The Sutro Project

Sutro Tunnel was shrouded in mystique for decades. Inaccessible to most, the isolation sheltered the 1860s ghost town from the passage of time. Sutro Tunnel Restoration Project is restoring this fascinating piece of Nevada history and opening for tours. Together, we will be spreading the word and documenting Sutro.

For thirty years, I have explored ghost towns. I would take my family on day-long and week-long ghost town trips using Stan Paher’s Nevada Ghost Towns & Mining Camps. Unfortunately, I couldn’t explore as much as I would have liked due to my busy family life.  

The Journey Begins

As my children grew older, I had more time to focus on my interests. So, I again turned to my well-loved copy of Nevada Ghost Towns & Mining Camps.   I decided to visit every ghost town in Nevada and document its history and current status. 

I started making more frequent ghost town trips, checking off towns, and making notes of my travels in the book’s margins. Working my way through Nevada ghost towns, one location I thought I would never visit was Sutro. Even though the ghost town and famous Sutro Tunnel were less than an hour from our ranch, the site had been closed to visitors for decades.

Sutro Surprise

In a strange way, as the world turns, in early 2021, my friend Steve invited me to tour Sutro. We were having dinner with a group of ghost towners at the former Pony Express station, Middlegate, when he told me the news. I must have said, “You got us, Sutro?” a little loud as every head spun in my direction. It was like being the belle of the ball; everyone wanted to accompany us on the trip.

The visit to Sutro exceeded my expectations. The famous Sutro Tunnel portal appeared the same as in photographs from the 1880s.

Meeting with Pam Abercrombie, lead volunteer for Friends of Sutro, we learned about the incredible engineering feat and the town that developed to support the tunnel. First, I toured the portal facade; unfortunately, the tunnel is collapsed forty feet from the portal.

Then, we explored the houses, outbuildings, shops, and mule barn.

My favorite feature was the Sutro Pond, filled with water from Comstock drainage. In the 1800s, the pond provided frogs to Virginia City restaurants. Sadly, a fire destroyed Sutro Mansion, but the foundation and earth anchors which protected the mansion against zephyr winds remain.

On the Backburner

I believed my visit to Sutro was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I began writing an article on Sutro but couldn’t finish, partly due to health, family issues, and the never-ending smoke. Looking back, I see I was overwhelmed with such an enormous project. So many ghost towns have very little information and no photographic history. Sutro had an overwhelming amount of history; each piece of Sutro could fill a volume. So, I half wrote the article, but it never felt right and sat on the back burner in my drafts folder.

Project Sutro

I started following Sutro Tunnel Restoration Project on Facebook and Instagram and suggested to Hubby to buy me a nail from Sutro with proceeds supporting the restoration. I contacted Chris Pattison, Program Director for Sutro Tunnel Restoration Project. Chris and I met, and he gave me an early Christmas present, a railroad spike from the Sutro Tunnel, and a 150th commemorative medallion.

Over meetings, coffee, and tons of emails, Chris and I discussed Sutro and the Sutro Tunnel Restoration Project’s goals and how I would help with the fantastic piece of Nevada history. Our goals were to spread the word that Sutro is open for group tours, open to private tours with memberships, and accurately document Sutro and its history.

One suggestion I had was “Then & Now” photographs. We could recreate Sutro’s historic photographs to show changes over the years. I had a few other suggestions for which we are ironing out details.

Revisiting Sutro

Instead of a single written article, I will be working on an ongoing project documenting Sutro. Sutro will be broken into sections, each focused on a specific portion of the Sutro story. The stories will include Sutros history, the remaining structures, people, fun stories, and of course, the Sutro Tunnel itself.

I revisited Sutro to see the changes since last spring. The fantastic volunteers have been busy cleaning up the grounds and restoring buildings. During this visit, I got an extra-special treat… I got to go into Sutro Tunnel itself. This was with special permission, the tunnel is collapsed forty feet from the portal.

Stay tuned, soon we will have more information on the condition of the tunnel. Engineers will use the information to determine how to safely open a portion of the Sutro Tunnel to visitors.

The first project will focus on Sutro’s most identifiable feature, the portal facade.

Sutro Tours

Sutro is open by tour only. Friends of Sutro hosts group tours throughout the year. Better yet, purchase a membership that includes tour tickets. All proceeds are used to restore and preserve Sutro. Contact Sutro Tunnel Site Restoration Project at (775) 900-0507, or email program director Chris Pattison at chris@thesutrotunnel.org.

Want more Nevada ghost towns?

For information on more than three hundred ghost towns in Nevada, visit the Nevada Ghost Towns Map or a list of Nevada ghost towns.

1-24-2022

Follow me on social media:

• 
• 
• 
•