Jack’s Valley, Nevada

Jack’s Valley, Nevada isn’t as well known as nearby Genoa, but pioneers settled the small valley to the north soon after, making it one of Nevada’s oldest non-Native American settlements. Jack’s Valley doesn’t have flashy historic buildings like its big sister to the south. Still, the valley contains historical ranches, one of Nevada’s oldest cemeteries, and stories of tragic death and murder.

Jack’s Valley

Genoa was established in 1851 and is known as Nevada’s oldest settlement, but soon, other areas grew around the Carson River Route. Jack’s Valley followed Genoa in late 1851 or early 1852 to become one of Nevada’s first developed areas. North of the larger Carson Valley, Jack’s Valley was known for its rich ranch land. Multiple ranches were established, including Winters, Jones and Bell.

Instead of a centralized town, Jack’s Valley consisted of ranches scattered around the small bowl-shaped valley. In 1878, the Daily Appeal described the valley as several “calm hamlets.”

Jack’s Valley never grew large enough to be awarded a post office, and it doesn’t appear to have had retail businesses like stores other than one saloon. But its population was large enough to have a poling house in 1864. The first elections occurred on October 30, 1864, the year Nevada gained statehood. Jack’s Valley had 58 votes split 46 Union (80%) and 12 Copperhead. The much larger Genoa had 248 votes, with the same split between the two parties.

Jack’s Valley was known for its abundant ranch lands, hay production and flumes transporting lumber from Lake Biggler (Tahoe) to the Comstock.

Some things in Nevada never change; Jack’s Valley had notoriously high winds, ripping the roof off of barns.

In 1895, winds again wreaked havoc and spread flames in an old flume. Nearby towns sent men and fire apparatus to prevent the flames from spreading to the Clear Creek Flumes.

The usual social happenings occurred in Jack’s Valley. On April 7, 1889, Reverend G.R. Davis married both of the Tuttle daughters, Etta and Eva.

Jack’s Valley Ranch

One of the oldest, if not the oldest, ranch in Jacks Valley is aptly named Jack’s Valley Ranch. The entrance proudly announces its establishment in 1860. Documents by the United States Department of the Interior report Jack’s Valley Ranch was established in 1855 and owned by the Winters Family.

Jack’s Valley ranch was once an imposing 3,000 acres but was divided over the year, leaving a large spread of over 1,200 acres. The discrepancy in dates could be due to the ranch’s division.

The ranch has two sizeable transverse crib barns built in the 1860s. Chinese immigrants from Virginia City may have built the barns like the neighboring Snyder Ranch barn.

Multiple influential men owned the ranch, including the 7th Governor of Nevada Richard Kirman, William Lewis, warden of the Nevada State Penitentiary, oil tycoon Robert Lytle, and millionaire and philanthropist Max Fleischmann (as in Fleischmann Planetarium).

John and Rose Ascuaga purchased Jacks Valley Ranch in 1969 from Bud Grant. Yes, the same John Ascuaga, famous owner of John Ascuaga’s Nugget Casino. The couple and their children worked the ranch, preserving its history. In 2018, the ranch was placed in a conservation easement, ensuring that it will continue as a ranch and remain undeveloped.

Two Jacks

Which Jack was Jack’s Valley named for? Good question; there are two Jacks that people believe hold the honor. Some believe it was Jack Winters, one of the earlier settlers and ranchers in the Valley.

Others believe the valley was named in honor of “Return Jackson Redden,” who settled at the site in 1850-1851. Redden was undoubtedly the more colorful character. Some say he was a fearless frontiersman; others aren’t as flattering, calling him a bully, horse thief, and possibly even a murderer.

Redden was born in Ohio on September 26, 1817, to George and Adelia. He joined the LDS (Mormon church) at age 24. He was a private detective and bodyguard to church founder Joseph Smith, saving him multiple times. Redden couldn’t save Smith from a mob in 1844. Geoge Davenport, one of the mob leaders, was killed, and Jack and his family stood accused of involvement. His father was acquitted, and his brother spent a year in jail, but Redden was never jailed.

Redden’s first two wives died, and he married 16-year-old Naomi Murray on February 16, 1847. Redden was a security guard to apostles sent by the Momon church to collect tithes from those in the Gold Country. On the return trip in the fall of 1851 or spring of 1852, he built a cabin in what is now known as Jack’s Valley. In 1852, Redden was accused as a horse thief and returned to Utah, becoming a justice of the peace and US Marshall.

“Cold-Blooded Murder”

For a “calm hamlet,” Jack’s Valley is also known for the murder of the well-liked “Old Hans.”

Christopher Johannes Hull, better known as Old Hans, had a hard life working in the mines, leaving him disabled. With his savings, he bought the Pony Saloon. In 1880 Old Hans sold the saloon and moved into a small house.

On the morning of August 9, 1880, Al Livingston found Old Hans dead with a gunshot wound to the chest. Locals buried Old Hans in the Genoa Cemetery, likely in a pauper’s grave. Any headstone was lost to the passage of time.

Investigators worked to discover who killed the well-liked and harmless Old Hans. Local ner-do-well “Buckskin Bob” was a suspect. Claiming he had an alibi, Buckskin Bob was ruled out, even though investigators never found the associate who furnished the alibi.

Law enforcement continued to look for the murderer, offering a large reward. Harry Fowles was found in Rocklin, California, with Old Hans’ watch in October. He was arrested and transported to the Genoa courthouse and jail for investigation and trial. During several weeks of incarceration, Harry dug a hole through the jail cell and escaped captivity, never to be seen again.

Cemetery

Jack’s Valley had a large cemetery established by the Winters Family. The land was later sold by Mary Gardner, wife of John, to the Carson & Tahoe Lumbering Company with the caveat that they would set aside 168 square feet for a cemetery.

The cemetery is on private land, which has prevented damage that sadly occurs to many headstones and fences. The Ascuaga Family has preserved and protected the graves.

Fourteen headstones dot the fenced grounds, but it is reported that there are more graves, including Paiute servants and those who could not afford a headstone. The first burial in the forested cemetery was the 10-month-old Zerena Winters in 1860. The graveyard was used into the late 1880s, with one burial in 1913.

Bertie David Arskey

unknown – September 25, 1882

Bertie was born to mom Ellen and was fourteen months when he died. He would have been born around July, 1882. His mother had a second son, Roy Winter Arskey, two years after Bertie’s death. Roy died in British Columbia in 1977 at 92.

Ellen M. Arskey

April 30, 1858 – March 9, 1887

Ellen had two children, Bertie and Roy. Her parents and spouse are unknown. She died at age 28. Sadly the headstone was damaged by a heavy winter.

Ludella Jane Chapman Bennett

April 18, 1848 – August 1, 1873

Lundella was born to parents William and Nancy Chapman. They died in 1890 and 1865, respectively and are buried in Maine.

Lundella married Nathan Alvin Bennett in 1868. Following Ludella’s death, he moved to California and was involved in mining. He married Jeannie Morrow in 1883. Nathan died in 1931 and was interred in Santa Rosa, California.

Chris Davidson

unknown – April 13, 1889

Chris was a native of Scotland and died at age 38 years. He would have been born in 1854-1855.

William James “Willie” Fulstone

July 15, 1871 – May 15, 1872

William was born to pioneer settlers Henry and Margaret Fulstone. They had three children, William James “Willie,” born 1871; Charles L., born 1874 and Clara Jane, born 1876.
Tragically, Willie died under “peculiar circumstances” in 1872 at the age of 10 months. He was given an orange as a toy and swallowed a piece of the peel. Surprisingly, he did not choke, but by the following day, he vomited blood. The parents brought him to the grandparent’s house in Carson. Dr. Lee was summoned but pronounced the case hopeless.

Willies parents Henry and Margaret died in 1903 and 1914 and were buried in Lone Mountain Cemetery, Carson City. Their second son Charles continued to live in Jack’s Valley and had a large cattle operation in Douglas and Ormsby County and property at Tahoe, Nevada.

John Gardner

March 10, 1818 – December 5, 1887

John was a native of Preston, England and died at age 69. John was the original homesteader of Gardnerville. In 1879 Lawrence Gilman purchased the Kent house, bought seven acres from John and relocated the Kent house there. It became the Gardnerville Hotel, and the town was named in John’s honor.

John Warren Hammond 

December 24, 1866 – May 18, 1867

John was born to parents John and Sarah. He died at four months of age. They left Jack’s Valley and were buried in San Louis Obispo in 1915 and 1920. They had a second child Thomas in 1876.

Elinor Jenkins Vaughan

Elinor married John Vaughan in 1890. Her date of birth and death are unknown. John was born in 1879 and died in 1851. Elinor’s grave has been lost to time.

David Henry Winter (s)***

January 16, 1853 – October 11, 1881

David was born to Jacob and Sarah Jane Cherry Winter (s) and died at age 27.

Jacob Nathaniel Winters 

August 3, 1824 – December 11, 1892

Jacob married Sarah Jane Cherry in 1852. The couple had four children, Sarah, Jessee, John and David. Sarah Winter Potter was born in 1851 and died in 1931 age 70. She had three husbands and eight children. Jessee was born in 1862 and died in Spokane, Washington, in 1943 at the age of 80. John was born in 1869; he died in Las Vegas in 1852 at 90. David is their only child buried at Jack’s Valley, see above.

Sarah Elizabeth Spurgin Winter (s)***

March 31, 1803 – December 18, 1868

Sarah was born to Jesse Logan Spurgin and Lydia Brazelton, who married in 1800. Jesse was a physician and a justice of the peace. Sarah had eight siblings and four half-siblings. Her father was the administrator for his brother Isaiah’s will and may have taken in and raised several of his nieces and nephews.

Secretary of the “Society of Dorcas,” which in her has lost an efficient and faithful member. At Carson City, Nevada, Dec. 18, 1868, Sister Sarah Winters, daughter of Jesse and Lydia Spergen, aged 66 years and 9 months. Her death was that of the righteous. Discourse by Elder J. W. Gillen

True Latter Day Saints’ Herald,” Plano, Kendall Co., Illinois, edited by Joseph Smith III. Volume 15, page 288:

Sarah Jane Cherry Winter (s)***

January 9, 1832 – May 27, 1913

Sarah was born to Aaron Benjamin and Mary Margaret Yelton Cherry, who married in 1829.

Cherry married Jacob Nathaniel Winters in 1852. The couple had four children, Sarah, David, Jessee and John. David is the only one buried at Jack’s Valley. Sarah died in Walla Walla, Washington but was transported to Jack’s Valley for burial.

William and Helen Winters (Not buried at Jack’s Valley)

William Henry Winters was born in 1981, and Helen Louise Fredrick Haines was born in 1839. The couple married in 1858 and had seven children.

William died in 1895 at age 64 and is buried in Idaho. Helen died in 1918 at age 79 and is buried in Oregon.

William and Helen Winters had seven children, Zerena, Sarah, George Eliza, James, Henery, and Alice. Sadly, they buried three of their children in Jack’s Valley, the other four survived until the mid-1900s.

James W Winters 

30 May 1867 – 21 Aug 1867

James was born to Willian and Helen and died at age 2 months.

Sarah Bell Winters 

21 Dec 1861 – 13 Mar 1866

Sarah was born to William and Helen and died at 4 years of age.

Zerena E Winters 

30 Aug 1859 – 19 Jul 1860

Zerena was born to William and Helen. She died at age 10 months.

***There is a discrepancy in the spelling of Winter vs Winters with several of the names. Headstones, newspaper reports and spouse and family member’s names do not match in several cases. It appears that the correct spelling is Winters.

Visiting Jack’s Valley, Nevada

Jack’s Valley is a beautiful alternative to Highway 395, linking Carson Valley and Carson City. You can view the valley from a turnout on the west side of the road, between the housing development and Johnson Ranch/BIA ranch house. A Trails West Marker is south of the Johnson Ranch/BIA ranch house.

Emigrant Trail- Carson River Route

Marker No. CRR 20 – Jacks Valley

One of the first areas along the emigrant trail to be settled by early pioneers.

Trails West Marker

Jack’s Valley Ranch and Cemetery are private property. Access is by permission only; please be respectful. Thank you to Jack’s Valley Ranch for allowing my visit, and a special thank you to Loren for taking time out of his day to take me on a quad ride to the cemetery.

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References

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• Church of Jesus Christ: Return Jackson Redden
• Clairitage Press: How Jacks Valley Got Its Name
• Clairitage Press: Old Hans of Jack’s Valley, Nevada
• Ellison, Robert W. First Impressions: The trail through Carson Valley 1848-1852. Hot Springs Mountain Press, 2001. Pages 98, 100.
• Family Search: Return Jackson Redden
• Fey, Marshall. Emigrant Trails: The long road to California. Nevada Publications. 2019. Pages 143-
• National Park Service: NV Agriculture on the Carson River in Douglas and Ormsby Counties
• Nevada Appeal: Jacks Valley Ranch owner John Ascuaga dead at 96
• Nevada Land & Trust: Jack’s Valley Ranch
• Nevada State Historic Preservation Office: Exploration and early settlement in Nevada historic content
• Raty, Myra Sauer. Pioneers of the Ponderosa: How Washoe Valley resued the Comstock. Western Printing and Publishing Company, 1973. Page 113.
• Reno Gazette-Journal, March 22, 1995. At the working ranch in Jack’s Valley, a time to think.
• Reno-Gazette-Journal. October 30, 1952. Jack’s Valley ranch sold to contractor
• Soundcloud: Jack’s Valley Ranch by Malia​Ascuaga
• Southerland, Cindy. Cemeteries of Carson City and Carson Valley. Arcadia Publishing, 2021. Page 97.
• Town of Gardnerville, Nevada: A brief history
• Wikitree: Return Jackson Redden (1817 – 1891)

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