1882

That apparently is the year a Winchester Model 1873 repeating rifle was abandoned or forgotten in the vast Nevada Desert, propped up against a tree. A team of archeologists found it in November of 2014 in the Snake Mountain Range leaning against a tree, almost part of the tree after so many years. Who left it, who was the owner? A gun like this was a valuable piece of property in those years. Hard to believe it was left on purpose. But, there it was. A hard to believe story. But this is Nevada, and there are quite a few odd stories in this state.


1969.

This is the year Nevada passed a law that made it possible for corporations to own casinos. Now almost all (but not all) casinos are owned by corporations.


Neon Boneyard

This is soooo Las Vegas. A collection of discarded neon signs. Most of them off strip hotels. They even shipped the lobby of the old La Concha motel over there. Pretty neat! Entry fee is $18 for adults as of this writing. ADDRESS 770 Las Vegas Boulevard North Las Vegas, NV 89101 PHONE (702) 387-6366.

Day Tour Tickets Current tour times: 10 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 11 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 12 p.m., 12:30 p.m., 1 p.m., 1:30 p.m., 2 p.m., 3 p.m., 4 p.m. and 5 p.m.

Night Tour Tickets Current tour times: 7 p.m., 7:30 p.m., 8 p.m.and 8:30 p.m.

Inclement Weather Note: As the Neon Boneyard is an outdoor collection, all scheduled tours are subject to cancellation due to inclement weather. Inclement weather includes high winds over 25 mph and lightning; please note, we very rarely cancel for rain. If a tour is cancelled, we will attempt to place you on the next available tour wherever possible or provide a full refund. We will make every effort to accommodate your visit. We regret any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your patience.


Adaven

Is Nevada spelled backwards. Two towns had that name and they both have disappeared. One was between Pioche and Tonopah and the other in Elko County. The last one lived for and astounding 5 years, from 1911 to 1916.


Adverse

This is what railroad people call a track that runs counter to the grade. It is a siding near McGill. I think that town has fallen on hard times since the mine closed some years ago.


A Wash

A wash is a waterway that is filled with water only during storms. It is extremely dangerous because of soil conditions and topography in desert areas. You could be standing in bright sunshine without even a hint of rain and have a wall of water coming at you because of rainfall in the mountains miles away. It happens time and time again. The water comes, the water goes. It is mostly all over within hours.


A huge wine cellar

The largest wine cellar in the country can be found at the Rio hotel. Allegedly 65,000 bottles are stored there.


Airstream Park

On Fremont Str. Next to the Container Park. It is a minimalist living experiment. The trailers only have 200 sq.ft. of living space. There are also minimalist buildings with 150 sq.ft. of living space. Well worth a visit.


Alamo

In the Pahranagat Valley. This is the place to be for petroglyphs. Hundreds of ancient rock writings.


Alcohol and Nevada Law

As with so many other things alcoholic beverage laws can not in any way, shape or form be compared to those of other states. Nevada and, specifically, Las Vegas is as wide open as can be. But, there are still some minor rules to be observed, silly as they may seem. Las Vegas is essentially divided into two parts, the Strip, and Down town. The dividing line is Sahara Av. at the SLS hotel. North of that hotel is Las Vegas proper, south of it is Clark County. In other words, the Strip is not in Las Vegas at all. Basically you are allowed to booze it up 24 hours a day, seven days a week. There are numerous bars and taverns that are open around the clock. Another thing about Nevada, you are responsible for your own actions. If you stagger out of a bar dead drunk and you get into trouble, it’s on you. Your friendly bartender wants to sell booze, he/she is not your baby sitter. This all stems from the Old West days, when some towns had more bars than stores. Here are a few simple rules to keep you out of trouble.

No drinking of alcohol within 1000 feet of a church, synagogue, public or private school, hospital, homeless shelter, or withdrawal facility.

Liquor purchased in a closed container may not be consumed on the premises or within 1000 feet of where it was bought.

But, if a drink is purchased in an open container, a plastic cup for example, you can take it and drink it in public.

No glasses or glass bottles on the Strip, but plastic cups all day long.

No open containers on rides. Empty your class before you catch a ride.

Observe those few, simple, rules and get sloshed to your harts content, this isn’t Utah or Kansas or worse, Oklahoma.


Alexander von Humboldt

Was a German nobleman and explorer who spent years traveling in the American West and from there into South America. He made extensive records of every rock, plant, animal and insect he could find. He then traveled down the Orinoco into the Amazon and out to the east coast of Brazil, just to prove it was one river system and not two. Really amazing. I think his travels took place in the really early years of the 19th Century, but I am not sure about the dates. His diaries and finds can now be found at the A.v. Humboldt Institute in Berlin, Germany. I was amazed to see a statue of him in Mexico City one day.

The Humboldt River is the largest river in Nevada which begins and ends within the state’s borders. An interesting side note: Bing Crosby, who owned a couple of ranches in the county, was honorary mayor from the 1950s until his death.


Alien Cathouse

In Amargosa, a real desolate place. Specializes in strange stuff.


Am I in Paradise?

You could be. The Township of Paradise is one of the many municipalities that make up the greater Las Vegas metropolitan area. Some of the others are N. Las Vegas, E. Las Vegas, Winchester, Pittman, The Lakes, Spring Valley, Henderson, and others.


America’s Loneliest Highway

Interstate 50

Runs West to East. Nothing but desert and jackrabbits. Hundreds of miles of the same. Once in a while a ranch in the distance. Bad place to break down. Closed once in a while for road racing. European people love this road.


Anti gravity Yoga

Can be had at Shine Alternative Fitness, 6415 S.Tenaya Way, Ste,. 100.


Anthony “The Ant” Spilotro

Not a nice man at all. His body is somewhere. He and the “New Hole in the Wall” gang tried to rob a jewelry store once by poking a hole in the wall. Inside were the cops waiting for them. Not too clever.


Any Hot Springs around here?

Sure thing. Go to the Paradise Spa and Resort, they got them there. It is on the strip on the east side just past Mandalay Bay. Used to be a pretty nice place but it has fallen on hard times. B.T.W. Nevada is full of hot springs. They got several around Reno, some with bath houses. I used to sit in them by the hour. Especially the one by the Truckee River, pretty neat place.Reno gets very cold you know.


Applegate-Lassen Cut-Off

Was a shortcut on the Old Emigrant Trail going into California. The 49ers initially made their way up the Humboldt River from the East. Boy, were they surprised when that river disappeared into the Humboldt sink. No more water!


Armpit of America

Look for Battle Mountain below.


Area 51

North of Las Vegas, in the desert somewhere..

Stealth fighters, aliens etc. We have heard the rumors, seen the movies (Men in Black etc.). If you want to have some fun and have a lot of time drive up to Beatty on route 95. They have a whole cottage industry having to do with aliens, flying saucers and space cadets.


Arrowhead Trail

This was an early automobile route between Salt Lake City and Los Angeles, California. It had the same logo that was used by the old Salt Lake, Los Angeles and San Pedro Railroad.


Atomic Survival Town

Ruins of a town that was used in atomic testing.


Austin

Austin’s oldest church, St. Augustine, requires the establishment’s bells in the tower to be rung by pulling a rope located in the man’s restroom. The geographic center of Nevada is 26 miles southeast of Austin.


Bad Language

It is against the law to use bad language in front of a dead body.


Battle at Pyramid Lake

In 1860 white settlers raped some Paiute Indian girls. The Indians then started to slash and burn white settlers. Major William M. Ormsby (Ormsby County) got together a militia numbering about 105. They encountered a fate similar to the one suffered by a George Custer. In other words, most of them got killed, including their glorious leader on May 12, 1860. They had made the same fatal mistake namely overestimating their own ability and underestimating the enemy. The regular army was called in from San Francisco and on June 2, 1860 the battle was joined. The Indians were forced into the Black Rock Desert and a Fort was built (Fort Churchill) near present day Fallon.


Battle Mountain

Central Nevada

Site of the largest major clash in the West between Indians and white settlers. Connected with the so called ” Ghost Dance” uprising. I thought their leader was Chief Winnemucca but I could be wrong, it might have been Wowoja.

The town became notorious when USA Today called it the “armpit of America”. That spawned the annual “Armpit Festival” sponsored by, who else, a deodorant manufacturer.


Beckwourth Pass

Jim Beckwourth was a black man who was a famous scout/mountain man in the old west. This route is North of Reno and goes from there into California.


Berlin

Yes, there is a Berlin in Nevada.

Famous for the Ichthyosaur State Park. Hard to reach, it is in the heart of Nevada, very remote, about 325 miles one way, at an elevation of 7000 ft. I usually rent a car or van when visiting those remote places. It is advisable to visit in the summer. Winter makes roads impassable and it gets bitterly cold.We are talking high desert here. Remember Clint Eastwood in “High Plains Drifter”? Always wore a heavy coat, also a hat. There are a lot of buildings still standing, the town itself is largely deserted, it is the real thing, a honest to goodness Nevada ghost town. It was built around the turn of the past century (1900), and is really well preserved. The main feature is the old stamp mill which is chock full of artifacts. Trouble struck in 1908 and by 1911 the town was deserted. Tours are offered at the Diana Mine on Fri. Sat. and Sunday. Reservations are required and take place at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. It is best to bring camping gear. The nearest hotel is a two hour ride away. The ghost town of Union is nearby also. But it is mostly gone, only a few interpretive plaques are around. The best way to explore the area is on foot. There is plenty to see, some 70 buildings and sites are available and awaiting your visit. The main ore body was the “Union Ledge” discovered in 1863. Lehman Caves are nearby. About fifty dinosaur skeletons have been unearthed there. For more details call or email me and I will send brochures at no fee (except mailing). 702 293 6061 or webmeister@lasvegasvisitor.com.


Berlin Wall

An entrepreneur brought pieces of the Berlin Wall to Las Vegas and installed them behind a urinal at the Main Street Station Hotel and Casino.


Bing Crosby

Bing Crosby owned a couple of ranches in Nevada.


Black Book

Try not to get listed in this book. It’ll get you barred from all Nevada casinos.


Black Mailbox

It can be found in Alamo, NV. This is where mail for Area 51 and for alien hunters winds up.


Black Rock Desert

North of Reno. Site of the annual ” Burning Man Festival”.


Bob Haslam

Also called “Pony Bob” was a Pony Express rider famous for his long ride. Pony Bob Haslam is credited with having made the longest round trip ride of the Pony Express. He had received the east bound mail (probably the May 10th mail from San Francisco) at Friday’s Station. At Buckland’s Station his relief rider was so badly frightened over the Indian threat that he refused to take the mail. Haslam agreed to take the mail all the way to Smith’s Creek for a total distance of 190 miles without a rest. After a rest of nine hours, he retraced his route with the westbound mail. At Cold Springs he found that Indians had raided the place killing the station keeper and running off all of the stock. Finally he reached Buckland’s Station, making the 380-mile round trip the longest on record. On horseback! Even in a car that would be a nice days trip.


Bonnie and Clyde Death Car

Those two characters went on a crime spree back in the early 20th Century. For some time they roamed the country robbing, stealing and murdering. When finally cornered by the Feds a gun fight ensued. They were both killed and their bullet riddled car is now an object of curiosity. It can be viewed in the little town of Primm at the I15 from California to Nevada. That town is little more than gambling places, a few hotels, a shopping mall and a gas station. There may be a golf course also.


Bonnie Springs

In Red Rock Canyon, near Las Vegas. A pseudo Old West Town with the usual gun fighters and gift shops.


Boot Hill

Many mining towns had a boot hill. The best known one is in Virginia City,NV.


Bowers Mansion

Not too far from Reno near Washoe lake. Bowers was a mining magnate out of Virginia City where he made a tremendous amount of money. He built the mansion and took off for Europe with his wife. He returned after a few years with a boat load of antiques. Shortly thereafter he went broke and died in poverty. He and his wife are buried behind their mansion.


Boulder City

40 miles from Las Vegas en route to Boulder Dam.

One of only two municipality in the State of Nevada without legal gambling. No slot machines, no bingo, no card games, no nothing. Gambling in the State is a LOCAL option.


Boulder Dam, the movie.

It is a 1936 Warner Bros. movie. The movie company sniffed a business opportunity and made a movie that was partially filmed at Hoover (not Boulder) dam. There allegedly is a lot of drama associated with it. People died, got shot or otherwise killed. Not on film, but in real life.


Bradley House

Speaking about Boulder City (above line). Mr.and Mrs. Bradley were the only African-Americans permitted to live in Boulder City in the 1930’s. Even the Federal Government did not want them there. The only reason they were able to stay is that their employer, Mr. Glover Ruckstell, owner of Grand Canyon Airlines, wanted them there and backed them to the hilt. Mr. Bradley was the driver for Grand Canyon Tours and Mrs. Bradley prepared the lunches. They were originally from the Carolina’s. Discrimination did not just exist in the south. It was everywhere, even on the strip.

Their original house is now in the Clark County Museum awaiting restoration. It started out as the ticket booth at the old Boulder City airport and has only 450 sq.ft. I don’t know how those folks survived the brutal summer heat in that building.


Bridge of Sighs

A copy of the bridge in Venice, Italy. It is at the Venetian hotel. The same hotel also has a copy of the Rialto bridge.


Bren Tower

Erected to simulate the radiation of the Hiroshima bomb. It also is one of the largest objects ever to have been relocated.


Bristle-cone Pines

at Boundary Peak and other areas.

Oldest living things (non cloned) on earth; up to 4000 years old.


Bunkerville

Allegedly named via a coin toss between the two town founders Messrs. Leavitt and Bunker. Leavitt died at age 78 leaving behind five wives and 55 children. Bunker had three wives and 22 children when he passed away at age 79.


Burning Man

This odd festival in the Black Rock desert of northern Nevada was originally held in 1986 on Baker Beach (San Francisco) California. The event moved to the Black Rock desert in Nevada because of environmental concerns in California. It has since grown to huge proportions with around 75 000 festival goers attending. It culminates in the burning of the displays. It usually starts during the last week of August. I have been to that desert, but not to the festival. Black Rock is a desolate place without any amenities or even water. As the name states, it is a desert.


Burning Moscow

A mine in Virginia City. The original name was “Mosca”. If I remember my Greek, a mosca is a fly. If it is Greek at all.


Butch Cassidy

Winnemucca was the scene of an alleged bank robbery of the First National Bank by Butch Cassidy and the Hole in the Wall Gang on September 19, 1900. Butch was later ruled out as a perpetrator since he had performed another robbery in Wyoming a few days after that. However, it is believed that three members of the Hole in the Wall gang were the culprits.


Caleche

Some people call it hard pan. It is a layer of soil underlying Las Vegas. It is extremely hard , I know, I had to use a pick to remove some from my yard. Water and plant roots find it very difficult to penetrate this layer. So, if you see a nice garden or lawn in Las Vegas think of the work that has gone into it. On the other hand, don’t be too harsh on those folks that do not have a nice garden or lawn. Things are mighty tough around here for gardeners.


Calico

This “ghost” town was actually shipped in from somewhere else by the Disney people. It is on the I-15 between L.A. and Las Vegas, near Yermo. It is now a tourist attraction. It also is the name of a certain fabric used extensively in those bygone days.


Caliente

The town by that name was first called Dutch Flat.


California Trail

An estimated 300,000 persons made the journey from various points in Missouri to California. I believe St. Jo was their jumping off point. The trail has numerous side spurs and cut-offs but hundreds of miles of wagon ruts are still visible in northern Nevada. Mainly around Elko in the eastern part of the state.


CalNevAri

A small town off H’way 95 south of Boulder City.  It is California, Nevada and Arizona abbreviated.


Camels

were used until 1870 for transport and freighting in the Nevada desert. The Camel Corps was authorized by congress in 1855 and a certain Lt. Edward F. Beale was put in charge. The experiment failed but several of the camels did service as beasts of burden until 1870. They hauled freight from Sacramento, California, also salt and supplies.


Camp Ely

About ten miles south of Pioche. It was later renamed Bullionville.


Captain J.C. Fremont

Explored parts of the West on behalf of the U. S. Government. Discovered Pyramid Lake some 50 miles East of Reno.


Carp

Is not named after a fish, but after a person. It is a R.R. stop only.


Carson City

Smallest state capital in the U.S. It is so small administration of the City and County was combined some years ago to save on expenses. It is in Douglas County. And yes, Kit Carson was here.


Champagne Stage Coach Robber

Staged several stage coach robberies at or near the Geiger Grade, a road to Virginia City from Reno. Always very polite and genteel he treated his victims to a glass of champagne after taking their money and before leaving the scene. He was caught in San Francisco because of a left behind handkerchief that had a laundry mark.


Charles Fey

A German immigrant living in San Francisco, Cal. invented the first slot machine in 1899. He called it the Liberty Bell.


Cheating

Where there are casinos there are cheaters also. I would not recommend it. In the old days there was a certain casino in downtown Las Vegas that would have their security people take cheaters into their back alley and have them roughed up. I don’t know if those stories are true but I have heard them many times from different people. If caught you could wind up in the Black Book, a list of unwanted people.


City

A large, if not the largest, statue ever built. It is in Hiko, a small town. The artist, Michael Heizer, has been building it since 1972. He finances this effort by arranging art exhibits where he sells his art around the country. The structure being build stretches for almost a mile. There is a movement afoot to declare it a National Monument. It can be found in Lincoln County. Access is restricted by the reclusive artist. He previously constructed the “Double Negative” a series of trenches intersecting a canyon near Overton, Nevada. For that one he moved an estimated 200,000 tons of earth. Other large sculpures by other artists can be found in Utah. “Spiral Jetty” (by Robert Smithson), and in Arizona, near Flagstaff, “Roden Crater (by James Turrell).


Clown Motel

That little gem can be found in Tonopah, about a hundred miles north of Las Vegas. I have heard good reports about it. Everything is clown in that place. The really odd thing is that it is sitting next to a long abandoned cemetery.


Comstock Lode

Nevada was made famous by the discovery of the Comstock Lode, the richest known US silver deposit, in 1859. It also created several multi millionaires and helped to bring San Francisco on the map. The original prospectors were looking not for silver, but for gold.


Crazy Girls

An interesting take on Vegas show girls. You can admire this sculpture at Planet Hollywood.


Creech A.F.B.

Indian Springs A.F.B. is the former name of this location. It served as an aerial gunnery school during WWII. Now spooks use it for drone control.


Cui-Ui

The Cui-Ui is a prehistoric fish residing in Pyramid Lake, East of Reno.


Culinary Local 226

One of the largest Unions of it’s kind in the U.S. Around 55,000 members at the moment and growing.


Dangerous Places

You want to play it safe in Las Vegas stay away from the following areas. Not that you would have any reason to be there in the first place.

MLK and D streets, and some of the West Side. Especially around the New Town Tavern. Downtown Las Vegas north of the I95. Charleston and 21’st Street. Generally any numbered or alphabet street. The so called “Naked City” behind the Stratosphere tower. As a tourist you would not get to those areas anyway, because the action is at the strip, between Sahara in the north and maybe Sunset in the south.


Deep Shaft

One of the deepest mine shafts in the world is located in Virginia City, NV in the Comstock Lode. The shaft is well over 3,000 feet deep and almost as deep as the deepest shaft, the Adalbert Shaft in Bohemia, (Joachimstal). Mine shafts in Virginia City, NV, home of the Comstock Lode were so deep, miners could work only 30 minutes at a time because of the heat. It is reported that temperatures in the mines reached 130 degrees. Most of the miners died young. Dust would get into their lungs and would make the inside of the lungs resemble a rock (silicosis). Life expectancy was about 40 years of age. The ones that made the real money were the mine owners and the bar owners and merchants who supplied the mines. Don’t get me wrong, the miners were highly paid for the time, more than any other trade. It was the working conditions that did them in. The above described shaft (the Combination Shaft) wasn’t the only deep shaft in Virginia City. Several others were around 3,000 ft, but none were as deep as the Combination Shaft.


Dentures

In Las Vegas it is illegal to pawn your own dentures.


Desert Tortoise

The desert tortoise spends most of its life underground to escape the hot days and cold nights of the typical Nevada desert. It can live to be 70 years old.


Desert Triangles

The desert triangles are located not too far away from downtown Las Vegas.They are quite large, about 950 ft. by 1700 ft.They were used to train gunners for the U.S.Army Air Forces and were located at their Gunnery School, now Nellis A.F.B.More than 45,000 B-17 gunners were trained at the site.I know of no way to go to those triangles via ground transport, they are inside a Nellis A.F.B. shooting range. Best viewing would be from the air.


Devils Hole

It is not what you think. It is a water hole and underground spring. It is home to the endangered pupfish, a very small fish which also is small in numbers. Its only known habitat is at this water source. It is in the Amargosa Valley.


Donner Party/Ranch/Trail/Pass

A sad tale of hunger-death, cannibalism and survival. The Donner Pass crosses the Sierra Nevada close to Reno, NV. The Donner Trail is the route through the Donner Pass and the Donner Party was a group of 49ers that got stuck there in 40 ft of snow and resorted to eating one another to survive. The Donner Ranch, situated outside Verdi, Nevada near Reno was the jumping off point for many wagon trains trying to cross the mountains. It is ideally located near a bend of the Truckee River which flows from Lake Tahoe to Pyramid Lake. I was a chef at that ranch for a while in the sixties when it was one of many divorce ranches in Nevada.


Double Negative

Is a sculpture entrenched in earth. It is one of the largest sculptures on earth. About 240 000 tons of rhyolite and sandstone were blasted away and carried away to create it. It is now owned by the Museum of Cont. Art in L.A.It was created in 1969 by Michael Heizer and his helpers. It is 1,500 feet long, 30 feet wide and 50 feet deep. It lies near the small town of Overton, about 80 miles northeast of Las Vegas. Well worth the trip, not only to see it but also to get a glimpse of rural Nevada.

The artist has by now been working for thirty (yes 30) years on a project a mile long called “city”. It is also in Nevada but Northwest of Cedar City, Utah. Allegedly it is visible on Google Earth.


Dragons

Nevada is the only state to possess a complete skeleton — approximately 55 feet long — of an ichthyosaur, an extinct marine reptile.


Drinks

In Nyala a man is forbidden from buying drinks for more than three people other than himself at any one period during the day.


Ducks

Nevada’s State artifact is the Tule Duck which was created nearly 2,000 years ago. Discovered by archeologists in 1924 during an excavation at Lovelock Cave, the 11 decoys are each formed of a bundle of bull rush (tule) stems, bound together and shaped to resemble a canvasback duck.


Dry

Nevada is the driest state in the nation. Some areas receive less than four inches of rain per year.


Dymaxion Car

Reno, in the National Car Museum. Developed by Buckminster Fuller.


Eiffel Tower.

This two third size copy of the original is a t the Paris (where else ) hotel, center strip.


Elvis Presley

He performed 837 consecutive shows at the Las Vegas Hilton (now the LVH, correction, it again has changed hands it now is the Westin). All of them were sold out.


Ely

in Northern Nevada

Largest glory hole in the Western Hemisphere. This large hole in the ground was created through the removal of copper ore. The mine is long since defunct. The ore was taken by a short haul R.R. to a nearby smelter. Some years ago there was some effort to keep this line as a tourist attraction. I have not heard about it for a while. I am wondering if it is still running.


“Enola Gay”

From 1941 to 1977 the U.S.Army Air Force and then the U.S.Air Force had o bombing training facility at Wendover A.F.B., NV (there is a Wendover, Utah also). Crews for B-17, B-24 and B-29 planes were trained. The Enola Gay was stationed there with one of the bombing groups. The Enola Gay hangar and museum are located on the base, which is now a civilian airport. All in all twenty one bombardment groups were trained at the base which has almost ideal flying conditions. Wendover itself started as a service stop for the U.P.R.R. Not too far away, inside the state of Utah is the spot where the U.P and the Central Pacific R.R. joined up in the 1840’s. Also nearby are the large salt flats that are used from time to time for land speed records.


Faro

A fast moving, simple to learn card game that once was very popular across the U.S. and other countries. It was so popular during the Civil War there were no less than 150 Faro halls in Washington D.C. I(source WikiPedia). I am not aware of any faro halls in Las Vegas. It has gone away together with Panguingue that used to be played at Main Street Station I believe. I am mentioning it here because of the suicide table at the Silver Dollar Saloon in Virginia City. A gambler lost all his money at the table and committed suicide right there at the table.


Fifty Mile Desert

Part of the Old Emigrant Trail to California, a great obstacle for the 49ers on their way west. It is said that for many years after 1849 this desert was strewn with discarded household objects and the remains of animals that had died trying to cross this burning desert in the middle of the summer. Travel agents back east did not tell (or did not know) about this piece of territory.


First Airplane

The first airplane to land in Las Vegas was piloted by Mr. Beckley. There is a large display at the McCarran Airport about it. Interesting stuff. It is at the departure level.


First Club on the Strip

The Pair-O-Dice in 1931 on Highway 91, now called the Strip.


First Commercial Airmail Service in the U.S.

This is a real strange one. The first commercial airmail flight in the U.S. took place on April 6, 1926 between Pasco, WA and Elko, NV . It was Route #5. Who would have guessed? Not me anyway.


First Lady

The only First Lady from Nevada was Pat Nixon. Pat Nixon was born Thelma Catherine Ryan in 1912 in Ely, White Pine County.


First Mayor

Of Las Vegas, Peter Buol, 1911-1913.


First White Men

The first recorded white men in the Elko area were fur trappers who trapped beaver in the area starting in 1828.


Floyd Lamb

Long time sheriff of Clark County (now retired). Enforced law and order old west style. Dressed the part too, large hat, cowboy boots, big belt buckle. I really liked him, a colorful western style guy.


Fly Ranch Geyser

Created by drillers looking for water (?). It was supposed to play out after a few days. Well, it has been a few years now, and the colorful deposits around it keep getting higher, a real tourist attraction.


Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus

A giant statue of him can be seen at Caesars Palace.


Gamblers Special

On Feb. 18, 1969 a flight from Burbank CA to Hawthorne, NV disappeared in the so called Nevada Triangle. (check my entry about it and about Steve Fosse). It had 32 passengers and three crew. No one survived. During the aerial search an additional five planes crashed. The plane crash site was eventually located at Mt. Whitney, the highest mountain in the Sierra Nevadas.


Gambling

A 1910 law made it illegal to gamble in Las Vegas. In 1931, a gambling bill was approved that made gambling legal again.

Gambling is Nevada’s prime source of income, averaging around 75% of the states annual revenue. Mining is the second source, tourism the third. But, according to the latest figures, shopping and entertainment may have overtaken gambling as the main source of income.


Gandy Dancer

it is a person who walks between railroad tracks on orders of the railroad owners to look for loose spikes and other irregularities. A boring job in Nevada.


Garnet Hill

Near Ely. Garnets are on the surface of the desert and may be picked up. Get a local map. USGS if possible. Ely is close to the Utah border. It takes a day of hard driving to get there from Las Vegas. Take the Extraterrestrial Highway.


Giant Prospector

can be seen in Washoe Valley. Washoe Valley is on the road from Reno to Carson City.


Genoa

Oldest continually inhabited settlement in Nevada. About 300 people live there. It is really cute and picturesque. Visit it during their annual “Candy Dance” a benefit for the volunteer fire department. The little town of Dayton which is nearby periodically claims to be the oldest settlement. Me, I couldn’t care less. I think Genoa was either a relay station on the Pony Express route or a stop for the Butterfield Stage Lines.


Goldfield, Gold Point, Gold Hill.

Goldfield is in Central Nevada off Route I95, the Las Vegas to Reno Highway. Once one of the largest cities West of Chicago. Now the wind blows through tumble down shacks. The Goldfield Hotel is a major, very large building from that period still standing. Gold Point is in the main compass direction, but off I95. It is semi deserted, This town is so isolated it did not receive telephone service until 1995. Imagine, those folks got by without a phone. Well, not really. All they had to do is to drive to the nearest town, Lida, and place calls from there. That phone was conveniently located inside a brothel. The town of Gold Point on the other hand, is near Reno, About 25 – 30 miles South as the crow flies. It’s claim to fame is the oldest hotel in Nevada. I think it has been in continuous operation. Like so many other old places in the state it has its resident ghosts.


Ghost Towns

There are literally hundreds of ghost towns all over Nevada. Most of them are nothing but a collection of foundation stones. A few remaining ones are substantial. Do not enter any abandoned mines or mine shafts!! The ones I visited didn’t have much to offer. Ever since those little all terrain vehicles came out the vandals have been all over.


Gold, Gold Mines and Investing

There are different ways to invest in Gold and Gold Mining. 1) Open your own mine. 2) Invest in someones mine 3) Buy gold itself. Investing in gold mines is best left to the experts. Mines have a finite lifespan. How would you find out what that is?. Gold itself can be bought as jewelry, as bullion or as collectible coins. I consider gold at the moment to be a poor investment. We are living in non-inflationary times, it must be stored somewhere safe, and it does not return any dividends.


Goldwell Open Air Museum

Located near the ghost town of Rhyolite (check my entry for that name). It is an open air museum and is free of charge.


Golden Trout.

Only found in Nevada mountain lakes above 10,000 ft. If you are interested in catching these sport fish I would recommend the eastern part of the state. Try Elko and go from there to Lamoille Canyon. Make local inquiries before leaving the main roads!!


Goodsprings

Tel: 702-874-9362. About 40 miles from Las Vegas. I like to mention this town here because of the very odd Pioneer bar in that town. It is only a third of a bar. It was built in Maine around 1860, then shipped around the Horn in three sections. The first section was lost, the second section burned and the third section is what you see.


Grapevine Canyon

Near Las Vegas. It has canyon walls full of petroglyphs.


Great Conundrum

A rock formation in the Grand Canyon that, seemingly, has nothing to do with the rocks surrounding it. Geologically speaking.


Greek Connection

Despite its small size, gamblers of Greek descent have played an outlandishly large role in Las Vegas.

Archie Karas, Karas, best known for reputedly building a beginning stake of $50 into a $40 million fortune during a record three-year winning streak. He lost only one game in three years.

Nick Dandolos. also known as “Nick the Greek”.

It’s estimated that he won and lost over $500 million (about $15 billion in today’s dollars) in his lifetime. He himself claimed that he went from rags to riches over 73 times. A man who never respected money, he donated over $20 million (about $159 in today’s money) to charity. He played heads up poker with Johnny Moss for over a year. When Moss finally won he quit by saying “Mr. Moss, you got the best of me”.


Guru Road

Between Gerlach and Empire. Filled with folk art for about one mile.


Hand of Faith

Enormous gold nugget resembling a hand. Found in Australia in someones backyard. Can be seen in the Golden Nugget, downtown Las Vegas.


Hanging Bridge

It is the bridge across the Truckee River and South Virginia St. in Reno. Sometime in the 1880’s I believe crime was getting out of hand in Reno and the local constabulary (cops) wouldn’t or couldn’t do anything about it. The citizens formed a vigilante committee and posted flyers warning all “crossroaders,” etc. to get out of town by the following morning. Some weren’t fast enough and were hanged off the bridge. Word has it there may have been up to twelve bodies. Peace and quiet ensued.


Hard Hats

were invented in 1933 for workers on Hoover Dam. This statement is not quite true because miners in Europe had hard hats long before that, although not in the shape and form as the ones used at Hoover Dam.


Harrisson House.

1001 F Street, Las Vegas. Black performers were not allowed to stay in any hotel on the strip. After they made a lot of money for their employer they were shunted off to this boarding house, the only place for them to stay. Yes, Las Vegas was segregated like any state in the south.


Hawthorne Naval Ammunition Depot

One of the largest (US) naval munitions depots anywhere. Hundreds of miles from the ocean, in the middle of the desert . The town sits on the edge of a huge lake. That part of Nevada is really pretty on account of the lake and the tall mountains to the west of it. I think it is Boundary peak but I am not sure.


Hemenway

It is the name of a boat ramp/harbor at Lake Mead. Nothing unusual about that. What is odd is the fact that no one seems to know where the name originated. Lake Mead isn’t that old as lakes go. Nevada isn’t that old either. But no one seems to know who/where/what about that name. If you happen to have some info on it let me know, please.


High Roller

A gambler betting lots of money.

A giant Ferris wheel, center strip, behind the Flamingo hotel.


Hitlers Limousine

While I am at the subject of cars, Hitlers limousine can be viewed at the Imperial Palace Hotel/Casino (The Quad), center strip. The Imperial Palace is now the Quad. The car collection is still there, from what I hear.Go to the second floor car collection. The, now deceased, former owner of the Imperial Palace (now the Quad) had a Nazi hangup. He made waves some time ago for throwing parties where his guests showed up in Nazi uniforms. If I remember correctly his preferred uniform was that of a storm trooper. His name was Engelstad.


Hole in the Wall Gang

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid staged a train robbery near Winnemucca at the beginning of the past Century. He was later ruled out as one of the robbers, he was robbing banks in Wyoming at the time. Butch Cassidy himself was born not that far away from Las Vegas, in Beaver, Utah. His real name was Parker.


Horses

After 1938 you could no longer bring saddled horses into a casino.


Horses

There are about 25,000 wild horses in Nevada.


Hotels

of the 20 largest hotels in the world 17 are in Las Vegas.


Hotel Rooms

Las Vegas has more hotel rooms than any other place (that we know of). It normally also has the highest occupancy rates. 95% occupancy is not unheard of.


Howard Hughes

In 1966, Howard Hughes begins his infamous stay at the Desert Inn. By 1968, Hughes purchases the Desert Inn after being asked to leave by Hotel management.

You see the name Hughes on numerous locations and developments in Las Vegas. Howard Hughes bought up considerable Nevada property before he died in 1976, including the following hotels and casinos: Castaways, Desert Inn, Frontier, Landmark, Sands, Silver Slipper, and Harold’s.


Humboldt River

The Humboldt is the largest river in Nevada, but it starts and ends all withing its borders.


Humboldt, Alexander von

Look under A on top of this page.


Humboldt Museum

Winnemucca.


I have the nuts

A good poker hand.


Implosions

14, yes, fourteen casinos have been blown up or demolished in Las Vegas since 1993 to make room for new buildings. The next one to go (2/10/15) is the Clarion on Convention Center Drive. Here is the list and the dates.

Dunes, Oct. 22, 1993.

Landmark, Nov.7, 1995.

Sands, Nov. 26, 1996.

Hacienda, Jan. 1, 1997.

Aladdin, April 27, 1998.

El Rancho, Oct. 3, 2000.

Desert Inn, Oct 23, 2001.

Castaways, Jan. 11, 2006.

Bourbon Street, Feb. 14, 2006.

Boardwalk, May 9, 2006.

Stardust, March 7, 2007.

New Frontier, Nov. 13, 2007.

Clarion, Feb. 10, 2015.

Sahara, Jun, 2016. Tower #1. Due to the large size of the hotel it needed two implosions.

Sahara, Aug. 16, 2016. The remaining buildings were imploded on this date.

I did not list the never finished hotel on the strip that was demolished because of construction defects. No implosion there.

Are we now out of buildings that can be/should be imploded? I hope not. After all, we have hotels that are almost thirty years old. Let’s blow them up next.

I recommend the following: Flamingo, Hooters, Treasure Island. Way too old/old fashioned for this town.


Indian Joe

Allegedly a Southern Paiute. Wanted for murder he hid for years in caves along the Colorado River. Was never caught. Some years later bones and artifacts were found that were said to have belonged to him. So far as I can ascertain it was never proven.


Indian Springs

Was an aerial gunnery school during WWII. It now is Creech A.F.B., home to the air force drone controllers.


International Car Forest of the Last Church

Look for it near Goldfield, a hundred or so miles north of the Strip.


Ione

Location: The unincorporated community of Ione, Nevada, is located approximately 40 miles south of Austin, Nevada, and 15 miles from Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park. For any ghost town enthusiast it is worth a stop. There are a number of interesting buildings and ruins in town. Remember this is remote country. Carry extra water and food. There are NO services in Ione. The nearest services are in Austin or Gabbs, Nevada. History: Ione came into existence in 1863 with the discovery of silver in the Shoshone Range. While Berlin and Union would be the center of mining for the district; Ione developed as a center of trade and milling.In 1864 the town received $800 to build Nye County’s first courthouse. In 1867 the discovery of rich ore in Belmont caused many residents to move away. Soon Belmont would become the county seat. The town soon died as well. Through the years a number of small revivals in mining have occurred but nothing has lasted more than two years. (Information from www.wikipedia.com)


Jack Dempsey

Was the bouncer and bartender at the Mispah Hotel in Tonopah.


Jiggs

was named after a comic strip character that appeared in ” Bringing up Father”. This town is south of Elko. It formerly was named Hylton, Skelton and Mound Valley, ALL at the same time.


Jedediah Smith

Famous mountain man. He loved to travel and scouted the West extensively. He was one of the few who could read and write and he took copious notes about his travels Check the Library of Congress for more information. He came around Nevada in the 1830’s I believe. He was killed by Indians in New Mexico at age 32.


Jell-O Belt

Also called the Mormon belt/ Book of Mormon belt. Anywhere a lot of our Mormon friends and neighbors settled. They seem to enjoy it a lot, mostly lime flavor. Salt Lake City has the highest consumption of it in the U.S. (Kraft Foods).


Kangaroo Rat

In Death Valley, the Kangaroo Rat can live its entire life without drinking a drop of liquid.


Kiel Ranch

Built in 1875 by Conrad Kiel, the ranch was the site of a gunfight and two murders by the end of the 19th century. It became a dude ranch and divorce ranch and was renamed the Boulderado Ranch and became quite popular.


Kirk Kerkorian and Howard Hughes

It may be just me but I see a lot of similarities between H.H. and K.K. Take the initials for instance. Both made their money in the airline business ( TWA and Western), both were connected with films and film making ( MGM and Republic), both owned (and own) casinos (Desert Inn, Landmark, Silver Slipper,Frontier for H.H.), (the Continental now Hilton, the MGM old and new for K.K.) both keep (and kept) a low profile, both are (were) filthy rich. What gives here?


Kit Carson

Yup, that famous old scout was here (Carson City). He was a lot like Washington that way, he slept everywhere. A little known fact about him is: he and a partner made sheep drives to California using two routes.From Santa Fe, New Mexico North along the East side of the Rockies to the Oregon trail in Wyoming. Then along the Oregon Trail through South Pass over to the Snake river in Idaho and from there to the Raft river.From there they took the California Trail south until they got to the Humboldt near Wells, NV. They followed the Humboldt to its sink and then turned West and crossed the Sierras into California. That sounds like a hell of a trip. The other route is less well known. It came northwest of the Rockies. They crossed west somewhere south of the Great Salt Lake. They crossed Antelope Valley and from there hooked up with the Humboldt. This was no small drive. They allegedly had 9,000 sheep and lost very few of them.


Kraft Mountain

I am so glad the state of Nevada finally honored me with a mountain named after me. I wanted a check, but all I got was a mountain. Well, not really. Although my last name also is Kraft, that mountain has nothing to do with me. It is in the Red Rock canyon area, not too far from Las Vegas proper. Another name for it is “La Hija”. Not very tall, about 5 000 feet. Rock scramblers love it for its large boulders.


Lake Mead

40 miles East of Las Vegas.

Largest man made body of water in the Western Hemisphere, some 115 miles in length. Good fishing and swimming. Don’t expect any shade, there ain’t none.


Lake Mead Carp

They are huge. Why doesn’t anyone around here catch these as a food fish?. In Eastern Europe, Poland especially, carp are grown commercially as a food fish.


Lake Tahoe

Northern Nevada

Third deepest lake in North America. Well over 1500 ft. The only lakes deeper are Great Slave Lake and Crater Lake. The lake is actually divided between California and Nevada.. Don’t try to swim in it, it is very cold.


Lander County

Central Nevada.

3rd largest county in the US. Larger than some eastern states.


Largest Jackpot

About $37 million was won by a young cocktail waitress at the Desert Inn Hotel in 1999. Two weeks later her car was rear ended by a drunken driver. He is now in jail and she is a quadriplegic. That jackpot was recently surpassed.


Largest Public Works Project.

Hoover Dam was the largest ever in U.S. history.


Lasers

In Henderson, a twin city to Las Vegas, it is against the law to aim a laser at someones eyes.


Las Vegas Location

The site was chosen because it is midway between Los Angeles and Salt Lake City and had abundant well water at the time, which made it an ideal stop for trains. Locomotives needed water. It was the Los Angeles, San Pedro and Salt Lake R.R.Co.


Las Vegas Beginning

The city was founded May 15, 1905.


Last Supper

Can be found near Rhyolite. It is an outdoor sculpture collection resembling the last supper.


Lime Belt

Also called the Jell-O belt/Mormon belt/ Book of Mormon belt. Anywhere a lot of our Mormon friends and neighbors settled. They seem to enjoy it a lot, mostly lime flavor. Salt Lake City has the highest consumption of it in the U.S. (Kraft Foods).


Little A’Le’Inn

A eatery on the “Extraterrestrial Highway” Caters to those who think aliens are among-st us.


Little Finland

Clark, NV A geological oddity. Scientists think it is a frozen sandstorm.


Looooong!

The longest telegram in Morse code ever sent was the Nevada constitution in 1864 from Carson City to Washington D.C. Lincoln was in somewhat of a hurry to get Nevada admitted on account of the Civil War.


Lovelock

Is the home of the Nevada State Prison and also the home of a certain O.J.Simpson. (as of this writing).


Mark Twain

Started his writing career at the Virginia City Territorial Enterprise as a reporter. He went on to become quite famous with such classics as “The Famous Jumping Frogs of Calaveras County,  and “Innocents Abroad”,”Huckleberry Finn” and others. Calaveras County is just across the line from Nevada in California.


McKeeversville

Originally an illegal squatters camp, now a part of Boulder City called “Lakeview”. It does have a good view of the lake. In the old days this was just a bunch of tents and huts. No one had any title to any of the land. And, it existed before Boulder City came into being.. There were some plans in the past to kick out the squatters but it seems no one wanted the political fallout. The town still exists to this day.


Melvin Dummar

In 1967 Melvin (Aug. 28, 1944) claimed he picked up Howard Hughes who was walking in the desert. Melvin later claimed Howard awarded him part of his estate as a reward. It resulted in a series of intense court battles reminiscent of the Mormon Will. A jury in 1978 decided against Melvin. The Academy Award winning movie “Melvin and Howard” is based on that story.


Million Dollar Court House

It is situated in the now very small town of Pioche, about 180 miles northeast of Las Vegas. This building, begun in 1871, was estimated to cost about $30,000.00 to construct. After some creative financing and influence peddling it wound up costing over 1 million dollars in 1871 dollars. It is a typical example of what was rotten and crooked in early day Nevada. Pioche had about 10,000 residents at the time. It now has a few hundred and the court house is now an interesting museum.


Minden and Gardnerville

Twin cities south of Reno. I mention them here because the people in one town are mostly from Minden, a large city in northern Germany. The people in the adjoining town are mostly from the Basque country in France.


Mine Shafts

There are at least 10,000 mine shafts in Nevada, almost all of them abandoned. Whatever else you do out in the desert, do not enter any old mines. Once you slide down one of those shafts it is almost impossible to get back out. They have water in the bottom, snakes, spiders and bats hide in them. They also cave in quite easily. So, stay away.


Minsky’s Follies

At the Dunes Hotel was the first topless show in Las Vegas.


Misfits Flats

Misfits Flats off Highway 50 near Stagecoach takes its name from the John Huston film. Huston used the privately owned area to film a complicated wild horse round up with Clark Gable, Marilyn Monroe, Montgomery Clift and Eli Wallach.


Mormon Corridor

It is the area in the state that was settled by Mormon pioneers pushing west out of Salt Lake City. Bunkerville (1879) and Mesquite (1880) are two examples. Trying to define it I concluded it is mainly between I15 and Rt. 89. It also is called the “Book of Mormon” belt, the “Mormon culture region” and, oddly enough, the Jell-O Belt. Our Mormon neighbors eat a lot of it according to Kraft foods. Mostly lime flavor.


Mormon Wagon Trail

Was laid out following the Spanish Trail. It led from Salt Lake City to Las Vegas.


Mormon Battalion

Fanned out from Salt Lake City and had orders to secure parts of the West. They built a “so called”fort in Las Vegas on North Las Vegas Bl. near Cashman Field.


Moulin Rouge

Is one Lake mead, close to D Street. In early Las Vegas, black performers could work on the Strip, but they could not stay there. Las Vegas was totally segregated. That area developed many black owned casinos, bars, shops etc. Places with names such as Town Tavern, El Morocco Club, Harlem Club. The Town Tavern was renamed the New Town Tavern and was the last club to survive. I came close to that place a couple of times , but was actually afraid to enter. One tough neighborhood. It is ironic, famous black performers like Sammy Davis jr, Lena Horn, Nat “King” Cole could work on the Strip but were not allowed to get a room there. The area is called the West Side. Another strange thing. Black folks originally did not live there, but around Stewart St. They were pushed out of that area and into the West Side. One more thing, during monsoon times that area is one of the few that does not flood.


Mountains

Nevada has more mountain ranges than any other state, with its highest point at the 13,145 foot top of Boundary Peak near the west-central border. There are 315 mountain ranges.


Mustang Ranch

Storey County, a few miles up the road (east) from Reno. Allegedly the largest legal brothel in the U.S. Some entrepreneur some years ago wanted it listed on the stock exchange (the Pink Sheets maybe?) For years run by Joe Conforte who disappeared to Argentina because the Feds wanted him on tax evasion charges. I remember him as a very generous tipper whenever he came into my place of employment – usually with two or three of his extremely pretty ladies. Anybody here remember the heavyweight boxer that met his untimely demise on a barbed wire fence at that place? He was an Argentinian guy so far as I remember. Was it Oscar Bonaventura?


Naked City

Run down area north of Sahara Av. and west of Las Vegas Bl. It was formerly home to many showgirls who had a propensity for nude sun bathing. Hence the name. Avoid that area at all cost. It is the one behind the Stratosphere tower.


Natives

Nevada has the lowest percentage of native born residents. Only 1 out of every 5 Nevada residents were born in the state.(as of 2014).


Nellis AFB

11,000 acres, 3 million acres restricted land, 15,000 sq.miles airspace, about 33,000 personnel on/off base, including family members.This number includes Creech AFB (drone controllers), which are housed at Nellis. Nellis has near perfect flying conditions.


Neon, Neon, Neon

There are about 15,000 miles of neon tubing in Las Vegas.


Nevada

The U.S. Constitution requires a newly formed state to have a population of 60,000. The 1860 census gave the number for Nevada at 6,857, that is far short of what was needed. Does that mean this entire state is actually an illegal construct? Everything of the past 150 years or so is illegal? Every court order, business license, land sale etc. etc.? All illegal? (invalid).


Nevada, Lincoln and the Civil War.

Nevada was granted Statehood during the Civil War. The State motto is ” Battle Born”. Lincoln needed the money generated by the mines to conduct the war.


Nevada State Prison

This is one of the oldest territorial prisons in the west. It has been closed since 2012. Efforts are being launched to reopen it as a museum. Several movies were made featuring the prison, including one starring Tom Selleck (1989 – An Innocent Man). The prison is located at the state capital, Carson City.


Nevada Test Site

100 miles North of Las Vegas.

This area is larger than some Eastern states. This is where they blow the big ones. Strict security prevails

The site can be visited via a monthly tour which leaves Las Vegas at 7:30 a.m. and returns around 4 p.m. U.S. Citizens need to make reservations three weeks in advance. Then bring photo ID with SS # on it. Non-citizens need to make reservations 6 weeks in advance. I cannot rate that place, I have never been there. I can’t imagine they let you see a lot. The Russians probably know more about it than we do.


Nevada Triangle

It is the area roughly between Las Vegas, NV, Reno, NV, and Fresno, CA. Sometimes also called the “HIgh Sierras” Hundreds of air planes have crashed in that area over the years. A lot of them have never been located. As many as three crashes occur in a month.


Newlands

This project is located in Fallon, south-east of Reno, and was the first Federal attempt to irrigate desert areas for crop production. The LAHONTAN DAM was built to divert water from the Carson River. I believe it dates back to 1905. A famous crop widely available in Northern Nevada during harvest time is the “Hearts of Gold” cantaloupe, an especially sweet and juicy variety. This project accomplished two things it irrigated land and it shafted the local Native Americans at Pyramid Lake by depriving them of their water.


Odds

The best odds of any casino game can be found at the craps table. That is as long as you don’t play the field and the proposition bets, the hard eight or hard six. And if you do not take full odds on all your bets I will personally come over and kick your butt. By playing the game right you can shave the casino advantage down to a fraction of a percent. All you need then is a tiny bit of luck.


NewYork NewYork

Is the only casino on the Strip without its own marquee. They recently added some lettering on an addition they built alongside the strip.


Old Mormon Font

The Old Mormon Fort Is located off Las Vegas Bl. North, close to Cashman Field. It is quite a stretch to call this a fort. It is a small,  unassuming adobe building.


Old Spanish Trail

This is the old trail between Santa Fe, New Mexico and Los Angeles, California. Keep in mind that all that area was controlled by Mexico at the time. At first it was a horse trail but later the 49ers used it as a wagon trail to California. Mormon pioneers also used this trail. About 130 miles of the Spanish Trail are in Clark County and run roughly between Mesquite, Town Center, Blue Diamond, Mountain Springs and Fantasy Park in Las Vegas.


Old Spanish Trail at Mountain Springs Pass

A very popular spot on the Old Spanish Trail for a stopover. It is much cooler in the summer, there are springs and meadows. It took two days from here to Las Vegas and a stopover was required at Cottonwood Springs. That stopover is now called Blue Diamond.


Old Spanish Trail – Garces Expedition

Francisco Garces was a Franciscan priest who used Indian guides to travel from the Colorado River to San Gabriel, California in March of 1776. He followed a very old Indian trail.


Old Spanish Trail – Armijo’s Route

Antonio Armijo was a merchant who led the first successful pack train across the Las Vegas Valley in 1830.He traveled all the way from Santa Fe , New Mexico to Los Angeles, California thereby opening a new trade route. An almost unbelievable feat in those days covering over a thousand miles and through hostile, bandit ridden areas. In those days New Mexico, California and everything in between belonged to Mexico.


Old Spanish Trail – The Journey of Death

That was the name given to the 55 mile stretch of the trail between the Muddy River and Las Vegas. The Spanish called it “journada del muerto”. Experienced travelers made the trip at night, there was not a drop of water anywhere. The first fresh water after leaving the Muddy River was in Las Vegas itself. It was actually the longest water less stretch on the entire Spanish Trail. Actually very similar to the trail leading into Reno from the Humboldt Sink (Fifty Mile Desert).


Opal

. The state gemstone is black fire opal, a rare and beautiful stone that is found in large quantities only in Nevada.


Overland Trail

The Overland Trail (also known as the Overland Stage Line) was a stagecoach and wagon trail in the American West during the 19th century. While portions of the route had been used by explorers and trappers since the 1820s, the Overland Trail was most heavily used in the 1860s as an alternative route to the Oregon, California and Mormon trails through central Wyoming. The Overland Trail was famously used by the Overland Stage Company owned by Ben Holladay to run mail and passengers to Salt Lake City, Utah, via stagecoaches in the early 1860s. Starting from Atchison, Kansas, the trail descended into Colorado before looping back up to southern Wyoming and rejoining the Oregon Trail at Fort Bridger. The stage line operated until 1869 when the completion of the First Transcontinental Railroad eliminated the need for mail service via stagecoach. (Wikipedia).


Panaca

Is a variation of the Southern Paiute word Pa-Na-Ka meaning metal.


Peter Uston

Notorious 1980’s card counter. He took many casinos for lots of money until he finally got thrown out of them. He even resorted to wearing a disguise to sneak back in. He got caught by Robert Griffin. See story below.


Picasso

In October 2006 Steve Wynn, prominent Las Vegas casino owner, put his elbow through a $135 million (estimate) Picasso painting (Le Reve- the Dream). It was the most expensive painting at that time.


Pioche

Named after a San Francisco financier. The town was notorious for the numerous gunfights that took place. A large portion, well over 50% of all murders in the state took place there. All in all about $50 million of silver came out of those mines.


Pony Express

Only operated for less than two years. Sacramento was the Western Terminus. I believe that Carson City, South of Reno was one of their relay stations.

Across Nevada about 30 relay stations were installed. Quite a feat of organizing.


Popeye

Created by Jeff Koons, Steve Wynn, casino mogul, bought it for $28 million to have it displayed in the casino shopping mall. It is being guarded 24/7. Cleaning experts from Germany are flown in twice yearly at a cost of $15,000 ea (as of 08/06/16). Rumor has it he has been offered as much as $60 million for it. Sounds like a good investment.


Potosi

Here is another interesting bit of information. This was an important lead mine for the Mormon miners who discovered it . They called it ” the mountain of lead”. It was also an important source of zinc during WW1. What is interesting is the fact there are several Potosi mines around the world. One in Spain, another in Bolivia I believe. That one is called “the mountain of silver” and has been continuously mined for over three hundred years.


Prostitution

It is legal in Nevada, it is a county option. So you have two counties (as far as I know) without it. They are Washoe and Clark, essentially Reno and Las Vegas. If you feel like having a little action go to the Mustang Ranch, the Chicken Ranch, Mabel’s Ranch or the Green Door. There are more but I don’t recall all of them at the moment. I need to investigate in depth (hahahaha).


Rabbit Hole

Northern Nevada around Winnemucca.

Large gold bearing area with microscopic gold. One of the largest gold mines in the world located nearby.


Rafael Riviera

He was an early day scout who blazed a route from the Amargosa river to the Mojave river in California. This became a vital link of the Old Spanish Trail. It was known in this area as the Mormon Trail.


Ragtown

After crossing the 40 mile desert the emigrants (those that were left) would clean up and do their washing and hang it in the breeze. It is near Fallon.


Railroads

Nevada is full of ghost towns and abandoned railroads. At least fifty lines were in operation at one time or the other. The most famous (my opinion) was the short haul Virginia City and Truckee Line, sometimes called the “richest railroad in the world”. It hauled ore and equipment from the Comstock Lode. But there are other gems, a lot of them very short lived. One line ran from Elko to a copper smelter in Ely. That also is the location of one of the largest “glory holes” in the U.S. It is an open pit copper mine, now defunct.


Rainbow Curve

On route 95 in Las Vegas where it turns South at Rainbow Bl.


Ranching in Nevada

Is not at all like ranching in Pennsylvania or Michigan. Some parts of the state require 35 (that’s right, thirty-five) acres of land to raise a head of cattle. On top of this cattle have to be shipped out of state for finishing off in feed lots. Round-ups are conducted by motorcycle, jeep and even helicopter. I have heard the Petan Ranch has 250,000 acres. I don’t know if it’s true. There also used to be a Bonanza. (remember the movie?)


Rawhide

Central Nevada

Once a thriving Town, now totally deserted. Like many another town in the old west this one was destroyed by fire.Was the home of Tex Rickard’s “Northern Saloon” a boxing promoter who staged the Nelson/Gans fight in Goldfield. That fight was stopped after 42 ( yes, forty two) rounds because of an Illegal punch or butt, A “foul”. Remember we are talking bare knuckle fighting here. I actually once rented a room in Reno from a very old lady who once was a teacher in Rawhide.


Real Estate and Water

Do not buy land in Nevada unless you know you have water and/or water rights. Consult a lawyer!!


Reno’s China Town.?

In the late 1800’s Reno began to experience a series of Smallpox, Cholera and other infectious diseases. Vaccines were unknown at the time. The source was traced to an area of town inhabited by Chinese immigrants. The inhabitants were relocated and several square blocks were burned down on orders of the city council. Soon thereafter the diseases stopped occurring.


Republic of Molossia

In Dayton, south of Reno. It is a guy with a uniform, a shack and a small piece of land.It is at 226 Mary Lane, Dayton, NV 89043. It is a micronation, founded by Kevin Baugh in his home. In ancient Greece there was a nation with the same name, but Baugh says the two are not related. His holdings are 1.3 acres. He also states it is nothing more than a hobby. His other holdings (?) or claims are

Desert Homestead. A province in southern California. He declared that one a National Monument dedicated to Baugh himself.

Vesperia. A claim of 49,881 memes (130,000 square km.) on Venus.

Corporate University. In the North Pacific, about 400 miles southwest of Mexico.

Source :MicroWiki.


Rick Tabish

One day in 1998 sheriffs deputies in Nye County spotted a man digging a hole in the desert. He identified himself as Rick Tabish, and he was trying to dig up a vault filled with silver coins buried there by casino heir Ted Binion, son of notorious casino owner Benny Binion (Binion’s Horseshoe). Just a few days prior Ted had died under mysterious circumstances. Rick and his girl friend Sandra Murphy were convicted of murder. Sandra served some time and was acquitted on appeal. Rick did 11 years. Interestingly Rick was from a wealthy Montana family but turned to crime and drugs in his early twenties. He was a frequent visitor at law offices and prisons.


Rico Act

Passed in 1970. Gave law enforcement more power to fight organized crime. It was one more nail in the coffin for the Mafia in Las Vegas.


Ringbolts

During the early days of steamboat navigation on the Colorado the boats could not make it through the rapids without help. So, they used ring bolts (eye-bolts) to pull themselves through. If you want to see them you need to go to ” ring bolt rapids ” below the dam.A few of the ring bolts are still there. I have seen a good example of a ring bolt at Willow Beach on the East side of the Colorado river not too far from Boulder City.


Robert Griffin

Robert had a photographic memory which he employed to catch card counters. He would identify card counters and put them in his book the “Griffin Book”. He would then sell the information to the gaming operators. Card counting in itself is not illegal, but casinos do not want them for obvious reasons. Since casinos are private property they can exclude anyone they wish to exclude. For you youngsters: card counting was very popular back in the day. It all started in the ’80’s with an organized team of mostly Asian students from MIT. It quickly spread nation wide and cost the casinos millions before they were able to stop it. A very prominent card counter was Peter Uston. He was so notorious that he was thrown out of almost all casinos.


Ronald Reagan in Las Vegas

R.R. made his only night club appearance in Las Vegas.


Rhyolite

about 80 miles from Las Vegas.

Ghost town. Once one of the largest cities in these parts. Had at one time about 10,000 people, 50 saloons and 18 grocery stores.Even had its own railroad. Old depot is still standing,, also some of the bank building. most of the rest of the town has blown away. Can also be reached via Beatty. A huge gold mine is nearby, practically at the door steps. See, there is still gold in them thar hills.


Rooms

Las Vegas has more hotel rooms than any other place on earth. It would take almost 300 years for a person to sleep one night in each hotel room in Las Vegas. And more are coming! (as of 2014).


St. Valentines Day Massacre.

The wall in front of which the gangsters were killed is in the Mob Museum.


Sand Mountain

Fallon, remains of an ancient lake.


Sarah Winnemucca

The first Native American woman to write a history of her tribe and her autobiography in 1883. Rather remarkable.


Searchlight

A town not unlike many other small western towns. But yet very remarkable in some ways.Gold ore was discovered here in 1897 and the town soon had rail service. In 1923 the track was washed out and service was never restored. It is remarkable because Harry Reid, the only Senate Majority leader from Nevada was born and raised in this small town. As of this writing (2014), he can still periodically be seen having breakfast in a small casino cafe. Story has it that a certain Mr. Colton, who founded the town said “there is gold in them thar hills, but you need a searchlight to find it.” It also was a brand of matches.


Shoe Tree

Churchill, on H’way 51, the loneliest road in America. I don’t know about this one. I have heard vandals had chopped it down.


Shoes

It is against the law to use x-rays for selling shoes.


Shrimp

More of this delicacy is consumed per day in Las Vegas than in the rest of the country combined. 60, 000 lbs.


Silicon Valley

A topless club. Specifically the Olympic Gardens topless club.


Silver Queen

Designed by owners Carroll and Jerry Eaton as a tribute to Virginia City’s once great Silver Mining industry – an industry whose production stabilized the Federal treasury during the Civil War and later altered the World’s monetary structure – the Silver Queen’s dress contains 3,261 Silver Dollars. The belt alone contains 28 twenty dollar gold pieces. While only a few of the coins are of Nevada (Carson City) mintage, a large percentage of them undoubtedly contain silver that was first mined thousands of feet beneath this very building. One of Nevada’s most unusual Casino displays.


Slot Machines

There are now 13,000 fewer slot machines on the strip than at the beginning of the recession. They now number about 45,00 (2013 figure). Keep in mind that a lot of slot machines now feature multiple games. Still, the recession has taken its toll.

By state law slot machines are supposed to pay out at least 75% of the money gambled. How is that for odds? They guarantee you wiill lose 25% of every Dollar played.


Simpson House

In Henderson sits a copy of the house featured in the famous cartoon series. It was built as a promotional give away and was complete with furniture (the couch etc.). The winner of the contest did not want it and took $75,000 instead. It then sat vacant until 2001. The buyer, unfortunately, changed the paint and covered it with stucco. Now it looks just like any other mass produced house.


Slot Addiction

Gamblers who play the slot machines on a regular basis will become addicted to them within a year. According to a study by Robert Breen, psychiatrist at Brown University. I have personal knowledge of several of my friends sinking into abject poverty because of slot/gambling addiction.


Snakes, Scorpions, Black Widows, Gila Monsters, Tarantulas, Killer Bees, Fire Ants and Brown recluse Spiders

Stay away from that spider. it inflicts a nasty bite that makes the flesh around the wound rot. Two snakes in Nevada, the Western Rattler and the Sidewinder, both very poisonous. The rattler has an extremely fast strike and injects an enormous amount of venom. Get thee to a doctor fast or prepare thee to meet thy maker. Fortunately rattlers only move at a certain temperature. When it is really hot or cold you have nothing to fear. They also try to stay away from humans. There is supposed to be a Coral Snake in the Sierra Nevada. I have never seen one. The Gila Monster is a colorful salamander that really needs to be provoked before it will do anything. You nearly have to put your finger in its mouth. They are also very rare. Tarantulas are really quite harmless and rarely seen in these parts. I have only seen one in twenty five years. Scorpions are nasty little buggers with a bad sting. They are a new import to the Las Vegas Valley. They are real good climbers and have no trouble entering your living quarters. They show up at night under UV light and are easy to find that way. Black Widows are really pitch black and have a red hourglass on their bellies. They are pretty poisonous but not lethal (in most cases). Killer Bees have made their way to Southern Nevada. They are very aggressive and attack en mass. Keep your eyes open. Fire ants are another recent arrival. Stay away from them too!


Snowshoe Thompson

A Norwegian immigrant Thompson (or Thomson) was said to be the only person at that time able to cross the Sierra Nevada Mountain range in the dead of winter, carrying the US Mail He made his first trip in 1856. His average trip time was three days carrying a pack of 80 pounds and more, truly amazing. Keep in mind these mountains receive 30-40ft of snow per season. He did it on skis he made, they were allegedly about ten feet in length. He was no overnight wonder, he made the trip for twenty years by himself. He also owned a small ranch in the vicinity In the end the U.S. Postal Service managed to cheat him out of his pay. He delivered the mail anyway. Thompson is buried in the little town of Genoa in northern Nevada. Genoa itself was formerly a stop on the Overland Express stagecoach route. Now very small it is famous for its annual “Candy Dance” Thomsons feats were described by reporter Dan DeQuille, a reporter for the Territorial Enterprise which was started in Genoa but later moved to Virginia City. Another well known scribe for that publication was none other than Mark Twain.


Some Silly Laws

From around the State.

It is illegal to drive a camel on a Nevada highway.

In Eureka it is illegal for a man wearing a mustache to kiss a woman.

In Nevada it is legal to hang a person for shooting your dog on your property.

In Elko you must wear a mask while walking in the street.

In Las Vegas it is illegal to pawn your dentures.

in Las Vegas you may bet on any sports team in the country, but not on UNLV.

in Reno it is illegal to stage a dance marathon. You may promote one by hanging a notice about it on a fire hydrant.

In Reno it is (or was) illegal to have a whorehouse within 400 yards of a school or church. That is way different from where I grew up (Germany). There was one at the front entrance of the High School I attended, across the street. I never had enough money to avail myself.

More about Reno. It is illegal to hide a spray painted shopping cart in your basement.

It is against the law in Reno to place a bench in the middle of the street.

..In Reno, sex toys are illegal.

In Reno it is illegal to lie down on the sidewalk.


Space

Nevada has more open space than any other place in the lower 48 states. Over 80% of Nevada’s land is designated for public and recreational use.


Spaghetti Bowl

The interchange of I-95 and I-15 in down town Las Vegas.


Sparks and Wadsworth

Sparks was once the largest Union Pacific depot/machine shop/repair shop/turn table in Nevada. The workers started a strike, the U.P. superintendent simply gave orders to move all equipment, shops, turntables, rails to a different location, Wadsworth, to be precise. End of strike. On top of it all the guy got to name his own town. Can you guess his name ?


Sports Books

The old Stardust was the first hotel to install a sports book. The idea came from none other than Frank (Lefty) Rosenthal.


Stateline

Anywhere in Nevada where gaming clubs have been built close to a state line in order to take advantage of incoming traffic from the adjoining state. For instance Primm on I-15 from Cal. to NV, or Jackpot, catching traffic from Idaho to NV. The most famous one is on the North Shore of Lake Tahoe where the stateline runs through the center of the casino of the Nevada Lodge.


Statue of Liberty

How many of them are there in Las Vegas? I know of two and how about you?


Steve Fosse

Famous aviator Steve Fosse disappeared in the infamous Nevada Triangle on a routine flight. Steve was a very experienced aviator and balloonist with may hours of flight under his belt. His disappearance set off a massive search effort. The search eventually covered about 30,000 sq.miles and ended up to be the most expensive in U.S. history. He was never found.


Stokes Castle

It is located in the, now almost deserted, town of Austin. Austin was a prominent silver camp that flourished around the 1860’s. There are still a few hundred residents hanging on. The castle itself is more like a square rock tower and was built by a A.P.Stokes, a mining and railroad baron. He stayed in the building only once with his family. After that the “castle” was abandoned. One of the stranger stories in the state.


Strange Directions

To drive from Los Angeles, California to Reno, Nevada the direction traveled is to the west.


Strange Newspapers

None of the newspapers listed exist any longer. Unless someone resurrected one or all of them for historical reasons. I am not aware of any of them existing.

Rawhide Rustler, Rawhide, Jan. 16, 1907 – Apr. 17, 1909.

Keys to Hidden Treasure/Argus,Las Vegas, Feb. 1926 – Sept. 1927.

Cloudburst, Las Vegas, Jan 1934.

Jumbo Miner, April 4, 1908/July 25, 1908. The Jumbo Mine is located in Goldfield, and was once a sizable operation sporting even a power hoist.

The Knocker, Manhattan, yes, Nevada had one of those. July or Aug. 1911.

Gabbs Gabb, June 14, 1943/Aug.25, 1944. The town of Gabbs is still around. It is in Nye County, and sports a population of less than three hundred, and falling. B.t.w., Nye County is the second largest in the lower 48 with about 20,000 sq.m.

Old Pali-Utah,Washoe City, Dec. 26, 1863

Agai Dicutta Yaduan, Schurz, 1975 – 1977. Schurz was the 13th Sec. of the Interior (3-12-1877/3-7-1881) and served under Garfield and Hayes. The town is still around, on the Walker River, pop. around 700. I could not find a definition for the phrase.

The Daily Old Piute. (Virginia City).

Spark, Austin, 1879.

Measure for Measure, Battle Mountain, Nov. 23, 1874. The title of a Shakespeare play.

Trespass, Virginia City.

True Fissure, Candelaria, June 5, 1888.

The Cupel, Eureka, 1874. It refers to an assayers cup. The paper and an additional thirty buildings were destroyed in a flash flood. It also took sixteen lives.

Co-operative Colonist, Nevada City, four miles east of Fallon. It promoted socialist ideals and lasted from 1916 to 1918.

Las Vegas Hangover, Jan. 1946 – Feb. 1946. One of the shortest lived publications I have come across.

Potosi Nix Cum Rouscht, Feb. 1861, handwritten. Linguists at UNR tried to find a meaning of those words. They could not. It seems to be a mixture of Latin and German.

Rochester Paycrack, before you get any ideas let me explain. The title refers to a rich ore vein. This paper had an interesting printer, a Joe T. Cramp. He was a tramp (itinerant) publisher who carried his equipment from mining camp to mining camp. He started at least seven papers between 1910 and 1920.

Betty O’Neal Concentrator, Feb. 9, 1924 at the mining camp of the same name. It was 14 miles south of Battle Mountain.

Aurora Borealis, Aurora, Nov. 18, 1905. It lasted an astounding seven months. After that the equipment was moved to Mina, and was used until 1930 to print the “Western Nevada Miner”

Wabuska Mangler

The Wabuska Mangler was the name given to a mythical newspaper in 1889 by Sam Davis, then editor of the Nevada Appeal. Davis would make up controversial news stories and opinions, then attribute them to the Mangler. Wabuska is a small community in Lyon County east of Carson City.

Source: courtesy Nevada Press Association. Mark Twain was a founding member of this association.


Strange Towns

Nevada has an abundance of strange place names. A lot of the places listed have long since disappeared.

Atlanta. Aspirations of Georgia I guess. Or maybe misplaced southerners.

Awakening.

Beowawe. Paiute. The population peaked at 60 in 1881.

Elko. “Rocks placed on one another” Shoshone Natakkoa language.

Fair Play

Flat Nose

Frisbie. I like this one. The Frisbee had not yet been invented. In Lander county. It is now a ghost town at 40 16’22″N – 116 41’37″W.

Gravelly Ford. A site at the California trail. 40.592N – 116.476W (appr.).

Jackpot. This one was called “Unincorporated Town #1” for several years.

Lovelock

Midas. Elko county. Formerly called Gold Circle. The Feds changed the name.

Montezuma

Owyhee. Elko county. Shoshone-Paiute.

Pahrump. Southern Paiute language. Water Rock – Pah-Rimpi.

Ragtown. There were two of them One near Hoover Dam and another not far from Reno, at the forty mile desert.

Roach. A real roach or just a cigarette butt?

Shantytown

Paradise. Location of the Las Vegas strip.

Rachel. Home of the aliens.

Esmeralda.

Laughlin. Named after the founder of the town.

Reno. A civil war general.

Rhyolite. A mineral.

Tonopah. Shoshone. pah=water.

Tahoe

Yelland

Winnemucca. Named after chief Winnemucca.

Whiskey Spring

Volcano

Toy

Steptoe. Located in Steptoe Valley.


Stratosphere Tower

The Stratosphere is the tallest, free-standing, observation tower in the US and the tallest structure west of the Mississippi River.(1,149 ft.).

The original High Roller roller coaster was on top from 1995 to 2005.

The restaurant on top rotates.

The annual run to the top was won in 2015 by a contestant who did it in 7 mimutes 22 seconds. (108 floors, 1,455 steps).

The hotel has 2,500 rooms. (MGM about 5,000).

Bob Stupak was the original owner. I happened to know him. He was a chain smoker and fearless gambler (poker) word has it he bet $1 million on a hand at one time. I wouldn’t know, my highest bet is one dollar.

Mr. Stupak opened the casino in March of 1974. It burned down two months later on May 21 of that year.

The original casino was called Vegas World. It opened in 1979 and closed in 1995.

VegasWorld featured a real even money roulette lay out. No green slots. Just red and black.

The original roller coaster now belongs to famous surgeon and former Lt. Gov. Lonnie Hammergren. I have been to his open house. He has a lot of collectibles.

Mr. Stupak wanted a tower of 1,800 ft. The Fed. Aviation people nixed that one.

Mr. Stupak produced a board game modelled after the Trump board game.

Mr. Stupak wanted a mechanical gorilla called KingKong to climb up on the outside of the tower and serve as an elevator.

There was a bronze statue of him outside the hotel. It disappeared after he stepped down as chairman.

The tower is so tall, you can almost see Russia (hahahaha).


Street Names

When it comes to street names anything goes in Las Vegas. Well, almost anything. Nothing is too strange or outlandish. There are a few streets named after alcoholic beverages. I am sure that would not go over in Salt Lake City.

Then there are those streets that are named after casinos i.e. Tropicana, Flamingo, Sahara, Desert Inn. Those actually make a lot of sense.

You have streets named after fruits, nuts, art, magic, entertainment other countries, other cities. The list goes on and on. There are even streets named after The Hobbit and the Beatles. (Middle Earth Street, Yesterday Drive). Get yourself Google Maps and see what other odd names you can find. I assure you, there are plenty.


Surviving the Desert

How much water is enough? Experts recommend a gallon of water per day when out in the desert in the summer. So, using this information and knowing how much water weighs we can interpolate how much we can carry. It isn’t much, not enough to survive on for maybe a few days. In other words “stay out of the desert and stay on main roads”.


Sutro Tunnel

After a few years of digging and tunneling the Virginia City silver mines started to flood. Miners were up to their hips in water. Until Adolph Sutro showed up. He was a German mining engineer, and he had a solution. All you need to do, he said, is to dig a tunnel from the other side of the mountain and drain the water. There were many doubts, but the tunnel was dug and the mines were able to operate for another period of time. Sutro went on to fame and fortune in San Francisco where he built the “Sutro Baths” at the Pacific cliffs. I actually visited them before they burned down. It was around 1962.


Talking and moving fountain (animated)

At the Forum Shops, Caesars Palace. A huge tourist attraction.


Taxes

Nevada is one of only nine states without an income tax.


Temple of Sekhmet

This is located near Indian Springs, yes, the same Indian Springs that is famous for being near Area 51.It was built around 1995 by a bunch of peacenicks. The name refers to an ancient Egyptian goddess. The one with the head of a lion. It is still open to the public and exists mainly on donations and a gift shop. You can actually stay overnight, provided you make arrangements in advance. There also is a sweat lodge. Not that you really need one here in the summer. Call them at 596-0630 if you want to do that spiritual thing. They are about 50 miles North of the strip.


Tennis

Andre Agassi and his wife Steffi Graf are famous tennis stars who make their home in Las Vegas. They are both very engaged in charitable work and many of the buildings they created for that purpose are located in minority areas for instance the A.A. College.


The Secessionist Movement

In 1867 the Nevada Legislature voted to include present day Clark County into the state. Up until that time it was part of Arizona Territory. They forgot one important thing, they forgot to amend the Nevada Constitution to reflect the new boundaries. So, in the 1980’s Nevada voters had to shuffle to the voting booth and voted on it. At that time there were a sizable number of people that wanted Clark County to secede from the state.


Thunder Mountain Monument

House monument built by an artist who called himself “Chief Rolling Thunder. It is in Imlay.


Tobar

It was named after a saloon that established itself at a railroad construction site. It was their advertising sign. That is so Nevada, naming a whole town after a saloon.


Tonopah

This semi ghost town is a fair way from Las Vegas, going north on Rt. 95. I mention it here because of Wyatt Earp who was the sheriff and Jack Dempsey , the boxer, who once lived there. Dempsey was actually a bartender in one of the saloons. The annual mining days are interesting. The town sits at a very high elevation, 7000 ft come to mind and gets extra cold during the winter. I know, I’ve been there, done that, got the T-shirt. Try and get there during their annual mining days. They have mucking contests etc. The actual vein of silver ore was allegedly found by someones donkey. Another strange fact: the ore that was mined was first hauled by horse and wagon to the nearby town of Austin and then shipped to Salt Lake for smelting. All in all about five million tons of ore have been produced in Tonopah.


Topless Shows

The Dunes, demolished in 1993, was the first resort to feature topless showgirls in a show called Minsky’s Follies.


Trading Routes

The years 1831-1832 saw the beginning of Mexican trading caravans from Santa Fe,NM to Los Angeles, CA. An enormous distance in those days.


Tule Springs

If you are interested in ancient fossils, then this is for you. This place is almost in downtown Las Vegas,(so to speak) it being only 25 miles north of the strip. Here you can dig for the Giant Mammoth, the Giant Ground Sloth,the Sabre Tooth Cat, American Lion and Dire Wolf. You need to hurry though. Developers have their eye on this piece of property.


Unincorporated Town # 1

For three years that was the name of the town we now know as Jackpot. It sits along the Idaho-Nevada line. Originally just a trailer town. For years there was no brick building.


Union Pacific and Central Pacific R.R.

One of the great engineering feats in the Old West. Traverses the Sierra Nevada from Reno to Auburn through numerous tunnels Some of the track actually runs under roofs because of the heavy snowfall in those mountains.


Uranium King

Made tons of money during the uranium boom in the fifties. He went broke just like Bowers. His mansion is very near the Bowers mansion in fact. I can’t remember the guys name offhand. Maybe someone can help me out on this I think his name was Steen.


Utah and Nevada

Nevada used to be part of Utah Territory. On March 2, 1861, President Buchanan signed an Act of Congress making Nevada a Territory. It included all of present day Nevada, except the area of Clark County, which was ceded to Nevada from Arizona in 1866.


Vegas Junkyards

Ordinarily I would not make mention of this type of information. But these are large, really large. Nevada has a lot of desert and a dry climate. Metal does not rust very fast. If you need a fender for a 1956 Ford F-250 you can probably find one there.


Very Short Rivers

The Truckee, the Carson and the Walker. They are all rivers of less than 125 miles in length. The Truckee originates in Lake Tahoe and disappears into Pyramid Lake. The other two rivers do similar tricks. They are the very few rivers running East from the Sierra Nevada rather than West.


Virginia City and the Comstock Lode

Once one of the richest silver deposits in the world. The town is still there, hanging on by a thread. The mines were so rich they stabilized the U.S. currency during the civil war. The city is now a major tourist attraction. Some of the bars are really note worthy, especially the one that has the “Silver Queen” on display.


Virginia City and Truckee RR.

At one time the richest short haul RR in the US.


Visitors

80% of all visitors to Las Vegas are return visitors and average two trips per year. 44% of all visitors to Las Vegas arrive by air and 43% arrive by car. 89% of all visitors to Las Vegas gamble with an average gambling budget of $500. Over 38.9 million people visit Las Vegas each year.( as of 2014).


Von Schmidt State Boundary Monument

This is the boundary marker between California and Nevada. It can be found near Needles. It is an iron marker and was placed there in 1873. Alexey W. Von Schmidt who was a surveyor and astronomer.


Walter Van Tilburgh Clark

Wrote several famous books: “City of Trembling Leaves” (refers to Reno, Nevada), and “The Ox Bow Incident”. This one was made into a movie and I think it starred James Steward.


Ward Charcoal Ovens

They are in the Egan Mountains, about 18 miles south of Ely. The basin was a major stop over for settlers. Silver was discovered in 1872.


Weddings

Approximately 150 couples get married in Las Vegas each day.


Weeds Height

The same story as with Carp. It named after a person, Clyde Weed, a mining C.E.O.


Wells

Started out in 1869 as a boxcar sitting along a railroad siding. It was used to sell rail tickets and to ship freight.


Westside

In Las Vegas. Be careful.


Where is Pyramid ?

This may sound odd, but the town of Pyramid is in Virginia City. When silver was discovered in Virginia City the good folks in Pyramid packed up the entire town and moved it to the new location. Pyramid was formerly located on the paved road leading from Reno to Pyramid Lake. Some foundation stones are still there. Watch out for the old time miner up on the hill a ways (if he is still there). He is gun crazy. He ran me off. I think he is mining copper up there by himself.


What is all that shiny stuff in the desert off I 15 near Yermo?

It is the world’s largest Solar plant based on mirror technology.


Who did it to Al Bramlett?

Al was the leader of Culinary local 226 in Las Vegas. He stepped off the plane from Reno sometime in ’76 or ’77, I forgot which year. His body was found in the desert a few weeks later. Someone is doing time for this. But why, where and how??


Who is in charge of the STRIP ?

The County Commissioners, that’s who. The STRIP is not in Las Vegas at all. It is in the county.


Who is looking after all those sheep?

Mostly Basque sheepherders. They get special work permits. It is lonesome and dirty work. Out there, in the desert, all alone, just you and the sheep. I tried to talk to some of them but they all spoke French only. There are quite a few Basque restaurants in the northern part of the state, especially around Reno and Elko. Mostly family style dining.


Who owns Nevada?

The Feds, that’s who, 85% of it.


Why is it so windy in Las Vegas?

In the spring and fall. High pressure builds in the Four Corners region, air rushes in to fill the vacuum. In the fall the process is reversed.


Winnemuca

The city is named after an Indian Chief.


Wyatt Earp

Enforced law and order for a while in Tonopah.


Yerington

Named after the former president of the Carson and Colorado R.R.


Yucca Mountain Repository

A large tunnel built to hold atomic waste for the next 10,000 years. The Feds have spent billions to have it build and then shut it down. It is in Area 51 but only about 100 miles from Las Vegas.


Zzyxx

Have you ever wondered what is behind this strange name that you see on the way to L.A.? Well, turn off sometimes and follow the dirt road for about three miles and you get to a bunch of buildings and some springs. This was an army outpost in the 1860′ s. A charlatan healer in the forties who bamboozled the public with phoney health claims built most of the buildings. He was shut down after many years by the Feds. It is now run by Cal State as a research facility for desert studies (or is it banishment for unwanted persons)? Totally desolate at the edge of a dry lake and hotter than Hades in the summer. This place is really in California, but it is on the road to Nevada.


24 hr Television

Yes, my children. At one time, not too long ago, TV stations would actually sign-off at midnight or 1a.m. When Howard Hughes came to Las Vegas he wanted to be able to watch TV at any time during the day or night. But there was nothing available. Solution: buy the station. Channel 5 is still around, H.H. is not.