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Tenabo Nevada

Posted on September 19, 2022 by Destination4x4

Located at 5,354 above sea level, Tenabo Nevada is a gold mining camp and ghost town located in Lander County, Nevada

Wagon train hauling silver ore from the Little Gem mine in Tenabo to the railhead at Beowawe, 25 miles south - 1910 - Stanley W Paher, "Nevada Ghost Towns and Mining Camps, (1970), Howell-North Books, William Kornmayer collection, p 91 — Wagon train hauling silver ore from the Little Gem mine in Tenabo to the railhead at Beowawe, 25 miles south – 1910 – Stanley W Paher, “Nevada Ghost Towns and Mining Camps, (1970), Howell-North Books, William Kornmayer collection, p 91

In 1907, silver is discovered in the Bullion mining district. The discovery lead to the formation of Tenabo on the eastern slope of the Shoshone Range. The townsite is platted out and located just east of the mining district. Several wooden structures are built and with months a population of about 1,000 people called the town home.

The citizens of Tenabo ran and were serviced by several businesses including a hotel, restaurant, assay office, grocery store, school, post office. Saloons and “Sporting Houses” kept the men inline and happy. Goods and services along with people are delivered with tri-weekly stage service from Beowawe. Automobiles and a steam traction service also provided access to the town.

For three years, several active mines kept the mill running in Mill Gultch. After 1911, the high cost of goods and water hauling hampered continued mining operations. The post office is closed on July 31st, 1912.

About 1916, A. E. Raleigh finds placer gold in Mill Gulch and soon a camp is named for him. Placer mining continue in the surrounding ravines for the next twenty years. In the 1930’s a floating dredge continue placer mining operations and recovered significant amounts of gold until the 1940’s

In 1972, the mines near Tenabo are purchased by the Mid-West Oil Corporation. Mid-West Oil in turn sold the mining rights to the Tenabo Gold Placers Limited Partnership. Today the mines are still actively worked by the Flowery Gold Mines Company of Nevada.

Tenabo Town Summary

Name	Tenabo Nevada
Location	Lander County, Nevada
Latitude, Longitutude	40.314444, -116.676667
Elevation	5,354
GNIS	844209
Post Office	December 7, 1906 – July 31, 1912
Population	1,000

Tenabo Map

Directions

Tenabo Nevada is located about twenty five miles south east of Battle Mountain, Nevada just off I-80 at the Beowawe exit.

References

Nevada’s Birthplace – Nevada State Historic Marker 12

Posted on September 7, 2022 by Destination4x4

Founded in 1851, Carson City is Nevada’s Birthplace the state capitol of Nevada and the subject of Nevada State Historic Marker number 12. Carson City is a wonderful little city to visit with a lot of history to explore. The city features a very high density of Nevada State Historic Markers and is a must do if you are trying to visit the complete list.

Nevada's Birthplace Nevada State Historic Marker 12, Carson City, NV — King Street, General View, 1880, Carson City, Carson City, NV

Nevada’s Birthplace – Nevada State Historic Marker 12 Text

Nevada State Historical Markers identify significant places of interest in Nevada’s history. The Nevada State Legislature started the program in 1967 to bring the state’s heritage to the public’s attention with on-site markers. These roadside markers bring attention to the places, people, and events that make up Nevada’s heritage. They are as diverse as the counties they are located within and range from the typical mining boom and bust town to the largest and most accessible petroglyph sites in Northern Nevada Budget cuts to the program caused the program to become dormant in 2009. Many of the markers are lost or damaged.

Carson Valley is the Birthplace of Nevada. By 1851, people settled at a place they called Mormon Station, renamed Genoa in 1856. With the early establishment of a post office and local government, the community can lay claim to the title of “Nevada’s first town.”

Thousands of emigrants moved over the old road skirting the west bank of the Carson River as they prepared to cross the Sierra, feeding their livestock on grass cut along the river. At Genoa; at Mottsville, settled in 1852; and at Sheridan, settled by Moses Job about ’54; emigrants stopped to enjoy produce of the region’s first gardens. Pony Express riders used this route in 1860, switching a year later to the shorter Daggett Trail, now Kingsbury Grade.

NEVADA CENTENNIAL MARKER No. 12
STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE

Nevada State Historic Marker 12 Summary

Name	Nevada’s Birthplace
Location	Douglas County, Nevada
Latitude, Longitude	39.0038, -119.7604
Nevada State Historic Marker	12

Nevada State Historic Marker 12 Trail Map

References

Nevada State Office of Historic Preservation

Pahranagat Valley

Posted on August 27, 2022 by Destination4x4

The beautiful Pahranagat Valley is located in Lincoln County, Nevada and Nevada State Historic Marker number 38. Pahranagat Valley, nestled in the vast expanse of Nevada, offers a serene retreat from the bustling cities and a glimpse into the raw beauty of nature.

The wetlands of Pahranagat Valley is Nevada State Historic Marker number 38.

Pahranagat Valley is situated in southeastern Nevada, approximately 90 miles north of Las Vegas. It spans approximately 40 miles in length and is characterized by a picturesque landscape of rolling hills, lush meadows, and expansive desert plains. The valley is flanked by the towering peaks of the Sheep Range to the east and the imposing Pahranagat Range to the west, creating a dramatic backdrop against the azure sky.

The centerpiece of the valley is the Pahranagat National Wildlife Refuge, a haven for migratory birds and other wildlife. The refuge encompasses several natural lakes, including Upper Pahranagat Lake, Middle Pahranagat Lake, and Lower Pahranagat Lake, which serve as vital habitats for waterfowl, shorebirds, and various aquatic species.

The valley is a haven for birdwatchers, with over 260 species of birds recorded within the refuge. Migratory waterfowl such as ducks, geese, and swans flock to the lakes during the winter months, while songbirds and raptors are a common sight year-round. Visitors may also encounter mammals such as mule deer, coyotes, bobcats, and desert bighorn sheep, which roam the rugged terrain.

The regeon holds cultural significance for indigenous communities, including the Southern Paiute people, who have inhabited the region for centuries. The valley provided sustenance in the form of wildlife, plants, and water sources, shaping traditional lifeways and spiritual practices. Today, the Paiute Tribe continues to maintain a connection to the land, participating in conservation efforts and sharing their cultural heritage with visitors.

State Historic Marker Text

Pahranagat Valley is named after a local Shoshone Native American Tribe. Three local springs fill the valley’s lakes, which farmers have used for irrigation since the mid-nineteenth century.

In the late 1860s, outlaws pastured hundreds of head of stolen cattle in the valley meadows.

In 1865, ore was discovered in the area. The following year, a stamp mill was established at Hiko, twenty miles to the north to crush the ore. Hiko became the center of activity for the valley and the county seat between 1866 and 1871, when local mining declined and Pioche claimed the county seat.

The valley received international notoriety in 1867 when Dan De Quille of the Territorial Enterprise published an article titled “The Rolling Stones of Pahranagat,” about magnetic traveling stones. De Quille was notorious for publishing comedy and satire, sometimes mistaken by his readership for truth. In this case, De Quille described these round stones as having a magical quality that, when scattered on the floor, would immediately began travelling toward a common center. De Quille published similar articles on the stones in 1876, 1879, and 1892.

The town of Alamo before you, established in 1900, is the valley’s largest present-day settlement. Watered by Pahranagat Creek, the area includes several ranches and the Pahranagat Valley National Wildlife Refuge.

STATE HISTORICAL MARKER NO. 38
STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE
LINCOLN COUNTY AREA DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE

Nevada State Historic Marker Summary

Name	Pahranagat Valley
Location	Lincoln County, Nevada
Latitude, Longitude	37.3484, -115.1502
Nevada State Historic Marker	38

Nevada State Historic Marker Map

References

Nevada State Historic Preservation Office

Mesa Free Press – A Curious Find

Posted on August 19, 2022 by Destination4x4

A Curious Find.

P. C. Bicknell is back from an extended trip into the Superstition mountains, where he went to look
up “the old Doc. Thorne mine,” on a clue he had himself found. The clue consisted in a cliff dwelling of the true ancient era, perched high up on the side of a canyon in the Superstitions, about ten miles east of Weaver Needle. The dwelling was seemingly as it had been abandoned by its occupants of several thousands of years ago, being in a notable state of preservation.

But, outside of its antiquarian interests, in one of the rooms were found articles that would deeply excite the curiosity of any prospector. One was a prospector’s pick, the other a short and small spade, evidently used in smelting, though its handle was missing. The main peculiarity of the odd looking tool however, lay in the fact that upon its blade were patches of silver stuck to its rusty face, much as solder splashes attach to tin. there is no silver in that region, so far as modern miners have been able to find. The nearest white metal is over at the Silver King, fully thirty miles away. The spade evidently was used for the purpose of skimming off the dross from the cast, metal in a silver smelting furnace of many years ago and had but recently been used for this purpose when abandoned in the cave.

Nothing was found that would indicate who the ancient refiner was, and in a close search of the surrounding country not a trace of minors 1 could be found in a radius of at least three miles. In the midst of a highly mineralized region, this neighborhood appears to be absolutely void of a formation in which silver or gold would be likely to be found.

Yet it is in this neighborhood, so Bicknell declares, that the Thorne mine was found three decades ago, the cliff dwelling well answering the description of the “stone cabin” in which the doctor had his adobe. Still, it may have simply been the temporary residence of a poor devil of a prospector, who left only to fall a victim to the Apaches, who infested the region till fifteen years ago.

The silver-flecked spade Bicknell brought back to Phoenix and it now can be seen a’. Luke Hurley’s.—Gazette.

References

Library of Congress

James Cooksey Earp

Posted on August 18, 2022 by Destination4x4

James Cooksey Earp ( June 28, 1841 – January 25, 1926 ) was an American lawman and the lesser-known older brother of the famous Earp brothers, particularly Wyatt, Virgil, and Morgan Earp, who were key figures in the history of the American Old West. Though James was not as prominent as his brothers, he played a role in their lives and the events that shaped their legendary status.

Early Life

James Cooksey Earp was born on June 28, 1841, in Hartford, Kentucky, to Nicholas Porter Earp and Virginia Ann Cooksey. He was the third of nine children in the Earp family. The Earp family moved frequently during James’s childhood, living in various locations across the Midwest, including Monmouth, Illinois, and Pella, Iowa.

Military Service

At the outbreak of the Civil War, James enlisted in the Union Army in 1861. He served in Company F of the 17th Illinois Infantry, participating in several battles, including the Battle of Fredericktown. However, he sustained a severe shoulder wound early in the war, which led to his discharge in 1863.

Post-War Years and Family Life

After the war, James Earp returned to civilian life and worked various jobs, including saloon keeping and law enforcement. He married Nellie “Bessie” Ketchum in 1865, and the couple would remain together until James’s death. They did not have any children.

Tombstone and the Earp Vendetta Ride

James Earp is perhaps best known for his connection to the events in Tombstone, Arizona. In 1879, he followed his younger brothers to the boomtown, where they became involved in law enforcement and the infamous conflict with the Clanton-McLaury gang. Unlike his brothers, James played a more background role in Tombstone, focusing on managing a saloon rather than directly engaging in law enforcement or the gunfight at the O.K. Corral.

Following the assassination of their brother Morgan in 1882, the Earp brothers, led by Wyatt, embarked on what became known as the Earp Vendetta Ride, seeking revenge against those they believed responsible for Morgan’s death. James did not participate in the Vendetta Ride, choosing instead to stay with his family and manage their business interests.

Later Life and Death

After the events in Tombstone, James Earp and his wife moved to various locations, including California, where they eventually settled in San Bernardino. James lived a relatively quiet life compared to his more famous brothers, staying out of the spotlight as the legends around the Earp family grew.

James Cooksey Earp passed away on January 25, 1926, in San Bernardino, California, at the age of 84. He was buried in the Mountain View Cemetery in San Bernardino. His life, though overshadowed by the exploits of his brothers, is an integral part of the Earp family history, offering a glimpse into the quieter side of the tumultuous times they lived through.

Category: Destination4x4

Tenabo Nevada

Tenabo Town Summary

Tenabo Map

Directions

References

Nevada’s Birthplace – Nevada State Historic Marker 12

Nevada’s Birthplace – Nevada State Historic Marker 12 Text

Nevada State Historic Marker 12 Summary

Nevada State Historic Marker 12 Trail Map

References

Pahranagat Valley

State Historic Marker Text

Nevada State Historic Marker Summary

Nevada State Historic Marker Map

References

Mesa Free Press – A Curious Find

A Curious Find.

References