It was September, 1868 when Genoa’s Masonic lodge was granted its official charter, becoming “Douglas County Lodge No. 12.” Serving as first Worshipful Master for the Lodge was Robert W. Bollen, who would be elected the Sheriff of Douglas County that same year (and later became Grand Master for the state of Nevada). […]
A Scandalous 1886 Elopement
A Runaway Marriage: The year was 1886, and Mary Cosser and William John Swail knew what they wanted – each other. But the would-be bride’s parent were apparently less than excited about the match. The fact that Mary was just 16 while her sweetheart was eight years older might have had something […]
Poison Parsnip & Fun Facts From 1887
I’m working on a third time-travel novella, set in 1887. And what a fun trip back in time it’s been, reading the old newspapers to capture the period flavor! There were wonderful ads, of course, like Genoa barber David DeLong, who doubled as a dentist. And then there […]
A Gardnerville Classic
The Backstory to the Cheshire Antiques Building! As we saw in the last story, Arendt Jensen built what’s now the arched-window portion of Cheshire Antiques. Ground was broken in August 1906, and Jensen hired Reno builders to erect what was initially described as a “warehouse” some 50 x 100 feet in size. […]
The Story Behind The Midland Garage
It was 1883 when young John Arendt Jensen left his native Denmark to come to America in 1883. Just 24 years old, Jensen was full of energy – and dreams. Arendt Jensen didn’t wait long to take a spouse; he married Pauline (Lena) Norgaard (also from Denmark) that same […]
The Story of Warren Wasson
Today, it’s hard to imagine a gun battle taking place in the middle of Genoa. But that’s exactly what happened back in 1860, in a raucous dispute over property. And amazingly enough, there’s a silent reminder of that altercation you can still see today. Young Warren Wasson […]
Twelve Mile House
Twelve Mile House . . . . Back in the day, Twelve Mile House was one of a string of stage stations dotting the roads of Carson Valley. Little wonder it made a popular rest spot. For one thing, the waystation bordered the cool waters of the Carson River. For another, four […]
Henry Van Sickle Stories You Never Heard
Two Forgotten Henry Van Sickle Stories . . . . If you’re from Carson Valley, you’ve probably heard the name Henry Van Sickle. After all, he was one of the first settlers in soon-to-be Douglas County, Nevada, arriving in September 1852. And if you live here you’ve probably passed his famous Van Sickle Station, […]
How Jacks Valley Got Its Name
With as colorful a name as ‘Return Jackson Redden,’ he was destined to leave a mark on Carson Valley history. Leave a mark he did, though few know his story today. But here’s a clue: Redden settled in 1851-52 at the mouth of Jack’s Valley. You guessed it. […]
Historic Circle Drive
Historic Houses on Gardnerville’s Circle Drive Remember our recent story about the V&T line to Minden, and the mystery of what became of the stationmaster’s house? We knew that this special piece of V&T history had been moved to Gardnerville, NV to become a residence. But we didn’t know just where the old […]
Orson Hyde & Pioneer Justice
Pioneer Justice Was Swift: When Snowshoe Thompson skied into Placerville on February 2, 1856, it wasn’t just the Carson Valley mail he brought with him over the mountains. He also carried the latest gossip. Among other news Thompson brought to eager listeners was a report of a crime — some $75 […]
The V&T Comes to Minden NV
“Work Has Started” blazed the over-sized headline of the Record-Courier on September 29, 1905. There were no exclamation points, but you could feel the excitement. Ground had been broken the day before on the V&T rail line destined to link Carson City to Carson Valley. Three crews were hard at work, the article reported, with as […]