the trail. - Pony Express Nevada

Transcription

WA L K I N G
AND
DRIVING TOURS
ONG
L
A
LIFE.
R
E
IL
OV
DISC HE TRA
T
WA L K I N G
AND
DRIVING TOURS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
P O N Y E X P R E S S T E R R I T O RY
PonyExpressNevada.com
(888) 359-9449
FERNLEY
FernleyChamber.org
Fernley Chamber of Commerce
(775) 575-4459
D AY T O N
DaytonNvChamber.org
Dayton Chamber of Commerce
(775) 246-7909
FA L L O N
FallonTourism.com
(800) 874-0903 or (775) 423-4556
AUSTIN
AustinNevada.com
Austin Chamber of Commerce
(775) 964-2200
EUREKA
EurekaCounty.com
(775) 237-5484
E LY
ElyNevada.net
White Pine County Tourism & Recreation Board
(800) HY6-9350 (800) 496-9350
Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
WALKING TOURS
The Town of Fernley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
The Town of Dayton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Map. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Walking Tour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
The Town of Fallon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Map. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Walking Tour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
The Town of Austin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Map. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Walking Tour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
The Town of Eureka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Map 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Walking Tour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Map 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42-43
The Town of Ely . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Walking Tour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48-49
DRIVING TOURS
The Pyramid Lake Tour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
The Lahontan, Fort Churchill, and
Mason Valley Tour. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
The Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge and
Stillwater Wildlife Management Area Tour . . . . . . . . . . . 57
The Grimes Point Petroglyph Trail and
Hidden Cave Tour. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
The Sand Mountain Recreation Area,
Sand Springs Pony Express Station, and
Desert Wildlife Study Area Tour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
The Overland Tour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
The Reese River Valley and
Big Smoky Valley Loop Tour. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
The Toquima Cave and Northumberland
Natural History Tour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
The Ward Charcoal Ovens and Cave Lake Tour. . . . . . . 65
The Great Basin Tour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
DISCOVER LIFE ALONG THE TRAIL
1
PONY EXPRESS TERRITORY
O
R
E
G
O
PONY EXPRESS TERRITORY
THE PONY
EXPRE
TRAI L SS
TO JORDAN VALLEY
O
H
A
D
I
N
TO FIELDS
TO ADEL
TO TWIN FALLS
TO MOUNTAIN HOME
McDermitt
Denio 292
Big Spring
Reservoir
140
225
95
New Year
Lake
Jackpot
Owyhee
Denio
Jct
93
Jarbidge
Mountain City
Contact
140
White Rock
(site)
Wild Horse
Reservoir
Wilson
Res
293
Vya
(site)
Charleston
(site)
A
Quinn River
Crossing
Orovada
Jack Creek
Paradise Valley
Summit
Lake
Chimney Dam
Reservoir
Wilkins
(site)
226
TO PARK VALLEY
I
140
High Rock
Lake
Tuscarora
290
H
N
U
M
B
O
L
D
Montello
Willow Creek
Reservoir
Midas
TO CEDARVILLE
T
233
E L K O
W A S H O E
95
Dinner Station
Deeth
Wells
231
Oasis
230
789
225
ALT
R
Winnemucca
93
Jungo
(site)
Sulphur
(site)
Halleck
Golconda
232
229
Leeville
294
80
Elko
Tungsten
766
Valmy
O
80
Gerlach
Imlay
TO SALT LAKE CITY
West
Wendover
Lamoille
227
Carlin
806
Mill City
80
Spring
Creek
95
Rye Patch
Reservoir
Snow Water
Lake
Arthur
228
229
Battle Mountain
F
Empire
P E
R S
H
Copper
Canyon
401
93
306
Unionville
Vernon
I
Currie
Gold A
Ac e
(site
ite
Shantytown
Cortez
(site)
397
LLages Station
Anaho
Island
95
E
H
U
R
C
H
I
L
U
R
E
K
L
Straw
Dixie Valley
(site)
278
Wadswort
445
305
95
Fer
Sparks
ALT
W H I T E
16
892
Sil
121
hontan
Reservoir
Virgini
t
Spri
Sheckle
Res
Gill
ells
893
ch
431
376
te
722
429
28
on
use
Lake
ON
CITY
Tahoe
395
a
)
5
ALT
LY O N
361
95
Kingston
Potts
(site)
839
DOUGLAS
Minden
Gardnerville
Weed Heights
TO GARRISON
Lund
TO BRIDGEPORT
361
Minerva
Currant
Hadley
Round
Mountain
e
r Lak
Walker
Lake
338
Shoshone
93
379
Carvers
Wellington
Topaz
Lake
487
Preston
Berlin
(site)
Gabbs
Smith
Wa lk e
Holbrook
Jct
208
TO DELTA
Baker
B
k
894
Duckwater
Ione
844
823
395
ace
Schurz
Artesia
Lake
TO WOODFORDS
488
Quartz Mtn
(site)
Y
M
88
6
ALT
95
Stat
R
n
Wabuska
ewart
Glenbr
P I N E
93
Stillwater
95
Y
206
A
T
C
C
395
TO TRUCKE
PLACER
C
Cherry
Creek
80
ALT
Nixon
447
A
A
L A N D E R
446
H
Humboldt
Sink
Lake
445
Sutcliffe
TO SUSANVILLE
Zephyr
Ruby Lake
U
L
Pyramid
Incline
Village
TO
TAHOE CITY
Crystal Bay
TO IBAPAH
278
bo
Rochester
(site)
Lovelock
Pyramid
(site)
Ruby Valley
(site)
Jiggs
Crescent
Valley
Oreana
398
399
Flanigan
o
ALT
93
Lee
305
Seven Troughs
447
767
Beowawe
400
I N G
318
Belmont
Lockes
377 Manhattan
95
6
Hawthorne
Luning
Sunnyside
Mina
TO BRIDGEPORT
359
AdamsMcGill
Reservoir
MINERAL
Nyala
(site)
Warm
Springs
(site)
375
95
TO
LEE VINING
376
6
95
360
Adaven
(site)
N
Tonopah
Coaldale
Basalt
(site)
6
Y
E
6
Pioche
264
Ursine
322
773
265
95
Caselton
320
TO BISHOP
Panaca
L
264
I
N
C
O
L
319
TO MODEN
N
Silver Peak
Nivloc
(site)
Goldfield
318
Dyer
Tempiute
Rachel
E S M E R A L D A
Caliente
93
Hiko
Crystal Springs
375
TO BIG PINE
Lida
93
Elgin
Alamo
Gold Point
Scottys
Junction
A
Upper
Pahranagat
Lake
Lower
Pahranagat
Lake
267
Carp
L
TO DEATH VALLEY
& SCOTTYS CASTLE
I
Rhyolite
(site)
Beatty
TO ST
374
F
Mesquite
15
170
Glendale
Mercury
Moapa
169
Amargosa Valley
160
Cactus
Springs
Logandale
Indian Springs
Overton
R
160
373
Johnnie
(site)
N
95
156
TO DEATH VALLEY
JUNCTION
C
93
15
A
R
K
93
157
North
Las
Vegas
Mt Charleston
I
L
158
Pahrump
147
Las Vegas
Lake
Blue
Diamond
Mountain
Springs
215
160
Mead
Henderson
93
146
TO KINGMAN
Boulder
City
Sloan
O
159
N
372
TO SHOSHONE
A
95
604
Goodsprings
161
165
R iver
Jean
Z
Sandy Valley
Nelson
15
Cottonwood
Cove
164
Lake
Mohave
Searchlight
R
TO NIPTON
I
Primm
TO BAKER
Cal Nev
Ari
95
162
A
TO KINGMAN
TO BULLHEAD CITY
Laughlin
163
TO NEEDLES
he Pony Express Trail, The Old Lincoln Highway, and
The Loneliest Highway in America: with a variety of
names, you would think that Highway 50 might have an
identity crisis but just the opposite is true. This route cuts
through the middle of Pony Express Territory, an expanse of
Nevada’s most historic and picturesque country.
Pony Express Territory is home to some of the Old
West’s liveliest towns including Fernley, Dayton, Fallon,
Austin, Eureka, and Ely. Each of these communities has its
own story to tell with heroes and villains and times of booms
and busts. The country surrounding these communities is
2
Bunkerville
168
TO DEATH VALLEY
O
Colorado
T
317
Ash Springs
266
774
C
just as colorful. Side roads and highways branch from
Highway 50 and lead to destinations like Pyramid Lake, Fort
Mason, Soda Lake, The Toiyabe Mountain Range, and Great
Basin National Park.
Today’s travelers can walk in the footsteps of gold
miners, cattlemen, gunmen, and the area’s first farmers.
They can drive the routes of explorers, pioneers, American
Indians, and Pony Express riders. Pony Express Territory
offers a glimpse of Old West history along with wide-open
vistas and a variety of recreational opportunities.
Highway 50. It’s more than a highway—it’s an adventure.
3
ADA
V
E
N
LEY,
N
R
E
F
TE
N STA REA
A
T
N
O
LAH ATION A
RECRE
4
B
F E R N L E Y N E VA D A
orn as a result of railroad construction, the
City of Fernley was established in 1904 and
later developed into an agricultural and ranching
community. Today, its proximity to Reno has helped the
city continue to flourish.
Much of the farmland in the Fernley area was
developed as a result of the Newlands Reclamation Act
of 1902. The Newlands Irrigation Project established an
irrigation system that delivers water to an area
stretching from Derby Dam, along the Truckee River,
to the Lahontan Reservoir near Fallon. Construction
and expansion of the system took place from the initial
inception through the 1960s.
In 1965, the Nevada Cement Company began
operation in a new plant built on the north side of the
city between Fernley and Wadsworth. This was the first
significant non-agricultural or ranching business to
come to Fernley, aside from the railroad. Primary
employment in Fernley transitioned to an industrial
and commuter base, and areas of agricultural and
ranching lands evolved to housing subdivisions in order
to support the growing population. Close proximity to
Interstate 80 and abundant land for housing made
Fernley an attractive alternative to the Reno-Sparks area.
Beginning near the established parts of the town,
growth moved to the Fremont Street area in the mid to
late 1970s, then migrated nearer to the farming areas in
the 1980s, and has continued along Farm District Road.
Numerous subdivisions now exist alongFarm District
Road including an 18-hole golf course and a new
elementary school.
In 1999, Amazon.com opened a 750,000 square foot
order fulfillment center in the industrial park located on
the northeast side of the city. Since that time, more
companies have opened facilities in the park including
Trex Inc., Allied Signal, UPS Worldwide Logistics
(Honeywell), ARE Campers, Johns Manville, and
Sherwin Williams.
5
VADA
E
N
,
N
O
DAYT
STREET
6O PIKE
RCHILL
FORT CHU
HALL
OD EON
6
O
D AY T O N N E VA D A
ld Town Dayton lies at the mouth of Gold
Cañon on the Carson River. It’s the site of
Nevada’s first gold discovery and a contender for being
the state’s earliest Euro-American permanently
inhabited settlement.
After gold was discovered in California, thousands
of fortune seekers trekked West. Those following the
Carson River Route often camped at the mouth of Gold
Cañon (Dayton) while waiting for snow to melt in the
Sierra Nevada.
In the spring of 1849 frontiersman Abner Blackburn’s
pack train camped near Gold Cañon on their way to
California’s goldfields. With a bread pan and butcher
knife, he prospected the creek bed, finding small
quantities of placer gold. That day, his company continued
prospecting, finding gold valued at about $10.
The following year, 1850, a Mormon pioneer, John
Orr, found a nugget weighing 19.4 grams. Nevada’s
gold rush was on!
Hundreds of miners moved to Gold Cañon, located
in Utah Territory. Soon their tent camps became a
settlement where Dayton developed. Working their way
up the canyon, prospectors struck it rich when they
discovered the world-famous Comstock Lode in 1859.
Remnants of the rock wall of the 1861 Pony Express
station, called Nevada, still stands today. In the same
year, Congress created Nevada Territory. The lively
town became the first Lyon County seat in 1864.
Emigrants, Pony Express riders, Wells Fargo and
Overland stagecoaches, and two railroads passed through
the fertile Dayton Valley which is also the site of Nevada’s
first Chinatown.
Due to the Carson River, Dayton flourished as a
milling and trade center, also serving as the breadbasket
of the Comstock, supplying fresh produce, hay, grain,
wood, and charcoal, from its piñon trees. Dayton
remained a regional trade center into the 20th Century.
Old Town Dayton’s structures haven’t changed
much since the late 1800s—it’s a place where you can
step back in time.
7
D AY T O N WA L K I N G T O U R
1
A
Nevada State Historical Marker #262
135 Shady Lane
Dayton’s grammar school was built in 1865 and used until 1958. In 1880 there
were eighty pupils, and it is the oldest schoolhouse in the state still located at
its original site. It was later used as the Senior Center until the 1980s.
In the 1990s it became Dayton’s Museum.
B
33
C
T H E
1865 SCHOOLHOUSE
E
SCHOOLHOUS
T O W N
O F
ik
East P
D A Y T O N
e St
N E V A D A
2 OLD WAGON/CARRIAGE HOUSE
4th Ave
31
O
E
7
15
B
G
5
Douglas Ave
River
St
Cemetery Rd
6
9
13
8
H
St
4
Gold Cañon Creek was the site of Nevada’s first gold, discovered at the
canyon’s mouth in 1849. Today the mouth is barely accessible due to a sand
and gravel pit. Portions of the original creek channel were partially
obliterated by a mining pit dredged in the 1930s.
32
2nd Ave
L 25
St
Tyler 24
27
23
21
3
22
10
St
n
i
a
M 11 12
14
8
St
L Silver
Gates
F
3 HISTORIC CREEK
3rd Ave
Lane
Shady
30
Alley 28
n
a
g
L
1 Lo
29
D 26
2
130 Shady Lane (private property)
This bucolic barn and wagon/carriage house is one of the oldest buildings in
Dayton. Today it is a privately owned garage.
L
M
20
17 L
18
16
I J
Rai
lroa
dS
t
Pike St
Ziller Way
K
CARR
IAGE
HOUSE
50
son Way
ay Adam
Luchetti W
N
19
4 HALL’S STATION (site)
This is near the site of Hall’s Station, operated by Andrew Spofford Hall circa
1852. The trading post was later sold to James McMarlin and called
McMarlin’s Station. Miners and emigrants purchased their supplies here.
The exact station location was obliterated by a mining pit.
5 EARLY HOME
400 Cemetery Road (private residence)
This residence was built circa 1850. In the 1870s it became the residence
of the Stevensons, whose descendants still live in Dayton today. It remains
a private residence with an art studio and gallery business on-site.
6 DAYTON CEMETERY
Established in the 1850s, this is one of the oldest constantly maintained
cemeteries in Nevada and still remains in active use. In addition to being the
final resting place for many early-day pioneers and miners, also interred are
86 known veterans of war (including some from the Civil War), a former
governor, and numerous politicians.
9
7 NARROW-GAUGE RAILROAD
This was the route of the narrow-gauge Dayton, Sutro and Carson Valley
Railroad. It extended from the mouth of Gold Cañon to Douglass Mill,
then reversed itself and extended across the area of today’s dredge pit to Six
Mile Canyon. Nothing remains today except portions of the old railroad bed.
8 HAND-QUARRIED BUILDING
235 W. Main Street
This 1860s building was constructed with hand-quarried local sandstone.
Originally the Birdsall Mercantile, it was later the Wells Fargo & Co. Agency,
then the Bluestone Manufacturing Company. It fell into disrepair but was
eventually donated to Lyon County in 1984 and restored. Today it is the
Dayton Justice Court complex.
9 OLD MILL (site)
River Street (private residences)
Site of Douglass Mill, which, in 1869, was converted to a tailings mill.
Remnants of the mill’s rock foundation remain evident on the hillside along
with Rose’s Ditch (a.k.a. Chinese Ditch). Today, private home sites
proliferate in the area.
10 OLD SALOON
160 W. Main Street
Originally the Europa Saloon built in 1885 (first located at site #22), it was
rumored to have been one of Mark Twain’s haunts. It was moved to its
present site in the early 1900s and used as a bar and restaurant through
the years. A bar/steakhouse occupies the premises today.
iii Union Hotel, 75 W. Main Street, was built circa 1870 after the 1861 hotel,
originally located at site “M”, burned. Union Hotel boasted a two-story
outhouse that connected to the back doors of the hotel. Known as the Gruber
Hotel prior to the Civil War. Private residence.
iv Old General Hardware and Grocery Store, 65 W. Main Street
This building is currently being considered for multiuse restoration.
Private property.
v Formerly a Saloon, 55 W. Main Street Private residence.
vi Butcher Shop, 45 W. Main Street Built by Chinese laborers, the former
butcher shop is now occupied by a business.
12 PONY EXPRESS STATION
What’s left of this freestanding rock wall is part of the original wall for the
Pony Express remount station called “Nevada.” A Pony Express monument
dedicated in 2001 is located in a parking lot across the street.
13 OLD WATER DITCH
Rose Ditch (a.k.a. Chinese Ditch) was hand-dug by Chinese laborers in 1857 to
carry water to Gold Cañon placer miners. The ditch also carried water to the
Dayton Reservoir and was used until a new water system was installed
in 1982.
14 FRATERNAL ORGANIZATION (site)
234 W. Main Street
This was the original location of IOOF (Odd Fellows) Hall. Later the building
became the Druids Hall.
15 OLD RESERVOIR
The Dayton Reservoir was located at the end of Rose Ditch (a.k.a. Chinese
Ditch). Water from the reservoir traveled through 4” wood pipes wrapped
with wire to various underground water storage cisterns for firefighting. This
system was used until 1982 when Dayton’s new county water system came
on line.
16 LIVERY STABLE
N ST.
. MAI
235 W
11 MAIN STREET BUILDINGS
i
ii
10
MAIN ST
REET BU
ILDINGS
South side of Main Street
This tight cluster of buildings was rebuilt after the July 1870 fire raged
through Dayton.
Going from River Street to Highway 50 East (right to left):
Fox Hotel, 95 W. Main Street, was known as the Occidental Hotel from
1889 to 1907. The smaller building on the left was once a house. Multiuse
restoration is currently pending.
Post Office (former post office behind the Fox Hotel in the 1950s. When
moved the room became part of the Union Hotel.
15 W. Main Street
The livery stable was used in the 1870s and was just one of many located in
early Dayton. Over the years this building has contained various businesses,
including a florist shop and an antique parlor.
17 CHINATOWN LOCALE
The center of Nevada’s first Chinatown, where as many as 200 Chinese lived,
was located in this area starting in the 1850s. Later the area was used as a
flea market, until the mid-1990s. Today the corner has several historical
monuments and markers. A service station/mini-mart complex is located here.
18 CHINA MARY’S HOUSE
65 Silver Street
This is the only known remaining structure from Nevada’s first Chinatown.
Often referenced as “China Mary’s house,” it is rumored to have once been
the site of a Chinese gambling house and opium den. It was placed on the
Nevada Registry of Historic Places in 1990. Today it houses a business.
11
19 STATION MASTER’S HOUSE
200 Railroad Street (private residence)
The Carson & Colorado Railroad station master’s house is still on its original
site. This private residence is not open to the public.
25
FIREHOUSE/JAIL
90 Pike Street
The current structure was a firehouse with 1860s wrought-iron mail-order jail
cells in back. Earlier firehouses at this same location were destroyed by fire in
1866 and again in 1870. The current structure was built in 1875. At one time
this location served as a Wells Fargo stage stop.
26 OLD CHURCH
140 Pike Street
This spot was the site of a confectionary and toy store. In 1937 the Yerington
Roman Catholic Indian School Church was moved here and renamed Dayton’s
St. Ann’s Catholic Church. In the late 1950s the building underwent remodeling.
Although a larger church was built, the church still maintains this structure.
20 RAILROAD DEPOT
20 W. Main Street
This Carson & Colorado Railroad Depot was the first station built on the
narrow-gauge line. When a portion of the line was abandoned in 1934 the
depot was converted to a private residence at its original location (near site
#19). Around 1954, when Highway 50 East was constructed, it was moved
to this present location.
21 1860S STONE BUILDING
30 Pike Street at corner of Main Street
This 1860s building was originally M. Meyer and Co., a grocery store. In the
mid-1870s it was Meyer and Clegman Hardware and Supplies, then Braun &
Loftus Mercantile. In the 1930s the back of the building was an auto repair,
and the front the Old Corner Bar. Today it is a dinner house and bar.
27 EARLY COMSTOCK STRUCTURE
60 Pike Street (private residence)
This building features architecture and construction typical of many early
Comstock buildings. The front portion was originally a storeroom for the
next-door mercantile. Several lean-to structures were incorporated into the
building, which then became a residence. Eventually a shop was added to
the back portion and connected to the icehouse.
28 COURTHOUSE AND SCHOOL (site)
170 Pike Street
The 1864 Lyon County Courthouse was here until burning in 1909. Legislature
moved the county seat to Yerington in 1911.The high school was built in 1918,
and in 1959 was converted to the elementary school until the new school was
built. In 1972 it was reactivated as a junior high school. It later became the
Dayton Community Center.
22 A NOTEWORTHY CORNER
29 EARLY “JOLLITY” SALOON
23 ODEON HALL
30 HISTORIC CHURCH (private property)
The first residence at this location burned down in 1866, and was later the
original site of the Europa Bar (moved to site #10). In 1906 M. Quilici built a
hotel and saloon that became the Quilici Mercantile, destroyed during a
1980 fire. It is now a parking lot with a Pony Express Monument.
65 Pike Street
Odeon Hall, built in 1862 by the Odd Fellows is one of Nevada’s earliest
saloons and billiard parlors. It was also once the Howe and Gallatin Hardware
store. Upstairs, in the Grand Ballroom, dances and theatrical fare highlighted
Dayton’s social life. Today it is a saloon and dinner house.
24 MEDICINAL SITE
175 Tyler Street (private residence)
This was the site of a doctor’s office, a drugstore, and Dr. John Clark Hazlett’s
residence. Dr. Hazlett was an attorney, state senator, and Lyon County district
attorney. A 1907 map noted a post office was also located there. Today only
the house structure, which is a private residence, remains.
12
165 Pike Street
This building was the local “Hurdy Gurdy House.” The early-day saloon
provided female employees who danced with customers. Today the building
houses a restaurant.
This was the site of the Methodist-Episcopal Church, built in Gold Hill in
1876 and moved to Dayton in 1903. It was used until the 1950s. Lyon County
demolished the structure in 1974. During the 1960s this area was used as
rodeo grounds during filming of The Misfits movie.
31 CAMEL COMPOUND
200 Pike Street
The Leslie Hay Barn was built in 1861. Over the next ten years, camels were
corralled at this site. They were used to haul salt, wood, and other mining
supplies to mines and mills in the Gold Hill and Silver City areas. Today it is
a business and private residence.
13
32 EARLY MINING COMPANY OFFICE
60 Second Avenue (private residence)
This was the location of the Como Mining Company office, and before that
the Nevada Mineral Reduction and Processing Company. It is a private
residence today.
33 MILL (site)
The Rock Point Mill Site was the first quartz mill in Nevada. It was destroyed
by fires in 1882 and 1909 and then rebuilt. It was closed in the 1920s, then
dismantled and moved to Silver City. The upper area of the site was used as a
dump. When today’s Highway 50 East was constructed in 1955 it bisected the
site. Today the site is part of Dayton State Park and has artifacts located on
both sides of the existing highway.
i Rock Point Reservoir (site) Today it is a tree-ringed area.
ii Cyanide Plant (site) The original location (actually closer to #32) is now
covered by U.S. Highway 50 East.
iii Rock Point Dam A ditch from here ran to Rock Point Reservoir; no trace
remains today, however.
*Please note that all sites noted as “private residence” or “private property” are
not open to the public unless otherwise stated.
OTHER PLACES
A SUTRO TUNNEL
OF
INTEREST
Sutro Tunnel and town of Sutro (private property)
The groundbreaking for Adolph Heinrich Joseph Sutro’s 3.8-mile-long tunnel
was in 1869, construction in 1872, and completion in 1878. Planned as a
highway for transporting ores using water and gravity, its only real value was
for water drainage. Sutro’s dream of developing a milling center and town
never happened.
B EMIGRANT TRAILS
The map shows various routes of early emigrant trails.
C LINCOLN HIGHWAY
F DREDGE PIT
This dredge pit was started in the 1930s. At that time some homes were
relocated to the main part of Dayton. Today it is a partially water-filled pit
on private property.
G EARLIEST STRUCTURES
Many of Dayton’s earliest structures were built in this area using lumber from
surrounding forests, brick, native stone, and locally manufactured lime mortar.
H ROBERT CAPLES RESIDENCE
175 Silver Street (private residence)
Robert Caples was an artist known for his paintings of Great Basin
landscapes and charcoal portraits of this region’s Native Americans. Most of
his artwork was completed in the small studio at the rear of the house.
The residence was recently listed on the Nevada Register of Historic Places.
I
C&C RAILROAD DEPOT
This is the original site of the Carson & Colorado Railroad Depot. The depot
was relocated in the late 1950s when Highway 50 East was constructed.
J ROUTE OF CARSON & COLORADO RAILROAD
This was the route of the Carson & Colorado Railroad through Dayton. Note
the spur that went up to the Rock Point Mill. The tracks were removed in
1934. Very little of the old roadbed remains visible today.
K “DING CAMP” (private property)
In the 1930s, “Energy Relief Society” crews, including laborers with the
Workers Progress Administration (WPA) and the Civilian Conservation Corps
(CCC), set up an encampment south of 4th Avenue between Ziller Way and
Pike Street. It was known locally as “Ding Camp.” These crews built
outhouses and worked on public service projects.
L FIREFIGHTING WATER CISTERNS
The map shows the locations of various 500-gallon underground cisterns used
for storing firefighting water that came from Dayton Reservoir (#15). The
water traveled via gravity flow through buried (wire-wrapped) wooden pipes.
M BLACKSMITH SHOP
This was the original site of the Union Hotel that burned in 1861. After the
hotel burned, the Silas I. Cooper Blacksmith Shop was located here (circa
1883). Today the site is occupied by a local bar.
The route of Lincoln Highway (circa 1913) and the original Highway 50
through Dayton. By the mid-1920s the Lincoln Highway was graded and
graveled and in the 1930s Dayton’s Pike Street was paved as part of
President Roosevelt’s New Deal program.
N HISTORIC HOUSE (private residence)
Golden Eagle Boarding House was built in 1862 and was one of several
boarding houses in town. This one once housed 80 boarders. Destroyed by
fire in the 1980s, the site is now a vacant lot.
O SCOTT RESIDENCE
D BOARDING HOUSE
E EARLY RESIDENCE (private residence)
145 Shady Lane
This old residence was built in the 1860s. Miss Bernice Johnson, Dayton high
school principal and teacher, lived here. It remains a private residence today.
14
505 Pike Street
This historic house from the 1900s was formerly the residence of Justice of
the Peace Zenas Walmsley. It remains a private residence and is not open to
the public.
170 2nd Avenue (private residence)
This house was moved here in the 1930s when homes were relocated
from the mouth of Gold Cañon. In 1917 Bertha Cliff taught at Dayton’s 1865
schoolhouse then married Will Scott, a bookkeeper for Rock Point Mill.
This was their home, and after Will’s death, Bertha lived to be 103.
15
VADA
E
N
,
N
FALLO
SAND MOUNTAIN
URE
I FURN IT STORE
FRAZZIN
ST ILLWA
TER
16
A
F A L L O N N E VA D A
t the turn of the 20th century, Fallon was
a dusty crossroads between St. Clair and
Stillwater. The local American Indians referred to it as
“Jim’s Town.” Jim Richards operated his store near
Mike and Eliza Fallon’s ranch house and post office,
which had been established in 1896.
In 1901, President Theodore Roosevelt signed
papers that established the Reclamation Act of 1902 to
reclaim the land from the desert and settle the west with
small farms. Mike Fallon sold his ranch to Warren W.
Williams that same year. He proceeded to divide the
land and began advertising the sale of lots. Williams laid
out the west side of the new town and named the
central street after his native state of Maine. Other streets
like Bailey, Allen, and Taylor were named for his friends.
While Williams was busy on the west side of town,
John Oats laid out the east side. In 1908, Fallon was
officially incorporated.
In 1910, a portion of Maine Street was destroyed by
fire. Some homesteaders found work as carpenters and
masons as the community rebuilt. Mining was also on
the upswing, and others worked to develop Fallon’s rich
agricultural industry.
In the 1920s, “Hearts-O-Gold” cantaloupes were
grown and shipped across the nation. Farmers had a
near monopoly on cantaloupe sales in Nevada and
northern California and their jumbo-sized melons were
of unmatched flavor and quality. Turkeys raised in
Churchill County gained a similar reputation during
these years, and alfalfa has long been a stable source of
income. The city continued to grow but was rocked by
earthquakes three times in 1954. The strongest one
registered 7.2 on the Richter Scale and damaged many
town buildings.
Fallon became home of the Fallon Naval Auxiliary
Air Station in 1944. In 1959 the runway was extended
and the base became a full-fledged Naval Air Station.
In 1984, the command became the Naval Strike and
Air Warfare Center and, as of 1996, “Top Gun” and “Top
Dome” pilots train at the base.
17
FA L L O N WA L K I N G T O U R
20
WOODLIFF STORE
21
Built circa 1904, this building is said to have featured Fallon’s first bay window
for displaying merchandise. Over the years, the store was moved from the
east side to the west side of Maine Street. It was moved to the museum
grounds in 1982 from its Carson Street location.
1
T H E
1050 S. Maine Street
95
T O W N
19
2 CHURCHILL COUNTY JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL
O F
22
n. Ada St
n.Laverne St
n.Carson St
w. A St
15
18
17
e. A St
24
13
12
26
w. Williams Ave
s.Carson St
s.Laverne St
11
w. Center St
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
w. Richards St
3
w. Fairview St
50
3 LAWANA THEATER
Friday night was a time of cowboy drama and action at the Lawana Theater.
For couples, double love seats were located at the end of each row. Built in
1941 by Walt and Ana Hull, its name was created by taking “W-A-L” from
Walt, reversing it, and adding Ana’s name.
40
41
LAWA
NA TH
EATER
360 S. Maine Street
e. Stillwater St
Lincoln St
w. Stillwater St
e. Williams Ave
28
27
29
Court St
30
31
32
33 e. Center St 35
34
36
37
38
39
e. Richards St
s. Nevada St
s. Ada St
w. 1st St
14
The original south half of this building was completed in January 1918, at a
cost of $75,000. For many years it served as the Churchill County High School.
Now a junior high school, the new addition was completed in 1995.
23
25
16
650 S. Maine Street
s. Broadway St
N E V A D A
e. B St
n. Nevada St
n. Maine St
F A L L O N
4 J.C. PENNY CO.
e. Fairview St
290 S. Maine Street
e. Front St
43
5 FRAZZINI FURNITURE STORE
270 S. Maine Street
Built in 1920 of rock from nearby Mt. Toyeh (Rattlesnake Hill), this three-story
structure was home to a furniture store. Mrs. Vienna Frazzini cooked many
meals in order to feed the stonemasons who came from Dayton, Nevada, and
Sacramento, California, to construct the building. Visitors can enter the store
and explore the building’s construction.
6 AUTO REPAIR GARAGE
s. Maine St
1 44
s. Esmeralda St
e. Ferguson St
w. Front St
s. Douglas St
2
20
The store was completed in 1949 and served its customers from this site until 1994.
42 e. Virginia St
w. Virginia St
250 S. Maine Street
In 1938, Heck’s Meat Company took occupation of this building, which had
been an auto repair garage. Heck’s has continued to serve Fallon citizens with
a fine array of meats for over seventy years.
Tolas Pl
19
7 SITE OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
200 S. Maine Street
In the early 1900s this corner was a convenient setting for a school. Former
students recalled that the street was their playground and they told of their
fascination with the fire station behind the schoolhouse.
8 SITE OF THE CORNER BAR
200 S. Maine Street (Colonial Bank Drive-Up)
The blocks on the west side of Maine Street from this site, and north to
Williams Avenue, were home to most of Fallon’s bars that provided local
entertainment. The “Corner Bar” stood here for twenty years before closing
its doors, and the building was demolished in the summer of 1955.
9 FALLON SLAUGHTERING & SUPPLY
178 S. Maine Street
This building was Fallon Slaughtering & Supply Co. The meat locker still exists
in the rear of the building and the original pressed tin ceiling is still in place,
though not visible today.
13 FALLON’S CITY HALL
55 W. Williams Avenue
Constructed in 1930, Fallon’s City Hall is an example of Spanish Mission
architecture, with red roof tiles, bell tower and window grille work. Still in
use as the City Hall, most of the floors, doors and hardware are original.
The building once housed the volunteer fire department.
14 DOUGLASS MANSION AND COTTAGE HOSPITAL
10 and 22 S. Carson Street
Wrap-around porches and ornamental gingerbread help identify this house as
Victorian. Robert L. Douglass built this home in 1904, the only two-story,
Queen Anne Victorian residence in Fallon. Dr. F.E. Nichols owned the Douglass
home in the 1920s, and now the City of Fallon has purchased the building for
use as a meeting and hospitality center.
15 CHURCHILL COUNTY TELEPHONE COMPANY
Churchill County has the only county-owned telephone company in the nation.
What began as a telegraph operation in 1889 has evolved into a full service
telecommunications company offering the latest technologies to customers in
Churchill County and other remote areas. The company’s first office building
once stood at this site.
16 COUNTY JAIL/SHERIFF’S OFFICE
U ILD ING
WOODLIFF B
10 WOODLIFF BUILDING
126 S. Maine Street
This stone building was completed in 1906, with rock quarried from the local
area, at a cost of $4,477. The 1954 earthquake caused the visible cracks in its
walls. The structure continued to be used as the county jail until 1973.
TELEPHON
COMPANY E
One year after the 1910 Maine Street fire, the building was constructed with
office space upstairs and retail downstairs. In its early years, one side of the
building housed a clothing store while the other side served as a pharmacy.
The upstairs area was converted to a hotel in 1930.
11 SAGEBRUSH BAR AND OTHER BARS
70 S. Maine Street
While this 1912 building originally housed a cigar factory, it was later used as
a bank, bicycle shop, grocery store and pool hall. The “Sagebrush” served as a
duck hunters’ meeting place for years. During hunting season, hunters ate
breakfast here as early as 4 a.m. before traveling to Carson Lake.
12 WILLIAMS BUILDING
70 S. Maine Street (Nugget Parking Lot)
By 1906, Warren Williams had added a second story to his stone business
building. Through the years the structure housed, among other things, a thrift
store and a liquor store. The building survived the 1910 Maine Street fire only
to be torn down after the 1954 earthquake.
20
17 CHURCHILL COUNTY COURTHOUSE
1903 was the year that Churchill County citizens constructed a new
courthouse. The neoclassical styled, redwood-sided building was renovated in
1998 and still serves as a courtroom.
18 BENADUM’S BLOCK
105 N. Maine Street
Charles L. Benadum arrived here from Colorado in 1907. He established a
freighting business, stage line, blacksmith shop, and auto garage on this site.
19 WINGFIELD CREAMERY AND MILK PRODUCERS ASSOCIATES
325 N. Maine Street
Much of Lahontan Valley’s milk production passed through this plant. It was
built in 1914 and operated until the 1960s.
20 DODGE CONSTRUCTION
346 N. Maine Street
This building was completed in 1937. The Dodge Construction business was
formed in 1923 using the heavy construction equipment of the time—horse
teams. After many years in business, the company liquidated in 1967.
21
21 SITE OF THE FALLON FLOUR MILL CO.
306 N. Maine Street
This building was constructed in 1915, and at the peak of its operation, 12,000
tons of grain were stored here. The building was razed in January of 1962.
22 KENT’S LUMBERYARD
260 N. Maine Street
Established in 1892 in Stillwater, Ira Heber Kent family members continue to
operate this business. With a railroad spur running through the yard, Kent’s
was the center for shipping hay, cantaloupes and turkeys from Lahontan
Valley in the early decades of the 20th century.
23 CITY OF FALLON WATER DEPARTMENT
190 N. Maine Street
In 1939 a well was drilled within Fallon’s city limits to provide potable water
to its citizens. When the well was completed, this building was built around it.
Today this structure has been enlarged to house Fallon’s Public Works
Department and its mechanics’ shop.
24 OLD POST OFFICE
90 N. Maine Street
Built to conform to the U.S. Postal Service standards in 1929, this brick
structure features carved woodwork and marble floors. This post office served
the community until 1978. It was restored in 2007 and contains offices today.
25 FALLON’S FIRST SCHOOL
27 JIM RICHARDS’ STORE
1 S. Maine Street
Richards’ store stood on this site and became the first commercial building in
Fallon. Built in 1894, over the years the store was used as an office and later
as the newspaper printing plant for the Churchill County Eagle. Richards’ store
was torn down in 1936.
28 EAGLE NEWSPAPER BUILDING
42 E. Williams Avenue
1929 was the year that Del and Neva Williams built the red brick building that
housed their newspaper, the Churchill County Eagle. While the ground floor of
the building housed the newspaper office and printing presses, the upper floor
consisted of apartments.
29 FALLON’S FRATERNAL HALL
31-45 S. Maine Street
Built in 1927, the upper floor of this building served as the headquarters of the
Fallon Fraternal Hall Association and the following fraternal orders: Masons,
Eastern Star, Odd Fellows, Rebekahs, Knights of Pythias, Pythian Sisters, and the
Fallon Eagles. Later, the building served as a skating rink and garment factory.
30 FALLON THEATER
71 S. Maine Street
Once known as the Rex Theater, this 1920 building has provided
entertainment for nearly every man, woman, and child in the county. It was
later remodeled into the double theater it is today.
76 N. Maine Street
Built in the 1880s, this building served as Fallon’s first school. In the years
after 1902, the structure was remodeled for use as a saloon, harness shop,
shoe shop, and as office space.
J IM RICHARD
S’
26 DRAPER SELF-CULTURE CLUB FOUNTAIN
Williams and Maine Street Intersection
Constructed in 1914, this water fountain was originally located in the center
of the intersection and provided water for people, animals, and automobiles.
In addition to horses and mules, dogs drank at the bottom of the structure.
In 1930 the street was paved from curb to curb and the fountain removed.
22
AZORES STORE
31 AZORES STORE
93 S. Maine Street
This clothing store was established by former Portuguese sheepherder
F.J. Penque in 1926.
32 MORRIS AND LORING DRUG STORE
105 S. Maine Street
County residents cured many ills when they had their prescriptions filled at
this drug store. Business partners H. Morris and E.B. Loring opened this Fallon
store in 1909. Eventually buying his partner out, Mr. Loring continued to serve
as the store’s druggist until his death in 1941.
23
33 CHURCHILL COUNTY NATIONAL BANK/PALLUDAN ARCADE
Financed by Senator George Ernst in 1904, the Churchill County National Bank
was managed by R.L. Douglass, who built his Victorian home on Carson
Street. After one of several redesigns in the 1950s, it became known as the
Palludan Arcade.
38 KOLHOSS CASH STORE
263 S. Maine Street
After years of delivering groceries by horse and buggy from their home,
Harvey and Nanny Kolhoss built this brick building in 1920. The store claims to
have sold the first pair of Levi jeans in western Nevada. After sixty years,
brothers Munsey and Harvey Jr. closed the store in 1984.
39 FIRST NATIONAL BANK
295 S. Maine Street
Constructed in June of 1950, the First National Bank building was one of
many new structures that were built on Maine Street during the boom of that
decade. The Fred Venth Harness and Upholstry Shop was removed from this
site to make way for the modern bank.
40 HILLYARD’S DRUG STORE
301 S. Maine Street
After being employed by Olds Drug Store, Ted Hillyard opened the doors to his
family drug store in August of 1949. Ted and his wife, Grace, were proud of
Hillyard’s Drug Store, a locally-owned business where the owners recognized
their customers and welcomed their patronage.
34 I.H. KENT STORE
165 S. Maine Street
When Fallon became the county seat of Churchill County, Ira Heber Kent
moved his mercantile business, established in 1876, to this Fallon site.
Kent soon replaced his small wooden store with a substantial building made
of stone quarried from nearby Mt. Toyeh (Rattlesnake Hill).
35 OVERLAND HOTEL
125 E. Center Street
Constructed in 1907 by Dan Griffin, the Overland was the major gathering
place for politicians and miners as well as Lincoln Highway travelers. Guests
arriving in Fallon by train were met by horse-drawn carriage and brought to
the hotel. In 1999 it was listed on the Nevada Register of Historic Places.
36 FALLON GARAGE
126 E. Center Street
Built in 1911, the Fallon Garage served the historic Lincoln Highway and
local motorists for more than 60 years under the stewardship of the
George C. Coverston family. Janess Chevrolet conducted business here
from 1974 into the 1990s.
37 PALLUDAN BLOCK / GRAY – REID BUILDING
First named the Grey-Reid building, this building was constructed around
1914. J.C. Penny, Safeway, Sprouse Reitz, Grey-Reid Store, Fallon Mercantile
Co., and others have occupied the north part of this block over the years.
Still visible on the north end of the building are the words “Gray Reid & Co.”
24
41 LIKES RESIDENCE
395 S. Maine Street
Leo Likes was the last tenant to live at this address. The home was moved in
the early 1960s and ended the era of single-family dwellings on the central
portion of Maine Street.
42 CHURCHILL COUNTY LIBRARY
553 S. Maine Street
Built in 1967 with the help of money from the Fleischmann Foundation, the
Churchill County Library moved from a tiny building downtown to this
spacious facility. Now, more than thirty years later, the library is again feeling
a space crunch and is planning to expand its present facility.
43 SILVER STATE CONSTRUCTION SITE
869 S. Maine Street
Andrew Dellard Drumm, Jr. began his Silver State Construction Company here
in 1922 as a subcontractor. He built the concrete garage and warehouse in
1930. For over forty-five years his business provided employment for many
Fallon residents. It’s now part of the work yards for the Churchill County
Telephone Company.
44 SAFEWAY STORE
1050 S. Maine Street
In 1957, the Safeway Company constructed their largest Fallon store, but in
1967 they moved to an even bigger location. The building was purchased by
Margaret and Alex Oser, and in 1968, a group of residents convinced the
County to use the building to house a county museum.
25
ST AUSGUSTINE’S
AUSTIN, N EVAD
A
ST. G EORG
E’S
DEPOT
AUSTIN
26
A
A U S T I N N E VA D A
ustin was once the mother of mining
camps and a flourishing Old West town.
William Talcott, an agent for the Overland Mail and
Stage, discovered a ledge of silver ore at this spot on
May 2, 1862. Talcott came from Jacobsville, a stage stop
six miles to the west on the Reese River and the first
Lander County seat. He was hauling wood out of Pony
Canyon when he made the strike that set off the famous
“rush” to the Reese River Mining District.
Within two years, at the peak of the boom, there
were 8,000 people. Another nearby town, Clifton,
flourished briefly in Pony Canyon, but fast-growing
Austin soon took over and became the county seat in
1863. Austin miners produced $50 million in silver as
other prospectors fanned out to more than forty other
mining camps, but Austin outlived nearly all of them.
By 1865 Austin was Nevada’s second largest city, and
more than sixty mining districts were chartered by
Austin-based prospectors.
Despite Austin’s large silver production and relative
isolation, the town did not attract a railroad until 1879
when construction of the Nevada Central line began at
Battle Mountain. The railroad to Austin was completed
on February 9, 1880, but by 1887 Austin had hit bottom
and the mines closed. The railroad continued to operate
until abandoned in 1938.
Named after Austin, Texas, the many landmarks in
town are a testimony to its incredible history. Walking
the streets of Austin, visitors can see eleven buildings
and sites that are listed on the National Register of
Historic Places. The town also serves as a base for
outdoor enthusiasts. The Austin-Kingston Canyon area
offers four maintained campgrounds and outdoor
recreational opportunities that include mining, rock
hounding, fishing, hunting, and a variety of trails for
hiking, backpacking, and ATVing.
27
A U S T I N WA L K I N G T O U R
1
OLD DEPOT OF CLIFTON below Austin (site)
Austin Rodeo Grounds
This was once home to the Nevada Central Railroad and the Austin City Railway.
The Austin City Railway ran from Clifton through Austin to the Manhattan Mill.
Two spurs ran to the mines. The Austin City Railway operated until 1889. The
engine was kept by the Nevada Central and ran for many more years.
Re
ese
St
1
El m
St
2 EMMA NEVADA HOME (site)
115 Water Street
T H E
Emma Wixom’s family moved to Austin in 1864, and because of her readily
apparent musical abilities, participated in many of the musical events of the
town. After attending college, she toured Europe and debuted under the
name “Emma Nevada” at Her Majesty’s Theatre in London May 17, 1880.
T O W N
O F
A U S T I N
Court St
N E V A D A
4
15
14
2
Virginia St
South
St
4
3
Water St
Sixth St
2
5
16
3
6
3 OLD COURT HOUSE (site)
121 Court Street
7
eg
Tel
rap
hS
t
The original wooden Lander County Courthouse was moved from Jacobsville
to this site in Austin. It was set on a granite foundation and a stone portion
was built for offices. The building was used until 1871 when the current
courthouse on Main Street was built.
13
Cedar St
8
9
4 REESE RIVER REVEILLE BUILDING (site)
121 Main Street Hwy. 50
The oldest continually published newspaper in Nevada resided here.
This newspaper published from May 16, 1863 to June 1993. A complete set
of records of the Reveille is preserved in the Austin Court House vault and
is the only complete run of any newspaper dating back to territorial days.
Rd
12 1
11
10
28
Castle
12
1
GRIDLEY STORE
Listed on the Register of Historic Places
247 Water Street
Built in 1863, the store was operated by Reuel Gridley. Gridley carried a
fifty-pound sack of flour from Austin to Clifton, on April 19, 1864, to pay off an
election bet. By auctioning the sack in Austin, Virginia City, Sacramento,
and San Francisco, he raised $200,000 for the Union Army.
29
2 AUSTIN SCHOOL
130 6th Street
The Austin School was built in 1925 and was designed by the architectural
firm of George A. Ferris & Son. It is rendered in the Romano-Tuscan mode of
the Renaissance Revival style. It housed K-12 until 1994. A new school was
built below town and now houses all grades.
3 ST. AUGUSTINE’S CHURCH
113 Virginia Street
Built in 1866 of native brick and stone, this is the last remaining structure of
the first four Catholic churches built in Nevada, giving it the honor of being the
oldest. St. Augustine’s has served as the mother church for numerous
communities in the area. It was renovated in 2008.
4 OLD METHODIST CHURCH/EMMA NEVADA TOWN HALL
135 Court Street
Erected in 1866, the Old Methodist Church played a leading roll in the affairs
of the community for many years. A famous pipe organ that was brought
“around the Horn” and hauled overland from San Francisco, was once housed
here. The building is now the Austin Town Hall.
7 NEVADA’S OLDEST BANK BUILDING
88 Main Street
Austin has the oldest bank building in the state of Nevada. This bank was
under continuous operation from September 1863 until July 1962, nearly
ninety-nine years. The building currently houses the Austin Library.
8 OLD FIRE HOUSE/YOUTH CENTER
67 Main Street
This building was originally a brewery and was converted into a firehouse in
the early 1900s. The bell, originally for the Manhattan Hose Company No. 2,
was placed on the building. It was a firehouse until the late 1950s, then a
library, Senior Citizen Center, and now the Youth Center.
9 INTERNATIONAL HOTEL
59 Main Street
The International is the oldest hotel in Nevada. A portion of the bar and the
east side of the building was the original International Hotel in Virginia City,
built between 1859-60. Dismantled in 1863 to make room for a larger hotel,
parts of the original building were shipped to Austin.
5 ST. GEORGE’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH
156 Main Street
On Easter of 1877, the Reverend Blackiston raised donations for building this
church that included a twenty-dollar gold piece from every employee of the
local mines. The money financed the building, a retaining wall, a pipe organ,
and the bell. The first service was held February 17, 1878.
10 STOKES CASTLE
6 OLD CITY HALL/AMERICAN LEGION HALL
90 South Street
Austin city government used this building in the 1860s when Austin was the
second largest city in Nevada. Offices were on the second floor, and the
police station on the lower floor. The city seal included Reuel Gridley’s famous
sack of flour. The building is currently the American Legion/VFW Hall.
30
STOKES
CASTLE
1 Castle Road
Stokes Castle is an exact replica of a tower outside of Rome, Italy, and
was built out of hand-hewn native granite. The huge slabs were raised by a
hand-operated windlass. The castle was built in 1897 for Anson Phelps
Stokes, an eastern financier who had mining interests in the Austin area.
11 NEVADA CENTRAL TURNTABLE
Austin Rodeo Grounds
The Nevada Central Railroad, a narrow gauge, operated from Battle Mountain
to Austin from 1880 to 1938. The railroad was constructed in just five months
beginning in September 1879. The Nevada Central served Austin and the area
faithfully for fifty-eight years and was abandoned in 1938 after mining dwindled.
31
12 AUSTIN CEMETERY
Highway 50/ Highway 305
Highway 50 bisects the Catholic, Citizens, Masonic, and I.O.O.F. cemeteries,
west of town. The cemeteries reflect the diversity of Austin’s inhabitants
through the years. West of the main complex lies the American Indian cemetery.
The four cemeteries of the main complex are listed on the National Register
of Historic Places.
13 OLD HOSPITAL
INE
DIAMOND M
DA
EU REKA, N EVA
139 Telegraph Street
Purchased by Lander County Commissioners for $800 and opened in
December 1875, the County Hospital provided most medical services to the
town. In the early years, the doctors resided in the hospital. Later, the hospital
also served as a rest home for indigents, then was permanently closed in
December 1959.
14 J.A. CRESCENZO MERCANTILE
101 Main Street
Originally built in 1863, this building was home to the largest dry goods
mercantile in Nevada. Massive shelves and display cabinets dating back to
that era are still in use today. A portion of the original tongue-in-groove
ceiling has been removed, exposing huge beams typical of many Nevada
boomtown structures.
ALL
MASON IC H
15 MASONIC ODD FELLOWS HALL
105 Main Street
Construction on this building began in 1867 and was financed by Austin’s two
lodges of Masons and two lodges of Odd Fellows. The final cost was $17,600,
and the building was formally opened on January 15, 1868. The lodge is still
used by the Masons, Odd Fellows, and Eastern Star.
EUREKA OPERA HOUSE
16 LANDER COUNTY COURT HOUSE
122 Main Street
One of the oldest court houses in Nevada, its cornerstone was laid on
September 9, 1871. Its plain design resulted from a focus on sturdy
construction. In the early 1880s a murderer was taken from the jail on the
lower floor and lynched from the balcony over the front door.
32
RESCU E HOS
E 1912
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T H E
t
ureka was settled in 1864 by silver
prospectors from nearby Austin who
discovered rock containing a silver-lead ore on nearby
Prospect Peak. The town site in Horse Thief Canyon
was surveyed in 1869. The town was originally named
“Napias” on January 13, 1870. On January 27, when the
post office was established, the name was changed to
“Eureka.” The town became the county seat in 1873,
when Eureka County was carved out of adjacent
Lander, Elko, and White Pine counties.
Mining, especially for lead, was the town’s
economic mainstay, as the nearby hillsides ranked as
Nevada’s second-richest mineral producer, behind
western Nevada’s Comstock Lode. Eureka overtook
Austin in size and mining productivity during the
middle 1870s when the Eureka & Palisade Railroad was
extended south from the Central Pacific.
By 1878, when Austin had already begun its
decline, Eureka’s population reached 10,000 and had
taken second place among Nevada cities. There were
dozens of saloons, gambling houses and bawdy houses,
three opera houses, two breweries, five volunteer
firefighting companies, two companies of militia and the
usual complement of doctors, lawyers, merchants,
bankers, hotels, newspapers, and other businesses. Fifty
mines produced lead, silver, gold, and zinc for the
smelters, which could process more than 700 tons of ore
a day.
Fires in April 1879 and August 1880 destroyed
most of the structures in the northeastern portion of
town. Many of the buildings you see today were erected
around 1880-1881. Mining production peaked in 1882
and tailed off rapidly after 1885. By 1891 the major
mines shut down.
In the early 1990s, Eureka began to preserve its
history with the restoration of the Eureka Opera House
and then the Eureka County Courthouse. These two
projects and the expansion of the Eureka Sentinel
Museum have helped to make Eureka what it is today.
E U R E K A WA L K I N G T O U R
S
ams
n. Ad
E
E U R E K A N E VA D A
Silver St
50
35
1
EUREKA SENTINEL MUSEUM
10 N. Monroe Street
Built from locally fired bricks and stone from Chandler’s quarry in 1879,
this building housed the Eureka Sentinel newspaper until 1960. Construction
cost was $10,000. The Eureka Sentinel Museum opened here in June 1982.
The museum includes the original press room from newspaper days.
2 COLONNADE HOTEL
90 N. Monroe Street
Built in 1880, this building became the Colonnade Hotel in 1886. Later it was
a meeting place for the Italian Benevolent Society until 1890. Vacant for
almost four decades, the Colonnade reopened around 1940. The building
was operated as a hotel until 1999.
3 SADLER HOUSE
9 EUREKA CAFÉ
90 N. Main Street
The north building was built around 1873. The ground floor was a mercantile
store, and the upstairs had offices for doctors, dentists and attorneys. By 1907
it was the Zadow Hotel and the south building constructed. In the 1920s it
became the Eureka Hotel, and in 1942, the Eureka Café.
10 J&S SALOON
80 N. Main Street
Built prior to 1873 by Solomon Ashim, this building served as a general store
until the early 1900s when it was a dry goods store managed by Flora Morris
and her son David. By the 1930s the building became a restaurant and has
served as a restaurant and bar.
160 N. Monroe Street
The Sadler House was built in 1879 by Reinhold Sadler. Mr. Sadler was a
businessman, rancher, and Nevada governor from 1896 to 1902. The house
has been modified several times and today it is a private residence.
11 EUREKA COUNTY COURTHOUSE
4 EUREKA COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL
200 N. Adams
Built in 1924 to replace the 1871 school, this building housed grades one
through twelve until 1969 when a new high school was built. It served as the
grade school until 1995 when the new one was completed. Today the
building remains vacant.
5 STONE AND BRICK BUILDING
200 N. Main Street
Built in 1879, this building has served as Tatti’s Saloon. It was also a meeting
place for the Italian Charcoal Burners (Carbonari), and The Eureka Coalburners
Protective Association, formed in July 1879. These groups figured prominently
in the Charcoalburners’ War.
6 TOGNINI AND COMPANY BUILDING
180 N. Main Street
This building was constructed in 1877 by the Tognini Company and was the
Eureka Billiard Hall Saloon until the 1880s. This was also the headquarters for
one of Eureka’s biggest Charcoal Production companies. The bricks used in the
front are the same as those of the school on Adams Street.
36
10 S. Main Street
Construction of this two-story brick structure was finished in 1880. The
courthouse was thought to be the finest in the state outside of Virginia City.
The iron shutters on the doors and windows of this, and other buildings
throughout town, were to keep fire from the interior of the buildings.
12 ANTIQUES
50 S. Main Street
Built in 1880 as a wholesale liquor store this building became the Eureka Post
Office in the 1890s. By 1907 the building was vacant. In the 1920s, the Farmers
and Merchants Bank was located here. It was an antiques store over the past
few years but is now closed.
13 EUREKA SENIOR CENTER
20 W. Gold Street
Built in 1880, this brick building features iron columns that were cast by
the local Eureka Foundry Company. It has been a grocery and variety store,
a mortuary, and is now part of the Eureka Senior Citizens Center that
expanded in 1996.
14 REBALEATI GARAGE
This building has been torn down.
37
15 SAN FRANCISCO BREWERY
91 S. Main Street
Fire consumed the 1870s wood structure that was the San Francisco Brewery
owned by Rudolph Leuzinger. Henry Mau rebuilt the brick building in the late
1870s. After 1900, Frank Brossemer bottled soda in the back part. The Eureka
Post Office was in this building from 1941 until 1982.
FOLEY-RICKARD
16 EUREKA POST OFFICE
51 S. Main Street
This building, built after the August 1880 fire, housed William Zadow’s
butcher shop called the Eureka Market. In the 1940s and 50s, Eureka Meat
and Groceries occupied the building. The original tin ceilings with floral and
bird designs can be seen inside.
21 FOLEY-RICKARD-JOHNSON
31 S. Main Street
Built in 1880, this opera house sits on the ashes of the Odd Fellows Hall.
It was a movie theater in the 1940s, then stood idle until Eureka County
purchased and restored it in 1993. The Eureka Opera House serves as a
full service convention center and cultural arts center.
22 EUREKA GALLERY
17 EUREKA OPERA HOUSE
31 N. Main Street
Built in 1879 by M.D. Foley and Richard Rickard, the Remington, Johnson &
Company hardware store was located at the northern end of the ground floor.
A bookstore, stationary store, saloon, assay office, and Wells Fargo Express
Office shared the first floor. The Masonic and Odd Fellows Hall were upstairs.
41 N. Main Street
This was one of Eureka’s first banks, the Paxton and Company Bank. The
original building burned in the fire of 1879 and a new bank was built. A
Western Union Telegraph Office was also added around 1890. The building
has been used as an art gallery since 1985.
23 EUREKA MERCHANTILE
51 N. Main Street
This building was completed in September of 1879 and was a clothing store.
The Mau Brothers purchased it in the early 1900s and sold clothing, shoes,
books and stationary. In 2008 the building became a clothing store once more.
18 JACKSON HOUSE
24 EUREKA MOLY
19 RYLAND BUILDING
25 OWL CLUB STEAK HOUSE, BAR & GIFT SHOP
26 61 & 71 N. Main Street
11 S. Main Street
Built in 1877 as the Jackson House Hotel, this building was gutted in the 1880
fire and then restored. In 1907 it became the Brown Hotel and was operated
until the 1940s. In 1981 it was again restored and called the Jackson House.
It was remodeled most recently in 1998.
20 E. Bateman
This is the second building to occupy this site; Richard Ryland’s first
building was destroyed in the 1880 fire. The building has been used as
offices, a rooming house, and a restaurant. It is now a private residence.
20 CREW CAR NO. 29
11 N. Main Street
This crew car is the only piece of rolling stock from the Eureka & Palisade
Railroad left in Eureka. The railroad was completed in 1875 and insured the
permanence of Eureka. The 84-mile line began at Palisade and was the
lifeline for Eureka until the mid 1930s. Today it serves as the Economic
Development office.
38
55 N. Main Street
This building was the city brewery and soda works, which supplied the first
beer in Eureka. It has been a barber shop, the Bank Club Bar, and Bays
Fountain. In the 1970s the building was used as a movie theater and is now
the office for a local mining company.
There are four buildings on this site, and together they became the Owl Club
in 1939. The café was an 1880s saloon. Another section was built in 1930 as
a handball court. The attached bar was added in 1957. The Owl Club Gift
Shop was previously a saloon.
27 RAINE’S MARKET
81 N. Main Street
Two historic buildings comprise what is now Raine’s Market. The southern
portion of the building survived the 1879 fire and was F.J. Schneider’s
Drugstore for many years. The northern portion was built in 1879 as a saloon,
and after the fire of 1879, became a clothing store.
39
28 NEVADA STATE BANK
91 N. Main Street
This 1879 building was originally a saloon and the Old Corner Chop House.
Around 1912, the building housed the Lani and Repetto Saloon and the Eureka
Brewery. In the late 1930s, the Farmers and Merchants Bank moved to this
site, and has changed names several times since then.
29 MASONIC BUILDING
35 METHODIST CHURCH
11 N. Spring Street
This structure was dedicated in 1881 and featured a library, vestibule, and
a sleeping area for visiting clergy. The interior had a red fern carpet, stained
glass windows, and seating for 250. In 1982, Frank and Carol Bleuss
renovated it to become a woodworking shop and home.
101 N. Main Street
This building was built after the fire of 1880 and was a dry goods store, jewelry
store, barber shop, bath house, tailor shop, and tinsmith shop. In 1907 it
was the Eureka Post Office, and the Masons and the Odd Fellows used the
building. The Masons continue to use the building.
36 SAINT JAMES EPISCOPAL CHURCH
101 S. Spring Street
Built in 1872, this is Eureka’s first stone church. Regular services were held
until 1893 and sporadically until the church closed in 1907. The bell at the
south side of the church was moved from the bell tower behind the church.
The church holds services on a regular basis today.
30 RATTAZZI’S
121 N. Main Street
These two buildings were built in 1880. The southern building was Brown and
Godfrey’s Oyster Saloon, Chop House and Confectionery. The northern
building was the Knights of Pythius Lodge, a fraternal and benevolent society.
Today these two adjoined buildings are a restaurant and bar.
31 AL’S HARDWARE
131 N. Main Street
Part of this building was built before 1873. It was a two-story until the fires of
1879 and 1880 when it was restored as a one-story and became the Stone
Saloon. In 1946 Albert Biale opened the hardware store that is here today and
still owned by the Biale family.
33 SKILLMAN HOUSE
101 N. Paul Street
This two-story brick building was known as the Skillman House. It was the
home of Archibald Skillman, founder and publisher of the Eureka Sentinel
Newspaper in 1870. The building was used as an assay office in the early
1900s. It is privately owned and being restored as a home.
34 THE PARSONAGE HOUSE
21 N. Spring Street
Known as the Parsonage House, this house was built in 1886. The last
renovation was completed by Frank and Carol Bleuss who also renovated the
Methodist Church. They converted the house into a bed and breakfast during
the 1980s and 1990s. It is now a private residence.
40
37 CATHOLIC CEMETERY
The Catholic Cemetery is one of six cemeteries located on the west side of
Eureka in Graveyard Flat, or Death Valley as it was known in the 1880s.
38 MASONIC CEMETERY
Across from the Catholic Cemetery is the Masonic Cemetery. Across the road
behind the trailer court is the Schwamb Cemetery. This cemetery was privately
owned in the 1870s and 1880s by C.W. Schwamb, an undertaker in Eureka.
39 CITY/COUNTY CEMETERY
Past the Schwamb Cemetery is the City/County Cemetery. In this cemetery
you will find a monument for the charcoalburners who were buried here after
they were murdered in the Fish Creek War of August 18, 1879.
40 ODD FELLOWS CEMETERY
North on the hill amongst some trees is the Independent Order of Odd
Fellows/Knights of Pythisus Cemetery. It is now known as the Cedar Hills
Cemetery. The Chinese Cemetery is across the street from Eureka High
School. It has only one grave and no markers. Another cemetery that is not
located in the west side of Eureka is the Jewish Cemetery. It is located at
the south end of Eureka just past the Silver Sky Lodge, on the east side of
Highway 50.
42 ZADOW AND MORRISON HOUSE
400 S. Edwards Street
This Victorian-style home was built around 1886 by James Wilson. Later,
it was bought by William Zadow who owned a butcher shop on Main Street.
Around 1910 it was purchased by Dan Morrison who lived there for many
years. In 1976 it was renovated and is a private residence.
41
46
T H E
Reno Ave
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yH
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ilro
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l St
w. Minera
Galena St
St
w. McCoy
a
ric
Ca
St
Treasure
45
St
ct
spe
Pro
Catholic
Cemetery
Silver St
Carson St
Caribou Way
St
by
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Ru
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Hi
Gold St
St
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an St
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m
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42 44
Ln
Sadler
rk St
e. Cla
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s. Spring S
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s. Buel S
St
St
43
See map on
page 35 for detail
of this area.
St
ring
n. Sp
el St
n. Bu
48
St
il Ave
n. O’Ne
Ave
Nob Hill
St
Ryland
Hol
ly R
d
n St
Mai
Mathew St
Sheridan
Mathew S
t
w.
Chinese
Cla
rk
Cemetery
t
bins
e. Ro
n.
e St
onro
n. M
St
ams
n . Ad
S
an
Eg
Independent Order of Odd Fellows
Knights of Pythisus Cemetery
Ln
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Dibble
eil Ave
n. O’N
Ave
Nob Hill
N E V A D A
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Go
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Bullion St
Silver West St
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50
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Tan
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43
42 SAINT BRENDAN’S CATHOLIC CHURCH
ELY, N EVADA
70 N. O’Neil Avenue
This stone church was built in 1874 at a cost of $5,000. The volcanic tuff was
quarried from the Chandler Quarry above the west side of town. Saint Brendan’s
has served as the areas Catholic Church since 1874.
43 MARY WATTLES HOME
70 Nob Hill Avenue
This home was built in 1883 by Claude Ford, owner of the Eureka Livestock
Company. Mary Elizabeth Isles-Wattles, who came to America from Stratton
England, bought this home in 1927 and owned it until her death in 1952.
At 106 years old, she was the oldest living Nevada resident.
44 PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
71 N. O’Neil Avenue
Built in 1873, this is possibly the oldest wood frame church in Nevada. The
congregation dwindled around 1907 and the church became Methodist, but in
later years served Presbyterians again. The original bell is next to the Eureka
Sentinel Museum. Today the building serves as a private craft workshop.
45 GENERAL STORE
600 S. Main Street
Built in 1882 by James Allen, this building was the Ottawa Hotel. In 1886 it
operated as a grocery store. It later served as The Richmond Service, a Shell
Oil Company gas station in the 1920s, and a Union 76 station in the 1940s.
Today it is a convenience store.
46 SLAG
S. Main Street
Sixteen smelters refined ores of the Eureka Mining District. This is the site of
the Richmond Consolidated Smelter. Small portions of the smelter, slag
heaps, and the ditch for the smoke stack flume can be seen behind the Eureka
County Courthouse Annex. The first furnace was built in 1871.
ES
N BAT
W ILSO BU ILD ING
RANCH EXHIBIT
701 S. Main Street
On the hill behind the Eureka Courthouse Annex you will see historic ranching
equipment collected through the years by Eureka County and the Eureka
Sentinel Museum.
47 TANNEHILL LOG CABIN
30 Tannehill Road at Hwy. 50
This log cabin is believed to be the first home built in Eureka around 1865.
It later served as Eureka’s first store. It is built of massive pinion pine logs that
grew near Eureka before trees were cut for charcoal. It has been modified
through the years.
48 EUREKA COUNTY SWIMMING FACILITY
200 Sheridan Street
The Eureka County Swimming Facility has been a covered pool since the early
1990s. It was originally built as an outdoor pool in the 1970s. It is open
throughout the year.
44
WARD CHARCOAL OVENS
45
E
E LY N E VA D A
ly is another great Nevada mining town, its
growth cycles dependant upon the boom and
busts so common in the West. Copper was first
discovered in White Pine County in 1872. More than
fifty mining companies were organized between 1902
and 1907 in the Robinson District. The Kennecott
Copper Company began acquiring Ely copper mining
companies in 1915. By 1958 Kennecott dominated the
local economy and controlled the district's copper
mines. This boom lasted until 1978 when Kennecott
closed the mine and smelter.
With the advent of cyanide heap leaching, a method
of extracting gold from what was previously considered
low-grade ore, another boom was on. Gold mines as
widespread as the Robinson project near Ruth, Alligator
Ridge mine, and Bald Mountain mine 65 miles from Ely,
kept the town alive during the 1980s and 1990s, until the
recent revival of copper mining. The dramatic increase
in demand for copper in 2004 has once again made Ely a
copper boomtown. Periodically producing copper
through the years, the Robinson District has turned out
over two billion pounds of copper.
1906 marked the arrival of the Nevada Northern
Railway. From 1906 until 1978, the railroad transported
copper to the mainline. In 1986, the NNRY was gifted to
the City of Ely to operate as a tourist railroad. The Nevada
Northern Railway National Historic Landmark offers a
look back at the historic rail system around Ely. The
best-preserved short-line railway offers rides on its
“queens of steam” and historic diesel engines which
travel the original tracks from Ely to the Robinson
mining district.
The Ely Renaissance Society has financed more than
twenty outdoor murals and sculptures in the downtown
area. Artists from all over the world have been
commissioned to create images of local history. They
also maintain a historical village consisting of a general
store and several shotgun houses that display the
history of the various ethnic groups that worked for the
railroad and mine.
46
E LY WA L K I N G T O U R
1
WHITE PINE COUNTY COURTHOUSE & PARK
801 Clark Street
The courthouse was completed in 1909. Fifty thousand loads of dirt were
brought in to landscape the Courthouse Park. There was a zoo of native
wildlife, including bobcats, badgers, coyotes, and porcupines. A brook fed
water into a duck pond filled with native cattails.
2 REQUA-ELY RAILROAD DEPOT, COUNTY PARK
1000 Campton Street
Mark Requa realized the need for a railroad for development of the mines, and
in 1906 the Requa-Ely Railroad Depot was built. When the first train of the
Nevada Northern Railway arrived from Salt Lake City on September 29, 1906,
a three-day celebration was held and dignitaries included Governor Sparks.
3 OLD COURTHOUSE
957 Campton Street
Built in 1887 the building to the west was the first Courthouse built in Ely
when the county seat was moved from Hamilton in 1887. It cost $10,000 to
build. The Old Court House was later remodeled and used as a hospital for
many years. Today the building houses many county offices.
4 THE BARTLEY HOUSE
709 Campton Street
E. Weller completed this fine residence in 1909 for David P. Bartley at a cost of
$3,500. Mr. Bartley and his partner, Edwin Gray, are credited with starting the
mass production of copper in this area.
47
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Aultma
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nue
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Blv
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in
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5th St
High
7th St
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Lyons A
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Ely S
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Fay Ave
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Sage St
Murry St
Canyon St
Mill St
9 10
4th Ave
8
48
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50
93
6
49
5 QUEEN ANN COTTAGE
591 Campton Street
Built in 1910 by George Metzger, the wrap-around porch, dormer windows
and gables, and gingerbread trim are all original.
URCH
LIC CH
CATHO
MCOMIE/MCG
ILL HOUSE
12 ELY CITY HALL
501 Mill Street
Built in 1928, the Ely City Hall houses the City of Ely offices.
13 ROCKHILL HOUSE
438 High Street
An excellent example of Victorian architecture, this house was designed and
built in 1905 by Charles W. Gaby for Thomas Rockhill. Mr. Rockhill was an
early miner who retired comfortably by selling all his mining properties when
copper production started.
14 RENAISSANCE VILLAGE
6 SACRED HEART CATHOLIC CHURCH
501 Murry Street
This church was built in 1906 and Father Michael Curran, who had arrived
from Salt Lake City, held the first services. For the next year, he traveled to Ely
by train to conduct services. The first permanent priest was Father Sheehan,
who conducted his first service on October 6, 1907.
7 GALLAGHER HOUSE
428 - 480 Ely Street
The street, structures, and environment remain the same as when they were
constructed in 1907-1912 in the booming mining camp. Take time to tour
these authentic homes and admire their beautiful antiques. Each home
depicts a different ethnic culture, part of Ely’s heritage.
15 ST. BARTHOLOMEW EPISCOPAL CHURCH
7th & Lyons Avenue
Built in 1907, this church was designed in the Norman Revival style popular in
England at the time. Selling hymnals raised the money required to build this
church. The organ was donated by William Boyce Thompson and the pews by
Tex Rickart. The current bell came from a church in Ely, England.
604 Murry Street
William Lawrensen built this home on the sunny side of Murry Creek in 1888.
W.C. Gallagher lived in it in the early 1900s. It is the oldest residence native
to Ely.
8 MARSHAL HOUSE
1000 Mill Street
A. A. Marshal built this home in 1907. The residence features unusual leaded
glass windows; no two windows are alike. It demonstrates the oriental
culture that Marshal explored as a Merchant Marine Captain.
9 CHARLES RUSSELL HOME
133 Sage Street
Although Charles H. Russell lived in the Collins Hotel for years, he lived in this
house after he was married and before he became Governor of Nevada.
10 GAUFIN HOUSE
706 Canyon Street
Moved from Cherry Creek by train car around 1908, this home looks much as
it did in 1908.
11 JAMES P. MCOMIE / WILLIAM N. MCGILL HOUSE
606 Canyon Street (on the odd side of the street)
Built in 1888, the home was moved from the mining camp of Taylor by
owner James McOmie. In 1902, W. M. McGill purchased the residence.
Dr. Reed J. Anderson raised his family in this house in the 60s and 70s.
50
E
LL HOUS
ROCKHI
16 WHITE PINE HIGH SCHOOL
HIGH SC
HOOL
844 Aultman Street
Completed in 1913, it is now the White Pine Middle School.
17 THE WATSON HOUSE
1008 E. Aultman Street
Built in 1906, this craftsman-style home is best remembered as home to
7th Judicial District Court Judge, Harry Watson.
18 COPPER NATIONAL BANK
298 E. 11th Street
Between 1907 and 1912, eastern capitalists tried to monopolize the area.
They controlled the railroad, the new smelter at McGill, most of the copper
holdings, and wanted to control commerce in the town. “Ely City” was their
effort. The Copper National Bank was their bank.
51
19 EAST ELY DEPOT
1100 Avenue A
This depot was built in 1907 and was the main passenger and freight
headquarters of the Nevada Northern Railroad. Located within one of the
nation’s most complete historic railroad yards, the depot, grounds, and
shops remain hauntingly unchanged.
PONY EXPRES
S TERRITORY
DRIV ING
TOURS
20 13TH CRIB ROW
200 13th Street
Built in 1908 this was one of the two “Red Light Districts” in Ely. Take note of
the leaded glass windows.
EAST ELY DEPOT
EAST ELY GRADE SC
HOOL
21 EAST ELY GRADE SCHOOL
NOW MT. VIEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
1001 East 11th Street
22 WALLACE / PITTMAN HOUSE
1001 Park Avenue
Built in 1908, by Dr. E.L.R. Wallace, this is one of two California bungalow
homes built by prominent people in the development of “Ely City.” Later Vail
Pittman lived in this house while he was founder, editor and publisher of the
Ely Daily Times newspaper.
23 WHITE PINE PUBLIC MUSEUM
2000 Aultman Street
The museum area includes the old Cherry Creek, Nevada Railroad Station,
a pioneer log cabin, mining displays, railroad cars, and stagecoaches. It is now
home to a new addition, the Cave Bear, whose bones were discovered in a
cave in White Pine County.
24 HOTEL NEVADA
501 Aultman Street
Completed in 1929, this hotel was the tallest building in Nevada for almost
twenty years and it featured the first elevator in Ely. Recent renovations to the
rooms now feature celebrity rooms with memorabilia from some of the stars
that have stayed at the hotel.
52
53
DRIVING TOURS
TOUR EY
G
N
I
V
I
DR
ERNL
F
R
A
NE
PYRAMID
Pyramid Lake
Nixon
DRIVING TOURS
LAKE
The Pyramid
Lake Tour
447
L
FORT CHURCHIL
ALT
95
80
Fernley
80
tribe at the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe Museum and Visitors Center. Exhibits at
the multi-purpose museum describe the tribe’s history and culture and offer
insight into why the Paiute people hold the lake and its surrounding landscape
so sacred. Other displays focus on Pyramid Lake’s natural history and the
many creatures that make the lake their home. Visitors can also purchase
permits for an assortment of recreational pursuits, including camping, boating,
fishing, and daily-use passes. The museum also provides important
information about the lake’s recreational policies.
NEAR DA
YTON
The Lahontan,
Fort Churchill,
and Mason
Valley Tour
Silver
Springs
ALT
50
95
Fort Churchill
State
Historic Park
Lahontan State
Recreation Area
Dayton
ALT
ALT
95
50
The Pyramid Lake Tour
This tour highlights Pyramid Lake.
LAHON
T
RECRE AN STATE
ATION
AREA
Mason Valley
Wildlife
Management
Area
Distance and Road Conditions
From downtown Fernley, the trip is around 92 miles round trip. The total
driving time is about 3 hours plus time spent at Pyramid Lake. The trip is
mostly on paved roads, and any gravel roads are well maintained.
Directions
To Pyramid Lake Area
• Start at Fernley and take Commerce Way / E. Main St / US 40 / US 50
• Follow Commerce Way / US 40 to NV 427
• Continue for approximately 45.8 miles on NV 427 north to the town of Nixon
• Arrive at Pyramid Lake
The Lahontan, Fort Churchill, and Mason Valley Tour
Return to Fernley
Description
Pyramid Lake is approximately 188 square miles in size, making it one of the
largest lakes in the United States. It’s fed by the Truckee River and has no
outlet, with water leaving only by evaporation or sub-surface seepage. The
name comes from the impressive tufa formations nearby. The largest such
formation, Anaho Island, is home to a large colony of American White
Pelicans and is highly restricted for ecological reasons. Major fish species
include the cui-ui lakesucker, the Tui chub and Lahontan cutthroat trout. The
world record cutthroat trout was caught in Pyramid Lake.
The Paiute Indian tribe were the first inhabitants of this area, and the
lake is now completely within the Pyramid Lake Indian Reservation. Pyramid
Lake is also a part of the National Scenic Byways Program, and the only
byway in the country that is entirely within a tribal reservation.
Visitors can learn more about the lake’s history and the Paiute Indian
54
This tour highlights the Lahontan State Recreation Area, Fort Churchill
State Historic Park, and Mason Valley Wildlife Management Area.
From downtown Dayton, the tour is around 115.2 miles round trip. The total
trip time is about 3 hours plus time spent at each stop. The tour is mostly on
paved roads, and any gravel roads are well maintained.
Directions
To Lahontan State Recreation Area
• Begin the tour from downtown Dayton
• Take US 50 East towards Fallon and travel 23.8 miles
• Turn right at Commerce Way / US 95 / US 95A N (Silver Springs) and
go 2.9 miles
• Turn left at Fir Street and travel 1.6 miles
• Slight left at Lahontan State Recreation Area. In 0.3 miles, it will be on
the right
To Fort Churchill State Historic Park
55
DRIVING TOURS
• From Lahontan State Recreation Area, head south toward E. Fir Street
0.3 miles
• Take a slight right at E. Fir Street and go 1.6 miles
• Turn left at Commerce Way / US 95 / US 95A N
• Continue to follow US 95A N for 5.2 miles
• Turn right at Fort Churchill Road and travel 0.8 miles
• Take a slight left at Fort Churchill State Monument road and go 0.2 miles
• There is a slight right to stay on Fort Churchill State Monument road,
continue for 0.2 miles
• Fort Churchill State Historic Park will be on the right
To Mason Valley Wildlife Management Area
• From Fort Churchill State Historic Park, head east on Fort Churchill State
Monument road for 0.4 miles.
• Take a slight right at Fort Churchill Road and travel 0.8 miles.
• Turn right at Commerce Way / US 95 / US 95A N and continue to follow
US 95 for 18.8 miles
• Turn left at Miller Lane and go 2.7 miles
• Turn left at Lux Lane and go 167 feet to arrive at Mason Valley Wildlife
Management Area
Return to Dayton
• From Mason Valley Wildlife Management, head 167 feet southwest on
Lux Lane to Miller Lane
• Turn right at Miller Lane and travel 2.7 miles
• Turn right at US 95 / US 95A N and continue to follow US 95 for 26.9 miles
• Turn left at US 50 and go 23.8 miles until you arrive in Dayton
Description
Lahontan Dam and reservoir are part of the Newlands Project, one of the first
irrigation projects following passage of the Reclamation Act of June 17, 1902.
The project diverts and stores water from the Truckee and Carson River Basins
to irrigate lands near Fallon and it also produces hydroelectric power. The
reservoir was named after the Ancient Lake Lahontan that covered over 8,500
square miles of the western Great Basin during the Ice Age. The lake features
boat ramps, wide sunny beaches, and fishing. Wild horses, bobcat, coyote,
fox and deer share the park with a variety of birds and migratory waterfowl.
Built in 1861, Fort Churchill was once an active U.S. Army fort that
provided protection for early settlers. The Pony Express and the Overland
Telegraph also passed through this area. There are 4,461 acres to explore and
it is one of seven national historic landmarks in the state of Nevada. A visitor
center displays information and artifacts of the fort’s history. Nearby is
Buckland Station, a Pony Express stop, supply center, and former hotel built in
1870. Facilities at Fort Churchill State Historic Park include trails, a
campground, picnic area, group-use area and access to the Carson River.
From desert shrublands to wet meadows, Mason Valley Wildlife
Management Area supports an abundance of fish and wildlife. Numerous
wet meadows and ponds dot the landscape, attracting ducks, geese, swan,
songbirds and wading birds. The deep waters of the North Pond reservoir are
home to fish, osprey and pelicans. The surrounding area and desert scrub
gives shelter to many animals including raccoon and mule deer. There are six
bodies of water: Hinkson Slough, North Pond, Bass Pond, Crappie Pond and
Walker River. Camping sites are also available with campfire pits.
56
DRIVING TOURS
NEAR FALLON
95
Stillwater National
Wildlife Refuge
116
Fallon
95
The Stillwater
National
Wildlife Refuge
Tour
50
Grimes Point
Petroglyph Trail/
Hidden Cave
Sand Mountain
Recreation Area
Sand Springs
Pony Express Station
ST ILLW
ATER
The Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge and Stillwater
Wildlife Management Area Tour
This tour highlights the Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge and
Stillwater Wildlife Management Area.
From downtown Fallon, the tour is around 30 miles round trip to the entrance,
and the total distance is dependent on the routes taken. The trip time is about
one hour plus time spent at each stop. The tour is mostly on paved roads and
any gravel roads are well maintained.
Directions
To Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge and Stillwater Wildlife Management Area
• Begin the tour from downtown Fallon
• Take US 50 west for 4.7 miles
• Turn left on NV 116 / Stillwater Road
• Travel 8.3 miles to Stillwater
Return to Fallon
• Travel 8.3 miles from Stillwater.
• Turn right on NV 116 / Stillwater Road
• Take US 50 west for 4.7 miles to Fallon
Description
The Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge wetlands are well-known to birders,
as this area has been designated a site of international importance by the
Western Hemispheric Shorebird Reserve Network because of the hundreds of
thousands of shorebirds that pass through during migration. Also listed as a
“Globally Important Bird Area” by the American Bird Conservancy, more than
280 species have been sighted in the area. These diverse wetlands attract
more than a quarter million waterfowl, as well as over 20,000 other water
birds. The diverse habitats of Stillwater National Wildlife Refuge offer a
variety of bird watching and wildlife observation. There is a new tour loop,
interpretive and orientation signs as well as a number of comfort stations.
57
DRIVING TOURS
The Grimes
Point and
Sand Mountain
Tours
DRIVING TOURS
Stillwater National
Wildlife Refuge
116
NEAR FALLON
Fallon
95
50
Grimes Point
Petroglyph Trail/
Hidden Cave
GRIM ES
POINT
The Sand Mountain Recreation Area/Sand Springs Pony Express
Station/Desert Wildlife Study Area Tour
Sand Mountain
Recreation Area
Sand Springs
Pony Express Station
The Grimes Point Petroglyph Trail and Hidden Cave Tour
This tour highlights the Grimes Point Petroglyph Trail and
Hidden Cave areas.
From downtown Fallon, the tour is around 22 miles round trip and the
total time is about a 1/2 hour plus time spent at each stop. The tour is mostly
on paved roads and any gravel roads are well maintained.
Directions
To Grimes Point Petroglyph Trail
• Take US 50 east for 10.9 miles
• Turn at the Grimes Point Petroglyph Trail entrance on the left side of
the highway
To Hidden Cave
Hidden Cave is closed to the public except on the second and fourth Saturday of every
month when the BLM offers FREE tours to the public that begin at the Churchill County
Museum at 9 a.m. with an historical overview, then a caravan out to the cave.
• From Grimes Point Petroglyph Trail entrance, travel northeast down the
gravel road for about 1.2 miles
• The trail to Hidden Cave will be on the left
Return to Fallon
• Travel 1.2 miles back to US 50
Description
American Indians first visited Grimes Point over 8,000 years ago. Today,
archaeologists studying Grimes Point examine the clues left by those early
visitors including pieces of bone, discarded shells, stone scrapers, bits of tule
matting, or the many petroglyphs (rock art) that can be seen along the trail.
The Grimes Point Archaeological Area contains two interpretive trails. The
Petroglyph Trail is a short trail through a boulder field. The longer Hidden Cave
Trail provides access to petroglyphs, rock shelters, and geological features.
A Grimes Point Petroglyph Trail brochure is available to guide hikers and
describes each stop. There is also a handicap-accessible restroom and picnic
facilities at the site.
58
This tour highlights the Sand Springs Pony Express Station/Desert
Wildlife Study Area at the entrance to Sand Mountain Recreation
Area, and then continues to Sand Mountain.
From downtown Fallon, the tour is around 55.6 miles round trip and the total
time is about one hour and ten minutes plus time spent at each stop. The tour
is mostly on paved roads and any gravel roads are well maintained.
Directions
To Sand Springs Pony Express Station/Desert Wildlife Study
• Take US 50 east for 27.8 miles
• Turn at the Sand Mountain entrance on the left side of the highway
• The Sand Springs Pony Express Station/Desert Wildlife Study area is
on the left
To Sand Mountain Recreation Area
• From Sand Springs Pony Express Station/Desert Wildlife Study, travel
northeast about 2.2 miles down the sand/gravel road
• Arrive at camping area
Return to Fallon
• Travel 2.2 miles back to US 50
Description
Sand Mountain Managed by the U. S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of
Land Management (BLM), the sand dunes of this 4,795-acre recreation area
provide challenge and excitement for off-highway vehicle riders, hikers and
sandboarders. There is a designated dry-camping area near the base of Sand
Mountain. Two new vault toilets are provided, however, visitors should bring
plenty of water for drinking and washing since none is available at the site.
Campfires are permitted, but wood is not available.
Sand Springs Pony Express Station/Sand Springs Desert Study Area
In 1860, Sand Springs was described by British explorer Sir Richard Burton as
follows: “. . . the land is cumbered here and there with drifted ridges of the
finest sand, sometimes 200 feet high and shifting before every gale . . . water
near this vile hold was thick and stale with sulphury salts: it blistered even the
hands.” Today, visitors will find well-preserved walls from the stone station
that once provided a refuge (although it was an extremely dismal one.)
The fenced 40-acre area preserves a remnant of the land the way it was
during the Pony Express days. There is a 1/2 mile interpretive loop trail that
winds through the study area with a dozen signs that provide information on
wildlife, plants, history, and geology.
59
Pioneer
Diversion
Dam
Road
50
95
Fallon
Lattin Farms
n
Overland
Hotel
Sheckler Road
95
S
LATTIN FARM
OVERLAN
D HOTEL
The Overland Loop Tour
This tour highlights the Overland Hotel on the old Lincoln Highway,
Lattin Farms, Soda Lakes, and Pioneer Trail.
Austin
50
722
Description
Fallon’s historic Overland Hotel was built in 1908 alongside the old Lincoln
Highway that jogged through Fallon from Highway 50. Many United States
dignitaries and entertainers of the time were visitors of this establishment.
60
R I V
E R
Toiyabe
Peak
URS
O
T
G
N
DRIV I AUSTIN
NEAR
376
The Reese
River Valley,
Big Smoky
Valley Loop
Tour
O
Big Creek
Campground
T
R E
E S
E
Directions
• Begin the tour at Williams Avenue and Maine Street
• Go 0.1 mile south to Center Street, then travel 0.1 mile east to the
Overland Hotel
• Go 0.1 mile west back to Maine Street, then go 1.0 mile south on
Maine Street to Wildes Road / Sheckler Road
• Turn right and head west until you cross US 95 onto Sheckler Road
• Travel west 2.8 miles to McLean and turn right to Lattin Farms
• Go 2.0 miles northwest on McLean to US 50 (Reno Highway)
• Go west 0.15 miles to Soda Lake Road
• Go north 2.0 miles on Soda Lake Road
• Turn left at the Soda Lake sign and go 0.9 miles to dirt road on the right
north of the road. Go up dirt road to Soda Lake
• Reverse and go 2.9 miles back to the Reno Highway
• Go west 3.7 miles to Pioneer Road
• Go south 4.5 miles on Pioneer Road to the Diversion Dam
• Reverse and go 4.5 miles north back to the Reno Highway
• Downtown Fallon is 8.0 miles east on the Reno Highway
Stokes
Castle
V A L L E Y
From downtown Fallon, the tour is 33 miles round trip. The total trip time
depends on how long you stay at each stop. The tour is mostly on paved
roads, and any gravel roads are well maintained.
R A N G E
50
Lea
Mc
The Overland
Loop Tour
Soda Lake
Today the Overland serves great Basque food, the hotel rooms have been
remodeled, and the bar is an eclectic mix of the Old West and farm lore.
From the Overland, the tour continues to Lattin Farms, one of the first
agri-tourism businesses in the state. Lattin Farms features a five-acre corn
maze, roadside fruit and vegetable stand, bakery, critterville, and pick-yourown fruits and vegetables. In the fall, it’s home to Harvest Days and a
scarecrow factory. Sheckler Road passes through some of the bucolic scenery
in Fallon that typifies the area’s history of farm settlements and its agricultural
industry.
From Lattin Farms continue to Soda Lake, an area that produced much
prized soda in the late 1800s. Today the soda mills and operations are now
submerged and underwater divers often explore their remains. The site is also
a great birding area during the spring and fall.
From Soda Lake Road, head west to Pioneer Road. The intersection of
Pioneer Road and the Reno Highway (Highway 50 West) is Ragtown, a stop
along the Carson River where exhausted emigrants rested after crossing the
dreaded “40 Mile Desert” during the California gold rush and the migration
west. From here, the emigrants continued west on Pioneer Road. You can
drive the road through some of the early farms to Diversion Dam that
redirected water from the Carson River to the farms and ranches of the
Newlands Project. The project began under President Teddy Roosevelt in
1902 with the Reclamation Act, the first in the United States.
I Y
A B
E
TOURS
G
IN
IV
DR
ALLON
F
R
A
NE
DRIVING TOURS
Soda Lake Road
DRIVING TOURS
Bunker Hill
Gillman
Springs
Groves
Lake
Kingston
Campground
Kingston
Village
REESE
RIVER
VALLE
Y
The Reese River Valley, Big Smoky Valley Loop Tour
This tour highlights the Reese River Valley, Toiyabe Mountain Range,
Arc Dome Wilderness Area, Big Creek Canyon, and Kingston.
This tour is approximately 60 miles and requires about 6 hours, depending on
how much time is spent at each stop. Dirt roads are in good condition with
several steep grades. RVs and trailers are not advised and please use caution
during rain or snow.
61
The Toquima Cave, Northumberland Natural History Loop Tour
This tour highlights the Spencer Hot Springs, Pete’s Summit, Toquima
Cave, Monitor Valley, Northumberland Cave, Northumberland Gold
Mine, and Big Smoky Valley.
This tour is approximately 100 miles and requires about 6-8 hours, depending
on how much time is spent at each stop. Dirt roads are in good condition with
several steep grades. RVs and trailers are not advised and please use caution
during rain or snow.
62
NEAR
AUST
IN
Austin
Scott
Summit
R A N G E
V A
L L E
Y
I Y
A B
E
50
Spencer’s
Hot Springs
S M
O K
Y
376
Toquima
Cave
B I
G
SPENCER
HOT SPRINGS
V A L L E Y
Hickison
Summit
M O N
I T O R
The Toquima
Cave,
Northumberland
Natural History
Loop Tour
O
Diana’s
Punch Bowl
U
Wildcat
Peak
Q
an
yo
n
I M
Stoneberger
Basin
O
No
rth
um
be
rla
nd
C
A
R A
N G
E
Pete’s
Summit
T
Description and Directions
Reese River Valley stretches north and south along the course of Nevada’s
second longest river. The Reese River drains the backbone of Nevada, the
Toiyabe Mountains, which rise to almost 12,000 feet—some 6,000 feet
above the highest desert valley floor below. While the Reese River may not
look like much to the casual observer, high in the mountains the Reese and its
tributary creeks offer some of the greatest stream fishing in the state.
Mark Twain thought so much of it that he spent part of a day jumping
across it, and then tried to drink it dry. As you can see, he almost succeeded.
Near the head of Reese River lies the Arc Dome Wilderness Area, as good a
place as you’ll find for true backcountry hiking and fishing in some of the most
unspoiled, uncrowded country in the West.
South of Austin, on a dirt road that takes off from the Chevron station at
the west end of town, Stokes Castle overlooks Reese River Valley. Built by
Anson P. Stokes, a railroad man and mining investor, it was only inhabited for
part of a season, and now serves as a silent reminder of a more optimistic
time.
In Reese River Valley, a well-maintained dirt road leaves Highway 50
about a mile west of town. It snakes along the edge of the mountains to Big
Creek Canyon, and proceeds east over a 8,350 foot summit into Kingston
Canyon. This is some of Nevada’s most spectacular mountain country. Big
Creek boasts a comfortable Toiyabe National Forest campground and offers
fishing, hunting, hiking and the chance to see working sheepherders tending
their flocks. The campground is a great place to picnic before pressing on
toward the summit and Kingston Canyon. At the summit, Bunker Hill, to the
northeast, (11,500 feet) overlooks the road through Kingston Canyon as it
meanders along one of the best trout streams in the West. Be careful here, as
the switchbacks can be hard on radiators going up and hard on brakes going
down. Over the summit in Kingston Canyon, you will find great lake fishing at
Groves Lake. Further down the canyon, Kingston Meadow offers fly fishermen
top rate waters to test the skills of the most avid casters. Below, the steep
mountain walls widen to accommodate a fine Toiyabe National Forest
campground.
The flourishing resort-retirement community of Kingston was once a
thriving boomtown of hundreds. The old mill building still stands precariously
at the mouth of the canyon. You may have to use your imagination to visualize
the hillsides teeming with activity. Turn north (left) at the highway and return
to Austin (29 miles via SR 376 and US 50).
DRIVING TOURS
T
DRIVING TOURS
Northumberland
Cave
Northumberland
Mine
Description and Directions
Highway 50 climbs to nearly 7,500 feet as it heads east over Austin summit.
Down the other side, past the Toiyabe National Forest campground at Bob
Scott Summit, the road descends into the largest of Central Nevada’s three
great valleys. Big Smoky Valley was named by John Fremont for the haze
caused by its tremendous distances. Today’s miners and ranchers carry on the
traditions of the last hundred and twenty-five years. The methods may be
different, but the lifestyle is much the same. The people are hardy, and the
land is challenging. You will find great fishing, hunting, ghost towns, hot
springs and, best of all, a glimpse of what Nevada used to be like. This is
some of the most spectacular, unspoiled country remaining in the West.
From the north end of Smoky Valley, Pete’s Summit Road stretches in a
southeasterly direction. It leaves Highway 376, a few hundred yards south of
the intersection with Highway 50. It sets out across the sagebrush and scrub
in a straight line that takes explorers past Spencer Hot Springs 6 miles from
Highway 376. These soothing baths with their fantastic views have been a
local favorite for over a hundred years. From Spencer’s, in the shadow of the
Toquima Range, the 11,000-plus foot peaks of the Toiyabe Range rise in the
west and the Simpson Park Range lies to the north.
63
DRIVING TOURS
64
The Ward
Charcoal Ovens
and Cave Lake
Tour
93
50
Ely
6
6
50
93
486
Cave Lake
State Park
Cave Valley Road
Pete’s Summit Road is the gateway to Monitor Valley from northern
Smoky Valley. At the 7,000-plus foot summit, Toquima Cave lies in silence at
the end of an easy footpath, about a quarter mile from the picnic area. The
paintings at the cave mouth were made by the ancient Shoshone Indians. The
view south across the canyon, and east toward Monitor Valley, is confirmation
that you are one of the few souls prowling these piñon-covered hills.
The road winds gently eastward, down through Sam’s Canyon to
Monitor Valley. At the bottom, the road passes through the yard of the
Monitor Ranch. Notice the mud and the willow ranch buildings. They have
seen the comings and goings of horse-drawn wagons and modern 4-wheel
drive recreational vehicles. They stand as a monument to the determination of
the stubborn settlers of this part of Nevada. Stoneberger Basin in the Toquima
Range and the vast Table Mountain Wilderness of the Monitor Range, are
favorite hunting areas for deer, elk and game birds.
To the left (east) about 12 miles past the ranch, you will see a white
dome-shaped formation surrounded by meadow. This is Diana’s Punch Bowl.
Turn left on the dirt road and go through (and close) the gate to get to this
puzzling geological attraction. Caution: There is no fence around the
bowl. Watch the children. The beautifully eroded south base of the
dome is fascinating for kids to explore. The hot creeks offer many
pleasant little pools to soak in.
Eleven miles from Diana’s Punch Bowl turn west to re-enter the
Toquimas via Northumberland Canyon. The road follows the dry canyon past
the remains of a recent mining camp at the mouth of the canyon, up to
Northumberland Cave, a true limestone cavern with large rooms and
impressive formations. Caution: Enter at your own risk. This is serious
spelunking. Be sure to have proper equipment (ropes, lights, etc.)
before you take this one on. The entrance is located in a draw on the
west side of the road where the remains of an old mining flume skirts
the hillside. Be careful. One of the toughest aspects of exploring this
cave is getting to it. The hillside is steep and the rock is loose.
From Northumberland Cave follow the road to the top of the canyon as
it winds above the open pit gold mine at the summit. This is one of the best
views of open pit mining in the state.
Northumberland Canyon leaves its summit and winds downhill to the
west back into Big Smoky Valley. The spectacular formations may bring Utah
and New Mexico to mind. Towering columns of rock rise on both sides of the
road and form stark turrets that overlook the dry canyon below. In the
background to the northeast is Wildcat Peak.
As the road re-enters Big Smoky Valley, it snakes through the alkali and
shadscale past the long-abandoned site of a salt recovery station (watch for
stone ruins which have been almost erased by the playa). Up until the past
few years this area, like Monitor and Reese River Valleys, was part of one of
the largest remaining areas of the United States that was not served by
commercial electrification. Despite Smoky Valley’s primitive beauty, travelers
will find all modern conveniences. There is a gas station and small store just
south of the junction with Highway 376.
Turn north (right) at the highway and return to Austin (40 miles via SR
376 and US 50).
DRIVING TOURS
Ward
Charcoal
Ovens
DRIV ING T
OU
NEAR ELYRS
VENS
ARCOAL O
H
C
D
R
A
W
The Ward Charcoal Ovens and Cave Lake Tour
This tour highlights the Ward Charcoal Ovens and Cave Lake
State Park.
From downtown Ely, the tour is around 50.8 miles round trip. The total trip
time is about one hour, forty-five minutes plus time spent at each stop.
The tour is mostly on paved roads, and any gravel roads are well maintained.
Directions
To the Ward Charcoal Ovens
• From Ely, travel south on US 50 / US 93 for about 13.2 miles
• Turn right at County Road 16 and go 5.0 miles
• Make a left at Cave Valley Road / County Road 45 and go 1.0 mile
• Turn right and go 0.4 miles. The Ward Charcoal Ovens will be on the left
To Cave Lake State Park
• From the Ward Charcoal Ovens, head east 0.4 miles toward Cave Valley
Road / County Road
• Turn left at Cave Valley Road / County Road 45 and travel 1.0 mile
• Make a right at County Road 16 and go 5.0 miles
• Turn left at US 50 / US 6 / US 93 and go 5.6 miles
• Turn right at NV 486 / Steptoe Creek Road
• Continue to follow NV 486 for 5.2 miles and Cave Lake State Park will be
on the right
65
DRIVING TOURS
DRIVING TOURS
Return to Ely
• From Cave Lake State Park, head west on NV 486 for 5.2 miles
• Turn right at US 50 / US 6 / US 93 and continue to follow US 50 / US 93 for
7.6 miles until you arrive in Ely
• The Great Basin National Park Visitors Center will be on the right side
Description
In 1876, Ward was the largest town in White Pine County with a population
of 1,500. The charcoal ovens were built to supply high quality charcoal for the
silver smelters at Ward. Constructed by Swiss-Italian charcoal workers called
“Carbonari,” the beehive-shaped ovens were designed as an alternative to
the open-pit system that originated in Italy. Today, the Ward Charcoal Ovens
are listed on the Register of Historic Places.
Cave Lake State Park is open year round and the 32-acre reservoir
within the park is popular for trout fishing, crawdadding, boating, hiking,
picnicking and camping. Perched in the middle of the Schell Creek Range,
adjacent to the Humboldt National Forest at an elevation of 7,300 feet, the
park offers outstanding scenic views and opportunities for nature study and
photography. Facilities include campgrounds, picnic areas, hiking trails and a
boat launch. Winter sports such as ice fishing, cross-country skiing and iceskating are also available. Snow sculpting is becoming a popular activity, and
the White Pine Fire and Ice Show is the premier winter event in the area. The
park has two campgrounds, Elk Flat Campground and Lake View Campground.
The
Great Basin
Tour
Border
487
Great Basin
National Park
Lehman
Caves
93
488
Baker
Archaeological
Site
Baker
The Great Basin Tour
This tour highlights Great Basin National Park, Lehman Caves,
and Baker Archaeological Site.
From downtown Ely, the tour is around 138 miles round trip. The total trip
time is about 2.5 hours plus time spent at each stop. The tour is mostly on
paved roads, and any gravel roads are well maintained.
Directions
To Great Basin National Park Visitors Center
• From Ely take Great Basin Boulevard / US 50 / US 93 south
• Continue to follow US 50 for 56.2 miles
• Take a right at NV 487 and continue for about 5 miles
66
To Baker Archaeological Site
• From Lehman Caves, travel 5.5 miles to NV 487
• Turn left on NV 488, and then go past the Great Basin National Park
Visitors Center approximately one mile. Turn right at the Arch Site sign.
Travel about 1/2 mile, turn right on gravel road, travel approximately one
mile to the site
• The Baker Archaeological Site will be on the right
NEAR ELY
K
ER PEA
WHEEL
6 50
Majors
Place
To Lehman Caves
• From the Great Basin National Park Visitors Center, take NV 487
towards Baker
• Turn right at Great Basin National Park / NV 488
• Travel 5.5 miles to Lehman Caves Visitors Center
LEHMAN
CAVES
Description
From the deep caverns of Lehman Caves to the 13,063 foot summit of
Wheeler Peak, Great Basin National Park offers many sites to see. Wheeler
Peak is the second highest peak in the state of Nevada and stands at 7,563
feet in elevation. Surrounding it are streams, lakes, alpine plants, an
abundance of wildlife, and a variety of forest types. The park features groves
of ancient bristlecone pines and numerous limestone caverns. There are
picnicking and camping facilities and nighttime offers some of the best
stargazing in the West.
Lehman Caves is a beautiful limestone cave with intriguing, unusual
formations. It is decorated with stalactites, stalagmites, helictites, flowstone,
popcorn, and other formations that cover almost every surface of the cave.
Tours are held yearlong, and the park has four developed campgrounds that
can accommodate campers.
The Baker Archeological Site was excavated and studied from 1991 to
1994. This village was recognized as belonging to the Fremonts, a culture
whose many sites were found along the Fremont River in Utah. After the
excavations were completed, the site was reburied with the same dirt that
was removed during excavation, a necessary step to preserve the features
that remain for possible future studies. Brochures and an information kiosk
are located at the parking area. A restroom, picnic tables, and a sun shelter
are available for day use.
67
DRIVING TOURS
OREGON
IDAHO
Wells
CALIFORNIA
Winnemucca
Wendover
To Salt Lake City
Elko
Battle Mountain
Lovelock
Reno
Fernley
Fallon
HWY
HWY
Dayton
50
Austin
50
Eureka
Ely
50
Carson City
C
A
L
IF
O
R
N
IA
Tonopah
N
Caliente
Las Vegas
To Los Angeles
ARIZONA
Y
HWY
U TA H
To Sacramento
ou really haven’t seen America until you’ve traveled
Highway 50. Twenty years ago, Life magazine
dubbed this highway, which follows the original Pony
Express Trail through central Nevada, the “Loneliest Road in
America.” It’s just you and the road. History, adventure and
intrigue. Do you have what it takes?
Request your “Highway 50 Survival Kit” by visiting
PonyExpressNevada.com. The kit contains brochures and
maps that detail places along the route. Also included is a
special Highway 50 passport that travelers can have
validated in the five largest communities (Ely, Eureka,
Austin, Fallon and Fernley). Validated maps can be
redeemed for a Highway 50 pin, postcard, and a “Silver
State Survivor” certificate signed by the governor.
68
PHOTO CREDITS
City of Fernley, Fernley Chamber of Commerce, Rick Norton
Photography, Morgan H.Webber, Comstock Historical District, Ray
Walmsley Collection, Laura Tennant Collection, Nevada Historical
Society, Historical Society of DaytonValley, Fallon Convention and
Tourism Authority, The Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce,
Eureka Sentinel Museum, White Pine Historical Society,“Imagine
That”Pam Martin, Nevada Commission on Tourism, Bruce Rettig,
Chris Talbot
We wish to acknowledge the generous support
of the Nevada Commission on Tourism
TravelNevada.com (800) NEVADA-8
WA L K I N G
AND
DRIVING TOURS
W

the trail. - Pony Express Nevada

Transcription

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