Carson City's Statues Help Tell Nevada's Story

Most folks who visit Carson City never notice the sculptures arranged in the plaza between the State Capitol and the State Legislative Building. But that handful of bronzes spotlights several of the most significant people in Nevada’s past.

The three larger-than-life statues in the plaza depict a trio of 19th century historical figures including Abraham Curry, Adolph Sutro and Kit Carson.

The oldest of the works, dedicated in 1979, is the figure of Curry, the man considered the father of Carson City. It presents Curry, casually dressed in a shirt, pants and shoes, holding a rolled up blueprint that represents the plans for the city.

Sculpted by Robert Morrison, a longtime art professor at the University of Nevada, Reno, the work is also called “Man with a Vision.” In inscription on a bronze plaque on the concrete base of the statue notes Curry “accomplished more in his 15 year residence than most men hope to do in a lifetime.”

The Nevada Association of Realtors, which donated the statue to the state of Nevada, had it created to honor the man who laid out Carson City, donated the land for the state capital and built many of the city’s most prominent buildings, including the U.S. Mint and the V & T Railroad maintenance shops (now gone).

Nearby is a statue that is generally said to depict Adolph Sutro, the man who engineered and constructed Sutro Tunnel. The four-mile tunnel, which took nine years to build, is considered one of the major engineering achievements of the 19th century.

Sutro Tunnel, which stretched from near Dayton to beneath the Comstock mines, drained hot, sulfurous waters that made working underground so dangerous.

Crafted by Nevada sculptor Greg Melton, the work is officially called “Tribute to Nevada Miners” and depicts a bearded miner, based on Sutro, who stands holding a pick-axe over his head with both hands. He wears boots, pants and a shirt with rolled-up sleeves.

The bronze stands nearly 13-feet tall and was donated to the state of Nevada by the Nevada Mining Association on Nevada Day in 1983. A plaque on its base identifies it as: “Tribute to Nevada Miners, October 31, 1983, A gift from the Nevada Mining Industry to the State of Nevada in cooperation with the Nevada Mining Association.”

The third bronze on the plaza commemorates explorer and scout Christopher “Kit”Carson, an American scout and frontiersman who led the John C. Frémont Expedition in 1843-44 through the territory that became known as Nevada.

This work shows Carson in his buckskin garb riding a horse. In his glove right hand, he holds a hat while his gloved left hand grips a rifle and the horse’s reins. He is slightly bent over the horse as if looking for signs of a trail.

The statue, which is more than 8-feet-high, stands on a base inscribed with a plaque and two maps of Nevada showing the trails blazed by Carson.

The inscription on the Carson statue indicates: “1843-44, Kit Carson by Buckeye Blake, Commissioned by Truett and Eula Loftin.” The Loftins, former owners of the Ormsby House Casino in Carson City, donated the work to the state of Nevada in 1989.

The creator of the work, artist Buckeye Blake, was born in California but lived in Carson City as a boy during the late 1950s. He currently lives in Texas, where he maintains his studio.

Not all of Carson City’s statuary stands in the plaza, however. The most recent bronze is a representation of Native American author (she was the first Native American woman to write a book) and activist Sarah Winnemucca Hopkins, which was placed inside the State Capitol in 2005.

This elegant bronze, which measures more than six-feet tall, shows Winnemucca with a shell-flower—her Paiute name is “Thocmentony” or Shell Flower—in one hand and a book in the other. She is garbed in traditional, fringed buckskin clothing and leather boots.

The statue, created by South Dakota sculptor Benjamin Victor, is a duplicate of one that stands in the United States Capitol, National Statuary Hall in Washington D.C. It was donated to the hall by the Nevada Women's History Project in 2005.

Nevada's Governors Didn't Always Have a Home

Nevadans have long disdained pomp and circumstance. This trait was particularly evident during the state’s first four decades, when lawmakers refused to provide funding to erect a home for the elected governors.

As a result, from 1864 to 1909, each of the state’s governors either built his own dwelling in Carson City or rented quarters.

While many of these “unofficial” governor’s mansions were quite nice—such as the one built on Mountain Street by Governor Reinhold Sadler, a wealthy businessman and rancher, who served from 1896-1903—the state did not have a formal “people’s house” for governors to live and entertain guests.

Finally, in 1907 State Assembly Bill 10, known as the “Mansion Bill” was passed by the Legislature. It directed the state to secure a site and build a permanent residence for Nevada’s governors and their families. The lawmakers appropriated $40,000 for building and furnishing the home.

Mrs. T.B. Rickey, who lived nearby, sold a site at 600 N. Mountain Street to the state for a token amount of $10 and Reno architect George A. Ferris (not related to G.W.G. Ferris, the man who invented the Ferris Wheel, who grew up on Carson City) was hired to design the house.

Ferris also designed the McKinley Park School in Reno and the former Civic Auditorium in Carson City (now home of the Children’s Museum of Northern Nevada).

The architect developed plans for a two-story, 23-room home with a large grand entry area, a formal dining room, a pair of salons, a private den, upstairs bedrooms and a large kitchen area. A porch supported by fluted Ionic columns wraps around the second story.

The home’s exterior incorporated what historians describe as a Classical Revival style with Georgian and Jeffersonian motifs.

After soliciting bids, the state awarded a $22,700 contract to build the mansion. Construction began in 1908 and continued until early 1909.

The first chief executive to occupy the house was Acting Governor Denver S. Dickerson and his family. His wife, Una, gave birth to a daughter, June, in the mansion on September 2, 1909; she is the only child ever born in the mansion.

Governor Dickerson opened the mansion to the public for the first time on New Year’s Day, 1910—a precursor to the present tradition of opening the mansion to the public each Nevada Day.

The mansion has hosted 17 governors and their families since it opened. During the past century, the mansion has been renovated several times including a partial refurbishing in 1959, a more substantial remodeling in 1967 and a $5 million reconstruction in 1999-2000, which was funded by private donations.

During that $5 million remodeling, which was privately funded, a 6,608-square-foot addition was built north of the mansion, called the Nevada Room, with a commercial kitchen and meeting space for up to 300 people.

For more information about the mansion, pick up a copy of “State of Nevada: The Historical Governor's Mansion," produced in 2003 by former First Lady Dema Guinn.

Beautiful photos of the mansion’s interior and exterior, by Minden photographer Jay Aldrich, enhance text written by Robert Nylen, curator of history at the Nevada State Museum, and Guy Louis Rocha, the former Nevada State Archivist, who, respectively, describe the history of the mansion and the story behind the Nevada Day celebration.

Additionally, the book contains brief histories and portraits of every Nevada Governor and First Lady (up until former Governor Kenny Guinn).

Copies of the booklet can be purchased at the Nevada Legislative gift shop (http://www.leg.state.nv.us/giftshop/).

Finding the Last Remnants of Old Glendale

Not much remains of the 19th century town of Glendale. Once one of the Truckee Meadows most vibrant communities, Glendale has nearly faded away.

Glendale traces its beginning to 1857, when a trading post was erected to serve emigrants crossing Nevada to reach California. In 1860, a bridge was built over the Truckee River at Glendale and a small settlement formed.

By the late 1860s, Glendale had a couple of stores, a blacksmith shop, several saloons, a small hotel, and a school.

In 1868, Glendale residents thought that the Central Pacific Railroad might locate its main facilities in their hamlet. Their hopes were dashed, however, when the railroad’s surveyors showed up immediately after the Truckee had overflowed its banks and found water in many of the buildings.

Instead, the railroad chose to establish the town of Reno as the site of its operations and by 1869 many of Glendale’s businesses relocated to the newer community.

The two best preserved survivors of the town, which was located near the intersection of McCarran Boulevard and South Stanford Avenue in Sparks, are an old barn still standing on the town site (an historical marker near the barn notes the town’s location) and the Glendale School.

The barn, still used, is a sturdy wooden structure with a rusted metal roof. The barn sits on private property so don’t trespass.

The Glendale School was built in 1864. In the 1970s, the building was moved to the Reno-Sparks Convention Center site in South Reno. A few years ago, however, it was moved to the Victorian Square in Sparks.

The school building is not only the oldest in the state, but is said to have the distinction of having been used as a school longer than any other in Nevada (until 1958). Its alumni include U.S. Senator Pat McCarran, once one of the state’s most powerful politicians.

The school, which is open for tours (check with the Sparks Heritage Museum for times), is part of the Sparks Heritage Museum and Bicentennial Park complex at the east end of Victorian Square. The museum and park celebrate Sparks’ rich railroad history.

Adjacent to the Glendale School is Locomotive No. 8, built in 1907 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works. The ten-wheeler was one of the last steam engines to operate on the Southern Pacific line and was retired in 1954.

Attached to the engine are two historic Southern Pacific train cars, including a 1911 Pullman Car, said to have been used in 1948 by President Harry Truman on the successful whistle-stop campaign that helped get him reelected.

The park also includes the original Sparks depot, now a visitors center, which blends nicely with downtown Sparks’ Victorian theme.

The city has also adopted other Victorian-style touches, including a large outdoor gazebo and partially covered theater, street lamp fixtures, kiosks, fences and benches.

The city of Sparks was established in 1905, following relocation of the Southern Pacific Railroad's main division point from Wadsworth to Sparks. The railroad rerouted its tracks along the eastern Truckee River corridor to eliminate several dangerous curves and grades.

The railroad originally looked at Reno for its new shops, but went east because of cheaper land. A passenger station and freight yard opened in 1905.

The town began to develop around the railroad’s facilities. Many railroad employees who had worked in Wadsworth were sold lots in the new community and moved their homes to Sparks.

The new town was originally called “East Reno” for a short time, then “Harriman,” after E.H. Harriman, owner of the Southern Pacific Railroad. Finally, in April 1904, Harriman decided to name the community in honor of Nevada’s popular Governor John Sparks.

For more information about Glendale, contact the Sparks Heritage Museum, 820 Victorian Avenue, Sparks, NV 89431, 775-355-1144.

Nevada's Roots Found in Six Mile Canyon

If not for Six Mile Canyon and a scruffy pack of prospectors, Nevada might still be part of Utah.

Six Mile Canyon, along with nearby Gold Canyon, was the site of some of the state’s first mining efforts, and earliest encampments.

Six Mile Canyon is located directly east of Virginia City. To reach it, head southeast of Virginia City cemeteries on Mill Street, which becomes Six Mile Canyon Road. The road is paved through Virginia City, then becomes a maintained dirt road for 11 miles before connecting with Highway 50 at a point about four miles east of Dayton.

In 1859, Peter O'Riley and Patrick McLaughlin, two placer miners who had found promising outcroppings at the head of Six Mile Canyon, decided to enlarge a spring in order to generate more water for their placer (a type of gold-panning) operations. In the course of their digging, the two found an unusual crumbly, black rock laced with gold.

As word of the strike spread, Henry Comstock (namesake for the Comstock Lode), who had been working in the vicinity, claimed part ownership of O’Riley and McLaughlin’s claim. To avoid a dispute, the two agreed to include Comstock and his partner, Emanuel Penrod, in their operation.

O’Riley, McLaughlin and their new partners soon found that the black rock encasing the gold was difficult to remove. Since it appeared to have little value, it was discarded, but only after considerable effort.

B.A. Harrison, a ranch hand from the Truckee Meadows, however, took some of the black rock to an assayer in Placerville, who tested it and found it not only contained a value of $876 per ton in gold—but an astounding $3,000 per ton in silver.

It was this discovery, which all started in Six Mile Canyon, that sparked the “Rush to Washoe.” Within months, thousands of gold-seekers flocked to the region, which at that time was part of the Utah Territory.

Within a few short years, the massive influx of people resulted in the founding of Virginia City along with Gold Hill, Silver City, and other Comstock communities. These boomtowns provided much of the impetus for the creation of the state of Nevada in 1864.

People also spilled into Six Mile Canyon and, in the 1860s, a camp called Mount Pleasant and, later, Ophir, briefly flourished in the canyon. Several large mills, including the massive Gould & Curry, were built to handle the ore being produced by nearby mines. Additionally, homes were constructed along the road leading through the canyon.

Those mills were abandoned by the 1870s, but a large cyanide operation, called Butters Mill, was constructed in the canyon in 1902 to reprocess the huge tailing piles made during the earlier mining years.

Today, the ruins of Butters Mill highlight the trip through the canyon. Located just two miles southeast of Virginia City, the stone and concrete ruins are extensive, stretching up the hillside.

Walking through the impressive foundations and walls, it’s easy to imagine that this was once the site of the largest cyanide mill in the country. Old photos show a huge wooden structure that included a tram system to transport ore to the mill.

Butters Mill was abandoned in the late 1930s and Six Mile Canyon hasn’t experienced much action since that time (although a handful of small mining operations are occasionally active in the canyon).

The road continues through some large cottonwood trees and past abandoned tailing piles on the hillsides; obvious reminders of the area’s once-thriving mines.

Along the way, you pass famed Sugarloaf Mountain, the distinctive egg-shaped mound that you see when looking directly east of Virginia City. Adjacent to the road, you can see rolling hills covered with sagebrush and piñon pine trees.

At several places, there are beautiful rock cliffs covered with vivid, green lichen. In the spring, the area becomes a rich carpet of colorful wildflowers.

At about seven miles from Virginia City, the road drops out of the canyon (and the Flowery Mountain Range) and into the Carson Plains. Here, you pass through homes that have been built in the flat in recent years, before reaching U.S. 50.

The Tragic Path of the Pyramid Lake Indian War

One of the seminal events in the shaping of pioneer Nevada was the Pyramid Lake Indian War of 1860. The conflict was the result of a volatile cocktail of ignorance, misunderstanding, anti-Indian sentiment, and miscalculation.

The roots of the war can be traced to the massive influx of white settlers through the region that would become Nevada after gold was discovered in California in 1849. The situation was exacerbated when large numbers of whites settled in the state following the discovery of silver in the Comstock area in 1859.

The new residents immediately began to take advantage of the area’s resources—digging holes to find the valuable ore, cutting down trees for fuel, damming streams, hunting available game and cultivating the land.

The problem, of course, was that these actions severely affected the quality of life for the region’s earlier inhabitants, the Washoe and Paiute tribes. For instance, the trees provided nuts that were an important food source.

The fact that natural resources are so limited in the harsh Great Basin region only served to heighten tensions between the settlers and the local peoples.

The actual battle was finally triggered in May 1860 after two Paiute women, who had gone hunting for pinenuts, were kidnapped and held at a place called Williams Station, located on the Carson River, near the present day Lahontan Reservoir.

The crime was discovered by local tribal members, who rode to the station to free the women. A skirmish ensued, during which four white traders were killed and the station was burned.

Despite the circumstances, word spread quickly that the Paiutes were on a rampage. Within days, the story had been so exaggerated and distorted that many Virginia City and Carson City residents believed that an army of Paiute warriors was heading their way to massacre them.

Three days after the Williams Station tragedy, a 105-member volunteer citizen militia had formed—led by Major William Ormsby of Carson City—and set out to seek revenge against the Paiutes.

The army was untrained, undisciplined and ill-equipped—but arrogantly confident they could easily defeat the Indians.

The motley group first headed east to Buckland’s Station (near present day Fort Churchill State Park), then seven miles to the site of Williams Station. After burying the dead, the group continued north to the present day site of Wadsworth.

On Saturday, May 12, the militia members awoke to find the ground covered with several inches of snow. Despite the weather, the group packed up and moved north along the Truckee River toward Pyramid Lake.

At a point about a half-mile north of present-day Nixon, the army spotted a cluster of Indians on a bluff above the river. The militia split into two groups, with about 30 men giving chase to the Indians.

Once atop the bluff, however, the smaller group found itself surrounded by warriors. After trading bullets, the militia members were driven back to the meadows below.
Meanwhile, another group of Paiute warriors circled to the south of the militia, effectively cutting off any possibility of retreat.

At this point, the trap—devised by the Paiute’s war chief, Numaga—was set. Militia members found themselves surrounded by warriors, mired in the muddy gulch. Despite repeated efforts to charge out of the gully, the volunteers were pinned down.

Two hours after the battle began, it was effectively over. Historical records indicate that about 75 of the 105 militia members, including Ormsby, were killed.

Following the disastrous May 12 encounter, a more formidable army of 800 white combatants gathered, which included trained soldiers. On June 2, 1860, this force engaged the Paiutes south of Nixon. This time, the army broke the Indian forces. The Paiutes suffered many casualties and scattered after the skirmish.

Within months a treaty was negotiated and the Pyramid Lake Indian War was over. The federal government responded to concerns about any future conflict by erecting a series of forts in Nevada, including Fort Churchill near Silver Springs (now a state park).

It's still possible to find the location of Nevada’s most famous war. The terrain, in fact, is the largely the same as described in historical records. The Truckee River winds through narrow, flat river bottomland—now largely used for ranching and recreation. Steep, eroded cliffs and hills rise above the river on both sides.

Standing on one of those hills, adjacent to State Route 446, it's easy to look down on the site and imagine how it unfolded. One can imagine the fear and anticipation felt by members of the volunteer army as they marched down the center of this gulch, searching for any movement in the deep shadows of the uneven cliffs and hills.

In other words, an ideal place for an ambush.

The Pyramid Lake Indian War site is located about a half mile north of the community of Nixon. An excellent resource booklet for anyone interested in exploring the sites of either of the Pyramid Lake battles is “The Pyramid Lake Indian War,” by John Townley. The 24-page guide, which is still in print, includes historical information as well as maps and instructions for finding the actual battlegrounds.

Additionally, “Sand in a Whirlwind” by Ferol Egan (University of Nevada Press) is an accurate historical retelling of the circumstances that led to the war.

Exploring the Old Carson River Road

One of the most scenic drives or hikes in Western Nevada is a trek on the old Virginia and Truckee Railroad bed that runs parallel to the Carson River, just east of Carson City.

The best way to access the railroad bed is via Deer Run Road (located off U.S. 50 East). Drive about a quarter mile to a bridge, then turn left on the dirt road adjacent to the Carson River.

The road is fairly good, although a four-wheel-drive vehicle is necessary in a few places because of mud and large rocks. The road is also popular with mountain-bikers.

At the start, it takes a few twists and turns and passes a gravel plant. Just beyond the gravel business, turn left on a slightly rougher dirt road and you’ve reached the old V & T pathway.

Cottonwoods and thick foliage line the river, which has plenty of flow in the winter and spring. The road hugs the hillside above the water and affords several photogenic views, particularly of the rushing water and trees (which are beautiful in the fall when the cottonwoods are clothed in yellow leaves).

About a quarter-mile from the starting point, the road passes a small hill with an unusual concrete vault or room (it looks like a tunnel) built into its side.

Just around a curve from the hill, the road crosses a wide flat and to the left are the remains of an old mill. During the 1860s, several mills were constructed along the river to process ore from Virginia City’s mines.

The ruins consist of a few stone and concrete walls, some metal scraps and lots of trash of more recent vintage. The ground around the site is littered with broken glass and gun shells (it’s a popular local shooting range).

From this point, the road begins to slowly climb and the views become more spectacular. Below, the river winds through the narrowing canyon, which is lined with multi-colored cliffs.

In some spots, the walls are craggy and gray, covered with brilliant green lichen, while in other places they are painted in rich shades of red and brown.

There is the smell of damp sage in the air and the sounds of life accented by chattering birds and the rapidly rushing waters of the river.

The route grows more rutted and rocky as it continues its upward path, away from the river. Near the highest point, it enters an extremely narrow pass, which is partially blocked by large rocks. It is, however, passable if you’re careful.

From this point, the route turns north into Mound House passing through a housing subdivision before rejoining U.S. 50.

For those wanting to take a nice hike along the river, there is a portion of the old railroad bed that was actually a spur line, which can be accessed near Mound House.

This trail (which is not drivable) goes east along the river to the site of the historic Eureka Mill. Occasionally, the old bed has been washed away so it’s a bit like playing detective to follow the route.

Along the way, you can find the stone foundations of bridges that once spanned several wide gullies and evidence of wooden trestles that once jutted from the rock walls. In some places, the railroad bed was supported by carefully fitted, stone walls, which still look solid enough to use.

At the mill site, you can find a few stone and brick walls while the grounds are littered with rusted metal shards and pieces of brick.

And, of course, plenty of history.

The Last Few Traces of Old Washoe City

Western Nevada has become so urbanized over the years, that it’s hard to believe there’s a sort of ghost town in Washoe Valley.

Granted it’s not as large as Bodie or Rhyolite, but hidden at the north end of the valley are a few remnants of a place called Washoe City, once the largest community in Washoe County.

In 1864 Washoe City was a thriving hamlet with more than 4,000 residents. It had several lawyers and doctors, shops, restaurants, saloons, stables, a newspaper—the Washoe Times—and a post office.

The town was so successful that when Nevada named a territory in 1861, Washoe City was named seat of the newly created Washoe County.

The town’s beginnings can be traced to the rich silver discoveries in the late 1850s in nearby Virginia City. Because the valley had abundant trees and water, it quickly became a major supplier of both to the Comstock mines.

By 1861, Washoe City emerged as the center of commerce for area sawmills and farms. The town also provided services for several quartz mills that were constructed in the area to reduce the ore mined in Virginia City.

Within a short time, dozens of freight wagons began traveling daily between Virginia City and Washoe City. The wagons would be filled with food and timber on the way up to the mines, then return brimming with ore to be milled.

In 1863, an impressive brick county courthouse and jail complex was constructed in Washoe City, which by then also had a one-room school, small hospital and two large meeting halls for the Masons and Odd Fellows.

Unfortunately for the town, the glory years were short-lived. In 1866, the infamous “Bank Crowd” assumed control over most of the Comstock mines and immediately shifted milling operations to company-owned facilities along the Carson River.

Additionally, timber companies had exhausted the supply of trees on the west side of Washoe Valley and had moved on to the thickly forested slopes around Lake Tahoe.

The result was that Washoe City’s quartz mills and sawmills were no longer needed.
The community’s decline accelerated after 1872 when the Virginia and Truckee Railroad was constructed and linked Virginia City to Reno. The train route passed through the center of Washoe City, but meant the end of the freight wagon business.

Not surprisingly, Washoe City’s troubles coincided with the rise of Reno. Founded in 1868 by the Central Pacific Railroad, the town quickly became Northwestern Nevada’s most important shipping terminus.

In mid-1868, Washoe City’s newspaper had pulled up and moved to Reno. Less than two years later, the citizens of the county—who now mostly lived in the Truckee Meadows—voted to relocate the county seat to Reno.

Washoe City supporters unsuccessfully appealed to the courts to overturn the election results, but in May 1871, the Nevada Supreme Court ruled the transfer was legal and appropriate.

Angry at the loss of the county seat, Washoe City residents, now down to 800, attempted to secede from Washoe County. They petitioned the Legislature to move Washoe Valley into Ormsby County, but the effort failed.

The town simply dwindled away during the next few decades. The courthouse was dismantled in 1873 (its bricks were reused in Carson City) while the magnificent two-story Masonic Hall was abandoned in 1888 and later collapsed. Ditto the Odd Fellows Hall.

Today, Washoe City is largely gone and forgotten. Perhaps the most substantial structure still standing is the stone and brick building adjacent to a real estate development at the north end of Washoe Valley. About two-thirds of this building is original (the brick wall on the north side is new).

The other significant survivor is the Washoe City cemetery, located adjacent to the Cattlemen’s restaurant on U.S. 395. Here, you can wander through a surprisingly large burial ground containing several dozen marble and wood tombstones.

For more information about Washoe City read “Boom Times in Old Washoe City, Nevada,” by the late Myra Sauer Ratay, which is available from the author’s family through a web site, http://www.ng-tek.com/genweb/grresearch/MyraBooks.html.

Ratay was also author of another book about Washoe Valley entitled, “Pioneers of the Ponderosa: How Washoe Valley Rescued the Comstock,” which is also available from the same web site.