Delving into Nevada History

Hi Blog!

As we travel north on US 395, we will only be in Western Nevada for a few days before traveling back into California. After hiking yesterday, we decided to visit a couple museums today to get to know the area a little better. We planned stops at the Sparks Heritage Museum in Sparks and the Nevada State Museum in Reno.

Back in January, we were discussing our travel plans with fellow RVers, Tony and DeeDee Sparks. Being from California, they both had lots of suggestions for things to do in the Eastern Sierras. They also had spent time in the Carson City/Reno, Nevada area. Turns out, Tony's grandfather was once Governor of Nevada. The town of Sparks was named in his honor.

Tony and DeeDee had recently made a trip to Sparks to donate his grandfathers table to the Sparks Heritage Museum. We were on a mission to find the table. It was proudly displayed along with a short biography of the Governor. This is my favorite quote of the day.

When asked how many cattle he owned, Governor Sparks said, “We leave those matters to the county assessor, and he comes around once a year. It is an unwritten law that a cattleman never talks of the size of his herd.”

As we wandered around the museum, we learned that settlement of the area began in the early 1850s, but didn't really grow until 1904 when the Southern Pacific Railroad built a switch yard and maintenance sheds there. The city that sprung up around the railroad was first called Harriman after E. H. Harriman, president of the Southern Pacific. The townsfolk re-named the new city ‘Sparks’ in honor of then-sitting Nevada Governor John Sparks. The Governor threw a barbecue for all at his Alamo Ranch south of Reno.

Our next stop was the Nevada State Museum. Why is a copy of the Liberty Bell sitting in their courtyard? Turns out, back in 1950, the Christoph Paccard Bell Foundry was selected by the U.S. Treasury Department to cast fifty-five full size Liberty Bell replicas, one for each state plus U.S. territories, to be placed on the capital grounds of each state. Here Dave is inspecting the bell. It is not an exact copy. There is no crack.  Did you know the original Liberty Bell was commissioned by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 1752?  The bell itself says it was cast in 1753.

We started with an exhibit on the local Native American tribes. We then moved into a recreation of an old ghost town. Having just visited the Bodie Ghost Town, we can attest to its authenticity. All it needed was a tumbleweed or two.

From the ghost town, we climbed down into a recreation of the old Comstock Mine. The ceilings were low and the floors uneven with rail tracks for the ore cars. Here Dave is checking out one of the drilling exhibits.

Tons of wood, rocks and equipment were brought in to make it feel like you were actually in the mine. They even used Disney quality actors in the various sets pieces.

Here is an ore car coming up from one of the "mine" shafts.

We were really impressed with the way they were able to make you think you were actually looking down a large mine tunnel.

The museum is located in the old Carson City Mint building, which was built at the peak of the silver boom conveniently near a local silver mine. The mint was established in Carson City to facilitate minting of silver coins from silver in the Comstock Lode, much as the San Francisco Mint was established to facilitate minting gold coins from the gold of the California gold rush. Here is one of the original coin stamps, which still works and is actually demonstrated regularly on special tours.

Gaming was a part of Nevada's culture even before it became a state. Many prospectors traveled to the area to search for gold in the Sierra Nevada and brought their games of chance with them. However, the state went back and forth, allowing gambling and then outlawing it. It wasn't until 1931 when Assembly Bill 98 was passed making a number of games legal. The legislation allowed the rise of the gaming industry and the regulated modern casino we know and enjoy today.

Nevada rocks! Mining has been integral to Nevada’s history, from Native American use of its mineral wealth to fashion arrowheads, spear points, and tools to today’s modern industrial mining operations. Nevada’s silver deposits were the key to statehood; a driving force in the state’s economy in the mid-nineteenth century, they were a major reason for Nevada’s admission into the United States in 1864. While gaming and tourism now dominate the state’s economy, Nevada remains a nationally and internationally significant source of metals and minerals.

The Columbian mammoth was about 13 feet tall at the shoulder and weighed about 22,000 lbs. It was about the same size as the earlier mammoth species and was larger than the modern African elephant and the woolly mammoth, both of which reached about 9 to 11 feet. The Columbian mammoth disappeared at the end of the Pleistocene around 11,500 years ago, most likely as a result of habitat loss caused by climate change, hunting by humans, or a combination of both.  No, that person shown in the photo below is not one of the humans who hunted the mammoth.

Between museums we stopped at Silver Peak Brewery where Kathy sampled all 11 house-made beers on tap. Dave went right for the gold - bourbon barrel aged Big Daddy Hooch. We were hoping to take a walk on the Truckee River Walk, but downtown Reno was just too busy. Between the car show participants roaring around the narrow streets or the Wine Walkers racing to their next glass of wine, we decided to leave the big city to the city slickers. We were heading back to the mountains.

If all goes well tomorrow, we'll be kayaking on Lake Tahoe. Stay tuned.