In 1849, a man by the name of Abner Blackburn was on his way to the gold rush that gave sudden and dramatic wealth to California and led to its establishment as a state in 1850. Blackburn was only 23 years old, but he was already a very distinguished man. In his young life he had crossed the Great Basin seven times in four years, marched in the Mormon Battalion to Santa Fe, drove horse and oxen teams for Brigham Young, was chief cook for Brigham Young and Young's family and he personally knew many of the most famous people of the time, such as; Mormon Church founder Joseph Smith, famous explorer Jim Bridger and John Sutter, the man who founded Sacramento, California.
Blackburn was part of the expedition that included John Reese, the man who built Mormon Station, which gave rise to the town of Genoa in June, 1850. A few members of the expedition stayed behind in the area that would become Dayton, Nevada in the summer of 1849 while the rest of the team headed over the mountains to California. One of these members was Abner Blackburn.
In July of 1849, Blackburn found gold in the mouth of a canyon. That canyon is now called Gold Canyon. He quickly sent word to his compatriots that had already left. Apparently some of them got the message but not all of them, because only a few of them returned. Or maybe the first ones to get the word decided to keep it to themselves so they have a greater share of the wealth. At any rate, by October of 1849, several members of the expedition returned to the Gold Canyon area and found some cabins already under construction. When the team members rejoined their friends, that brought the population of the area to 15.
The evidence says that this new town, now known as Dayton, Nevada, was occupied by a small group of people beginning in the summer of 1849 and has been continuously occupied ever since.
In May of 1851, Mrs. Lucena Parsons noted in her journal that about 200 people were living and working in the Dayton area. The initial construction of cabins in Dayton precedes the establishment of the Mormon Station Trading Post at Genoa by 11 months. Mrs. Parsons journal entry that says about 200 people were already living in Dayton was made in the same month that Orson Hyde and his group of Mormon pioneers were arriving at the abandoned trading post at Genoa to establish a new town. The trading post was established in 1850, but was abandoned at the onset of winter. There is no evidence of previous occupation of the Genoa area in 1849, which is the year Blackburn made his gold discovery at Dayton and the commencement of residential construction soon thereafter.
The facts about the construction of cabins at Dayton taking place in the summer of 1849 is mentioned in Abner Blackburn's journal.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Dayton versus Genoa
In 1849, a man by the name of John Reese went to California to try his luck in the famous California Gold Rush. He went back over the mountains to Utah Territory(now Nevada), for the winter. In the spring of 1850, he headed back to California. When he discovered that the mountains were still blocked with snow, he decided to build a trading post in a lush, grassy valley near the foothills of the daunting mountain range on the trail that led over the mountains. This trading post was basically just a "lean-to" type of structure that Reese used to sell supplies to California-bound gold seekers. This trading post opened in June of 1850 and closed in October of the same year.
The next spring, in 1851, a Mormon Elder by the name of Orson Hyde, arrived at the Mormon Station trading post. He, along with a group of about 100 people, had been dispatched by church leader Brigham Young to establish a town and set up a government in the western part of Utah Territory. His new town sprang up on the site of the crude trading post that had been established the previous summer. In the next few years, others moved in, both Mormon and non-Mormon and Mormon Station was soon a thriving town. In 1855, Orson Hyde renamed the town Genoa, because he admired Christopher Columbus and Columbus was born in Genoa, Italy. However, he changed the pronunciation from "JENN-0-a" to " jenn-OH-a" with accent on the second syllable. In 1857, many of the original settlers left when they were recalled by Brigham Young to participate in the "Utah War" that was raging back home. This left just a handful of people in Genoa, but the town did not become a ghost town, it still served as a supply center for the area. Before it became the county seat of Douglas County, Nevada, Mormon Station/Genoa was the county seat of Carson County, Utah.
While Genoa can trace its beginnings to June of 1850, it was not a permanent settlement until one year later, in 1851. The trading post that opened in June of 1850 closed the following November before winter conditions became too harsh. The locale was completely abandoned until the following spring.
The next spring, in 1851, a Mormon Elder by the name of Orson Hyde, arrived at the Mormon Station trading post. He, along with a group of about 100 people, had been dispatched by church leader Brigham Young to establish a town and set up a government in the western part of Utah Territory. His new town sprang up on the site of the crude trading post that had been established the previous summer. In the next few years, others moved in, both Mormon and non-Mormon and Mormon Station was soon a thriving town. In 1855, Orson Hyde renamed the town Genoa, because he admired Christopher Columbus and Columbus was born in Genoa, Italy. However, he changed the pronunciation from "JENN-0-a" to " jenn-OH-a" with accent on the second syllable. In 1857, many of the original settlers left when they were recalled by Brigham Young to participate in the "Utah War" that was raging back home. This left just a handful of people in Genoa, but the town did not become a ghost town, it still served as a supply center for the area. Before it became the county seat of Douglas County, Nevada, Mormon Station/Genoa was the county seat of Carson County, Utah.
While Genoa can trace its beginnings to June of 1850, it was not a permanent settlement until one year later, in 1851. The trading post that opened in June of 1850 closed the following November before winter conditions became too harsh. The locale was completely abandoned until the following spring.
Genoa
As I wandered around Douglas County, I eventually came to the charming little town of Genoa. Genoa was the county seat of Douglas County until 1916. That is the year the county government moved eight miles east to Minden, where it remains today. Douglas County was created in 1861, shortly after Nevada was granted territorial status by Abraham Lincoln. Until then, this area had been part of Utah, which was still a territory. Even though Nevada was carved from Utah, Nevada became a state 32 years before Utah did.
Genoa grew to a population of about 1,000 people. The peak year for the town was 1910. That is the year a devastating fire swept through the downtown business district and leveled two entire blocks, several homes, the county courthouse and Mormon Station, which was a trading post that got the town started. Even though the county government authorized for repairs to made to the courthouse, the county seat moved to Minden six years later. Today, the old courthouse is a historical museum. I visited this museum, plus Mormon Station across the street, while I was in Genoa.
For 4 years, the Douglas County government met in the trading post and court was held in the loft of the building. This situation lasted until the Douglas County Courthouse opened for business in 1865.
Genoa is 12 miles south of Carson City. It is located in a lush, grassy meadow at the foot of the heavily forested Sierra Nevada mountain range. This lush, grassy valley is why the town got started in the first place, because it was prime grazing land. The town that was established in this location became a major supply center for prospectors before they headed over the mountains to California to participate in the gold rush that began in 1849.
Genoa is considered to be the oldest town in Nevada and this title has been officially bestowed upon it by the state historical commission. The Genoa Chamber of Commerce also says Genoa is the oldest town in Nevada. However, this fact has been debated for years. There is ample evidence that says Dayton, which is about 30 miles to the northeast, is older than Genoa. I have done research into the matter and I believe Dayton is older than Genoa. In the next installment of this blog, i will compare Genoa and Dayton and tell you why I think Dayton is older.
Genoa grew to a population of about 1,000 people. The peak year for the town was 1910. That is the year a devastating fire swept through the downtown business district and leveled two entire blocks, several homes, the county courthouse and Mormon Station, which was a trading post that got the town started. Even though the county government authorized for repairs to made to the courthouse, the county seat moved to Minden six years later. Today, the old courthouse is a historical museum. I visited this museum, plus Mormon Station across the street, while I was in Genoa.
For 4 years, the Douglas County government met in the trading post and court was held in the loft of the building. This situation lasted until the Douglas County Courthouse opened for business in 1865.
Genoa is 12 miles south of Carson City. It is located in a lush, grassy meadow at the foot of the heavily forested Sierra Nevada mountain range. This lush, grassy valley is why the town got started in the first place, because it was prime grazing land. The town that was established in this location became a major supply center for prospectors before they headed over the mountains to California to participate in the gold rush that began in 1849.
Genoa is considered to be the oldest town in Nevada and this title has been officially bestowed upon it by the state historical commission. The Genoa Chamber of Commerce also says Genoa is the oldest town in Nevada. However, this fact has been debated for years. There is ample evidence that says Dayton, which is about 30 miles to the northeast, is older than Genoa. I have done research into the matter and I believe Dayton is older than Genoa. In the next installment of this blog, i will compare Genoa and Dayton and tell you why I think Dayton is older.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Venturing South
Bordering Carson City on the south is Douglas County. It is the wealthiest county in Nevada. Douglas County has about 60,000 people, but most of the county is suburban sprawl. It is a "bedroom" community for Carson City. The biggest town in the county is Gardnerville Ranchos, which is an unincorporated town of 14,278 people. It is a new town. Development began in the 1970s. It marks the southern edge of the suburban sprawl that spreads southward from Carson City. Four miles north of Gardnerville Ranchos is Minden, population 4,479. Minden is the county seat of Douglas County and has a beautiful, historic downtown business district that consists of many architectural styles.
Between Minden and Gardnerville Ranchos is Gardnerville, with 6,067 people. The old Douglas High School is located here. The original building of the school, which faces Main Street, contains a great historical museum. It is the managed by the county.
Douglas County is small, only 710 square miles. most of the population lives in the Eagle Valley, which runs north and south down the length of the county. There are also several thousand people in the west edge of the county, on the shore of Lake Tahoe. The eastern half of the county is nearly uninhabited, containing only handful of residents. The south part of the county is very rural.
The western part of Douglas County contains Lake Tahoe, one of the most famous lakes in the world. It is also one of the deepest lakes in the world, plunging to a maximum depth of 1,630 feet. it is also one of the bluest lakes in the world. The water is so clear that, in many places, a person can see over 100 feet down. Lake Tahoe is a fabulous resort area year round. In summer all area campgrounds are usually booked weeks or months in advance and many people also camp in undesignated areas because all the campgrounds are full. Such "primitive" camping is usually allowed in national forests. Lake Tahoe is bisected by the Nevada/California state border. About 1/3 of the lake is in Nevada and 2/3 of it is in California.
One of Nevada's most popular gambling destinations, the town of Stateline, is on the south shore of Lake Tahoe in Douglas County.
One of my favorite places in Douglas County is the tiny town of Genoa. Officially, it boasts the title of "oldest town in Nevada." This title was bestowed upon it by the state historical society. However, there has been a long running debate between Genoa and Dayton about which town is the oldest. Dayton is located a few miles east of Carson City in Lyon County and I went through that town on my way to Carson City. There is some evidence that says Genoa is older and other evidence that says Dayton is older. I have done alot of research into this matter and my research seems to indicate that Dayton is actually older than Genoa even though Genoa is "officially" older. I will delve into the facts of these towns in the next edition of this blog.
Between Minden and Gardnerville Ranchos is Gardnerville, with 6,067 people. The old Douglas High School is located here. The original building of the school, which faces Main Street, contains a great historical museum. It is the managed by the county.
Douglas County is small, only 710 square miles. most of the population lives in the Eagle Valley, which runs north and south down the length of the county. There are also several thousand people in the west edge of the county, on the shore of Lake Tahoe. The eastern half of the county is nearly uninhabited, containing only handful of residents. The south part of the county is very rural.
The western part of Douglas County contains Lake Tahoe, one of the most famous lakes in the world. It is also one of the deepest lakes in the world, plunging to a maximum depth of 1,630 feet. it is also one of the bluest lakes in the world. The water is so clear that, in many places, a person can see over 100 feet down. Lake Tahoe is a fabulous resort area year round. In summer all area campgrounds are usually booked weeks or months in advance and many people also camp in undesignated areas because all the campgrounds are full. Such "primitive" camping is usually allowed in national forests. Lake Tahoe is bisected by the Nevada/California state border. About 1/3 of the lake is in Nevada and 2/3 of it is in California.
One of Nevada's most popular gambling destinations, the town of Stateline, is on the south shore of Lake Tahoe in Douglas County.
One of my favorite places in Douglas County is the tiny town of Genoa. Officially, it boasts the title of "oldest town in Nevada." This title was bestowed upon it by the state historical society. However, there has been a long running debate between Genoa and Dayton about which town is the oldest. Dayton is located a few miles east of Carson City in Lyon County and I went through that town on my way to Carson City. There is some evidence that says Genoa is older and other evidence that says Dayton is older. I have done alot of research into this matter and my research seems to indicate that Dayton is actually older than Genoa even though Genoa is "officially" older. I will delve into the facts of these towns in the next edition of this blog.
Friday, April 2, 2010
The Corridor to The West
Many famous people from the late 19th and early 20th centuries traveled on Kings Canyon Road. These people included Mark Twain, Ulysses Grant, Theodore Roosevelt and lumber barons D.L. Bliss and Henry Yerington.
This dimunitive, 12 mile long, winding road through the mountains was an important route to California and the Pacific Ocean from the Eagle Valley and its burgeoning population. It was the first road to be built through the rugged Sierra Nevadas.
Today, the majority of the road is owned by the U.S. Forest Service, particularly Humboldt National Forest. The road is still open to the public, but it cannot be negotiated in a modern day, two-wheel drive vehicle because it is extremely steep and rough. it is not maintained by the Forest Service, so driving along this road is purely a "drive at your own risk" venture. Travel on the road today is by four-wheel drive vehicle, by mountain bike, or by foot.
The Kings Canyon toll Road used to begin directly across the street from the Nevada State Capitol. In its early reaches, it was known as West King street. It was the principal east-west street in Nevada's capitol city and today still serves as the "0"point for street addresses in Carson City. It divides the north and south addresses.The front doors of the capitol were once lined up with the middle of the street. When it used to begin opposite the capitol, it also ran alongside the former Ormsby County Courthouse, which is now a part of the state Judicial Complex. Eventually, I don't know exactly when, the first block of the street was closed off to create space for the state Judicial Complex. The Nevada State Supreme Court was once located in this complex, but it is now located behind the capitol on South Stewart Street. The beginning of West King Street today is at the intersection with Curry Street, one block west of the capitol. Thirteen blocks west of the street's beginning is the intersection with North Ormsby Boulevard, one of the busiest streets on the west side of Carson city. This is the point where the name changes from West King Street to Kings Canyon Road. About one mile farther west, the pavement ends and it becomes a dirt road on the west end of a small bridge over Kings Canyon Creek. For 1 1/2 miles, the dirt road is in very good condition and is maintained by the city road department. Then, at a cattle guard, the road enters Humboldt National Forest and is not maintained at all, although it is still open to the public. it is little more than a primitive dirt track, of the sort that is typically seen in national forests. On my vacation in September, 2008, I drove about 200 yards onto the unmaintained portion of the road in my Malibu, but then turned around when I saw big rocks protruding from the road's surface. The road continues like this, in a primitive and unmaintained condition for another 10 miles to its intersection with U.S. Highway 50 at the top of Spooner Summit just outside of Carson City. Over the decades, the Forest Service has discussed closing the road to all vehicular traffic and turning it into a hiking trail, but those efforts have been thwarted by local residents because of the historic significance of the road. After all, it was once a major transportation corridor and briefly serves as a federal highway, the Lincoln Highway, was was the nation's first transcontinental highway. For that reason, it should be kept open.
Considering the fact that the road is not maintained, it gets a surprising amount of use by jeeps and other four-wheel drive vehicles and by mountain bikes. The Forest Service also uses it on occasion to access that part of the forest.
This dimunitive, 12 mile long, winding road through the mountains was an important route to California and the Pacific Ocean from the Eagle Valley and its burgeoning population. It was the first road to be built through the rugged Sierra Nevadas.
Today, the majority of the road is owned by the U.S. Forest Service, particularly Humboldt National Forest. The road is still open to the public, but it cannot be negotiated in a modern day, two-wheel drive vehicle because it is extremely steep and rough. it is not maintained by the Forest Service, so driving along this road is purely a "drive at your own risk" venture. Travel on the road today is by four-wheel drive vehicle, by mountain bike, or by foot.
The Kings Canyon toll Road used to begin directly across the street from the Nevada State Capitol. In its early reaches, it was known as West King street. It was the principal east-west street in Nevada's capitol city and today still serves as the "0"point for street addresses in Carson City. It divides the north and south addresses.The front doors of the capitol were once lined up with the middle of the street. When it used to begin opposite the capitol, it also ran alongside the former Ormsby County Courthouse, which is now a part of the state Judicial Complex. Eventually, I don't know exactly when, the first block of the street was closed off to create space for the state Judicial Complex. The Nevada State Supreme Court was once located in this complex, but it is now located behind the capitol on South Stewart Street. The beginning of West King Street today is at the intersection with Curry Street, one block west of the capitol. Thirteen blocks west of the street's beginning is the intersection with North Ormsby Boulevard, one of the busiest streets on the west side of Carson city. This is the point where the name changes from West King Street to Kings Canyon Road. About one mile farther west, the pavement ends and it becomes a dirt road on the west end of a small bridge over Kings Canyon Creek. For 1 1/2 miles, the dirt road is in very good condition and is maintained by the city road department. Then, at a cattle guard, the road enters Humboldt National Forest and is not maintained at all, although it is still open to the public. it is little more than a primitive dirt track, of the sort that is typically seen in national forests. On my vacation in September, 2008, I drove about 200 yards onto the unmaintained portion of the road in my Malibu, but then turned around when I saw big rocks protruding from the road's surface. The road continues like this, in a primitive and unmaintained condition for another 10 miles to its intersection with U.S. Highway 50 at the top of Spooner Summit just outside of Carson City. Over the decades, the Forest Service has discussed closing the road to all vehicular traffic and turning it into a hiking trail, but those efforts have been thwarted by local residents because of the historic significance of the road. After all, it was once a major transportation corridor and briefly serves as a federal highway, the Lincoln Highway, was was the nation's first transcontinental highway. For that reason, it should be kept open.
Considering the fact that the road is not maintained, it gets a surprising amount of use by jeeps and other four-wheel drive vehicles and by mountain bikes. The Forest Service also uses it on occasion to access that part of the forest.
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