History Found in Nearly Every Building in Genoa

Historic Genoa trading post in 1911 (before it was destroyed by fire)

  Some of Nevada’s oldest surviving buildings can be found lining the streets of Genoa. In fact, anyone who has ever studied the state’s history is aware of Genoa’s role in the state’s development. It was the state’s first town as well as home of the first printed newspaper and site of the first territorial government meetings.

  Located about 13 miles south of Carson City via U.S. 396 and Jack’s Valley Road, Genoa was settled in 1849 when Mormon traders built a crude log enclosure, without a roof or floor. The post was abandoned, but just two years later, traders returned and erected a more permanent trading post and fort, known as the Mormon Station, a short distance from the original site.

  Today’s Mormon Station State Historical Monument in the center of Genoa is a replica of the original wooden complex that provided goods to those traveling on the Emigrant Trail to California.

  The replica fort, constructed in 1947 on the site of the original, which burned in 1910, contains interpretive historic displays about the area and includes a beautiful, shaded picnic area.

  The Mormon Station, however, is only the most obvious example of Genoa’s rich past. If you wander the streets of this historic community, you can find that nearly every house and lot have a story.

  Sadly, the fire of 1910 that destroyed the original Mormon Station, also burned many of the town’s other pioneer buildings and, no doubt, signaled the end of Genoa as the seat for Douglas County. That authority was shifted to the larger town of Minden in 1916.

  Still, plenty of pieces of the old town have survived, including the John S. Childs building near the southwest corner of Nixon and Main streets. The first floor of this brick structure was erected in 1862 and served as a dry goods store for many years. In 1874, the local Masons Organization constructed a second floor to serve as a lodge.

  Adjacent to the Childs/Mason building is a one-story stone structure, now an antique shop, which was constructed in the 1870s as a dry goods store.

  Next door, is the Old Genoa Bar, located in a building that is said to have been built in the 1850s. The bar, which boasts uneven wooden floors and a hodgepodge of historic political posters on its walls, claims to be the “oldest thirst parlor” in the state.

  At the corner of Carson and Main streets is a brick Victorian home built in the mid-1850s by William J. "Lucky Bill" Thorington, a gambler, shrewd businessman and, allegedly, a polygamist.

  Thorington was hanged in Genoa in 1858 for aiding a horse thief, although some historians believe he was killed by those jealous of his success and unconventional lifestyle. The house was later owned by Judge D.W. Virgin, who was the county’s first district attorney.

  The Raycroft/Depot House, located near the Thorington home, can trace its pedigree to the 1850s. The original building, which has been covered-up by later additions, served as the law offices for Senator William Stewart, one of Nevada’s first U.S. Senators, and Judge Virgin. It was later used as a newspaper printing plant, a butcher shop, and a stagecoach depot.

  The Pratt House, located on Nixon Street adjacent to the Genoa Community Church, was built in 1872 by local newspaper publishers A.C. and Alice Pratt. Now known as the Genoa House Inn, a bed and breakfast, the two-story Victorian is one of the most photogenic homes in Genoa.

  The Pink House, located south of the Mormon Station Park, is one of the most historic homes in town. It was constructed in 1853 by John Reese, one of the founders of the Mormon Station trading post. In 1870, it was moved to its present location by a prominent merchant, J.R. Johnson and later was home of Judge Virgin and his family.

  The magnificent Kinsey House, located northeast of the Pink House, was built in 1856 by Stephen A. Kinsey, one of the original Mormon Station settlers and the first postmaster in Carson Valley.

  Strangely, while the Kinsey home appears to be constructed of wood because of its classic white balconies and columns, it is actually a brick building. Like many of Genoa’s historic houses, it is a private residence so be careful not to disturb the residents.

  The Genoa Courthouse Museum at Main and 5th streets, is a two-story, brick structure that was built in 1865 and served as the Douglas County Courthouse until 1916, when the county seat was moved.

  For the next four decades, the building was used as a school. After 1969, it has been a local museum. The courthouse, which has been restored, contains dozens of exhibits describing the community’s rich history.

  For more information about Genoa, go to: https://travelnevada.com/cities/genoa/.

The Tragic History Behind Virginia City's St. Mary's Art Center

   Virginia City’s St. Mary’s Art Center—celebrating its 150th anniversary this year—can trace its beginnings to a terrible tragedy in 1873. At a minute before eleven on the evening of July 29, a loud  blast rocked the mining community and killed 11 of the city’s residents.

   “The explosion was doubtless the work of nitroglycerine, as we learn that six cans of this pent-up lightning were stored in the building, under the rooms of [General Jacob] Van Bokkelen and [J.P.] Smith, on Friday last,” noted the Virginia City Chronicle on June 30.

   “Gen. Van Bokkelen was the local agent of several powder companies—is said to have been agent for black, giant and Hercules powder,” it continued. “The explosion seemed to come from General Van Bokkelen’s room.”

   The Chronicle said one possible cause was the fact that Van Bokkelen owned a pet monkey, which lived with him in his room. According to the newspaper, the general most likely had small or large quantities of powder and nitroglycerine in his room as well.

   “He entered his room only about twenty minutes before the explosion, and doubtless proceeded at once to undress,” the Chronicle noted. “While his lamp was still burning, the monkey probably got on a jamboree and upset the lamp or a can of nitroglycerine. Of course, the truth will never be known.”

   In addition to Van Bokkelen and Smith, nine other people, and presumably the monkey, were killed in the explosion.

   The land where the St. Mary’s Art Center is located today was the site of a beer garden owned by Van Bokkelen, who had served as Nevada Provost Marshall during the Civil War, and was a prominent local businessman. After his death, the beer garden was put up for sale and was purchased by Marie Louise Mackay, wife of Comstock silver baron John Mackay, the wealthiest man in the state and one of the richest in the country.

   Mrs. Mackay donated the site to a Catholic religious order, Daughters of Charity, for use as a hospital. In 1876, the new four-story, brick facility opened as the St. Mary Louise Hospital. It offered 36 rooms, which could accommodate up to 70 patients, as well as hot and cold running water in each room.

   The Daughters continued to operate the hospital for the next two decades. In 1897, Virginia City’s declining mining industry and dwindling population resulted in the order leaving the area and turning over operations of the hospital to Storey County.

   Continuing population declines in the 1920s and 30s,forced the county to close the hospital in the 1940s. For many years after, the elegant brick building sat vacant and in decline.

   In the early 1960s, however, Virginia City saw the development of a vibrant, local art scene. Several of these artists worked with Father Paul Meinecke, to reopen the building, now known as the St. Mary’s Art Center. The effort came at the right time as plans had been announced to demolish the historic building.

   According to the Art Center’s website, one of those artists was Louise Curran, who became the first director of the new center. The first artist to teach classes in the center was a California-based painter Richard Yip and he was soon followed by many others.

   In the 1990s, the center opened its doors to the public, making the facility available for a variety of uses.

   Today, St. Mary’s Art Center serves as one of Virginia City’s most well-known and popular art spaces, with a year-round resident artist program and exhibits in seven rotating galleries in the once-again elegant structure.

   Tours of the center are offered on Tuesdays through Saturdays by appointment (at https://www.stmarysartcenter.org/book-online) or 775-440-0992.

   For more information, go to: https://www.stmarysartcenter.org/.

The Stories Behind Nevada's County Names Part 2

William Ormsby

   While it’s pretty obvious who Lincoln County was named after, what about Nevada’s other counties? What are the origins of the names of Lyon, Nye or Lander counties? And what county is named for a former U.S. Senator who was accused of purchasing his seat?

   The following are the namesakes for the rest of Nevada’s counties. Part one of this story appeared last week.

   • Lyon County is named to honor General Nathanial Lyon, a Civil War-era commander who died in action during the Battle of Wilson’s Creek. Lyon was the first Union general killed in the Civil War. His efforts on behalf of the Union are said to have prevented Missouri from joining the Confederacy.

   • Ormsby County (now simply the combined city-county of Carson City) honors William M. Ormsby an early Nevada business owner and political figure who helped to establish Carson City and the Nevada Territory. In May 1860, after the owners of a trading post near present-day Silver Springs kidnapped two Paiute girls and were killed by Paiute warriors in retaliation, Ormsby led a group of about 100 armed men to Pyramid Lake to confront the tribe. Ill-equipped and poorly trained, the force was ambushed south of the lake and about three quarters were killed, including Ormsby. The encounter became known as the first battle of the so-called Pyramid Lake or Paiute War.

   • Storey County was named for Edward Farris Storey, a Nevada pioneer who, like Ormsby, was a casualty of the Pyramid Lake War. Storey was the commander of Company K of the Nevada Militia, known as the Virginia City Rifles. He and his men joined Ormsby’s campaign to attack the Paiutes and was killed in June 1860 during the second battle of the war, during which the Paiutes were routed by the combined forces of Nevada militia and regular U.S. Army troops.

   • Washoe County is the only county in the state named for a Native American tribe. The Washoe (also spelled Washo) people had resided for generations in the Truckee Meadows.

   • Lander County is named for Frederick W. Lander, a Civil War general who died of pneumonia shortly after successfully defending the community of Romney, Maryland from an assault by Confederate forces. On February 14, 1862, he led a successful charge against a Confederate encampment at Bloomery Gap but two weeks later succumbed to what was called “congestive chill.”

   • Nye County’s name honors James W. Nye, who served as Nevada’s first Territorial Governor and later was elected to the U.S. Senate representing Nevada (1864-1873).

   • Elko County takes its name from the city of Elko, which was named by Charles Crocker superintendent of the Central Pacific Railroad. The name, it is said, came from Crocker’s fondness for taking animal names and adding an “o,” but there’s no evidence to support that claim. Another version of the story is that Elko is a Shoshone word for either “white woman” or “beautiful” or “white elk.” Basically, no one knows where the name came from.

   • White Pine County derives its name from the many stands of limber pine (also called white pine) trees said to be found in this part of eastern Nevada.

   • Eureka County derives its name from the mining town (and district) of Eureka, which was established in 1864. The name is a Greek word meaning “I found it.”

   • Clark County is named to honor William A. Clark, owner of the San Pedro, Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad, which founded the city of Las Vegas (in 1905). Clark made his fortune in copper mining in Montana and in 1899 was chosen to serve as one of the state’s U.S. Senators (at the time, state legislatures appointed U.S. Senators). However, the U.S. Senate refused to seat him after it came out that he had bribed Montana legislators to gain the post. He was finally elected to the Senate in 1901 and served one term.

   • Mineral County’s name is pretty easy to understand. The name reflects the multitude of mineral resources found in the region.

   • Pershing County was named in honor of John J. “Black Jack” Pershing, a much decorated and highly-respected Army general who led the American Expeditionary Forces during World War I.

Who Are Nevada's Counties Named For? Part 1

 

Sylvester Churchill — namesake for Churchill County

  In the beginning, there were nine. Three years later, there were eleven. A little more than decade later, their number had grown by four more, and eventually there were 17.

  They are Nevada’s counties, and while few in number compared to states like Texas, which has 254, or Georgia, which has 159, they include several of the largest counties in the nation in terms of size, such as Nye, which is 18,147 square miles (third biggest in the U.S.), and Elko, which is 17,182 square miles (fourth biggest).

  The original nine counties were established in 1861, when the Nevada Territory was created. These nine jurisdictions included Churchill, Douglas, Esmeralda, Humboldt, Lake (renamed Roop a year later), Lyon, Ormsby, Storey and Washoe.

  Three years later, when Nevada gained statehood, two additional counties, Nye and Lander, were created (carved from Esmeralda). Over the next decade four more counties were organized including Lincoln (1866), Elko and White Pine (1869) followed by Eureka (1873). In 1889, Lake/Roop was dissolved because of its tiny population and consolidated into Washoe County.

  The early 20th century saw the creation of three more counties, Clark (1909), Mineral (1911), and Pershing (1919). The last major change in terms of county structures occurred in 1969, when Ormsby County merged with Carson City to become the state’s only consolidated city-county government.

  There was, also, a unique county that only existed for brief time, which was Bullfrog County. This tiny square of land carved out of Nye County was a political jurisdiction created by the Nevada legislature in 1987 in order to maximize the state’s ability to extract funding from the Federal Government in case a national nuclear waste facility opened at Yucca Mountain (which was inside Bullfrog County).

  Nye County officials, however, filed a successful lawsuit to stop the county’s creation and two years later the legislature repealed the law that created Bullfrog County.

  Looking at the names of the state’s 16 counties and 1 combined county-city, at least one is pretty easy to place. Lincoln is obviously named for President Abraham Lincoln, who approved Nevada’s statehood but who or what were the others named after?

  The following are the stories behind the names for a handful of the rest of Nevada’s counties:

  • Churchill County was named in honor of Sylvester Churchill (1783-1862), who served during the War of 1812 and the Mexican-American War of 1846-48. He was cited for his actions during the Battle of Buena Vista during the latter and promoted to the rank of brevet brigadier general. He served as Inspector General of the Regular Army for two decades.

  • Douglas County was named to honor Illinois Senator Stephen A. Douglas, who was the Democratic Party nominee against Abraham Lincoln (the Republican Party nominee) in the presidential election of 1860. In spite of his defeat, Douglas rallied his supporters to the Union (Lincoln’s) cause when the Civil War broke out in April 1861 but died a few weeks later of typhoid.

  • Esmeralda is the Spanish and Portuguese word for emerald and the county’s name was derived from the successful Esmeralda Mining District. According to some sources, an early miner, James Manning Cory, named the mining district after the Gypsy dancer, Esmeralda, in the Victor Hugo novel, “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.”

  • Humboldt County was named after the Humboldt River, which winds through the county. The river, in turn, was named after Alexander Von Humboldt, a famous German naturalist who had explored South and Central America. Explorer John C. Fremont named the river in honor of a man he admired.

  • Lake County was named because of the many lakes in the region, including Honey Lake, Pyramid Lake, and Winnemucca Lake. It originally included Susanville, California, since the boundary between Nevada and California was poorly delineated in the act that created the Nevada Territory. The matter wasn’t resolved until 1864, when a joint California-Nevada boundary survey determined that the Honey Lake area, including Susanville, were located inside California’s boundaries.

  • Roop County was the name given to Lake County in 1862. The new name honored Isaac Roop, first provisional governor of the proposed Nevada Territory, who was the leader of an unsuccessful effort to join Honey Lake Valley with the Nevada Territory.

  Next week: the stories behind the names for the rest of Nevada’s counties.

Virginia City Has Never Shied Away From a Good Tall Tale

 

  According to a popular legend, the historic Nevada mining town of Virginia City earned its name when one of its founders, Old Virginny stumbled, broke a bottle of whiskey he was carrying, and christened the town in honor of his home state of Virginia.

  The story probably isn’t true but it illustrates that a large part of what makes Virginia City such a colorful places is because the line between fact and fiction is often blurred. In Virginia City, if a story is repeated often enough, it becomes the truth.

  Consider the story of the Suicide Table in the Delta Saloon at 18 South C Street. A sign posted above the dusty green felt table somberly noted that in the 19th century about a half dozen people died by their own hand as a result of gambling losses while playing cards at the table.

  The Suicide Table was featured on several national television shows, including “Ripley’s Believe It or Not,” and the legend has been repeated in just about every travel article and book about Virginia City.

  Is this tale true? Most likely it is not—but since no one alive can refute the story it has become the accepted version of reality.

  There’s not even agreement on the name of the allegedly clumsy, inebriated fellow who broke the bottle of whiskey that got the town started. Some history books call him James Fennimore while others refer to him as James Finney. All, however, agree that his nickname was “Old Virginny” and he hailed from the Old Dominion State.

  Additionally, some historians believe the whole christening story is a concoction and that the city was named in honor of “Old Virginny” because he was one of the earliest and most respected residents.

  Not even Henry Comstock—the man who gave his name to the Comstock Lode, the big mining discovery that sparked the Virginia City mining boom—is immune from the legend-makers. In many books he is referred to as “Old Pancake,” although he was apparently never called that during his lifetime and no one is certain he even liked pancakes?

  Over the years, the mines of Virginia City would produce millions of dollars in gold and silver. During its heyday in the mid to late 19th century, Virginia City was one of the more cosmopolitan cities in the West. In addition to having thousands of residents, the town had an opera house, elegant hotels, banks, businesses, restaurants and churches.

  Despite a disastrous fire in 1875, which destroyed much of the community, Virginia City has survived into the 20th century with most of its 19th century charm and appearance intact. Walking its uneven wooden sidewalks under drooping awnings, you can imagine you’re retracing the footsteps of Old Virginny or some other Comstock legend.

  The false store fronts and Victorian-style homes on the steep hills of the town haven’t changed much since the days when a young Sam Clemens began writing for a local newspaper under the pen name Mark Twain (of course, there are so many versions of the story of how he came by that name that no one will ever know the real story behind that one).

  Wandering Virginia City, you can find plenty of other places of legend. For instance, there’s one about two houses built so close together that one is known as the Spite House because, it is said, the owner was angry at his neighbor and wanted to block his view (this story is apparently also not true).

  There are also tales about a prostitute named Julia Bulette, who was murdered (true) but over the years was transformed into a Comstock icon. According to some of the legends, she had royal blood, traveled the city in a fine carriage, tossed gold coins to orphans and ministered to the sick—kind of a red light district Queen Florence Nightingale.

  In the end, the real fun about visiting Virginia City isn't just learning about its fanciful legends. It’s being in a place that has managed to hang on to so much of its history and character—which is saying something these days when nearly every community has begun to look the same as all of the others.

Remembering the Marvelous Mapes Hotel

Mapes Hotel in 1955

Mapes site in February 2000

   When I arrived in Reno in the early 1980s, one of the most impressive structures in the city was the art-deco-styled Mapes Hotel on South Virginia Street, adjacent to the Truckee River.

   With its logo sign depicting two cowboys (who formed an M) and two-tone white concrete and red-brick exterior topped with neat spires, the 12-story hotel had a certain “coolness” factor.

   The hotel was still open when I came to town. I recall friends telling me it was where the movie stars stayed while filming “The Misfits” in 1961 and it had once been the tallest building in the state.

   I remember riding the elevator to the Sky Room, just to see the view, and just wandering through the place soaking in the smoky ambience.

   Then, about a year after I moved to Reno, it abruptly closed. At the time, I was a reporter at the Reno newspapers and wrote a few stories about the efforts to sell it. I remember even getting a tour of the shuttered hotel on the one-year anniversary of its closing with a bank official and writing a piece about the property’s uncertain future.

   In my story, I compared the old hotel to Blanche DuBois, a character in Tennessee Williams’ classic play, “A Streetcar Named Desire,” who famously had proclaimed, “I’ve always depended on the kindness of strangers.” The same was true for the hotel.

   Interestingly, while the hotel had looked a bit old-fashioned with its Art Deco design—at least to the 20-something me—it really wasn’t all that old when it closed. The Mapes had been built in 1947—only about 35 years before it went out of business.

   History books, such as Patty Cafferata’s excellent "The Mapes Hotel and Casino: The History of Reno’s Landmark Hotel," note that the property was the brainchild of wealthy rancher Charles Mapes Sr., who, in 1937, purchased the east corner lot on North Virginia and First streets.

   It was his intention to build a fine hotel on the property to honor his father, George, who, he believed, had once operated a grain store on the site. Unfortunately, Mapes died before he had a chance to build the hotel and the other family members delayed construction with the outbreak of World War II.

   Immediately after the war ended, Charles Mapes Jr., along with his mother, Gladys, and sister, Gloria, moved ahead with the project. The old federal building and post office sitting on the site was demolished and, in January 1946, work began on the brick and concrete structure that would combine an elegant Art Deco design with modern building techniques.

   In planning the hotel, Charles Mapes Jr. specifically decided it would be a dozen stories because that would make it the tallest building in the state—and definitely taller than anything in Las Vegas at the time.

   According to Cafferata, the younger Mapes also reasoned that he could keep that distinction for awhile because no casino would ever build a 13-story tower (13 being an unlucky number) and erecting a 14-story building would be considerably more expensive.

   The Mapes Hotel officially opened on December 17, 1947 with much fanfare. In addition to a full house of locals, the hotel’s guests that night include actor Johnny Weissmuller (star of the "Tarzan" movies) and San Francisco columnist Herb Caen.

   Over the decades, the Mapes served as the host hotel for the cast of "The Misfits," including Marilyn Monroe, Clark Gable, and Montgomery Clift. It also presented performances by various prominent entertainers of the era, ranging from Mae West to Sammy Davis Jr.

   Additionally, over the years many celebrity guests stayed at the Mapes, including John Wayne, Mickey Rooney and Frank Sinatra. As Reno's toniest joint, it played host to a number of high profile promotions, film premieres and other special events.

   The party, however, came to an sudden and unexpected end on December 17, 1982. Charles Mapes Jr. had invested heavily in another downtown Reno casino, the Mapes Money Tree, which had failed, and he had been forced into bankruptcy.

   The hotel’s fate remained uncertain for another 18 years as many proposals came and went. Finally, the city of Reno bought the property for $4 million with plans to convert it to a timeshare project.

   When that failed to materialize, the Reno City Council voted in 1999 to demolish the hotel—despite the fact that there were other proposals on the table and the building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

   In spite of considerable local opposition, the council moved quickly to implode the building—even though it had no immediate plan for what to do with the site (it has since been used as an urban park and, at times, as a seasonal ice skating rink).

   The structure was destroyed on January 30, 2000. It was the first building on the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s List of Eleven Most Endangered Sites to ever be demolished.

Mining Camp Memoir Provides Glimpses of Goldfield's Past

Prospectors buying supplies in a Goldfield mercantile in the early 20th century.

   Every once in a while, you stumble onto a Nevada-related book that you wonder why you had never encountered it before. Sometimes it’s a book that’s been around for a long time, but never quite crossed your path.

   For me, one such book is Frank A. Crampton’s 1956 autobiography, “Deep Enough: A Working Stiff in the Western Mining Camps.”

   For some reason, I was not aware of Crampton or his book, until it was mentioned recently on a ghost town blog and piqued my interest. I found a copy of a more-recent reprint of the book and was pleasantly surprised that it was a fun and informative read.

   While Crampton was born to a socially-prominent family in New York City, he decided to make his way in the world as a hard-rock miner. One of the first places he works was in the Nevada mining town of Goldfield in the early part of the 20th century.

   His descriptions of that mining community’s glory days are descriptive and revealing.

   “Goldfield was the last of the great gold boom camps and had about reached the pinnacle of its productive new wealth when I landed there,” he wrote. “In Goldfield were characters from all parts of the world. The hard-rock miners and other working stiffs were the foundation and hard core.”

   “There were business men from the East and the Pacific Coasting, wanting to take a flyer, but for the most part being taken,” he continued. “There were promoters whose shrewd manipulations made grubstakes for themselves, but milked dry the savings of the credulous who wanted to become wealthy overnight but lost it all.”

   Along the way, Crampton encountered various colorful figures, whose names have become legendary in the Silver State. For example, he knew Shorty Harris, the prospector responsible for the brief boom in a mining camp called Bullfrog.

   “Shorty was looking for another Goldfield. He thought he had found it one-time, and so did a lot of others, and a boom got under way at Bullfrog,” he wrote. “Shorty’s gold outcrop at Bullfrog gave out too soon, and with it his boom camp.”

   Another famous or infamous figure he knew was Walter “Death Valley Scotty” Scott. Crampton wrote somewhat disparagingly about Scott, who was known for “salting” his mining holdings with bits of gold from other mines in order to attract investors.

   During his time in Goldfield, Crampton became a successful assayer and surveyor. He also was a witness to one of the seminal moments in Nevada sporting history, attending the championship fight between Joe Gans and “Battling” Nelson in 1906, which lasted an incredible 42 rounds.

   “No fight that I have seen since has equaled it in any way,” he recalled. “It was a fight from start to finish and not once did either man let up trying to knock the other out. Fight fans got more than their money’s worth.”

   A particularly interesting chapter in the book is devoted to his brief infatuation with an attractive young woman working in one of Goldfield’s “cribs.” After striking up a friendship with the woman, she suddenly disappears from the camp. Several months later, after Crampton had relocated to Oakland, California, to recuperate from illness, he unexpectedly encounters the woman with her husband. It makes for a fascinating read.

   That young woman, in fact, is the reason that Crampton never returned to Goldfield.

   “I didn’t want to return to Goldfield. There was nothing there that urged me to return. My experience with the girl of the crib would bring back memories that I preferred to forget. Goldfield would remind me of her,” he wrote.

   Ultimately, Crampton was presented with another mining business proposition in California, which he decided to pursue. He sold his Goldfield business and moved on to mining camps in Arizona, Colorado, Montana, and other places, before becoming an engineer and prominent political advisor.

   “Deep Enough” by Frank A. Crampton remains in print (from the University of Oklahoma Press) and can be found at most online bookstores.