Big Boots and Giant Sheep Help Highlight Community Arts Throughout Nevada

   Since 1999, when a Chicago businessman helped create the popular “Cows on Parade” public art project in the Windy City (which itself was based on an earlier public art effort in Zurich, Switzerland), dozens of cities across America have concocted similar public art installations involving various fiber glass animal statues.

   For example, Milwaukee had “Beasties” (whimsical four-legged creatures created by a local artist), while Racine, Wisconsin had bears, Macomb, Illinois had bulldogs, Atlanta had dolphins, Salt Lake City had bison and Seattle had pigs. Typically, the large statues are painted or decorated by local artists who are sponsored by local businesses.

   The craze has also inspired a number of Nevada communities to develop their own animals on parade public art projects, with the best-known ones being the “Counting Sheep” project sponsored by Reno’s Artown in 2005, and Elko’s “Centennial Boots” public art installation created for that community’s 100th anniversary in 2017.

   “Counting Sheep” involved 25 fiberglass bighorn sheep that were painted by Nevada-based artists and placed around Reno for a limited time. One of the statues, “Nevada Lambscape,” was painted by Lake Tahoe landscape artist Phyllis Shafer. The work, which remains on permanent display in the McKinley Arts & Culture Center in Reno, depicts the wide Nevada landscape across the body of the sheep with legs covered with sagebrush.

   Other sheep that were on display included artist Tim Guthrie’s “Dirty Harry Downwinder,” a bighorn sheep with an atomic mushroom cloud exploding from its back, Zoltan Janvary’s “False Idol,” with its gambling imagery serving as a warning for those who worship winning, and Darcie Park’s “Rodeo Ram,” a bighorn sheep hobby horse complete with a saddle and American flag blanket.

   Elko’s “Centennial Boots” project is ongoing, with new boots appearing periodically in the northeastern Nevada city (there are now about 50). The boots, in fact, are so popular that the city developed a “Boot Walk Map,” which pinpoints the locations of some 36 of the 110-pound, six-foot tall cowboy boots.

   Each of the shoes is made of polyurethane resin and decorated by a local artist. For example, one depicts a Central Pacific train steaming through the Ruby Mountains, while another in front of the Star Hotel is a tribute to the hotel’s rich Basque roots and history.

   The boots can be found in front of the Elko Public Library, the Great Basin College, various government offices, and dozens of businesses. Since each tells a part of the Elko story, they serve as a kind of community-wide scavenger hunt for those who seek them out.

   Among the highlights are artist Inga Ojala’s boot displaying a trout-filled stream rushing down the Rubies, flanked by a mountain goat and a bighorn sheep (in front of the LP Insurance Building) and a boot painted with a guitar and banjo, created by Tuscarora artist Sidne Teske with a realistic spur crafted by metal sculptor Susan Church (in front of the Western Folklife Center).

   One of the most unique is a boot painted by Elko architect Catherine Wines and her sister-in-law, Heather, who created “Starry Elko Night,” a tribute to Vincent Van Gogh’s “The Starry Night.” In Wines’ version, the Elko skyline has replaced Saint-Remy-de-Provence, but the original’s psychedelic overtones remain.

   For more information about Elko’s Centennial Boots go to: https://everythingelko.com/centennial-boots/. For information about Reno’s “Counting Sheep” project, check out the Reno News and Review’s 2005 story about it at: https://renonr.com/2005/07/07/counting-rams/.

The Real Story of the Earp Bros in Nevada

Virgil Earp

   The recent death of Nevada historian/long-time Nevada State Archivist Guy Louis Rocha made me recall one of his books, “The Earps’ Last Frontier: Wyatt and Virgil Earp in the Nevada Mining Camps 1902-1905,” which he co-wrote with Jeffrey M. Kintop.

   Published in 1989, this slim volume remains one of the definitive historical works on the short time that the two Earp brothers spent in the mining towns of Tonopah and Goldfield.

   According to Kintop and Rocha, in January 1902, Wyatt Earp, fresh from Alaska’s mining boom, arrived in Tonopah with his wife, Josie. Within a few months, he and a partner had opened the Northern Saloon, and Earp also worked as a teamster for the Tonopah Mining Company, hauling ore and supplies.

   For a very short time, he may have served as an appointed deputy U.S. Marshal in Tonopah, mostly serving papers to defendants in federal court cases—but he never engaged with any shootouts with or pistol-whipping of desperados, like he had done in Dodge City, Kansas, and Tombstone, Arizona.

   In the late summer of 1903, the always restless Earp and his wife decided to leave Tonopah. He sold his investments and headed to Los Angeles to live. The two, however, returned several times to prospect around Silver Peak and other parts of Esmeralda County.

   And that was about it for Wyatt Earp in Nevada.

   As for Virgil Earp, Wyatt’s older brother, he and his wife, Allie, arrived in Goldfield sometime in the latter part of 1904. Down on his luck and nearly broke, he took a job as deputy sheriff of Esmeralda County and also provided security at the National Club.

   Sadly, a few months after settling in Goldfield, Virgil Earp contracted a bad case of pneumonia, which he was unable to shake. On October 19, 1905, Virgil Earp died in Goldfield at age 62. At the request of his daughter, his remains were sent to Portland, Oregon, and he was buried at the Riverview Cemetery.

   It is believed that Wyatt and Josie Earp may have visited Virgil and Allie in Goldfield sometime during the summer of 1904, but there is no official record of such a visit.

   According to Rocha’s research, “As for Wyatt Earp, there is no end to the list of things he didn’t do in Goldfield. He didn’t tend bar there, he didn’t own a hotel or saloon there, and in fact he didn’t do much of anything there.”

   In total, the two Earp brothers spent about eight and eleven months, respectively, in Nevada—hardly enough time to accomplish everything that has been attributed to them.

   Still, the apocryphal stories about Wyatt Earp in Tonopah make for fun reading. For instance, one of the most often repeated stories involves him coming to the rescue of Tonopah attorney Tasker Oddie, who later served as Nevada’s Governor and U.S. Senator.

   In the tale, claim jumpers were digging a shaft on land owned by Oddie’s clients. In order to stop the men from continuing, the unarmed Oddie jumped into the hole. The men allegedly pulled their guns on Oddie and ordered him to leave.

   At that moment, Wyatt Earp and his saloon partner, Al Martin, came along in a wagon. The famous former lawman, who sometimes worked for Oddie, quickly sized up the situation and jumped into the hole beside his friend.

   When the claim jumpers asked who he thought he was, Earp reportedly said, “I’m Wyatt Earp,” then pointed at Martin, who had a shotgun aimed at the mine thieves. The men lowered their guns and quickly scrambled out of the hole—but not before following Earp’s orders to replace the mine location stakes they’d knocked over.

   The great Nevada mythmakers, Lucius Beebe and Charles Clegg, wrote about a remarkably similar episode occurring on a train ride. Allegedly, union thugs decided to shoot Oddie, who worked for the mining companies.

   “A walrus mustached individual in a slouch hat and neat dark suit who was lounging in the smoking room overheard two characters in an adjacent compartment planning to shoot Oddie through the partition as soon as the train got under way,” Beebe and Clegg wrote.

   “Unceremoniously, he kicked open the door of their bedroom and told them the project was ill-advised and they had better leave the train while the going was good. To their inquiry as to just who the hell he thought he was, the answer was simply, ‘Wyatt Earp.’ The assassins left.”

   It was, most likely, yet another example of the adage stated in the classic 1962 western film, “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance.” In it, a newspaper editor tells a young reporter, “When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.”

Ghost Town Aficionado Tami Force Shares Her Experiences in New Book

   For more than 25 years, Tami Force has explored Nevada and Eastern California’s ghost towns and historic sites. In 2020, the Douglas County resident began sharing her discoveries on a website, Nevada Ghost Towns & Beyond (https://nvtami.com/), which has grown into an enormously popular place for ghost town information.

   Now, she’s collected some of her best stories and photos in a pair of new books, In the Shadow of the Eastern Sierra: Ghost Towns and Historical Sites in the Eastern Sierra-Northern Region and In the Glow of the Sierra: Ghost Towns and Historical Sites in the Eastern Sierra-Southern Region.

   In Shadow of the Eastern Sierra, Force writes about more than 70 historic sites and places in Lassen County, including Peter Lassen’s Grave and Doyle, as well as at Lake Tahoe, and in Washoe County, Carson City, Douglas County, and Alpine County.

   In the Glow of the Sierra, Force turns her attention to more than 80 ghost towns, mines, wagon trails, and rail lines that can be found in the area between Mono County and Kern County.

   Each entry is lavishly illustrated with high-quality photos, some of which are full-page images. Additionally, Force provides useful historical information about each featured place.

   A large part of what makes Force’s books stand out is the fact that she profiles many of the more obscure spots; the places you might drive through but not really know their historic significance. For example, travelers to Amador County might not know the entire story about Maiden’s Grave, where two separate sites have been marked with that name, but no one knows for sure which is correct.

   In Carson City, there’s an unusual historic spot known as Ormsby Poor Farm Cemetery, where, beginning in the 1860s, down-and-out residents could work on the farm in exchange for room and board and a small salary. The farm remained open for more than a century, only closing in 1965.

   As part of the poor farm, a small cemetery was established in a grove of trees. Today, it’s still there, surrounded by a metal fence, next to the Carson City fairgrounds.

   In addition to the wonderful photographs, the books contain maps of the various locations.

   For anyone wanting to follow Force’s frequent travels throughout the state (which were the basis for her books), be sure to check out her Nevada Ghost Towns and Beyond website.

   There, you can find descriptions and photos of more than 800 ghost towns and historic sites throughout Nevada, eastern California, Utah and Arizona, organized by county. Also, be sure to sign up for her newsletter, which keeps followers abreast of her most recent journeys.

   In the Shadow of the Eastern Sierra: Ghost Towns and Historical Sites in the Eastern Sierra-Northern Region and In the Glow of the Sierra: Ghost Towns and Historical Sites in the Eastern Sierra-Southern Region are available directly from Force on her website (at a 15 percent discount), in many Nevada bookstores, or from Amazon and many other online retailers.

   Both books come in hardcover (retail price of $65, not counting the discount) and softcover editions (retail price of $45, not including the discount).

Remembering a Nevada Icon: Guy Louis Rocha

 

I think the first time I met Guy Rocha was shortly after I had gone to work for the Nevada Commission on Tourism in the mid-1980s. I don’t recall why or how I encountered him—probably checking some Nevada history detail—but he made an immediate impression.

He was passionate about Nevada history and, to me, a little bit intimidating. Later, as I got to know him better, I realized he was committed to just getting Nevada historical information right.

Over the years, I made it a habit to drop by his office at the Nevada State Library to just shoot the breeze. He always made time for me and I always came away having learned something new about the state.

I particularly enjoyed hitting him up when he was working on one of his popular Nevada Myth of the Month columns, because he loved sharing the latest historical information that he had just uncovered.

He called the tendency for some writers to conflate history with legend as “fake-lore” and refused to accept the idea that facts should not get in the way of a good story. 

Like many people who wrote about Nevada history, whenever I made a factual error, I would inevitably receive a firm but friendly phone call explaining how I had got it wrong. The calls could be lengthy—I recall being on the receiving end of more than one call during which Guy would use all the allotted time on the voice recording, then call back to continue with his thought, and then call back again and again to complete his message.

Guy also introduced me to a noon-time basketball group (of mostly state workers) that played for many years in the former Nevada State Children’s Home Gym in Carson City. The games were always competitive and occasionally intense, with Guy being among the most serious of players.

In his role as the Nevada State Archivist and Historian, Guy played an important role in making the Nevada State Archives relevant. I remember him once telling me that when he first began to work for the archives, he found many of the state’s oldest official documents stored haphazardly in a room in an old building beneath leaking water pipes that had already ruined some of them.

It was through his sincere and deep appreciation of the value of such documents that he, along with others, persuaded the Nevada Legislature and Executive Branch to fund the construction of the current Nevada State Library, with state-of-the art archival facilities for storing such important materials.

Because of his enormous contributions to telling Nevada’s history factually and correctly, Guy was inducted into the Nevada Press Association’s Hall of Fame in 2025.

In 2005, I moved away from Nevada and, over the past two decades, kind of lost touch with Guy. I would still see his name in the newspapers—usually being quoted in a story setting the record straight on some historical matter.

In 2009, Guy retired from his position at the archives after an amazing 32 years in public service. At his retirement ceremony, Nevada Appeal writer Kirk Caraway shared what Guy said was his motto: “We are entitled to own opinions, but not our own facts. In turn, we are entitled to our opinion of the facts, but not entitled to our own facts based on our opinions.”

It was advice that is sorely needed these days.

Guy died on September 18, 2025 at the age of 73. Appropriately, his life and achievements were marked by a Celebration of Life event at the Nevada State Library and Archives on October 31—Nevada’s 161^st birthday.

The Story of Nevada's Historic Railroads

J.W. Bowker at the Nevada State Railroad Museum in Carson City

  Few book projects have remained as relevant over the years as David Myrick’s splendid three-volume series, “Railroads of Nevada and Eastern California.”

  The first two volumes were originally released in 1962 and 1963, respectively, while the third was released in 2007.

  The first two books were once difficult to find, commanding premium prices in rare book stores. Fortunately, in 1992, the two volumes were reprinted by the University of Nevada Press, with the third volume added a decade and a half later. All three remain available from the University of Nevada Press.

  Together, the books contain the history of some 69 railroads, both large and small, that have operated in the Silver State. Indeed, after perusing just the first two books, you can’t help but feel that nearly every mining town in Nevada must have had a railroad at some point.

  Of special note are the 500-plus rare, vintage photographs of the various railroad equipment, buildings and affiliated communities—an invaluable photographic record of the industrial development of the state.

  Fortunately for readers, the late Myrick (he passed away in 2011), a noted railroad historian, isn’t content to merely tell the dry facts and figures behind each of these railroads. Rather, he weaves that information into the appropriate historical context, showing how each railroad was a reflection of the rapid growth and, later, decline of these mining towns.

  For those interested in exploring Nevada, the books are also a valuable resource when it comes to trying to retrace the locations and routes of these ancient railways. Detailed maps included with each railroad section show the original route, including names of stations and stops.

  Additionally, the end sheets of each volume include a map of the state and eastern California showing the location of all of the railroads featured in the books. The final section of Volume 2 contains an updated locomotive roster.

  Flipping through the pages, you quickly are impressed by the amount of wood and rail that once crossed this state. And, if you’ve ever had a chance to wander across Nevada, you can't help but be incredulous of the number of towns, which today are either ghost towns or mere shadows of their past glory, that once boasted major rail lines.

  For instance, the Eureka and Palisade Railroad once connected the mining metropolis of Eureka, in central Nevada, to the Central Pacific Railroad line (and later, the Southern Pacific, and Western Pacific lines) at Palisade (near Carlin in northeastern Nevada).

  Built from 1873 to 1875, the E & P experienced its greatest success during its first decade when Eureka mines were booming and the town's population topped 9,000.

  Today, a persistent railroad history buff, utilizing Myrick’s work, can find vestiges of the former E & P line (abandoned in 1938), by following State Route 278, north from Eureka, which parallels the rail bed and passes through many of the former stops.

  Perhaps the last remaining locomotive from the E & P, an 1875 Baldwin narrow gauge engine called the Number 4 (also named the "Eureka"), was sold in 1940 to Warner Brothers studios and appeared in several movies. A few years ago, it was restored by a private collector from Las Vegas and is occasionally displayed at western rail fairs.

  Myrick's series offer the fascinating stories of dozens of other railways ranging from the well-known, such as the Virginia & Truckee, to the obscure, like the Nevada Short Line, which once connected Rochester to Oreana.

  All remain essential reading for anyone interested in the rich history of Nevada’s railroads.

  To order copies of the three volumes, go to https://unpress.nevada.edu/.

The Company Town that Survived the Company: McGill, Nevada

McGill Club

  The small community of McGill, located about 12 miles north of Ely in eastern Nevada, was originally a ranch established in 1872, by a man named John Cowger. About 14 years later, he sold his holdings to William Neil McGill, who, along with former Nevada Governor Jewett Adams, operated one of the state’s largest livestock operations.

  In 1906, with the development of large copper mines in Ruth and the building of the Nevada Northern Railway, the McGill Ranch area was chosen to be the site of a massive smelter for the mining company as well as for constructing large tailings ponds. The new railroad, which reached McGill in 1908, would connect the mines to the smelter.

  Within about three years, McGill had grown into a bustling small community, with 2,200 men working at the smelter. Dozens of homes and businesses soon sprang up. To provide housing for its workers, the company built modest wooden homes for them—hence the identical, cookie-cutter appearance of many of the small, older houses found in McGill.

  By the 1920s, McGill had grown to rival nearby Ely as the largest town in White Pine County. Even a disastrous fire in 1922, which destroyed much of the smelting complex, didn't slow McGill, which peaked in 1930 when the town had more than 3,000 residents.

  The unusually long life of the Ruth/Ely area's copper mines contributed to McGill's longevity. For much of the next fifty years, McGill maintained a relatively steady population of about 2,000 people, most working for the smelter.

  One of the somewhat unique aspects about McGill was that it was a regulated company town, so many of the types of businesses that might have cropped up near a mining town, such as saloons, gambling joints, and other industries, were established in smaller settlements beyond the town limits.

  The town managed to thrive, with things remaining fairly static, until the 1950s, when the mines in Ruth ceased to be as productive. By 1983, the smelter had closed and it was demolished—including its once iconic massive brick smoke stack—in 1993.

  During its more than 70-year mining boom, McGill acquired many community amenities, including churches, a newspaper, a movie theater, a large brick school and a municipal swimming pool—actually an Olympic-size, old-fashioned watering hole.

  Additionally, as a result of the mining company's aggressive recruitment of new immigrants, McGill became one of Nevada's most ethnically diverse communities. Large numbers of Greeks, Irish, Slavs and other newcomers to the America found their way to McGill to work at the smelter.

  Yet despite the loss of its primary industry, McGill never completely faded into ghost town status. Some residents found work in the larger community of Ely and, after construction of the Ely State Prison, it became a bedroom community for prison workers. Today about 1,000 people still call McGill home.

  The town’s downtown business district remains a mix of shuttered buildings and hardy survivors, including the McGill Drug Store Museum at 11 Fourth Street (U.S. 93), which offers a snapshot into the town’s life. The drug store opened in 1915 and operated continuously until 1979.

  Gerald and Elsa Culbert owned the store from 1950 until it was closed following Gerald’s death. In 1995, the Culbert children donated the drug store, which still contained its complete inventory on the shelves, to Ely’s White Pine County Museum for preservation and display.

  These days, visitors can tour this fully intact, 20th century, small town drug store, which still has an operating soda fountain. The museum is open Thursday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information, go to: https://travelnevada.com/museums/mcgill-drugstore-museum/.

  Another fun place to check out is the McGill Club, a local watering hole that has been in the town for decades. In addition to a beautiful wooden backbar, it serves as community hub. Also, check out the amazing display with photos of every McGill resident who ever served in the Armed Forces.

  For more information about McGill, go to: https://www.whitepinechamber.com/p/16/mcgill-nevada.

Discover Virginia City's Architectural Gems

Storey County Courthouse

  One of the best things about visiting Virginia City is admiring the 19th century architecture scattered throughout the city. Wandering the community is a chance for a visitor to view more than a dozen elegant structures built in a variety of architectural styles.

  Fortunately, the community’s tourism authority, Visit Virginia City, aided by a grant from the state promotional agency, Travel Nevada, recently released a Architectural Walking Tour brochure that can guide visitors to 16 sites in the city.

  A fun aspect of the brochure is the use of QR codes that lead the user to an audio tour of the featured buildings and sites (two of the locations are building sites where the original structures no longer exist).

  The tour begins, appropriately, with the Fourth Ward School, one of Virginia City’s most iconic buildings. Constructed in 1876 the Second Empire style, the four-story schoolhouse is the last of its kind still standing in the U.S.

  Next up is the Savage Mansion, also constructed in the Second Empire style, which was built in 1861 to serve as a residence for a mining superintendent and mine office. That’s followed by the similarly spectacular Hearst/Mackay Mansion, erected in 1860, which served a similar purpose for mining magnate George Hearst and, later, mining millionaire John Mackay. It boasts a Colonial style with Victorian flourishes.

  Other noteworthy buildings included on the tour include:

  • Storey County Courthouse, built in 1875 and rebuilt in 1876, which boasts an elaborate Italianate style with Baroque influences. The oldest continuously operating court house in the state, this building is graced with a statue of Justice that is not blindfolded like most other representations.

  • Territorial Enterprise Building, constructed in 1876, was the home of Nevada’s first newspaper, the Territorial Enterprise. Among those who worked at the Enterprise was a young Mark Twain as well as other notable writers such as Dan DeQuille and Alf Doten. The architecture of the structure is frontier style with Corinthian Capital Pillars.

  • King-McBride Mansion was originally built in 1870, burned during the Great Fire of 1875, and was rebuilt the next year. Also constructed in the Italianate style but with Greek Revival influences, this elegant house was first owned by banker George Anson King, who ran the Nevada Bank of San Francisco and was a director on the Virginia & Truckee Railroad.

  • Graves (the Castle) Mansion, constructed in 1868, is another of the city’s most recognizable buildings. It was built by Robert Graves, superintendent of the Empire Mine, who had a love for French chateau architecture. As the brochure points out, the mansion’s signature mansard roof and dormers are outstanding examples of the Second Empire style.

  • Miner’s Union Hall, erected in 1876, was originally a single-story wooden building that also burned during the 1875 fire. Its replacement, the current building, was constructed in the Baroque style. The first floor of the structure housed the union hall while the second floor was used as a library. That library, opened in 1877, was the only public library in Virginia City for many years (patrons paid 50-cents per month to use it).

  To obtain a copy of the new brochure, contact www.VisitVirginiaCityNV.com. The entire brochure can also be accessed online at: https://visitvirginiacitynv.com/architectural-walking-tour/.