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Nevada State Railway Museum
Nevada State Museum
Carson City, Nevada, public transport
Paul Laxalt State Building
The Stewart-Nye Residence was built by Mr Stewart in 1860. It was later owned by the Territorial Governor Nye. Like many of these homes, the trees and other vegetation that now surround them makes for difficult photography.
About an hour east of Carson City, lies one of the more interesting historic sites in the Carson City area, Fort Churchill. Today, it is little more than ruins, baking in the sun. But in it's heyday, Fort Churchill was a bustling place with 58 buildings and approx. 200 soldiers. The fort was built by the US Army in 1860 in response to the so called Pyramid Lake War, where a group of untrained men from Carson City were badly beaten by the local Paiute Indians. Fort Churchill was hastily constructed to protect both the nearby settlers and the Pony Express route, which ran through the fort. But, within a year, the fort was basicly obsolete. The Indian problem settled down, the Pony Express disappeared due to the telegraph, and the Civil War became a much more pressing issue for the US Army. In 1869, the fort was abandoned.
The State of Nevada has done a good job preserving the fort in a state of arrested decay. There is a small Visitor's Center that tells the story of the fort, and has a nice overlook of the grounds. There is a loop trail that circles the former Parade Grounds, passing the ruins of all the remaining buildings. There is also a campground and picnic area down along the Carson River.
I think this is the most impressive building architecturally in Carson City. It is currently known as the Paul Laxalt State Building. But, when it was first built in 1891, it was the Post Office and Federal Building. It functioned as the Post Office for Carson City until 1970. Today it is the home of the Nevada Commission on Tourism, along with Nevada Magazine and several other State Agencies.
In 1861 the Nevada Territory was formed, and Carson made its capital.
Nevada was granted statehood on Oct. 31, 1864.
Carson City sits in the center of one of the most scenic and historic areas
in the country, making it the perfect starting point for sightseeing.
The habitat of the Eastern Sierra must have been a welcome refuge for
explorers Kit Carson and John C. Fremont as they rode into Eagle Valley
during their 1840s quest to map the West.
To the east, long stretches of desert mark the difficult terrain settlers had to
endure to get here. To the west, the Sierra Nevada mountains stretch out as
a gateway to the Pacific.
In 1859, gold prospectors hit silver in the hills east of Carson City. The
Comstock Lode, as it was called, was the largest silver find in world history.
Tens of thousands of miners poured into Carson City and Virginia City.
In the 1860's, Carson City was a station on the Pony Express and the
Overland mail under both Butterfield and Wells, Fargo and Co. In 1861,
true to Curry's prediction, and largely because of his shrewd maneuvers,
Carson City became the capital of the Nevada Territory.
Despite its small population and expansive territory (Nevada is the seventh
largest state), statehood was inevitable. War was brewing in the east, and
Nevada's wealth, as well as its congressional votes, would prove vital to the
Union war effort. Nevada was granted statehood on Oct. 31, 1864.
Each year Nevada's "Battle Born" roots are celebrated in Carson City with the
Nevada Day parade ......
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Frontiersman Kit Carson's stopover in Northern
Nevada during his journey to map the west during
the 1840s left an indelible mark on an area that
bears his name in the town of Carson City, as
well as the areas of Carson Valley and Carson Pass.
In 1826, he ran away from his Kentucky home at the
age of 17, making his way to New Mexico territory where
he gained notariety as a hunter, trapper and guide.
By 1842, his reputation earned him a spot on a mission
to map California with then Lt. John C. Fremont of the
Army Corps of Engineers. It was during that trip that
Carson and Fremont happened upon unchartered
portions of Northern Nevada, creating the maps, with
references to "Carson Pass" - that would guide the
settlers that followed. Ironically, Carson would not visit
Carson City until after it had been settled.
In 1846, during the Mexican-American War, Carson joined
the U.S. Army's march on California. In 1854 he was appointed
agent for the Ute and Apache tribes in Taos, New Mexico.
Carson's military life extended to the Civil War where, as a
brevet brigadier general, he led volunteers from New Mexico
in 1865, he died three years later ......
Click To Enlarge Photo
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Nevada Law Enforcement Officers Memorial
401 S. Carson
Located in the park in front of the Capitol
Monument features plaques, inscribed poetry,
and a list of Nevada law enforcement officers
who lost their lives on the job ......
Click To Enlarge Photo
We made a short stop in Carson City, Nevada, on our way from Lassen Peak Volcanic NP to Mono Lake, 9 September 2009, and visited a huge shopping mall. As you can see, this city lies virtually on the edge of the desert.
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