Who's Who in the Old Tonopah Cemetery?

 

  The Old Tonopah Cemetery in the central Nevada mining town of Tonopah is a place with many stories—despite its relatively short life as an active burial ground.

Established in May 1901, it was only used until 1911 because its proximity to the Tonopah Extension Mine meant that tailings (the dirt pulled out of the ground during mining) kept getting washed over the graves, often destroying the headstones.

  To prevent the cemetery from ever expanding onto the mining company’s property, in 1911, the company donated property for what became known as the New Tonopah Cemetery, located farther west of the town, which remains in use.

  As a result, other than a hard rock miner named Norman N. “Curly” Coombs, who was buried in the Old Cemetery in 1966 (he had been born in Tonopah in 1914 and requested to be buried there), no one has been laid to rest in the cemetery in more than a century.

  In spite of his relatively short life as an active burial ground, the Old Cemetery is a fascinating place to visit. Located adjacent to the Clown Motel, it contains the final resting spots for an estimated 300 people.

  An informative brochure prepared by the town of Tonopah (available online at https://www.tonopahnevada.com/CemeteryBrochureOnline.pdf) contains an image of the original map of the cemetery as well as short descriptions about some of the more interesting folks buried in the cemetery, including:

  • Nye County Sheriff Thomas Logan, who, in his third term, was shot to death by a drunk gambler in the Red-Light District in the mining town of Manhattan in April 1906. According to historical sources, Logan, age 44, was killed while attempting to eject the man, who was harassing a saloon matron, from the bar. Despite being shot five times, Logan, who was an imposing six-foot, four-inches tall, was able to subdue the drunk until a deputy arrived on the scene. He died shortly after from his wounds.

  • George “Devil” Davis, who was the first Black person to live in Tonopah, is another resident of the cemetery. According to the brochure, Davis was known as a bit of a prankster and was well liked in the town. But, Davis apparently had a “dark side” because he was also an abusive husband.

  One evening, his wife, Ruth, came into a saloon and shot Davis in the back. She was sentenced to serve one year in the penitentiary for manslaughter. An article in the Tonopah Times Bonanza quoted the judge saying, “The evidence shows that the deceased was a bad and worthless man . . . [but] this did not warrant her in taking his life; she could have left him or applied to the court to dissolve the bonds that bound her to him.”

  • Bridget “Bina” Verrault is perhaps one of the most intriguing people buried in the cemetery. The brochure notes that Verrault and a partner, Izella Browne, ran a “Love Syndicate” in New York for many years. They would claim to be wealth widows and seduce rich men into giving them gifts.

  After they were arrested, prosecutors claimed the two had acquired nearly $100,000 in fine clothing, jewelry and money from their marks. Apparently Verrault managed to pawn some of her diamond rings and took off. She ended up in Tonopah, where she died of alcoholism at the young age of between 32-33 in 1907.

  • William “Big Bill” Murphy, who is applauded because of his bravery during a deadly fire in the Belmont Mine in February 1911. Murphy, who was only 25-26 at the time of his death, was born in Canada in about 1885.

  According to the February 25, 1911 Tonopah Daily Bonanza, Murphy “made three descents in the Belmont cage, on the first two of which he brought to the surface a number of his comrades but on the third and last trip down he was evidently overcome and met death as a hero, fighting for the lives of his fellow workmen.”

  For more information about the Old Tonopah Cemetery, go to: https://travelnevada.com/historical-interests/old-tonopah-cemetery/.

The Tale of Tuscarora's 'Witch Tree'

Road leading to the historic mining town of Tuscarora

  The year was 1884 and the place was the northern Nevada mining town of Tuscarora. In the offices of the Tuscarora Times-Review, editor John H. Dennis was searching for some kind of item to fill a hole in the copy on one of his paper’s pages.

  As Dennis would later tell the story, his staff was pestering him to come up with some type of story to fill a vacant space in the local news column. In that moment of desperation, he said he “gave rein to [my] imagination and hurriedly dashed of a few ‘sticksful’ of fiction.”

  The result was a short item that appeared the next day in his newspaper describing what he called “A Luminous Tree.” According to the one-paragraph story:

  “A very remarkable tree grows in Nevada. It is called by the superstitious Indians the witch tree. It grows to a height of six or seven feet, and its trunk at the base is about three times the size of an ordinary man’s wrist. The wonderful characteristic of the tree is its luminosity, which is so great that on the darkest night in can be seen plainly at least a mile away. A person standing near could read the finest print by its light.”

  Much to Dennis’ chagrin, the little item about the non-existent botanical wonder was reprinted in a number of other newspapers, including in the eastern U.S. and in Europe. Soon, his office was inundated with letters asking about the glowing tree.

  Reflecting on it 20 years later, Dennis wrote, “letters began pouring in with a request for further information and specimens of this wonderous (sic) foliage from all points of the compass, with several inquiries from tourists as to facilities for transportation, hotel accommodations, etc. in the vicinity of this wonderous specimen of phosphorescent forestry.”

  Annoyed by all the attention his fake news story had generated and feeling guilty about deceiving the public, Dennis, who typically was a straight arrow news editor, eventually decided to publish a follow-up item that claimed the local Native American people had destroyed the glowing bush and “all signs of its existence had been obliterated.”

  Despite that, the story apparently lived on for many more years. Dennis noted that his experience should serve as a warning “to little boys and girls never to tell a fib, even in fun.”

  None of this is to imply that the episode with the shining shrub was the high point of his life. Dennis, who was typically known as Major John Dennis (a title bestowed on him while serving as head of a volunteer militia), had a long and successful career in newspapers and as an elected and appointed politician in both Nevada and in California.

  In addition to serving as editor of the Tuscarora newspaper, he also was editor of Austin’s Reese River Reveille in the 1870s and, later, served as editor of the Nevada State Journal in Reno. From 1882 to 1886, he was a Nevada State Senator representing Elko County.

  For more information about the life of John H. Dennis and the fascinating story of the luminous tree, please pick up a copy of my book, “Frontier Fake News: Nevada’s Sagebrush Humorists and Hoaxsters,” published by the University of Nevada Press. It can be found in local bookstores and at https://unpress.nevada.edu/9781647790868/frontier-fake-news/.

How Well Do You Know Your Nevada Railroad History?

Virginia & Truckee Railroad Today

  Railroads played an essential role in the development of the Silver State. In fact, if not for the development of the Central Pacific Railroad in the 1860s, Nevada might not even exist today.

  The following are a few trivia questions related to Nevada’s railroads that are designed to test your knowledge of the state’s rich rail-related history.

  Q: When did the first railroad locomotive enter Nevada?

  A: On December 13, 1867, the first locomotive, from the Central Pacific Railroad, edged across the state line near present-day Verdi. Construction of the line, which started in Sacramento, California, had begun on January 8, 1863, and took five years due to difficulties in building over (and through) the Sierra Nevada range.

  Q: What rail official was responsible for naming Reno?

  A: Reno was named by Judge Edwin B. Crocker, attorney for the Central Pacific Railroad (and brother of Charles Crocker, superintendent of the railroad) in honor of General Jesse L. Reno, a Union officer killed in the battle of South Mountain, Maryland in 1862.  

  Q: What potential rival to the Central Pacific Railroad conducted a survey in 1862 for a rail line from Sacramento to Virginia City, via Placerville and Lake Tahoe?

  A: The San Francisco and Washoe Railroad Company, incorporated in 1864, planned to build along a route roughly parallel to today's Highway 50.  The line would have connected with the Placerville & Sacramento Valley and the Sacramento Valley railroads.  The company envisioned eventually extending the line from Virginia City to Austin but never got off the ground.

  Q: What Nevada railroad advertised itself as “Queen of the Short Lines?”

  A: The famous Virginia & Truckee Railroad, which ran from Virginia City to Carson City to Reno (during its peak period), and included a branch line to Minden.

  Q: What railroad name was apparently so popular it was used twice in two different parts of the state?

  A: The name was the Nevada Central Railroad, which applied first to a shortline between Pioche and Bullionville that ran from 1872 to about 1883, then to a later, more successful line between Battle Mountain and Austin that operated from 1880 to 1938.

  Q: What Northern Nevada town was created in 1902 after the Southern Pacific Railroad (formerly the Central Pacific) moved its shops and facilities there from Wadsworth?

  A: The new company town was originally called "East Reno," then "New Reno," then, in 1903, "Harriman," after the President of the railroad.  In 1905, it was officially incorporated as "Sparks," after then Governor John Sparks.

  Q: What did Carson & Colorado Railroad owner Darius O. Mills once say about his railroad during an inspection tour of the line in 1883?

  A: Mills arrived in Hawley, California in the Owens Valley, which at the time was the end of the 293-mile line that was supposed to continue to Mojave in Southern California. He scanned the sandy, dry desert along the eastern side of the valley—not near the more fertile agricultural region on the west side—and said the railroad had been built either 300 miles too long or 300 years too soon. The line did not extend beyond Hawley (later called Keeler) until after it was later sold to the Southern Pacific Railroad and its name was changed to the Nevada & California Railroad. The line survived until 1959.

Wander Eureka's Back Streets to Discover Additional Fascinating History — Part 2

Eureka Sentinel Museum (Photo courtesy of Travel Nevada/Sydney Martinez)

  Not all the history in the former mining town of Eureka is found on its Main Street. Go a block or two from the main drag and you’ll find plenty of other places that provide glimpses of the community’s rich past.

  Along the town’s side streets visitors will find aging brick, stone and wooden buildings from the last century beside newer homes and structures that speak of more recent developments.

  For instance, at the south end of town the Tannehill Log Cabin, located on Highway 50, which is believed to be Eureka’s oldest building. The crude log structure was constructed in either 1864 or 1865 and was reportedly the first house built in the town. Later, it was used as the town’s first commercial store.

  If you head west, back into town, you’ll spot a small gas station and general store in a two-story brick building. This structure was built in 1882 as the Ottawa Hotel and was later converted to a general store. In the 1920s, it became one of the state’s earliest gas stations.

  On the corner on Edwards and Galena streets, on the hillside above the south end of Eureka, is the Zadow and Morrison residence, built in 1886. This elegant Victorian was originally owned by James Wilson, and then was purchased by William Zadow, who operated a local butcher shop and a hotel.

  Heading north on O'Neil Street, you encounter St. Brendan's Catholic Church, built in 1874. This sturdy stone structure was constructed with volcanic tuff taken from a quarry on the west side of town. It is still used.

  Nearby is the Presbyterian Church, now called the Eureka Bible Church. Built in 1873 by a Presbyterian congregation, the church has actually been used over the years by several different denominations.

  Down the hill from the Presbyterian Church is the Eureka Sentinel Museum. This two-story building, which has three distinctive arched front doorways, was built in 1879. Constructed of bricks made locally, the Eureka Sentinel building was home of the town newspaper, which was printed there until 1960.

  In the early 1980s, the building was restored and opened as a museum. Today, you can find an interesting collection of historic artifacts ranging from mining equipment to photos of the various floods and fires that hit the town.

  Additionally, it contains a 1872 printing press and a wall covered with historic handbills and posters printed at the shop.

  Nearby is the Colonnade Hotel, a whitewashed brick structure built in 1880. It began operating under its present name in 1886 and was closed from 1890 to the 1940s, when it was renovated and reopened. In recent years, new owners have lovingly restored the old hotel and once again offer rooms for rent.

  Farther up the street from the Colonnade is the former home of Governor Reinhold Sadler (1896-1902). Sadler built this two-story brick house in 1879 and it remains a private residence.

  A few houses away is the former Eureka County High School, built in 1924. It housed all grades until 1969, when a new high school was built above the town.

  On the other (east) side of Main Street, you can find a handful of other historic sites, such as the St. James Episcopal Church on Spring Street. Built in 1872 of volcanic tuff, this was Eureka's first stone church. It was used until 1907 and has been reopened in recent years.

  A few doors away is the former Methodist Church, now a private residence. This stone structure was erected in 1881 and used until the 1920s. By the early 1980s, it had deteriorated to four walls with no ceiling. In the 1980s, it was rebuilt as a home and workshop.

  If you wander north on Spring and Paul streets, you pass a number of picturesque, abandoned buildings, including the brick ruins of the Skillman House, built in 1870 by Archibald Skillman, who was the founder and publisher of the Eureka Sentinel newspaper.

  To the west are the photogenic remains of a stone warehouse, probably built in the 1880s. The walls and arches, made of beige volcanic tuff taken from a quarry on the nearby hillside, indicate a high degree of workmanship.

  In addition to its dozens of historic buildings, Eureka also has five large cemeteries located on the western edge of the town. This area, called Graveyard Flat and Death Valley in the 1880s, includes the city, county, Odd Fellows, Masonic and Catholic cemeteries. Chinese and Jewish cemeteries were also once here, but have mostly disappeared due to vandalism.

  For more information about Eureka, check out the Visit Eureka website at: https://www.visiteurekanevada.net/. A useful walking tour map can be found at: https://www.visiteurekanevada.net/walking-tour-map.

Great Stories Found Wherever You Walk in Historic Eureka — Part 1

 

Downtown Eureka, Nevada (Photo courtesy of Travel Nevada/ Sidney Martinez)

  History lives in every building in the historic Central Nevada mining town of Eureka.

  In fact, with the possible exception of Virginia City, no other Silver State community has managed to keep its historical character as intact as Eureka.

  Founded in 1869, Eureka quickly grew into a city of canvas tents, log cabins and wooden shanties. The haphazard boomtown construction made the town vulnerable to fire, the first of which occurred in 1872.

  Four years later, seven major downtown buildings were destroyed by fire, despite the best efforts of a new steam pumper. That was followed by the town's worst fire, in April 1879, which burned nearly half the community and caused more than $1 million in damages. An 1880 blaze torched 300 homes and businesses.

  Fire wasn't the only danger. Flash floods ripped through the town in 1874, 1876 and 1878. Fifteen residents lost their lives in the flooding of 1874.

  Because of the dual threats of fires and floods of the early years, Eureka's residents rebuilt many of their structures, particularly in the downtown out of brick, with fireproof iron shutters and doors.

  The sturdy construction helped lessen the fire danger and has allowed the town to stave the usual ravages of time. Today, Eureka is one of the finest examples of a 19th century mining town found in Nevada.

  Eureka's main street is lined with well-preserved brick and wooden commercial buildings, most of which are still used. Two of the most prominent are the Eureka County Courthouse and the Eureka Opera House and Theatre.

  The two-story brick courthouse, completed in 1880 and restored a few years ago, is one of the state's most classic frontier halls of justice topped with an elaborate white cornice. Like many of Eureka's buildings, the courthouse has iron shutters on doors and windows.

  The Opera House, restored a few years ago and reopened as a convention center, was originally built in 1880. The two-story red brick building was constructed with two-foot thick masonry walls, a brick and iron front, and a slate roof, to make it completely fireproof.

  Adjacent to Opera House is the Jackson House, an impressive two-story brick structure. Built in 1877, it was originally called the Jackson Hotel, then the Brown Hotel, and later the Jackson House. It was restored in the early 1980s and, when open, has served as a restaurant in recent years.

  On the other side of the Opera House is the modern-looking post office, actually housed in an historic brick building. It was originally home of the Eureka Meat and Groceries, which was built in 1880. The interior still has a press tin ceiling with floral and bird designs.

  Down the block, on the corner of Main and Gold streets, is the former San Francisco Brewery, erected in 1880. Later it served as a saloon and soda pop bottling plant, then as the post office and as offices.

  South of the Jackson House, you come to the main part of downtown. On the corner of Bateman and Buel streets is a two-story brick building, now a private residence, which was once the Ryland Building. Built in 1880, it originally contained offices and bedrooms, and later a restaurant.

  West is the partial facade of the Foley-Rickard-Johnson-Remington Building (now vacant), once a magnificent two-story brick building. Built in 1880, the structure was a hardware store with the Odd Fellow's Hall on the second floor. The upper level was demolished in 1983, following an earthquake.

  Nearby Raine's Market, also on Main Street, includes two historic brick structures, both built in 1879-80. The northern portion was originally a saloon, while the other part served as a clothing store. Inside, you can find the original hardwood floors.

  At the end of the block is the local bank, located within a stone building built in 1879 (although it's been modified and covered with stucco). The structure was originally a saloon, then converted to the Farmers and Merchants Bank in 1924. Later it became part of the First National Bank of Nevada.

  Across the street from the bank is the brick Masonic Building, built in 1880. It has served as a dry goods store, jewelry store, barbershop, bathhouse, tailor shop, tinsmith shop and post office. Just after the turn-of-the-century, the Masons began holding meetings in the basement.

  Al's Hardware, a half block up the street, is another Eureka institution. A portion of the stone building was built in 1873, then rebuilt following the fires in 1879 and 1880. In the 1880s, it served as a boarding house and saloon, then as the Eureka Cash Store. In 1946, Albert Biale opened the hardware store, which his family continues to operate.

  On the opposite side of the street you can find additional historic buildings such as the Tognini and Company building, which dates back to 1877; the Eureka Cafe (1873), and Jim and Lorraine's Cafe and Bar (1873).

  An excellent resource for exploring Eureka is the Walking Tour Map found at https://www.visiteurekanevada.net/walking-tour-map.

  Next week, we’ll wander some of Eureka’s side streets looking for more history.

More Than Meets the Eye in Wendover

  On the surface, the town of Wendover doesn’t appear to be a place with much history. But look a little closer and you’ll find plenty of interesting stories.

  Wendover, located on the Nevada-Utah state boundary, can trace its roots to Jedediah Smith, the first non-Native American to visit Nevada. In 1827, Smith is believed to have crossed the nearby Bonneville Salt Flats while returning from an expedition to the future state of California.

  In pre-historic times, the area around Wendover was actually beneath Lake Bonneville, a large inland sea that covered western Utah and Eastern Nevada, according to historian Ronald R. Bateman, who wrote an excellent area history entitled, “Wendover: Winds of Change.”

  In 1833, fur trapper Zenas Leonard journeyed through the area and wrote that he had seen a tall mountain (10,715-feet) covered with snow (now known as Pilot Peak Mountain), which he said stood out because it appeared to be unconnected to any other mountain range.

  Later, many emigrant wagon parties camped in the area during their journey to Oregon and California. Pilot Peak, which has natural springs at its base, served as a guide for those traveling across the barren salt flats.

  The community of Wendover found its footing much later, in the early 20th century, when the Western Pacific Railroad established the town, complete with a roundhouse, depot, water tower and other services in 1907. The first train to reach Wendover arrived two years later.

  For several decades, Wendover was a sleepy hamlet that mostly catered to rail traffic and, starting in the 1920s, to automobile travelers on the Lincoln and Victory highways, which passed through the community.

  In 1914, a man named Teddy Tezlaff drove a Blitzen Benz automobile as fast as he could on the nearby Bonneville Salt Flats, becoming the first person to attempt to establish a land-speed record (his unofficial time was 141.73 miles per hour) on the flats.

  The town’s first travel-related business was established in 1926, when Bill Smith and Herman Eckstein opened the Cobblestone Service Station and put a light bulb on a pole in front that was never turned off. They called it “the light in the desert.”

  In 1932, Smith and Eckstein added a roulette table, becoming the first gaming establishment in Wendover.

  According to Ronald Bateman, the Second World War was a very significant event in the town’s history because in 1940-41, the Wendover Bombing and Gunnery range was opened and over the next few years it grew substantially larger as additional companies of troops were sent to the region for training.

  In 1944, Wendover was selected to be the training ground for the 509th Composite Group, a top-secret contingent of troops that prepared for an atomic bomb mission to Japan. On August 6, 1945, the group’s commander, Colonel Paul Tibbets Jr. piloted the Enola Gay, which dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, which effectively ended the war.

  An impressive stone and bronze monument has been erected adjacent to the Wendover Visitors Center to commemorate the men who worked on this project and as a monument to peace.

  Additionally, the hills around Wendover have been painted with graffiti, much of which was painted during World War II by airmen and soldiers. In some cases, you can still read the numerical insignias of the various troop companies.

  In recent decades, Wendover has become a destination for thrill-seekers and tourists. The Bonneville Salt Flats, located a few miles from Wendover, has hosted a number of land speed record attempts over the years.

  Additionally, several large resort-casinos were constructed in West Wendover (the Nevada side of the settlement) in the 1980s, which helped transform the town from sleepy last-stop-before-you-leave-Nevada into a popular gaming destination for travelers on Interstate 80.

  One of Wendover’s most recognizable landmarks is Wendover Will, a 64-foot-tall, neon cowboy sign erected adjacent to the Stateline Casino in 1952. In 2005, the big buckaroo was renovated and moved to a new location near the Wendover Visitors Center to serve as the community’s official goodwill ambassador.

  In addition to the hotels, Wendover still has a handful of landmarks that recall its time as an important airbase during World War II. Southeast of the main section of the town is the Wendover airbase. You can still find some of the old hangers that housed the airplanes of the 509th Composite Group during the war.

  Some of the buildings have appeared in several motion pictures including the 1996 science fiction thriller “Independence Day."

  For more information about Wendover, contact the West Wendover Tourism and Convention Bureau, https://www.westwendovercity.com/services/tourism-convention-bureau.

Take a Stroll Through the Las Vegas High School Historic District

 

   While it’s true that Las Vegas doesn’t always show an appreciation for its history, there is a cool walking tour brochure, downloadable online, that spotlights one of the city’s oldest neighborhoods.

   The area, known as the Las Vegas High School Historic District, includes the community’s oldest standing high school, Las Vegas High School, as well as several dozen historic homes built between 1928 and the start of World War II in the neighborhood around the school.

   The district, listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1990, is roughly bounded by Sixth Street, Clark Avenue, Ninth Street and Gass Avenue.

   Of course, the heart of the district are the Las Vegas High School and Gymnasium, a pair of Art Deco gems built in 1930-31 and designed by noted Reno architects George A. Ferris & Son.

   Ferris and his son, Lehman Ferris, utilized a blend of Art Deco and southwestern motifs in the buildings’ ornamentation. This style has been described as “Aztec Moderne.”

   Interestingly, the two structures at 315 South 7th, were originally thought by many locals to be too large and too far out of town. But two years after its construction the school was filled to capacity because of the influx of children of the workers building Hoover Dam.

   While no longer used as a regular high school, the building are now part of the Las Vegas Academy of International Studies and Performing Arts, a magnet school for specialized studies.

   Following the walking tour, other noteworthy stops along the way include:

   • 408 South 7th is a marvelous example of Spanish Revival architecture. This single-family home was built by developer R. B. Griffith, who developed the Mt. Charleston area and Rancho Circle, who sold it to Charles “Pop” Squires, a pioneering newspaper publisher who is often called “the Father of Las Vegas” because of his promotional moxie.

   • 500 South 7th is a home built in the French Eclectic-style in 1938. It was owned by divorce attorney and Justice of the Peace C.D. Breeze, whose clients included Mrs. Leopold Stokowski (for her divorce action against the famous conductor) and G. Henry Stetson (whose father invented the famous cowboy hat of that name).

   • 624 South 6th is an unusual Spanish Revival-style house, with a round turret, built in 1932 by prominent Las Vegas dentist and civic leader J.D. Smith. The home boasts a basement, which is a feature that is nearly unknown in the Las Vegas area.

   •618 South 7th is a Mission Revival-style house that was built in 1930 for Harry Allen, a pioneer Las Vegas businessman. Allen was a banker and later president of Nevada Power. He lived in the house until the 1950s.

   • 850 Bonneville is a Tudor Bungalow built in 1931. The home was originally owned by a teacher, Florence Burwell, until she married in the 1940s and sold it to Lewis Rowe. The elegant home was originally located on a lot at 602 South 9th and has been extensively remodeled.

   • 704 South 9th is a Spanish Colonial Revival-style home constructed in 1930. Built at a cost of $10,000, it was owned by District Judge A.S. Henderson, who also had served as a Nevada Assemblyman, a State Senator, and as Las Vegas City Attorney.

   To download the walking tour brochure, go to: https://files.lasvegasnevada.gov/planning/LV-High-School-Historic-District.pdf.