The Emigrant
Trail and Eagle Valley
(Chapter One of Three Chapters)
June, 2007
By John Evanoff
The Carson Valley and Carson River were named after
the extraordinary scout, Kit Carson, by John C. Fremont, the legendary
“Great Pathfinder” as they moved through the area in
1844. The river route and valley later became the southern portion
of the California Emigrant Trail threading its way along the Carson
River and over the Carson Pass. Today, you can follow that same
path by taking Highway 50 west from Lahonton Reservoir through Dayton
to Eagle Valley (Carson City) then following Highway 395 south through
to Genoa where many tributaries coming off the Sierra Nevada Mountain
Range contribute to the river’s waters. The Jacks Valley Road
along the hillside north of Genoa is a more accurate direction of
the actual path because Kit and John were looking up most of the
canyons to find easier access over the mountains. Kit spent days
and sometimes weeks ahead of the main group headed by Fremont wandering
canyon openings and climbing peaks to verify possible negotiable
trails. Fremont thought so highly of the guide, he wrote constantly
of Carson’s hard work and detailed descriptions of the geography
in his journal log. Within three years, Fremont’s journals
and maps were beginning to be used by thousands of Americans traveling
from the east coast to the fertile soils and gold laden rivers of
California.
Nearly all the emigrants just passed through Carson
Valley on their way west but a few entrepreneurs saw the potential
of business and began to set up shop in the early 1850s at Mormon
Station (Genoa) and Eagle Station (Carson City). Both trading posts
did very well and land was beginning to be claimed by some of the
emigrants for farms and ranches all along the river and creeks in
the area. By 1855, prospectors hearing of gold strikes in the area
moved east from California back into the Sierras and Nevada’s
many mountain ranges and to Gold Canyon leading to the Carson River
between present day Dayton and Silver City. Gold had actually been
discovered as early as 1849 at Dayton, but for most of the early
prospectors, the dry hills and gulches presented a problem. The
claims were too hard to work and with no mills close enough to extract
the small amounts of gold ore they only managed to work the mines
in the spring and then only for meager amounts of money. This is
one of my favorite short drives and hikes in the Dayton region.
The old toll road from Dayton is still easily traveled and many
of the surrounding roads make for great mountain biking and horseback
riding. Another drive is further east along Highway 50 and then
north past Sutro to Six Mile Canyon. If you take the Six Mile Canyon
road, you’ll eventually come to Virginia City. Check out Sutro
Tunnel for a history of one of the most unusual engineering feats
in all of Nevada mining history. In the early summer and late fall,
the rich and varied colors of the Six Mile Canyon walls and vegetation
make for great photography.
In 1859, the largest silver deposit in the world,
the Comstock Lode, was discovered between present day Virginia City
and Silver City. Virginia City had hit it big, but so had Carson
Valley. Within two years, Abraham Curry’s vision of a city
laid out on more than a thousand acres he had bought known as Eagle
Station became the capital of the new Nevada Territory in 1861.
In 1864, Nevada gained statehood and Carson City became the political
power house for the state. Curry became more affluent with production
from a quarry and several logging mills and hotels he owned with
his partners. Between 1860 and 1880, four large stamp mills were
built between Empire and Dayton to handle the massive amounts of
ore being hauled out of Virginia City mines first by wagon and then
by the Virginia and Truckee Railroad. I could write a book on the
V&T and the many narrow-gauge railways hooked up to it, but
you only have to visit the Nevada State Railroad Museum at 2180
S. Carson Street to really envision the V&T’s importance
to the region.
If you enjoy history and want to have an interactive
experience with the old west, three places stand out as a must to
see on your trips to the area: the Nevada State Railroad Museum
for its displays and events; the Nevada State Museum at 600 North
Carson Street for its extensive exhibits and replicated gold mine;
and the Virginia & Truckee Railroad train ride taking 35 minutes
through some of the historic mining district. The Railroad Museum
has a walking and riding tour as well as many displays and lectures.
The Nevada State Museum has the distinction of also being the Carson
City Mint where you can see many of the original United States coin
presses and silver dollars minted there. One of the highlights of
the museum is a 300 foot tunnel in the basement built to detail
the workings of an actual gold mine. All the timbering and displays
replicate how miners worked and how mines were dug. The train ride
in Virginia City is open in the summer beginning in June and runs
from Virginia City to Gold Hill and back. Everyone who rides the
train wishes the ride was longer and they could one day have their
wish. The V&T Railroad Project is working to secure funding
for a massive 17 mile restoration of the line from Virginia City
through the Carson River Canyon to the Nevada State Railroad Museum.
This possibility could bring tens of thousands of new visitors each
year to Carson City for a chance to ride one of the several Virginia
and Truckee trains being restored for the project.
Abe Curry left a sizable ten acre square in the
center of his proposed city for a capital building. He devised a
plan to influence politicians to build the capital building using
the tact that he had all the necessary materials. After the Constitutional
Convention of 1864 made it necessary that three legislative sessions
would have to pass before a site was agreed upon, Carson City finally
got the bid and the structure was begun using native Carson Valley
sandstone and rock from Curry’s quarry. For seven decades,
the building housed all three branches of Nevada government. Most
legislative and judicial sessions were considerably short because
of member’s obligations in their own home towns and businesses.
For most of the year, the Executive Branch including the Governor
and his staff were the only state workers in town and sometimes
months would go by without even a Governor in the capital. Nevada
government was represented by already well-to-do businessmen who
enjoyed wealth and political power without regard for voter approval.
Whenever one of them needed something done, they would have a party
in one of their mansions and discuss the details. They would pass
it on to the Governor and he would make sure the project was implemented.
During the early decades of Nevada Legislative Sessions, most of
the time in chambers was to discuss where the representatives were
to meet for drinks and get-togethers. Laws and Acts were penned
in private meeting rooms and Judges and Governors made decisions
to pass those months before they actually officially came to them.
Of course, most states in the old west worked like this but Nevada
had one of the smoother runs of legislation for decades.
One way to get a better feel for Carson City is
to walk the two and a half mile Kit Carson Trail with its 60 landmarks
in the old town residential district. A blue line marks the beginning
at the Brewery Art Center at 449 W. King Street. Expect to take
up to one hour for this walk after you pick up a map and view the
Art Center. Along the way, understand that you will be walking in
the same steps as Sam Clemens (Mark Twain) who lived with his brother
Orion who was the Nevada Territorial Secretary between 1861 and
1864. Orion designed the Great Seal of the State of Nevada and worked
hard to make the young government succeed during oppressive times
often paying for lawmakers meetings minutes and the printing of
the Legislative Journals out of his own pocket. Orion ran for office
when Nevada was presented statehood and lost in his attempt to win
the seat for Secretary of State. The loss irritated Orion and he
left with his wife in a huff, never to return to Nevada. Sam Clemens
stayed in the house that still stands at 502 N. Division Street
for approximately a year in 1861, writing lively opinions of the
west and Carson City’s unlikely notables in a newspaper called
the “Territorial Enterprise” based in Virginia City.
The Enterprise had originally been the territorial newspaper printed
in Genoa, then Carson City (Eagle Station) and then Virginia City
always following the money, but never making enough to call itself
respected. William Wright (Dan DeQuille) was the Editor/Publisher
and saw humor and intelligence in Sam Clemens’s written opinions
which he continually published. He offered him the lofty sum of
$25 per week to work for the paper as its city editor and Sam jumped
at the offer, moved to Virginia City and began his rise to credibility
as Mark Twain.
I’ll be spending some more time with Carson
City in the coming months because a lot of people, including those
that might live there, don’t realize the many places they
should find time to visit, hike and explore in their own backyard.
Recreation, history and fantastic geography abound in this region
and I want to take a few articles to expand on these qualities of
our famous Nevada State Capital.
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