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

The Journey Through Nevada

Photographed By Joseph Alvarado

1. The Journey Through Nevada Marker

Inscription. The trading post at Mormon Station was an important supply stop for gold seekers on their way to California. Heading through Nevada, travelers followed the Humboldt River until it reached its end at the Humboldt Sink. What came next was a brutal 40 mile desert. This was a journey across a scorching plain without any water or grass for the livestock. The lucky ones that made it through reached the Carson Sink, and could follow the Carson River to the foot of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. By this time, travelers were out of supplies and their animals were extremely weak. At Mormon Station, supplies could be purchased to aid them in their final trek across the mountains.

”I wish California had sunk into the ocean before I had ever heard of it.”
James F. Wilkins, 1849
”I have noticed several dead horses, mules, ad oxen by the roadside, that had their hams cut out to eat by the starving wretches along the road.”
Eleazer Stillman Ingalls, 1850
”The road is the dustiest that I ever saw. We eat it, drink it, (it doesn’t taste good) & we breathe it.”
John Francis Freeman, 1852

Mormon Station State Historic Park

Erected by Nevada State Parks.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Parks & Recreational Areas

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• Roads & Vehicles • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1849.

Location. 39° 0.225′ N, 119° 50.731′ 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 mounted to a metal stand 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. The Prairie Schooner (a few steps from 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); The Semi Trucks of the 1800s (within shouting distance of this marker); Life-giving Nectar (within shouting distance of this marker); John A. “Snowshoe” Thompson (within shouting distance of this marker); Douglas Seminary (within shouting distance of this marker); Nevada’s First Newspaper (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Genoa.

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

"The
Photographed By Joseph Alvarado, May 14, 2023

2. The Journey Through Nevada Marker
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."

(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 54 times since then and 16 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.