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“Bite-Size Bits of Local, National, and Global History”
Carson City, Nevada — The American Mountains (Southwest)
 

Empire and the Carson River Mills

1864 - 1964

 
 
Empire and the Carson River Mills Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Andrew Ruppenstein, April 21, 2012
1. Empire and the Carson River Mills Marker
The marker as originally erected had the text inscribed on the cement monument. A metal plate with the marker text was subsequently installed on top of the original.
Inscription. When the Comstock Lode was discovered in 1859, the problem of reducing the ore from the fabulously rich Virginia City mines had to be solved. Mills were built in Gold Canyon and Six Mile Canyon. In Washoe Valley, at Dayton, and on the Carson River which offered the most abundant source of water for generating power to operate the mills.

On the east shore of the river near the town of Empire the first small mill, built in 1860, was later enlarged to become the Mexican. The site of this mill lies to the southwest. Other large mills were then built downstream. spurring the growth of the town of Empire. Ore was hauled to the mills at first by wagon and later by the famous Virginia and Truckee Railroad built in 1869. Fortunes in gold and silver were produced in over 40 years of operation by the Carson River mills including the Mexican, Yellowjacket, Brunswick, Vivian, Merrimac, and Santiago. Traces of Empire and its mills can still be seen today.

Centennial Marker #1
State Historic Preservation Office

 
Erected 1964 by Nevada State Historic Preservation Office. (Marker Number 1.)
 
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & CommerceSettlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1859.
 
Location.
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39° 11.238′ N, 119° 42.382′ W. Marker is in Carson City, Nevada. Marker is at the intersection of U.S. 50 and Akron Way, on the right when traveling east on U.S. 50. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Carson City NV 89701, United States of America. Touch for directions.
 
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Empire Cemetery (approx. 0.2 miles away); Blackwell Ponds (approx. 2.2 miles away); Pony Express Route (approx. 2.7 miles away); Mound House (approx. 2.7 miles away); Isaac Evan James (approx. 2.8 miles away); Nevada Viet Nam Memorial (approx. 2.8 miles away); The New State of Nevada (approx. 2.9 miles away); Mills Park (approx. 3.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Carson City.
 
Also see . . .  New Amended Text for Marker. The Nevada State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) recently updated the text of the roughly 260 state historical markers in Nevada. The Nevada SHPO placed the amended text of the markers on its website for each individual marker and will change the actual markers in the field as funding allows. Minor changes have been made to the marker for grammar and readability. The link will take you to the Nevada SHPO page for the marker with the amended text. (Submitted on October 24, 2013, by Duane Hall of Abilene, Texas.) 
 
Empire and the Carson River Mills Marker - wide view, looking south image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Andrew Ruppenstein, April 21, 2012
2. Empire and the Carson River Mills Marker - wide view, looking south
Access to the marker is easy, as there is a dirt frontage road/pulloff right by the marker. Although not visible here, perhaps the most easily accessible remnant of Empire, the Empire Cemetery, lies about 1/4 mile south of the marker. The cemetery is accessible from North Deer Run Road.
Empire and the Carson River Mills Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Bill Kirchner, October 6, 2013
3. Empire and the Carson River Mills Marker
View southwest
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on October 14, 2020. It was originally submitted on May 5, 2012, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. This page has been viewed 765 times since then and 12 times this year. Photos:   1, 2. submitted on May 5, 2012, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California.   3. submitted on October 24, 2013, by Bill Kirchner of Tucson, Arizona. • Syd Whittle was the editor who published this page.

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Mar. 28, 2024