Hooten Well, Nevada

Hooten Well lies west of the Dead Camel Mountains. The location is situated between two Pony Express Stations; Buckland’s Station 12 miles to the west and Carson Sink Station 14 miles to the east.

Many references mention Hooten Well and Desert Station as the same site and use the names interchangeably. But the two sites are separate and distinct locations 1.5 miles apart. Hooten Well has also been spelled Houten Well.

Desert Station to the south west of Hooten Well was the original Pony Express Station. Due to the good water source Hooten Well was used by travelers, miners and teamsters. Hooten Well was possibly used as a Pony Express Station for the last few months of the Pony Express service. It was later used as a stop for freight and stage lines and likely for the Overland mail service.

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Hooten Well has remains of a stone building, a round stone trough and modern corrals. The trough is stacked rock that was lined with tar. Hooten Well is still an active spring and used by livestock.

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Our first visit to Hooten Well was with friends and their RZR’s. The area around Hooten Well is a popular ATV recreation area. We spent a fun and muddy fall day exploring the area. At the time I didn’t realize the significance of the site.

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On our second visit to Hooten Well we attempted to locate Desert Station. But as Mark Twain wrote of his experience in Roughing It, we were also unable to find a station stop. At least were are in good company!

Hubby and I went back the next weekend with friend Stephen and his Jeep Rubicons. Third time truly is a charm! We found Desert Station with no issue. We combined with trip with Desert Station, Buckland’s Station, Empire City and Dayton.

And now I’m shopping for my own Rubicon!

Visited 5-31-2020, 5-24-2020, 10-2015

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References

• Basso, Dave. Nevada Historical Marker Guidebook. Nevada Publications, 1986. Page 192.
• History.com: 10 Things you may not know about the Pony Express
• National Park Service: Pony Express
• Nevada Bureau of Land Management. The Pony Express in Nevada. Nevada State Museum, 1996. Page 15.
• Nevada State Parks: Buckland Station
• Nevada State Parks: Fort Churchill
• Notes from the Frontier: The Pony Express: Rugged Riders on Fleet-footed Horses
• Paher, Stanley. Nevada Ghost Towns and Mining Camps. Nevada Publications, 1970. Page 79.
• Wikipedia: Fort Churchill State Historic Park
• Wikipedia: Pony Express

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