Tag: Nevada State Historic Markers

Nevada State Historic Markers are a series of plaques and monuments that commemorate significant sites, events, and individuals in the history of Nevada. These markers, scattered throughout the state, provide educational insights into Nevada’s rich and diverse heritage, from its Native American origins and the era of westward expansion to the development of mining towns and modern-day landmarks. Each marker offers a glimpse into the past, detailing historical narratives and cultural milestones that have shaped Nevada’s identity. They serve as accessible, public resources for residents and visitors alike, fostering an appreciation for the state’s historical journey and its contributions to the broader tapestry of American history.

Powell of the Colorado Nevada State Historic Marker 37

Posted on July 15, 2022 by Destination4x4

Powell of the Colorado Nevada State Historic Marker 37 is a marker commemorating the 1869 exploration of the Grand Canyon by Major John Wesley Powell. The historic landmark is located overlooking Lake Mead, Nevada.

Powell of the Colorado Nevada State Historic Marker 37- The 1871 Powell Expedition preparing to depart Green River. Photo NPS — The 1871 Powell Expedition preparing to depart Green River. Photo NPS

After 1867, Powell led a series of expeditions into the Rocky Mountain, Green River and Colorado rivers. In 1869, he set out to explore the Colorado River and the Grand Canyon as part of several trips. Along with ten men and equipped with four boats and food for 10 months, Powell set out from Green River, Wyoming, on May 24. Passing through dangerous rapids, the group passed down the Green River to its confluence with the Colorado River (then also known as the Grand River upriver from the junction), near present-day Moab, Utah, and completed the journey on August 30, 1869.

Powell retraced part of the 1869 route in 1871–72 with another expedition that traveled to the Colorado River from Green River, Wyoming to Kanab Creek in the Grand Canyon. Powell used three photographers on this expedition; Elias Olcott Beaman, James Fennemore, and John K. Hillers, who documented the journey.

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. Budget cuts to the program caused the program to become dormant in 2009. Many of the markers are lost of damaged.

Nevada State Historic Marker Text

On August 30, 1869, Major John Wesley Powell landed at the mouth of the Virgin River, about 12 miles south of here, thus ending the first boat expedition through the Grand Canyon of the Colorado River.

The expedition left Green River City, Wyoming Territory, on May 24, 1869. For three months Powell and his men endured danger and hunger to explore, survey and study the geology of the canyons along the Green and Colorado Rivers.

Exhausted and near starvation, the Powell party was warmly greeted and fed by the hardy Mormon pioneers of St. Thomas, a small farm settlement about 11 miles north of here.

The original sites of St. Thomas and the junction of the Virgin and Colorado Rivers are now beneath the waters of Lake Mead.

This, and later Powell surveys, stimulated great interest in the water conservation problems of the Southwest.

Marker Summary

Nevada State Historic Marker	37
Name	Powell on the Colorado
Location	Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Nevada
Latitude, Longitude	36.3072, -114.4201

References

USGS

Millers Nevada

Posted on July 14, 2022 by Destination4x4

Millers Nevada State Historic Marker 101 is located at a rest stop alone highway 6 a few miles west of Tonopah, in Esmeralda county, Nevada. Millers was a train station and watering stop for the Tonopah and Goldfield Railroad.

Millers Nevada about 1905 - Mrs. Harry Mighels Collection — Millers Nevada about 1905 – Mrs. Harry Mighels Collection

Following a mining boom in Tonopah in 1901 and construction of the Tonopah and Goldfield Railroad, Millers was first founded in 1904 as a station and watering stop. The name honored Charles R. Miller, a director of the railroad and former governor of Delaware. He also served as vice-president of the Tonopah Mining Company and instrumental in having its 100-stamp cyanide mill built here in 1906.

Charles R. Miller - Millers Nevada State Historic Marker 101 — Charles R. Miller

In 1907, the town boomed with the construction of the Tonopah and Goldfield Railroad’s repair shops and another large mill. The population grew to 274 in 1910, when the town boasted a business district and post office. Millers boasted a modest business district and despite its relatively small population layed claim to a large park with baseball diamond and grandstand.

By 1911, the railroad shops and a mill had been moved away, and Millers began to decline. It was abandoned in 1947 when the railroad went out of business.

Nevada State Historic Marker Text

As a result of mining excitement at Tonopah in 1901 and subsequent construction of the Tonopah and Goldfield Railroad, Millers was first founded in 1904 as a station and watering stop on that line. The name honored Charles R. Miller, a director of the railroad and former governor of Delaware. He was also vice-president of the Tonopah Mining Company and was instrumental in having its 100-stamp cyanide mill built here in 1906. In 1907, the town boomed with the construction of the T. & G. R.R.’s repair shops and another large mill. The population grew to 274 in 1910, when the town boasted a business district and post office. By 1911, the railroad shops and a mill had been moved away, and Millers began to decline. It was abandoned in 1947 when the railroad went out of business.
STATE HISTORICAL MARKER No. 101
STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE
AMERICAN LEGION, NEVADA DEPT.

Town Summary

Name	Millers
Location	Esmeralda County, Nevada
Nevada State Historic Marker	101
Latitude, Longitude	38.1402, -117.4539
Elevation	4,800 Feet
GNIS	856083
Population	275
Post Office	1906 –

References

Tonopah Nevada

Posted on July 14, 2022 by Destination4x4

Tonopah is a ghost town located in Nye County, Nevada. Tonopah is also designated Nevada State History Marker number fifteen. The rock marker is locate just off the highway in a park.

Photograph of a panoramic view of the Tonopah Mining Park (now a historic site) and Mount Butler in the distance, Tonopah, Nevada, ca.1904. - - Pierce, C.C. (Charles C.), 1861-1946 — Photograph of a panoramic view of the Tonopah Mining Park (now a historic site) and Mount Butler in the distance, Tonopah, Nevada, ca.1904. – – Pierce, C.C. (Charles C.), 1861-1946

Tonopah, Nevada, located in Nye County, has a rich and storied history that dates back to the late 19th century. The town’s origins can be traced to 1900 when prospector Jim Butler stumbled upon silver-rich ore while chasing after his wayward burro. This discovery sparked a mining rush, leading to the founding of Tonopah and the development of numerous mines in the area. Tonopah quickly grew into one of the most important silver mining towns in Nevada, earning it the nickname “Queen of the Silver Camps.”

The Tonopah Mining Company was established in 1901, further fueling the town’s growth and attracting miners, entrepreneurs, and families seeking their fortunes. The discovery of gold in the nearby Mizpah Mine in 1904 only added to the town’s prosperity.

By the early 20th century, Tonopah boasted a bustling downtown lined with businesses, hotels, saloons, and homes. The town became a hub of activity, with its mines producing millions of dollars’ worth of precious metals.

Tonopah’s significance extended beyond its economic impact. It served as a vital stop along the railroad, connecting mining operations in the region to markets across the country. Additionally, Tonopah played a role in Nevada’s history as the site of the state’s first-ever aerial combat mission during World War II, when a Japanese balloon bomb exploded prematurely near the town in 1945.

Nevada State Historic Marker 15

Jim Butler, District Attorney of Nye County, is credited with the turn-of-century discovery, which ended a twenty-year slump in Nevada’s economy. American Indians originally used the name Tonopah for a small spring in the nearby San Antonio Mountains, long before Butler camped in this area in May 1900. Tonopah became the richest silver producer in the nation and replaced Belmont as the Nye County county seat in 1905. The mines spawned a railroad, several huge mills, and a bustling population of approximately 10,000.

The mines faltered in the 1920s, but Tonopah achieved long-lasting fame because of the prominent financial and political leaders it produced. Many camps and communities followed in the wake of Tonopah’s boom, most of which have become ghost towns.

NEVADA CENTENNIAL MARKER No. 15

STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE

Tonopah Marker Summary

Nevada State Histori Marker	15
Name	Tonopah
Location	Nye County, Nevada
Latitude, Longitude	38.0670, -117.2291

The beautiful lobby of the world famous Mizpah Hotel in Tonopah, Nevada

Mizpah Hotel, Tonopah Nevada. Photo by James L Rathbun — The beautiful lobby of the world famous Mizpah Hotel in Tonopah, Nevada

Articles Related to Tonopah

John S Cook

John S Cook overseeing bars of gold bullion. Photo Goldfield Historical Society John S Cook is the founder and builder of the Cook Bank Building…

Rhyolite Train Depot is located at the north end of town in Rhyolite, Nye County, Nevada. - Photo by James L Rathbun

Las Vegas and Tonopah Railroad

The Las Vegas and Tonopah Railroad was a standard gauge railroad which operated along 197 miles between the town of Las Vegas and Goldfield, NV.…

More details Tonopah & Tidewater #1 was a Baldwin 4-6-0 steam locomotive, originally built for the Wisconsin and Michigan Railroad, later going to the Randsburg Railway on the Santa Fe as their #1 (later #260). Went to the T&T in 1904 and used in passenger and shunting service. It was scrapped in 1941, and the bell was saved by the Railway & Locomotive Historical Society at Pomona, CA.

Tonopah and Tidewater Railroad

Explorers of the Mojave Desert in southern California are bound to have heard the stories of the Tonopah and Tidewater Railroad. The Tonopah and Tidewater…

References

Nevada SHPO

Piper’s Opera House – Nevada State Historic Marker

Posted on May 12, 2022 by Destination4x4

Piper’s Opera House is Nevada State Historic Marker #235 and is located in Virginia City, Storey County Nevada. This building, the most significant vintage theatre in the West, was erected by John Piper in 1885. Through business acumen and a political career, Piper would become one of the richest men in 1870s Virginia City.

Piper sat on the City Council in 1865 and mayor of Virginia City in 1867. In 1874, Piper represented Storey County in the Nevada Senate. In an effort to raise money for Storey County to pay for railroad bonds, Piper managed to get the state senate to unanimously pass a bill that became law, removing the taxation limits on bullion in the county

The opera house is the third in a succession of theatres which he operated on the Comstock. The theater boasted original scenery, raked stage, and elegant proscenium boxes, is a remarkable survivor of a colorful era in American theatrical history. Many popular nineteenth-century touring stars and concert artists appeared here.

Piper’s Opera House - NSHM #236, one of the largest venues for theater and performance on the Comstock. - - University of California, Davis. Dept. of Special Collections. — Piper’s Opera House, one of the largest venues for theater and performance on the Comstock. – – University of California, Davis. Dept. of Special Collections.

House Nevada State Historic Marker Text

This building, the most significant vintage theatre in the West, was erected by John Piper in 1885. Third in a succession of theatres which he operated on the Comstock, Piper’s Opera House, with its original scenery, raked stage, and elegant proscenium boxes, is a remarkable survivor of a colorful era in American theatrical history. Many popular nineteenth-century touring stars and concert artists appeared here.
STATE HISTORICAL MARKER No. 236
DIVISION OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION AND ARCHEOLOGY
LOUISE Z. DRIGGS

Nevada State Historic Marker Summary

Nevada State Historic Marker	236
Name	Piper’s Opera House
Location	Virginia City, Storey County, Nevada
Latitude, Longitude	39.3109, -119.6502

References

Nevada Start Historic Preservation Office

African Americans and the Boston Saloon – Nevada State Historic Marker

Posted on May 12, 2022 by Destination4x4

William A G Brown - Owner of the Boston Saloon, Virginia City, Nevada — William A G Brown – Owner of the Boston Saloon, Virginia City, Nevada

African Americans and the Boston Saloon – NSHM #266 is a Nevada State Historic Marker Located in Virginia City, Storey County, Nevada. Virginia City has eight Nevada State Historic Markers and a wonderful location to visit and dive deep into history.

William A G Brown, a freeman, moved to Nevada and started the Boston Saloon. The Boston Saloon was located at the intersection of D and Union Streets . The Virginia City newspaper, the Territorial Enterprise called the saloon a “popular resort for many of the colored population”

The saloon building is lost the great fire of 1875. The site of the saloon was subject of an archeological excavation in the year 2000.

NSHM #266 Text

Between 1866 and 1875, a remarkable business thrived in Virginia City. Free-born William A.G. Brown operated the Boston Saloon, serving Virginia City’s African Americans. Archaeologists have revealed that Brown offered his customers finely prepared meals with the best cuts of meat. Shortly after Brown sold his business, the great fire of 1875 swept through town and destroyed the building.

There were rarely more than one hundred African Americans living in Virginia City during its height in the 1860s, but they played varied and important roles in the community. Some African Americans pursued work as laborers, porters, and barbers. Others became affluent business owners, and a prominent doctor won widespread respect. By the 1870’s, African American children attended integrated schools. However, the decline of mining by 1880 sent many Nevadans, including African Americans, elsewhere. When mining in the state revived in the early 1900s, a shift at the federal, state, and local levels that implemented segregation via law or practice kept most African American families from returning to communities like Virginia City.

The site of the Boston Saloon is located uphill and to the left of this location at the corner of Union and D Streets now occupied by the Bucket of Blood Saloon parking lot.
STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE
DON MCBRIDE AND THE BUCKET OF BLOOD SALOON
RENO-SPARKS BRANCH OF THE NAACP, UNIT #1112
STATE HISTORICAL MARKER No. 266

Nevada State History Marker Summary

Nevada State Historic Marker	266
Name	African Americans and the Boston Saloon
Location	Virginia City, Storey County, Nevada
Latitude, Longitude	39.3105, -119.6494

Nevada State Historic Marker Text

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Nevada State Historic Marker 15

Tonopah Marker Summary

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House Nevada State Historic Marker Text

Nevada State Historic Marker Summary

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NSHM #266 Text

Nevada State History Marker Summary

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