stayed. However, no town was established at first. Instead, the lush, grassy valley was occupied by widely scattered farms and ranches. In the spring of 1851, the Eagle Station Trading Post opened for business. It served as a local grocery store and also as a stage station. This was the nebulous beginning of Carson City, which later grew on the same spot. For seven years, this trading post served as the focal point of life in the valley, serving farmers and ranchers as well as the occasional traveler that ventured through this area, usually on their way to the California gold fields.
The Eagle Valley was, and still is, a lush grassy area that is well-watered by the Sierra Nevadas. This mountain range lies mostly in California and is home to some of the coldest and snowiest winters in the United States. It is an area that was ripe for settlement and is the primary reason that was the first part of Nevada to be settled. Today, this area is still home to about 30% of Nevada's population, with roughly 65% living in the Las Vegas area at the south end of the state. That leaves only 5% of the population scattered over the rest of the state!
The trading post served as the focal point of the immediate area of what is now Carson City, but there were two towns in the vicinity that got the start even before the trading post opened. I have already talked about one of them on "In My Travels," but I will talk about it again, plus the place at the south end of the Eagle Valley, later in this blog because there is a dispute as to which town is the oldest town in Nevada. One town has the "official" title, but I think it should be bestowed on the other town based on research I have done.
In September, 2008, I visited Nevada's capital city for the first time. I spent two nights there and fell in love with the city! It is one of the oldest cities in Nevada. In fact, all of Nevada's oldest settlements are in this western part of the state near Lake Tahoe and the California border. Until the early 1900s, this area contained over 95% of Nevada's population. Las Vegas didn't exist until 1905!
Carson City is located in the beautiful Eagle Valley, in the eastern foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains.
Ranchers began moving into the Eagle Valley in 1849, the year of the famous California gold rush. Many of them spent the winter here instead of trying to cross the formidable mountain range in the coldest part of the year. Alot of them stayed. However, no town was established at first. Instead, the lush, grassy valley was occupied by widely scattered farms and ranches. In the spring of 1851, the Eagle Station Trading Post opened for business. It served as a local grocery store and also as a stage station. This was the nebulous beginning of Carson City, which later grew on the same spot. For seven years, this trading post served as the focal point of life in the valley, serving farmers and ranchers as well as the occasional traveler that ventured through this area, usually on their way to the California gold fields.
The Eagle Valley was, and still is, a lush grassy area that is well-watered by the Sierra Nevadas. This mountain range lies mostly in California and is home to some of the coldest and snowiest winters in the United States. It is an area that was ripe for settlement and is the primary reason that was the first part of Nevada to be settled. Today, this area is still home to about 30% of Nevada's population, with roughly 65% living in the Las Vegas area at the south end of the state. That leaves only 5% of the population scattered over the rest of the state!
The trading post served as the focal point of the immediate area of what is now Carson City, but there were two towns in the vicinity that got the start even before the trading post opened. I have already talked about one of them on "In My Travels," but I will talk about it again, plus the place at the south end of the Eagle Valley, later in this blog because there is a dispute as to which town is the oldest town in Nevada. One town has the "official" title, but I think it should be bestowed on the other town based on research I have done.
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Carson City, Nevada, September, 2008
Beginning on August 30, 2008, I embarked on a memorable, two-and-a-half week vacation that ranks among my best vacations ever. It ranks as the vacation where I put the most mileage on my car, about 6,400 miles! While nearly the entire vacation stands out in my mind, some places in particular stand out, such as Golden Spike National Historic Site in northern Utah; the rugged water and lava-carved desert of southwestern Idaho; the Virgin River Gorge of northwestern Arizona; the secretive Area 51 military base in Nevada, which is actually the world's worst kept secret because everyone knows of its existence despite all the government denials; the abandoned Wendover Air Force Base in western Utah; Virginia City, Nevada, which is one of the most famous mining boom towns from the "Wild West" era; and particularly Carson City, Nevada's capital.
On my other travel blog, "In My Travels," I talked in depth about this vacation for 9 months and I could have talked alot more, but I was trying to limit my writings so it didn't get too long and my readers lost interest as a result. Finally, in early June of 2009, I decided to stop writing about this vacation so I could pursue other projects, but this epic vacation is still fresh in my mind, like it just happened yesterday, so I am going to resume talking about it on this blog because there is so much more that I want to say. I will start with my favorite part of the vacation, Carson City. I spent 2 days and nights in this beautiful and historic city and there is so much more that I can say about Nevada's capital city and its immediate area.
Until this vacation, all I had seen of Nevada was Clark County, where Las Vegas is. My travels in Nevada had been mostly confined to Las Vegas and points south, such as the towns of Boulder City, Searchlight and Laughlin, with 2 recent visits to Mesquite, Overton and Logandale, in the eastern part of Clark County. I have now seen a sizable chunk of Nevada and the memories will stay wit5h me for the rest of my life. I will attempt to capture some of that magic in this blog.
On my other travel blog, "In My Travels," I talked in depth about this vacation for 9 months and I could have talked alot more, but I was trying to limit my writings so it didn't get too long and my readers lost interest as a result. Finally, in early June of 2009, I decided to stop writing about this vacation so I could pursue other projects, but this epic vacation is still fresh in my mind, like it just happened yesterday, so I am going to resume talking about it on this blog because there is so much more that I want to say. I will start with my favorite part of the vacation, Carson City. I spent 2 days and nights in this beautiful and historic city and there is so much more that I can say about Nevada's capital city and its immediate area.
Until this vacation, all I had seen of Nevada was Clark County, where Las Vegas is. My travels in Nevada had been mostly confined to Las Vegas and points south, such as the towns of Boulder City, Searchlight and Laughlin, with 2 recent visits to Mesquite, Overton and Logandale, in the eastern part of Clark County. I have now seen a sizable chunk of Nevada and the memories will stay wit5h me for the rest of my life. I will attempt to capture some of that magic in this blog.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
A Sad Legacy, finale
Chicosa Lake State Park, on the high plains of northeastern New Mexico, is the only abandoned state park I have ever seen. In every other case that I know of, when a state gave up one of its parks for whatever reason, the park simply changes ownership. It becomes a privately-owned park, a county park, a city park or, in some cases, becomes a unit of the national park system or the Bureau of Land Management. It was really sad to see this abandoned park and what makes it even sadder is the fact that it is located in a county that has seen a massive population loss since the Dust Bowl of the 1930s.
Yet, I can still see some potential for this abandoned recreation area if the state ever wants to take it back, which is unlikely, or if anyone else wanted to take over operations of this park and reopen it. The fact that the lake dried up does not seem like a very good reason to close the park because there are other state parks in New Mexico and in other states that do not have a body of water to attact people, and those parks are doing quite well. Even though Chicosa Lake is now a dry mudflat, I think this place still has the potential to attract visitors and outdoor enthusiasts. First of all, since it is located in a very lightly populated area, it has extremely dark skies at night. This would be great for skywatchers and stargazers(like me). I can also envision a park that is dedicatd to the beauty that the Great Plains has to offer, with nature trails that interpret the different types of vegetation in the area. The western history of the area can also be exploited, such as the Goodnight-Loving cattle trail that once went through the park. Charles Loving and Oliver Goodnight are two of the most famous cattle drovers from the pioneer era. When the park was open, its museum dealt with the cattle drive history of the park, but I think that can be started up again, even if it is on a smaller scale. If I had the money to buy the park, fix it up and reopen it, I would. In the future, I would like to camp at the abandoned campground so I can sit under the big prairie sky and watch the stars. There is very little light pollution in this area because there are very few residences or businesses. Most of the lights visible are in the diminutive town of Roy, eight miles away and Roy only has 211 people. There are no big industries such as feedlots, mines or quarries that would give off light pollution, just the occasional, forlorn farmhouse or ranchhouse and these are widely separated
In summation, I still see potential for this abandoned state park and I think that either the state of New Mexico should look into reopening it.
Yet, I can still see some potential for this abandoned recreation area if the state ever wants to take it back, which is unlikely, or if anyone else wanted to take over operations of this park and reopen it. The fact that the lake dried up does not seem like a very good reason to close the park because there are other state parks in New Mexico and in other states that do not have a body of water to attact people, and those parks are doing quite well. Even though Chicosa Lake is now a dry mudflat, I think this place still has the potential to attract visitors and outdoor enthusiasts. First of all, since it is located in a very lightly populated area, it has extremely dark skies at night. This would be great for skywatchers and stargazers(like me). I can also envision a park that is dedicatd to the beauty that the Great Plains has to offer, with nature trails that interpret the different types of vegetation in the area. The western history of the area can also be exploited, such as the Goodnight-Loving cattle trail that once went through the park. Charles Loving and Oliver Goodnight are two of the most famous cattle drovers from the pioneer era. When the park was open, its museum dealt with the cattle drive history of the park, but I think that can be started up again, even if it is on a smaller scale. If I had the money to buy the park, fix it up and reopen it, I would. In the future, I would like to camp at the abandoned campground so I can sit under the big prairie sky and watch the stars. There is very little light pollution in this area because there are very few residences or businesses. Most of the lights visible are in the diminutive town of Roy, eight miles away and Roy only has 211 people. There are no big industries such as feedlots, mines or quarries that would give off light pollution, just the occasional, forlorn farmhouse or ranchhouse and these are widely separated
In summation, I still see potential for this abandoned state park and I think that either the state of New Mexico should look into reopening it.
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