Nevada Ghost Towns & Beyond

The drive through Sweetwater is a beautiful alternative route from Carson Valley to Bridgeport. Breathtaking views line the road, but once you leave the pavement, there is a wealth of history to explore. Miners worked Silverado from the 1860s to 1950s, and the ruins of the mill greet visitors. Newspapers provide rich information about the mill, injuries and death, and even poetry. Mt. ... VIEW POST

While not far off the highway, few have visited the ghost town of Montgomery City, California. The town is one of the earliest settlements in Mono County, yet short-lived. Stone walls of structures remain. History reveals a few gems about life and death in the town at the base of the White Mountains, including hoaxes, 6-shooters at court proceedings and a donkey knapping with "murderous ... VIEW POST

Ephraim "Yank" Clement owned Yanks Station on the Carson River Route. He provided services for travelers on the emigrant trail. When trains crossed the Sierra, traffic declined. Yank purchased 8 acres on the shore of Lake Tahoe at Tallac Point. Along with his wife Lydia, they build Tallac Point House. The resort could accommodate 40 guests and had a ballroom and campsites. Self-made ... VIEW POST

Above Truckee, visitors can walk the Donner train tunnels created over 155 years ago by Chinese laborers. With the rubble, they fitted together to create a 150-foot-tall retaining wall. Petroglyphs are at the base of the tunnels and wall. Transcontinental Railroad In the race to complete the Transcontinental Railroad, the Central Pacific Railroad built a line from Sacramento, California, ... VIEW POST

Roop was one of Nevada's original nine counties. Boundary disputes led to confusion about whether Susanville and Honey Lake were in California or Nevada. Tensions ran high and erupted in what might be one of the shortest wars ever, the four-Hour Sagebrush War. Early history of the northeastern Sierra Fur trappers first explored the northern edge of the eastern Sierra in the 1830s. They ... VIEW POST