Pierini Ranch: Carson City, Nevada

Stations, trading posts and ranches developed along the Carson River in the early 1850s to serve emigrants on the California Trail’s Carson Branch. After the discovery gold and silver ore in 1859, Carson City became a supply and processing center for Virginia City and the Comstock Lode.

Ranching was a leading industry in Nevada and between 1889-90 surpassed mining. At the end of the mining boon, ranching was the life blood of rail roads. Ranchers raised cattle and many Basque ranchers raised lamb.

One such ranch was “The Old Wiggins Ranch”, east of Carson City. The ranch was owned by Dr. John Sullivan in the early 1900’s. In 1919 the ranch was leased to two brothers from Lucca, Italy, Salvatore and Pietro Pierini. From 1920 to 1938, Salvatore and his wife Maria resided on the ranch along with their three children: Domenica, Agelina and Pete.

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In the 1920s the family built a stone house to process milk for cream, butter and cheese. Later they added a brick oven constructed by two Italian masons. They used the stove for baking and roasting.

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Pierini Ranch is located at the entrance of Riverview Park. The park was dedicated to Carson City in 1978 to prevent development. Multiple trail heads start at the park including the Mexican Ditch trails which follow the ditch built in 1860s to process ore from the Comstock Lode on the Carson River.

Visited 1-2-2021

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References

• Nevada Appeal: Bridging Mexican Ditch Trail
• Obituary: Pete R. Pierini
• Nevada Expeditions: Pierini Ranch
• Nevada: This is Our Land, Nancy Christian Miluck pages 98-100

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