Washington ghost town in Storey County is little-known and documented compared to the Washington ghost town in Nye County. The Washington Toll Road connected the Truckee River to Lousetown and developed the small settlement to serve travelers headed to the Comstock Lode. Sadly, the scenic town lasted only ten years but left multiple ruins to explore.
Washington Toll Road
One of the earlier toll road franchises in the Comstock Lode was Washington Toll Road. It connected Lockwood and the Truckee River to Lousetown. At that point, Washington Toll Road combined with the toll road from Glendale and continued to Virginia City.
(Photo credit: WNHPC)
Washington
A small toll station and settlement developed halfway up the road to collect tolls, service travelers, and change horses. In addition, the town likely had a hotel, restaurant, and livery. And likely, the ever-present saloon!
Washington was located in the Castle Peak mining district. Prospectors hoped local silver mines would be productive, but their dream was never realized. Nevertheless, a large mill was constructed below Washington to process ore from area mines.
Washington never grew large enough to warrant a post office or newspaper, with services from Virginia City. Residents abandoned the town in the 1870s as improved roads became available, and the toll road franchise expired.
Ruins
Stone Foundations
According to Stan Paher in Ghost Towns & Mining Camps of Nevada, the stone foundations at the top of the hill are the site of Washington.
Close to the stone foundations are a large rock wall. This may have been a corral.
Abandoned House
The ruins of a house sit on a narrow section of the road. This was common for toll houses, and some believe this was the Washington Toll Road toll house. But, according to the Nevada Historical Society, this was the home of William Henry Goodburn.
Goodburn moved to Nevada in 1902, giving up an education as an accountant to work his mine. He built the house between 1904 and 1934 and has a “summer home” a mile up the canyon.
Diagnosed with cancer in 1934, he spent much of his time at the Storey County Hospital. Two years later, he returned to his cabin, where he was cared for by friends in the final weeks of his life. Friends buried Goodburn near the cabin, placing a three-foot wooden cross on his grave. Sadly, the grave has been lost to time.
Washington Mill
The mill is at the base of the Washington Toll Road on the Lockwood side. Unfortunately, as it is easily accessible, people have used it as a dump and target range.
The road goes on forever
Travelers continued to use Washington Road after the toll road franchise expired. The US government patented public lands and gave them to the railroads soon after Nevada gained statehood. The railroads later sold the property and it changed hands multiple times, but this excluded the right of way on existing roads.
President Eisenhower created the Federal Highway Act in 1953. To increase federal funding, states listed as many roads as possible as highways. Nevada designated Washington Toll Road SR 45.
In 1976, the Federal Highway Department surveyed highways. Roads that had not been paved or maintained, such as SR 45, were dropped from the highway list. Travelers continued to use the road but referred to it as Lousetown Road or Larmagosa Road.
Ghost Towning
As the smoke from the “Summer of Fires” dissipated, my friends Steve, Austin, Michael and I decided we needed a day out. Washington was our goal, but instead of coming in through Lockwood as most people do, we decided to follow the original toll road from Virginia City.
The drive wasn’t particularly difficult, but I admit, I’m not motivated to do it again. Lousetown Road might give Como Road competition for the rockiest road in Nevada. Instead of lots of sharp smaller rocks, the old Washington Toll Road has boulders to navigate.
Visited 11-7-2021
Want more 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.
References
- Ansari, Mary B. Comstock Place Names: The Names of Storey County Nevada. Camp Nevada, 1986. Pages 31, 54, 55.
- Gamett, James and Stan Paher. Nevada Post Offices: An Illustrated History. Nevada Publications, 1863. Page 134.
- Ghost Town Explorers: Washington, Nevada
- Lingenfelter, Richard E and Karen RIx Gash. The Newspapers of Nevada: A History and Bibliography 1854-1979. University of Nevada Press, 1984.
- Nevada Expeditions: Washington
- Paher, Stanley. Nevada Ghost Towns and Mining Camps. Nevada Publications, 1970. Page 37.
- Paher, Stanley. Nevada Ghost Towns and Desert Atlas. Nevada Publications, 2009. Page 11.
- Rider Planet USA: Lousetown Road
- Storey County: History of SR 45: Lousetown Road
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