Austin's Historical Society Museum Shares Town's Past

 

   Among Nevada’s 19th century mining towns, Austin has perhaps the most colorful past—and a very cool local museum that helps to tell the town’s story.

   Located about 110 miles east of Fallon on U.S. 50, Austin was founded in 1862 following the discovery of large silver deposits in the area. Within a few years, Austin had an estimated 8,000 to 10,000 residents along with several substantial churches and a thriving business district.

   Over the decades, Austin experienced many ups and downs, which were tied to the state of its silver mining industry. By the mid-20th century, the community’s mining heyday was over and the town’s population began to decline. Today, only about 200 people still call Austin home.

   But that doesn’t mean Austin is ready to completely fade away. Local folks, in fact, have pursued a number of projects designed to attract visitors and keep the town alive.

   For example, for many years a local group has worked to restore the historic former St. Augustine’s Catholic Church, built in 1866, as a cultural and arts center.

   Additionally, a few years ago the community acquired the former National Forest Service office in Austin and converted the building into the Austin Historical Society Museum.

   Opened in 2006, the museum at 180 Main Street is filled with artifacts related to Austin’s past. Open Friday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., the free museum contains a large collection of historic photographs as well as informative displays.

   For instance, there’s a display about the Nevada Central Railroad—which once ran between Austin and Battle Mountain—that includes photographs, documents, rail equipment and other related items.

   Several other exhibits are devoted to the area’s Native Americans and features several hand-woven baskets and containers as well as stone implements, such as grinding stones, used by prehistoric people in the region.

   One room is filled with a variety of antiques related to the town’s history, including a hand-cranked telephone, vintage typewriters, cash registers, scales, school desks, bottles and mining and ranch equipment.

   Nearby is a 19th century, hand-operated printing press used for many years by the local Reese River Reveille newspaper as well as a display containing pages from the newspaper, which operated locally from 1863 to 1993.

   There are also exhibits of antique home furnishings and a fine 19th century pump organ on loan from St. George’s Episcopal Church in Austin, which is still an active congregation in Austin.

   One of the museum’s most interesting items is an old blackjack table that was once owned and used by Clara Williams, a longtime Austin saloon owner, who was once featured in the Los Angeles Times (https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-08-25-mn-16066-story.html).

   Renowned for many years for being Nevada’s oldest blackjack dealer, Williams, who died in 1987, dealt cards at the table until she was more than 80 years old.

   The museum also has a nice research library with ledgers, photo albums and books related to local history.

   For more information about the museum, go to www.austinmuseumnevada.com.