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.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
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.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
A Historic Transportation Route
As I mentioned in the last installment of this blog, there was a very early transportation corridor the lead west out of the Eagle Valley, where Carson City is located, and connected the area with California. It was originally a Washo Indian trail over the mountains. Beginning in the mid 1850s, prospectors began using the trai in ever increasing numbers in their quest for a new gold or silver find. When the Comstock Lode mining frenzy began in 1859, people came over the trail in droves to try their hand at the newfound gold and silver deposits in western Nevada.
Shortly after Nevada became a territory in 1861, the legislature authorized Alfred Helms and Butler Ives to make improvements to the well-worn footpath to handle the increasing transportation demands. They responded by building a road, called Kings Canyon Road and after the road was finished, in 1863, they began charging tolls for the use of the road. The tolls were removed in 1878 when another road farther south was constructed, but Kings Canyon Road remained the pathway of choice to most travelers in spite of the presence of another road nearby.
There was very little maintenance or improvements made to the road, despite its heavy use, until 1913, with the advent of the automobile. When one of America's first highways, the Lincoln Highway, was being planned, it was decided that Kings Canyon Road would be utilized as part of the highway's route. Immediately, improvements were made to make the rough road conducive to automobile traffic. When it was officially declared a federal highway, the Carson good Roads Association began placing markers on the road to guide travelers.
Traffic nearly stopped completely on this road in 1928 when U.S. Highway 50 was built through Clear Creek Canyon a few miles south. Highway 50 and Kings Canyon Road diverged at the apex of Spooner Summit, elevation 7,146 feet. This is about 2,500 feet above the floor of the Eagle Valley. Since then, U.S. Highway 50 has been re-routed and is now a modern, 4-lane, divided highway that carries alot of traffic.
Shortly after Nevada became a territory in 1861, the legislature authorized Alfred Helms and Butler Ives to make improvements to the well-worn footpath to handle the increasing transportation demands. They responded by building a road, called Kings Canyon Road and after the road was finished, in 1863, they began charging tolls for the use of the road. The tolls were removed in 1878 when another road farther south was constructed, but Kings Canyon Road remained the pathway of choice to most travelers in spite of the presence of another road nearby.
There was very little maintenance or improvements made to the road, despite its heavy use, until 1913, with the advent of the automobile. When one of America's first highways, the Lincoln Highway, was being planned, it was decided that Kings Canyon Road would be utilized as part of the highway's route. Immediately, improvements were made to make the rough road conducive to automobile traffic. When it was officially declared a federal highway, the Carson good Roads Association began placing markers on the road to guide travelers.
Traffic nearly stopped completely on this road in 1928 when U.S. Highway 50 was built through Clear Creek Canyon a few miles south. Highway 50 and Kings Canyon Road diverged at the apex of Spooner Summit, elevation 7,146 feet. This is about 2,500 feet above the floor of the Eagle Valley. Since then, U.S. Highway 50 has been re-routed and is now a modern, 4-lane, divided highway that carries alot of traffic.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Carson City Facts and Figures, 2
The east side of Carson City is sliced up by numerous canyons. These canyons include Eldorado, Brunswick, Sand, Hackett and Sullivan. Eldorado Canyon is on the eastern border of the city, lying half in Carson city and half in Lyon County. There are other canyons in this area also.
The west side of the city is heavily forested and climbs up into the Sierra Nevada mountain range. The highest point in the city is Snow Valley Peak, which rises to 9,214 feet above sea level. The west side of the city is mostly part of Humboldt National Forest, which covers 2 1/2 million acres and Lake Tahoe-Nevada State Park, which covers over 14,000 acres on the Nevada side of that famous alpine lake. The east side, undeveloped area of Carson City has some dirt roads that leads to still active mines, abandoned mining roads that are being reclaimed by nature, primitive dirt tracks that penetrate the desert leading to nowhere in particular, dirt roads leading to private ranches and huge areas of roadless wilderness. The west side undeveloped area of the city is much the same in terms of roadless areas and primitive dirt tracks, but these are mountain roads instead of desert roads. The west side also has 2 busy highways, U.S. Highway 50, which runs along the southern edge of the city and State Highway 28, which runs along the shore of Lake Tahoe. Highway 50 is a very busy, 4-lane highway that provides the most direct access to Sacramento and the California Coast. however, it is also a steep and twisting mountain road that crosses and recrosses the boundary between Carson city and Douglas County several times in its torturous path through the mountains.
State Highway 28, on the far west side of Carson City, runs along the shore of Lake Tahoe for part of its run and then a few miles away from the lake farther south. Along this busy highway, there are a few tourist related businesses, but the development is small.
The far western edge of Carson City is in Lake Tahoe, all the way out to the California border in the middle of the lake. This makes Carson City one of only three state capital cities in the United States that border another state or country. Trenton, New Jersey borders Pennsylvania and Juneau, Alaska borders British Columbia, Canada.
The only road access from the handful of businesses along the lakeshore are along Highway 28 to its junction with Highway 50 four miles south of the city in Douglas County, then along Highway 50 as it winds its way through unpopulated mountain and forest. There is also a primitive dirt road, called Kings Canyon Road, that provides access to the main part of the city, but it is only negotiable by 4-wheel drive vehicles. I will have more to say on this historic road in an upcoming edition of this blog.
The west side of the city is heavily forested and climbs up into the Sierra Nevada mountain range. The highest point in the city is Snow Valley Peak, which rises to 9,214 feet above sea level. The west side of the city is mostly part of Humboldt National Forest, which covers 2 1/2 million acres and Lake Tahoe-Nevada State Park, which covers over 14,000 acres on the Nevada side of that famous alpine lake. The east side, undeveloped area of Carson City has some dirt roads that leads to still active mines, abandoned mining roads that are being reclaimed by nature, primitive dirt tracks that penetrate the desert leading to nowhere in particular, dirt roads leading to private ranches and huge areas of roadless wilderness. The west side undeveloped area of the city is much the same in terms of roadless areas and primitive dirt tracks, but these are mountain roads instead of desert roads. The west side also has 2 busy highways, U.S. Highway 50, which runs along the southern edge of the city and State Highway 28, which runs along the shore of Lake Tahoe. Highway 50 is a very busy, 4-lane highway that provides the most direct access to Sacramento and the California Coast. however, it is also a steep and twisting mountain road that crosses and recrosses the boundary between Carson city and Douglas County several times in its torturous path through the mountains.
State Highway 28, on the far west side of Carson City, runs along the shore of Lake Tahoe for part of its run and then a few miles away from the lake farther south. Along this busy highway, there are a few tourist related businesses, but the development is small.
The far western edge of Carson City is in Lake Tahoe, all the way out to the California border in the middle of the lake. This makes Carson City one of only three state capital cities in the United States that border another state or country. Trenton, New Jersey borders Pennsylvania and Juneau, Alaska borders British Columbia, Canada.
The only road access from the handful of businesses along the lakeshore are along Highway 28 to its junction with Highway 50 four miles south of the city in Douglas County, then along Highway 50 as it winds its way through unpopulated mountain and forest. There is also a primitive dirt road, called Kings Canyon Road, that provides access to the main part of the city, but it is only negotiable by 4-wheel drive vehicles. I will have more to say on this historic road in an upcoming edition of this blog.
Carson City Facts and Figures
Until 1968, Carson City was the county seat of Ormsby County, the smallest county in Nevada. In that year, the state legislature merged the city and the county, creating special district status similar to Washington, D.C.'s status as the national capital. Washington, D.C. is in a federal district and is not part of any state. This means that Carson City is no longer part of any county, instead it is by itself. After this merger took place, the city government was given some unusual responsibilities that most municipal governments do not have. For example, there is no longer a city police force. The consolidated city is patrolled by the Carson City Sheriff;s Department. A sheriff's department is a county function. The city government has more authority than most city governments do because they also perform county functions.
Today, the city boundaries are the same as the extinct county's boundaries. Ormsby County, which was one of the first counties to created in Nevada, no longer exists. Carson City covers 146 square miles. This area is slightly larger than the area that Philadelphia, Pennsylvania covers, the nation's sixth largest city and almost exactly the same as the area of Portland, Oregon, a city with over half a million people. Most of the land within the boundaries of Carson City is undeveloped. This area consists of desert in the east and a lush forest of spruce and pine in the west. Most of the area within the city is roadless and another good-sized portion of the city is serviced only by primitive dirt tracks that lead to canyons, old mines or private ranches.
Of the 146 square miles that the city covers, only about 1/4 of it is developed, about 35 to 49 square miles. This area is in the middle of the city and extends between the northern and southern borders. This developed area encompasses the site of two other towns that once existed in the county--Empire City and Lakeview. There is little evidence of either town today since both areas have been overrun with housing developments.
Today, the city boundaries are the same as the extinct county's boundaries. Ormsby County, which was one of the first counties to created in Nevada, no longer exists. Carson City covers 146 square miles. This area is slightly larger than the area that Philadelphia, Pennsylvania covers, the nation's sixth largest city and almost exactly the same as the area of Portland, Oregon, a city with over half a million people. Most of the land within the boundaries of Carson City is undeveloped. This area consists of desert in the east and a lush forest of spruce and pine in the west. Most of the area within the city is roadless and another good-sized portion of the city is serviced only by primitive dirt tracks that lead to canyons, old mines or private ranches.
Of the 146 square miles that the city covers, only about 1/4 of it is developed, about 35 to 49 square miles. This area is in the middle of the city and extends between the northern and southern borders. This developed area encompasses the site of two other towns that once existed in the county--Empire City and Lakeview. There is little evidence of either town today since both areas have been overrun with housing developments.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
A Fascinating Museum, part 3
This museum also has a slot machine collection, after all, it is in Nevada's capital city. This collection shows the evolution of slot machines through the years.
There is also a "Creatures of Nevada" exhibit. It shows life size replicas of such denizens of the desert as Desert Tortoise, Desert Bighorn Sheep, Lahontan Cutthroat Trout, Great Basin Rattlesnake and many others.
There is an exhibit about the history of the Stewart Indian School, which was once located on the south side of Carson city until its closure in 1981.
A particularly fascinating exhibit is a collection of photos from the early 20th century boom town of Goldfield, which reached its maximum size in 1906 in what has been dubbed as "Nevada's second mining boom." This mining boom was concentrated in the central part of the state and gold was the mineral that drew people from far and wide to that part of the state. I will have more to say on Goldfield later in this blog because I went through this town a few days after my visit to Carson City.
About 1 1/2 miles south of the state capitol building is the Nevada State Railroad Museum. This museum has 5 steam locomotives, several restored passenger coach cars and several freight cars on display from various time periods. Railroads played an important part of life in the late 1800s and were invaluable to mines and mining communities.
I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to both of these museums. They do an excellent job of interpreting the state's history.
There is also a "Creatures of Nevada" exhibit. It shows life size replicas of such denizens of the desert as Desert Tortoise, Desert Bighorn Sheep, Lahontan Cutthroat Trout, Great Basin Rattlesnake and many others.
There is an exhibit about the history of the Stewart Indian School, which was once located on the south side of Carson city until its closure in 1981.
A particularly fascinating exhibit is a collection of photos from the early 20th century boom town of Goldfield, which reached its maximum size in 1906 in what has been dubbed as "Nevada's second mining boom." This mining boom was concentrated in the central part of the state and gold was the mineral that drew people from far and wide to that part of the state. I will have more to say on Goldfield later in this blog because I went through this town a few days after my visit to Carson City.
About 1 1/2 miles south of the state capitol building is the Nevada State Railroad Museum. This museum has 5 steam locomotives, several restored passenger coach cars and several freight cars on display from various time periods. Railroads played an important part of life in the late 1800s and were invaluable to mines and mining communities.
I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to both of these museums. They do an excellent job of interpreting the state's history.
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