Galena is a ghost town that shows you don’t have to go off-roading to explore history. On the way home from Reno from a doggie eye doctor visit, I had no idea there was such a thing, I swung past the ghost town of Galena. The 1860s former town site is in a beautiful housing development interspersed with the forest. The freeway and shopping malls are a stone’s throw away from this little treasure.
Comstock Lode
(Photo credit: Wonders and Marvels)
The discovery of rich silver ore of the Comstock Lode in 1857 is hotly debated; many believe brothers Ethan Allen and Hosea Ballou Grosh held original claim to the title. After Hosea injured his foot and died from the resulting infection, Allen set out to California with maps of his claim. In his stead, he left Henry Comstock to care for his cabin, mine and trunk of silver. Ethan never arrived in California. He attempted to cross the notoriously harsh Sierra Nevada Mountains in a snowstorm and developed frostbite. Refusing amputation, he developed gangrene and died on December 19, 1857. As one will surmise from the name of the great discovery, the Grosh brothers did not get credit or monetary value from their discovery.
(Photo credit E.A. Grave: Wonders and Marvels)
Galena mining
In 1860, misers discovered silver deposits on the eastern slope of the Sierras in the Steamboat Hills, fourteen miles south of Lakes Crossing (Reno). Prospectors A.J. and R.S. Hatch organized a mining district and laid out the town the same year. The district was named Galena “from the abundance of galena ores within its limits.” A quartz mill and smelter, one of the earliest in the eastern Sierras, was constructed but was not profitable, ironically due to the galena. The mills continued to operate until 1865, processing ore shipped from the Comstock Lode.
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)
As mining in Galena declined, the enterprising businessman turned their eyes to another abundant resource of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, timber. Multiple sawmills were constructed to provide timber for use in the nearby mines of Virginia City and the Comstock Lode; between 1863 and 1864, eleven sawmills operated around Galena.
(Photo credit: WNHPC)
The Gayist Town in Nevada
Galena grew to support the lumber mills and soon contained five shops, two lodging houses, restaurants, a justice court and a school that doubled as a community hall… and saloons, twelve to be exact. Galena was known as the “gayist” town in the Nevada territory with the variety of lumber workers imbibing at Galena’s dozen thirst parlors. Not just any liquor was up the standards of Galena’s patrons. Liquor was fortified with “powerful ingredients” to satisfy the customers.
Galena’s other favorite pass time was was following the Civil War. Unlike nearby Reno, which was mostly Democratic, Galena was staunchly Republican and known as the “Eastern Tennessee” of Washoe County. They supported Lincoln in his election, 381 out of 384 men voted for him, and were radically pro-Union supporters. Union victories were celebrated with cheers, songs speeches, bonfires and – I’m surmising – fortified alcohol.
The winter of 1864-5 was especially heavy. Freight wagons from Comstock Lode could not reach Galena which resulted in the mills closing. Fire destroyed a portion of town in 1865 and in 1867, fire combined with Zephyr Winds destroyed the remaining structures. With forest depleted from clear cutting, the town was never rebuilt.
Galena Ruins
The only remaining structure at Galena is the single room schoolhouse constructed from local hand-cut stone. It is reported to be the third schoolhouse on or near this site.
In 1957 Poet Joanne de Longchamps purchased the schoolhouse along with one acre at auction from the Washoe County School district. She resided in the schoolhouse and wrote “The Schoolhouse Poems”.
The schoolhouse is now part of Galena Creek Regional Park. The schoolhouse will be converted into a community-use building as funding becomes available.
Visited: 4-9-2021
References
- Basso, Dave. Nevada Historical Marker Guidebook. Nevada Publications, 1986. Marker 212.
- Carlson, Helen S. Nevada Place Names: A Geographical Dictionary. University of Nevada Press, 1974. Page 117.
- Galena Creek Visitors Center: Washoe County Regional Parks and Open Spaces
- Gamett, James and Stan Paher. Nevada Post Offices: An Illustrated History. Nevada Publications, 1863. Page 110.
- Lincoln, Francis Church. Mining Districts and Mineral Resources of Nevada. Stanley Paher, 1982. Pages 235-236.
- Nevada Expeditions: Galena
- Nevada State Historic Preservation Office: Galena
- NV Landmarks: Galena
- Paher, Stanley. Nevada Ghost Towns and Mining Camps. Nevada Publications, 1970. Page 39, 41.
- Paher, Stanley. Nevada Ghost Towns and Desert Atlas. Nevada Publications, 2009. Page 11, 15.
- USGS: Galena (Historical)
- Western Mining History: Washoe County Nevada Gold Production
- Wikipedia: Comstock Lode
- Wikipedia: Galena Creek Schoolhouse
- Wikipedia: Galena, Washoe County, Nevada
- Wonders and Marvels: Bonanza Denied by Pickass and Jackass
Dale Miller says
In the early 1990’s, when it was announced that the Washoe County School District was going to be constructing a new high school on Mount Rose Highway, there was a naming contest held. School students were encouraged to submit ideas for a school name and mascot. Not content to simply toss my submission into the provided box at school, I asked my mother to take me to the school board meeting, where the naming of the high school was on the agenda.
After sitting through over 2 hours worth of public comment, I, a nervous middle school aged kid, somehow found the nerve to stand up and speak in front of the school board. I suggested that they name the school after the original Galena school, located just up the hill from the location of the new school. As several other people had suggested the same name, the board agreed to add the suggestion to their final list, and asked if I would be willing to come back and speak in a little more detail at the next meeting, about the history of Galena. All other suggestions for names were centered around wealthy benefactors, who gave great amounts of money to the district over the years. I was sure that I wasn’t going to be able to compete with Bill Harrah or (oddly enough) Mustang Ranch founder Joe Conforte, or the list of respected school teachers and administrators, many of whom spent their entire careers within the school district.
I needed something better than a convincing argument from an awkward pre-teen.
The number of attendees at the next meeting was significantly smaller, as name suggestions were closed for public comment. Although he was no longer living in the country, Mr. Conforte had a large presence of people supporting Joe Conforte High School (Gee, I wonder what the mascot would be?) They spoke of his many great deeds, and glossed over his undeniably shady history, and his reasons for leaving the country. When my turn to speak arrived, I briefly spoke about the history of the Galena townsite. The mine, the mill, the lumber provided for the Comstock, and the schoolhouse. When I was done, I told the board that I had invited a guest who would like to say a few words, if they would afford him the time. They agreed.
While Harry Callahan (then the most senior member of the Callahan family, owners of the vast majority of what was once the Galena townsite) was very old, and extremely fragile, he had been quick to agree to speak to the school board. He was brought in by wheelchair, but insisted that he be allowed to stand and walk to the podium. His voice was quiet and shaky, but he still managed to speak very passionately about growing up back when traces of the Galena site were still visible on his family ranch, of his time as a student at the old Galena School, how much the schoolhouse meant to him and his family, and how pleased they would be if the district would name the school in honor of this often forgotten little piece of Nevada’s history.
Mr. Callahan’s speech obviously worked. I don’t claim to be responsible for naming the school, as there were plenty of others who made the same suggestion, but if it weren’t for Harry Callahan’s willingness to present a personal connection to Galena, residents of south Washoe County could very well be cheering for the Conforte High *ahem* “Escorts” at the next big football game.
I often wondered what happened to Harry over the years. Two or three years ago, the annual Nevada Day Treasure Hunt contained a clue pointing toward Galena. I visited the schoolhouse, and took the dirt road head west behind the school, where I discovered the Callahan family cemetery, and the resting place of Harry Callahan, who passed just a few short months after taking the time to speak to the school board.
Steve Knight says
The Galina mine (lead-Silver Sulphide) audit was part of my geology student training while at Mackey School of Mines in the early 70’s.
Tami says
Very cool!
Wayne Capurro says
Harry Callahan was my grandfather. I lived in the Old Galena School House from 1994 to 2000 with my sons Jeff and Logan. It was a wonderful place to live and raise kids. I remember how proud I was, and other members of my family were, when Galena HS got it’s name. Most of my aunts and uncles, and many of my cousins, attended school there. My mother, Mariellen Callahan Capurro graduated 8th grade from that old rock school house. She is now 95 years old and in good mental and physical health. Harry was a great man, an icon in the Galena area, and loved by many.
Tami says
Wow, what amazing history! Do you remember a cemetery?
John says
That stone building was once (Early 70’s?) owned or leased by the “Campfire Girls”. As a “Boy Scout”, my troupe had an agreement with them. I camped there (inside) a couple of times. Also If I’m correct there was a “Dude ranch” somewhere east (down slope) of Galena in the early 1900’s
Tami says
Thank you for the information!
I’ll check into the dude ranch. There were also a lot of ranches for divorcees.
Jeffrey Dean says
Could the dude ranch be the old Sundown town that Buster Keaton jr built in the late 50’s?
It is still there, the current owner keeps it in great shape and it just survived the Davis Creek fire.
I am the caretaker there.
Tami says
It might be. I wanted to visit Sundown Town and document the little-known piece of Nevada’s history.
Watching the fire, I thought it was gone. It is great to hear you are a caretaker and the owners have preserved it. I was surprised it even showed up on the maps they were using. I can search old records and newspapers and see what we can come up with.
My email is tami@NVTami.com.