"We travelled about 17 miles and encamped near the Peavine
Springs, with good grass and water, but no fuel except
buffalo chips. Our road stony and bad evening fine." -
Harriet Sherrill Ward, Sep 29, 1853
Guidebook available
Trails . . . — — Map (db m263650) HM
Empire was founded in 1923 when Pacific Portland Cement Company set up a tent city to mine a patent established in 1910. The 40th Parallel Survey of 1876 mentioned selenite (crystalline gypsum) domes 20 – 30 feet high and 50 feet wide at the . . . — — Map (db m189378) HM
Situated between Black Rock Desert on the east and Smoke Creek Desert on the west, the townsite of Gerlach lies in country occupied for thousands of years.
John C. Frémont traveled through these Northern Paiute Indian lands when he camped here in . . . — — Map (db m150274) HM
On this site stood the Silver Star Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons #5.
Chartered on Oct. 13, 1864, Lodge #5 once hosted the largest membership in Nevada.
Timberman Duane L. Bliss who established Glenbrook and was a builder of the . . . — — Map (db m46071) HM
Located on the mountain above are the remnants of the "Great Incline of the Sierra Nevada." Completed in 1880, this 4,000 foot long lift was constructed by the Sierra Nevada Wood and Lumber Company. A unique steam-powered cable railway carried . . . — — Map (db m94306) HM
History records Sand Harbor as playing an important role in the operations of the Sierra Nevada Wood and Lumber company, one of three large combines supplying lumber and cord wood to the Comstock mines during the late 19th century. Walter Scott . . . — — Map (db m208666) HM
The First Glimpse
In September of 1861, 25-year old Samuel L. Clemens and a
fellow adventurer, John Kinney, walked from Carson City to Lake Tahoe, then known as Lake Bigler, seeking to stake a timber claim on the north shore of the lake. . . . — — Map (db m257210) HM
"We crossed the river 3 times ... which has become almost a perfect torrent ... our men have had all kinds of sport at the crossings, the water sometimes taking them off their feet and rolling them over like a barrel." - James Godfrey, Aug 7, 1849 — — Map (db m149927) HM
Galena had a dual personality. It was developed in 1860 as a mining property by R. S. and Andrew Hatch. The Hatch brothers' quartz mill and smelter were among the earliest erected on this side of the Sierras. The gold float from the local mines . . . — — Map (db m93942) HM
Dedicated in honor of the sons and daughters of Nevada, veterans of World War II. Erected by Sandy Bowers and his wife, Eilley Orrum, in 1864 with the gold and silver from their mine on the Comstock. Purchased in 1946 by popular subscription and . . . — — Map (db m163609) WM
IN ITS HEYDAY, Bowers Mansion was one of the most extravagant houses in the Nevada Territory, a product of mining wealth and personal taste. The story of Eilley and Sandy Bowers is a historic boom and bust tale. The mansion itself remains a . . . — — Map (db m163622) HM
Replacement Marker:
Built - 1864 Restored - 1967
Bowers Mansion recalls the wealth of the Comstock Bonanza. Lemuel S. "Sandy" & Eilley Orrum Bowers were probably the first millionaires produced by the famous find in Gold Canyon. As . . . — — Map (db m89418) HM
Orson Hyde, probate judge of Carson County, Utah Territory, founded Franktown in the Wassau (Washoe) Valley in 1855.
A sawmill became an important enterprise in furnishing timber to the Comstock mines after 1859. The Dall Mill, a quartz mill of . . . — — Map (db m93939) HM
Gold Turns to Rust The Mansion Turns to Shambles AFTER EILLEY LOST THE MANSION IN 1876, the grand house passed through a number of different hands. Myron C. Lake first acquired the mansion and worked hard to revive its glory. The . . . — — Map (db m163627) HM
HISTORIANS DON'T ACTUALLY KNOW the origins of this building, but if the Bowers built it, they most likely used it as a carriage house. Carriage houses were typically separate from the primary dwelling and housed the horse-drawn carriages, carriage . . . — — Map (db m163625) HM
Mill erected in 1861 for the reduction of the ore from famed Comstock Ophir Mine. The Ophir Mill ceased to operate in 1866. Here a thriving town grew, second only in size to Washoe City, which at that time was the largest town in Washoe County. . . . — — Map (db m163884) HM
Reminders of the Past THE OLD FARM EQUIPMENT you see here once belonged to Washoe Valley's early ranchers. In spite of the area's famous mining heyday, agriculture and ranching have been the real mainstays of life for local residents since the . . . — — Map (db m163623) HM
This large carpenter-gothic style structure, completed about 1864, was the ranch home of Theodore and Maggie Winters and their seven children. Originally this area was settled by Mormons, and the ranch was purchased from Mormons by Winters and his . . . — — Map (db m93935) HM
The cemetery's first known burials were in 1861, the year Nevada became a Territory and Washoe City became the Washoe County seat. Wood and water to work the Comstock ores were the vital resources that made Washoe City an industrial community. . . . — — Map (db m307341) HM
This is Rancho del Sierra, home of the Winters family from 1858 to 1953. The estate once covered six thousand acres of the surrounding property and included an orchard, horse race track and extensive livestock herds. The house was built by Theodore . . . — — Map (db m93938) HM
This site contains natural springs that were once used by the Tribe for cultural purposes. The springs have been destroyed from years of accumulated mine waste. The mine was active in the 1920s with low metal production. It has been abandoned since . . . — — Map (db m97605) HM
America's most beautiful desert lake is a remnant of ancient Lake Lahontan, which covered some 8,450 square miles in western Nevada during the Ice Age. Caves and rock shelters along its shore have yielded evidence of Numu (Paiute) people living . . . — — Map (db m97602) HM
In 1909, twenty-two year old Alice Ramsey became the first woman to drive across the United States in an automobile. She and her three female companions are depicted here, in her 1909 Maxwell Briscoe, crossing the Nevada desert east of the . . . — — Map (db m144487) HM
Reno lounge singer Whoopi Goldberg gets in the habit with a convent of nuns in “Sister Act” Filmed here at the Reno Arch with the technical assistance of Local 363 (1992) — — Map (db m189722) HM
"Came to another valley and lake. the road led where the lake had recently been but the water receded and left the ground hard, smooth and white and it had the resemblance to ice when the sun shone upon it. - Mariett Foster Cummings, Aug 13, 1852 . . . — — Map (db m263649) HM
(front plaque)
Marker No.T.R.R. 13-A -- Truckee Meadows
the California bound emigrants rested here
before ascending the Sierras to the west
(back plaque)
This marker is No 13-A of a total of 70 placed along
the Humbolt, . . . — — Map (db m113027) HM
Upon entering the Truckee Meadows along the Truckee River, thousands of California-bound emigrants turned their wagons southwest to avoid extensive marshes and uncrossable sloughs. Here at the base of Rattlesnake Mountain the emigrants established a . . . — — Map (db m94434) HM
Frederick Joseph DeLongechamps was Nevada’s foremost architect of his time. Statewide he was prolific in the number of buildings he designed. From this point one can see a group of structures that stand, collectively, as a monument to . . . — — Map (db m44217) HM
The Galena Creek Fish Hatchery represents an attempt to make amends after Nevada's Comstock Lode ravaged the region's ecosystem in the 1860s and 70s. Fishing decimated local streams and lakes to feed a growing population. Eventually, restocking . . . — — Map (db m94432) HM
Seven-tenths of a mile east of this marker was Geiger's Station, the largest station on the Geiger Grade Toll Road, the main thoroughfare between the Comstock Lode and the ranches of the Truckee Meadows. Located at the site were a toll house, three . . . — — Map (db m94119) HM
[south base]Clock originally located at 133 North Virginia Street November, 1935 Harry Ginsburg, Proprietor In the mid 1960’s, the clock was donated to Park Lane Mall on Plumb Lane and South Virginia Street by Sam Ginsburg who took over the . . . — — Map (db m163887) HM
In 1890 General O.M. Mitchel Post #69, Grand Army of the Republic, bought 17 lots in the original Hillside Cemetery for the last resting place for comrades-in-arms during the Civil War, 1861-1865.
While friends and relatives of the soldiers . . . — — Map (db m93896) HM
This tree was planted in soil from Civil War battlefields and dedicated to the memory of the Grand Army of the Republic. By the National Commander in Chief June 10, 1913.
Marked and Dedicated by Isaac Crist Camp No. 28
Sons of Union Veterans of . . . — — Map (db m42403) HM
The historic road corridors from the Truckee Meadows northwestward into the Honey Lake area contains a tangle of intertwined routes following the course of valleys, portions of an emigrant trail cutoff, toll roads, county roads and casual parallel . . . — — Map (db m115855) HM
Historical Route
Emigrant Trail
1846 - 1869
Monument dedicated by
Board of Washoe County Commissioners
Michael A. Mirabelli Chairman
Robert H. Clarkson Member
J.C. McKenzie Member
Howard E. McKissick, Sr. Member . . . — — Map (db m263668) HM
Before the arrival, 1858, of Granville W. Huffaker driving 500 head of cattle into the Truckee Meadows, the principal settlers were Mormon. The Comstock Lode and its mining needs focused attention on the valley. Huffaker established his ranch in . . . — — Map (db m94304) HM
The first medical facility for veterans in Reno was established by the Veterans' Bureau in 1921. The facility had one doctor and a nurse. In 1934, Reno attorney and American Legion National Committeeman Ioannis A. Lougaris began working with other . . . — — Map (db m300179) HM
Here was located one of the busiest crossroads of pioneer Nevada, converging point for many major toll roads of the area. The earliest emigrants from the east crossed through Truckee Meadows at this point and by 1853 the intersection was known as . . . — — Map (db m93674) HM
Washington J. Marsh built this house in 1877. Myron C. Lake, regarded as a founder of Reno, purchased it in 1879, and ownership passed to his divorced wife, Jan, in 1881. This Italianate-style house has been moved twice and is listed in the National . . . — — Map (db m94123) HM
First settlement in this area was a toll station & bridge constructed on this site in 1859-60 by E.W. Fuller. It was later known as Lake’s Crossing after Myron C. Lake purchased this property in 1863. Lake’s land gift to the new overland railroad . . . — — Map (db m44213) HM
Lake's Crossing, a growing community along the Truckee River in Northern Nevada, was parceled into a proper town site by the Central Pacific Railroad. The railroad named the town Reno, to Honor Major General Jesse Lee Reno.
Born April 20, . . . — — Map (db m77708) HM
Built in 1922 by the Pincolini brothers Joseph, Adelvaldo, Evaristo and Dante.
Listed in the National Register of Historical Places, it served the community well for eighty four years.
Destroyed by fire on October 31, 2006
In . . . — — Map (db m259560) HM
Opened as a resort on October 29, 1905, Moana Springs took its name from a famous Hawaiian spa. In addition to a large bath house with a pool fed by hot springs, Moana had a stately hotel, a clubhouse, baseball diamond and picnic grounds. . . . — — Map (db m238880) HM
First building on the Reno campus, Morrill Hall was named in honor of Senator Justin S. Morrill of Vermont. Author of the Morrill Land-Grant Act of 1862 which led to the establishment of the university. Founded in Elko in 1874, the campus was moved . . . — — Map (db m113035) HM
This building was constructed as a passenger depot for the Nevada-California-Oregon Railroad, a narrow-gauge line connecting Reno with northern California and southern Oregon.
It began operations in 1882 as the Nevada and California . . . — — Map (db m113777) HM
Discoverites of gold and silver in the early 1860s led to the founding of Peavine. Later it was re-named Poe City in honor of John Poe, but was referred to as Poeville or Podunk.
The district’s boom was brief lasting only four years. The main . . . — — Map (db m195365) HM
Rancho Haven was originally part of the Red Rock Ranch, a family-owned cattle grazing operation that covered tens of thousands of acres of private and public lands marked by abundant springs.
Danish emigrant Sophus Petersen was in the US by . . . — — Map (db m286416) HM
Before the arrival of the European Americans, the Washoe and Paiute people inhabited the Truckee Meadows. The Stevens-Murphy emigrant party passed through the area in 1844, and settlement began in the early 1850s. Charles William Fuller established . . . — — Map (db m94116) HM
A City Built on Trains and Automobiles
Nevada's alliance with the Union during the Civil War was important not only for the mineral resources of the Comstock Lode but because the state held portion of the transcontinental transportation and . . . — — Map (db m301981) HM
A Missouri mulepacker, William C. Fuller failed to strike it rich in California’s gold fields. His trek home, around 1859 or 1860, included a stop in the marshy valley known as the Truckee Meadows, located north of the Comstock Mining District, . . . — — Map (db m308250) HM
In 1895, Washoe County District Attorney, Frank H. Norcross, later a Chief Justice of the Nevada Supreme Court and a Federal Judge, began a drive to establish Nevada’s first free public library in Reno. That year, he persuaded the Nevada Legislature . . . — — Map (db m44215) HM
In 1908, the Reno Red Cross Society and the Woman's Christian Temperance Union gave to the City of Reno, a public drinking fountain to serve people, horses, and dogs. It was dedicated to the Nevada Veterans of the Spanish-American War, in . . . — — Map (db m77707) WM
These natural hot-springs are notable for their curative qualities. They were nationally acclaimed by President Ulysses S. Grant when he visited them in 1879.
Early emigrants so named them, because of their puffing and blowing. Located in 1860 . . . — — Map (db m94118) HM
On this site on July 4, 1910, Reno hosted "The Fight of the Century," a heavyweight championship boxing match between John Arthur "Jack" Johnson, the black title holder, and James J. "Jim" Jeffries, a former champion seeking to regain the title he . . . — — Map (db m94121) HM
This arch was originally erected on Virginia Street at Commercial Row in 1926 to promote an exposition that celebrated the completion of the Lincoln and Victory highways. Electric bulbs spelled our "Reno" and "Nevada's Transcontinental Highways . . . — — Map (db m94431) HM
Myron Lake, owner of the nearby toll bridge, deeded acreage to the Central Pacific Railroad to locate the depot at this site. In April 1868 the CPRR platted the area and on May 9th auctioned the lots and constructed a utilitarian wood depot. The . . . — — Map (db m167822) HM
Flowing out of the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the west, the Truckee River is Reno’s most striking natural and historical feature. Shown below on a relief map of the surrounding Reno area are a few of the more significant historical sites near the . . . — — Map (db m44212) HM
In 1859, one of the area's early residents, Charles W. Fuller, built a dwelling on the south side of the Truckee River where the third Riverside Hotel now stands. He constructed a seventeen mile crude sketch of road in the region and received . . . — — Map (db m184325) HM
“Came to another crossing of the river (here from the...left flows down into the river one of the finest spring rivulets...). The 23rd crossing...is quite difficult. Made so by the large round bolder rocks...in its bed.” —Augustus Burbank, Sep 6, . . . — — Map (db m149982) HM
VFW Post #207 was formed in 1926, seven years after World War I. During the Second War, Post #9211 came into being. In 1945, the two organizations merged and built the present-day hall which opened the following year.
Despite many fundraising . . . — — Map (db m141504) HM
Soon after the Chinese laborers graded this section during the summer of 1871, track gangs commenced laying rail south, reaching Steamboat Springs by late October. To celebrate the occasion numerous residents rode an excursion train to Steamboat on . . . — — Map (db m73947) HM
The Nevada Equal Franchise Society founded in 1911 moved to the
Washoe County Bank Building at this location in 1913. This office sent suffrage news to papers across the state, set up national figures for speaking tours, and recruited workers from . . . — — Map (db m238881) HM
"God grants liberty to only those who love it and are ready to guard and defend it" - Daniel Webster
Dedicated to the brave men and women who served their county at home and abroad from 1941 - 1945. Their efforts and sacrifices shall not . . . — — Map (db m44526) HM
On this north east corner of Sierra & Plaza Streets stood the first building of the Salvation Army in Reno, Nevada. Established September 19, 1889.
Commemorated this day, November 2nd, 1989. Celebrating 100 years of Salvation Army service to . . . — — Map (db m304412) HM
The Virginia & Truckee Railroad was built between 1868 and 1872 to connect the milling communities of the Cornstock to the Central Pacific Railroad that ran through Reno.
The line first connected Virginia City to Carson City in 1869, but . . . — — Map (db m304654) HM
Beckwourth Trail - Golden Valley
"Here the trail leads around the western slope
of the red buttes and... over a sandy, stony and
rolling country". - Jacob S. Hayden, Aug 18, 1852
Guidebook Available
Trails West Inc. P.O. Box . . . — — Map (db m263652) HM
On the Trail Today
Whichever direction your travels take you, you are going to have a similar experience to what the California-bound emigrants had. You are going to see the same country, except for the towns and the ranch meadows. The big . . . — — Map (db m308270) HM
Reno’s Truckee River Corridor abounds with historic and cultural landmarks.
Many citizens are not aware of the hidden treasures along the Truckee River, such as historic churches, mansions, museums and public art.
The City of Reno has . . . — — Map (db m308271) HM
One of the Finest Church Buildings in Reno
Reno’s Christian Science congregation commissioned this Neoclassical Revival bulding in 1938. The church held its first service in the building in October of 1939. The Nevada State Journal . . . — — Map (db m308255) HM
The Truckee River is home to many kinds of fish.
Prior to the arrival of white settlers, there were only two kinds of fish found in the river that today are considered game fish - Lahontan Cutthroat Trout and Mountain Whitefish.
An . . . — — Map (db m308256) HM
The Fickle Truckee River
Flooding is a normal event in the life cycle of a river. The Truckee River has a history of major floods, including those in 1950, 1955, 1963, 1986 and 1997. Upstream reservoirs help protect against vevry high water . . . — — Map (db m308215) HM
This plaque marks the location of Jacob Davis's tailor shop where, in 1871, the riveted work pants we now call blue jeans were invented. Jacob Davis made heavy-duty work pants out of sturdy cotton duck fabric he obtained from the San Francisco . . . — — Map (db m237081) HM
McKinley Park School was the first of four Mission Revival-style grammar schools built between 1909 and 1912. Local architect George Ferris designed the schools. They were known as the “Spanish Quartet” or the “Four Sisters.” The school was named . . . — — Map (db m308273) HM
Reno was a growing young railroad town in 1886, when Christopher Columbus Powning purchased 122 acres for $7,500.00. In 1887, he laid out the Powning Addition, and in 1888, he began advertising “250 beautiful lots for sale.” The Powning’s Addition . . . — — Map (db m308257) HM
Constructed in 1872 by James D. O’Sullivan and Patrick J. Kelly, the historic Sullivan & Kelly Ditch was built to irrigate their ranches located in the northeast Truckee Meadows. Enlarged in 1877, the ditch originally measured three-and-one half . . . — — Map (db m308252) HM
The historic California Trail was traversed by emigrants from the eastern United States en route to the gold fields or agricultural lands of California. On the trail, they traveled some 2,000 miles from the Missouri River to the Central Valley of . . . — — Map (db m308268) HM
In 1920 the City of Reno acquired Truckee River’s Belle Isle, which had been home to an amusement park, and transformed it into a public park and playground. George Wingfield, a prominent Reno businessman, donated his interest in Belle Isle to the . . . — — Map (db m308211) HM
On the Eastside of Hillside Cemetery is the final resting place for transients, the dysfunctional, widows, orphans and Reno's poor. The youngest burial was 2 month old George Wallace and the oldest, 93 year old Elizabeth Sharp. The interred were of . . . — — Map (db m247689) HM
"Leaving the [Truckee] river bore off to the right over a sage plain near a mile with rather sandy road to the base of a low ridge." - D. B. Andrews, Aug 9, 1852 — — Map (db m263531) HM
This honors the heroism and hardihood of the thousands of Chinese who played a major role in the history of Nevada. From across the Pacific the Chinese came to California during the Gold Rush of '49 and on to the mountains and deserts of this state . . . — — Map (db m73946) HM
Opened to the public on June 20 1909, Coney Island was among the most elaborate amusement parks of its day. Otto G. Benschuetz, founder and owner, landscaped the grounds, put in a children's playground, a bandstand for outdoor concerts and a dance . . . — — Map (db m149980) HM
"Oldest remaining school in Nevada"
Constructed in 1864 - in continuous use until 1958
Glendale, as a settlement, preceded Reno and was destined to be the metropolis on the Truckee River until the Central Pacific Railroad was induced to . . . — — Map (db m111444) HM
Glendale, as a settlement, preceded Reno and was destined to be the metropolis on the Truckee River until the Central Pacific Railroad was induced to bypass the community for a station at Lake's Crossing (Reno).
E. C. Sessions, the first . . . — — Map (db m93941) HM
Railroad Park was officially dedicated on July 4, 1976, in commemoration of our nation's 200th birthday. It was officially named James C. Lillard Railroad Park, by the City of Sparks City Council on July 12, 1976, in honor of Mayor James C. . . . — — Map (db m67227) HM
The Nevada State Insane Asylum opened its doors on July 1. 1882. Later known as the Nevada State Hospital. The state constructed the asylum three miles east of Reno and acquired a one-sixth interest in the nearby Sullivan Ditch. The first building . . . — — Map (db m252835) HM
Prospecting began in 1860 with additional claims being staked in 1864. The greatest activity took place between 1901 and 1903 and continued until 1921. Subsequently, mining has been sporadic over the years, but again is being done today. Total . . . — — Map (db m167370) HM
Soon after 1900, laborers reworked some 373 miles of the original Central Pacific (now the Southern Pacific) line between Reno and Ogden, Utah. The effort involved shortening of the line in some places. One such change took Wadsworth (Nevada), . . . — — Map (db m67223) HM
Engaged in straightening and realigning the old Central Pacific trackage across Nevada, the Southern Pacific Company moved its shops and headquarters from Wadsworth to this location in 1904. The railroad set aside five city blocks for its . . . — — Map (db m67222) HM
Built in 1905, the Bank of Sparks, the first bank in the City, served residents and railroad workers from the Southern Pacific Railroad.
The Romanesque Revival architecture of the building is rare in Sparks, and includes a wide stone arch around . . . — — Map (db m149932) HM
The Truckee River, seen below, runs from Lake Tahoe to Pyramid Lake. The river's first recorded discovery was by Captain John C. Fremont in January, 1844. He camped by its terminus at Pyramid, then followed it to the big bend at Wadsworth. Captain . . . — — Map (db m67268) HM
Truckee Trail - North Side of River
"Crossed to the north side of river,... keeping on N. side of this crossing the right hand road is the Beckworth route, we keep up river fifteen miles here by taking [a new] dim road to the left and . . . — — Map (db m263931) HM
[Just before fording to the north side of Truckee River]" the road forks the left hand one is the old Truckee Route to Sacramento...The right hand one and the one we traveled is Beckwiths Cutoff [Beckwourth Trail]" - East S. Owen, Aug 22, 1852 — — Map (db m263932) HM
In 1860, the first bridge, known as O’Neils Crossing, was built at this site. In August 1867, the Crystal Peak Toll Bridge and Road Company was formed by J.P. Foulks and M.J. Smith. The toll bridge charged lumber wagons, stage lines and local . . . — — Map (db m66020) HM
The Henness Pass Road was a major immigrant trail from the Truckee Meadows to the California gold fields. In the 1850's it was improved and became a toll road. In 1860 Felix O'Neil built a bridge over the Truckee River, east of this place and near . . . — — Map (db m94297) HM
This site was the last natural crossing of the Truckee River before the Henness Pass Road began its climb over the Sierras. In 1860, Felix O’Neill had the first station on the river, while D.M. Bull operated a stage stop at the foot of Dog Valley . . . — — Map (db m231065) HM
The Inyo Marble Works was erected on this site in 1890 by San Francisco financiers. The rough marble was cut and polished into columns and slabs using cheap water power from the Truckee River. The finished product was shipped by rail to California . . . — — Map (db m167878) HM
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