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: Part 2
Tarantula Juice & Other Tales from Empire, NV Dutch Nick’s saloon in early Empire, Nevada was infamous for its ‘tarantula juice’ – a homemade concoction of wood alcohol laced with strychnine, tobacco juice, prussic acid, and other foul ingredients. Some say the name derived from the drink’s after-effects, said to resemble the […]
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 […]
History of the Marlette Water System
Bringing Water to Virginia City in the 1870s Was No Easy Task August 1, 1871 proved to be a magical day for Virginia City. Newspaperman Alf Doten noted in his diary: “[T]he water came through the new water works from the Sierra mountains this evening – 21 miles.” It […]
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 […]
The Werrin Building at Virginia City
Today, it’s the home of Virginia City’s popular Cafe del Rio restaurant. But back in the 1870s, this two-story brick building at 170 “C” Street housed the grocery store of John S. Werrin, with rooms for rent above. Even today, you can still make out Werrin’s name painted above the door. So […]
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 […]
Pet Parrots on the Comstock
The Victorian Parrot Craze Victorians adored their feathered friends. Gold Hill in 1876 was said to boast “more parrots than any city or town on the Pacific Coast.” The Nevada State Journal quipped: “You may walk for miles and miles and never hear anything said but ‘Pretty Polly!’ and ‘Polly wants […]