Julia Lake’s wasn’t the only life snuffed out by those three bullets fired by an irate wife. (And in case you missed the earlier parts of this story, here’s where you can find Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3!) No, when Julia breathed her last on August 2, 1871, […]
Three Bullets, Two Julias (Part 2)
When we left off last time, Julia Savier had tracked her philandering husband all the way from Carson City to Stockton. Finding her husband’s mistress ensconced at the Grand Hotel, Julia knocked at the door, pulled the trigger three times, and watched her rival fall. “There,” she declared with satisfaction. […]
A Stabbing Affair at Genoa NV
It was a quiet Sunday evening in Genoa. Or at least, it started out that way. The date was April 16, 1882. The place: Al Livingston’s “first class” saloon on Main Street, Genoa. Jerry Raycraft was enjoying a companionable game of billiards with a friend. A barkeep […]
Three Bullets, Two Julias, & One Philandering Husband
A Family Affair . . . . Like all good mysteries, this one began with a tiny clue. An old newspaper from August, 1880 happened to mention a man who’d breathed his last at Walley’s Hot Springs. His name, we discovered, was Benjamin F. Seely. But who was Seely? Ah, and that’s where the twisting […]
One Bad Man & Two Tough Ladies: The Saga of Sam Brown
Everyone in Carson Valley knew “Bad Man” Sam Brown back in 1861. He was, after all, a pretty hard guy to miss. Heavy-set and quarrelsome, Sam walked with a swagger. Besides his handy pistol, he kept a nasty-looking Bowie knife strapped to his belt. Sam didn’t hesitate to use that knife, either. He reportedly “carved […]
Roots a Mile Deep: The Story of the Adams Family
They weren’t trucking cattle up to summer pasture when Wally Adams was a kid. Nah. For over 30 years, Wally helped drive cattle the hard way, saddling up at 2 a.m. to get the herd to the top of Old Kingsbury Grade before nightfall. That meant long, dusty days on horseback. But it’s what you […]
The Story of Dr. Ernest Hand
Physician. Surgeon. Obstetrician. First responder. Ambulance driver. Back in the day, Dr. Ernest Hand did it all. Baby arriving? He’d come to your home for the delivery. Had a hunting accident out in the wilderness? He’d fight his way through the roughest territory to get to your side and render aid. Need an ambulance? He’d tote […]
The Adams House in Carson City
Even from the street, this little bungalow at 990 N. Minnesota St. in Carson City looks like it was built with love. It’s called the Adams House. And today, it is the home of KNVC Radio. But just who was Adams? And what’s the house’s story? Thanks to Sandie LaNae, I got to visit the […]
Gardnerville’s Coolest Building (Part 1)
The sign on the outside used to read “Perry’s Dry Goods.” And locals today still smile when they remember Frank Perry, a short, wiry Basque known for his charming mustache and his wide range of Western wear. But Perry, as it turns out, wasn’t actually his real name. At birth it was Yparraguirre. “Perry” was […]
Mrs. Pitts’ Maternity Home
This year, a modest house on Centerville Lane will celebrate its 100th birthday (or so the assessment records say). And ironically, the word “birthday” holds a very special meaning for this old home. Think 159 of them . . . . Options for pregnant mothers were limited in Gardnerville during the World War II years. You could have your baby the […]
Newly-Discovered History at Mormon Station
Next time you drive past Mormon Station State Historic Park, keep an eye peeled for a small, white, garage-looking structure just north of the stockade. When Mormon Station acquired the 1.2-acre property adjacent to the Fort in 2002, that’s exactly what they thought this small building was: just a “barn or garage.” Initial estimates dated it to […]
Gardnerville’s Big Yellow House
Have you ever driven by the two-story Yellow House at the “S” Bend in Gardnerville? It’s not quite a mansion. Technically, according to the plaque out front, the style is “Vernacular with Eastlake Details.” Well, whatever. For Gardnerville, it’s a mansion! We’ve always been curious about the history of this beautiful house. So we started to dig a […]