Mormon Station State Historic Park in Genoa in Douglas County, Nevada — The American Mountains (Southwest)

The Semi Trucks of the 1800s

Photographed By Joseph Alvarado

1. The Semi Trucks of the 1800s Marker

Inscription. At trading stations and other remote settlements throughout the West, nearly all goods had to be brought in from elsewhere. This need for supplies led to the development of the freight wagon. Freight wagons were built for the sole purpose of hauling enormous amounts of goods, supplies, and equipment long distances over rough terrain. The wagon displayed here is a California rack-bed freight wagon.

Imagine the sense of relief and excitement residents of Mormon Station might have felt when a team of freight wagons arrived with supplies for the settlement.

Mormon Station State Historic Park

Erected by Nevada State Parks.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Parks & Recreational Areas • Roads & Vehicles • Settlements & Settlers.

Location. 39° 0.234′ N, 119° 50.715′ W. Marker is in Genoa, Nevada, in Douglas County. It is in Mormon Station State Historic Park. Marker can be reached from Main Street north of Genoa Lane (Nevada Route 206), on the right when traveling north. The resin marker is on the freight wagon inside the stockade. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2295 Main Street, Genoa NV 89411, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker.

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Life-giving Nectar (a few steps from this marker); The Prairie Schooner (within shouting distance of this marker); The Journey Through Nevada (within shouting distance of this marker); Douglas Seminary (within shouting distance of this marker); About Your Journey... (within shouting distance of this marker); We Made It! The End of the Great Basin (within shouting distance of this marker); Striking it Rich…by Growing Crops? (within shouting distance of this marker); Mormon Station (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Genoa.

More about this marker. Inset Image:
Freight wagons loaded with supplies at Van Sickle Station, just south of Genoa. Circa 1860s.

Also see . . . Mormon Station State Historic Park. Nevada State Parks

"The site of Nevada’s first permanent, non-native settlement, Mormon Station was built in 1851 as a trading post along the Carson Route of the California Trail, providing much needed supplies to weary travelers crossing the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Today, the park is home to a reconstructed version of the original 1851 trading post that burned down in 1910 and a museum with original pioneer era artifacts."

California Rack-Bed Freight Wagon and Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Joseph Alvarado, May 14, 2023

2. California Rack-Bed Freight Wagon and Marker

(Submitted on July 26, 2023, by Joseph Alvarado of Livermore, California.)

Mormon Station Historic State Monument image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Joseph Alvarado, May 14, 2023

3. Mormon Station Historic State Monument

Credits. This page was last revised on July 26, 2023. It was originally submitted on July 26, 2023, by Joseph Alvarado of Livermore, California. This page has been viewed 72 times since then and 25 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 26, 2023, by Joseph Alvarado of Livermore, California. 3. submitted on July 23, 2023, by Joseph Alvarado of Livermore, California.