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 […]
Dutch Nick and Empire NV
The Tale of Dutch Nick Ambrose Back in the heady days of the Comstock Lode, timber and quartz mills were fueling the growth of Empire, Nevada. And nobody at Empire was more famous than ‘Dutch Nick’ Ambrose. It was Dutch Nick who first claimed that promising stretch of land […]
A Gardnerville House With A Story
If you’ve ever driven through Gardnerville, Nevada, chances are you’ve spotted this humble two-story home on the east side of Highway 395. Turns out it’s a lot older than it looks. And surprisingly, it wasn’t actually built here! Back in the early 1900s, this was the ranch house of Bohlman […]
Baby Face Nelson at Walley’s Hot Springs, NV
Yes, that Baby Face Nelson. . . . What better place for a wanted man to spend a quiet month hiding from the feds than the cabins of an out-of-the-way tourist resort. Walley’s Hot Springs, Nevada, to be precise. On October 1, 1934, Lester Joseph Gillis, aka George […]
Tales of Old Sheridan, Nevada
It was 1855 or thereabouts when Moses Job, an enterprising trader from Virginia, opened a small store at what would eventually become Sheridan, Nevada. Job’s trading post nestled right beside the Emigrant Trail, a convenient spot for both passing emigrants and nearby settlers. Soon, a small cluster of homes and businesses […]
Sheridan, NV: The Sheridan House
A Visit to the Sheridan House Few traces are left of the once-bustling settlement of Sheridan, Nevada. So it was an amazing privilege to be invited to visit the privately-owned Sheridan House, one of the town’s early hotels! The Sheridan House is thought to date to the early 1860s. Back in the day, it was one […]