After a rich silver and gold ore strike in 1860 on the border of Nevada and California, a road was needed to connect Aurora and Bodie to Carson City. Usually, stage lines ran on toll roads. These were developed by individuals or groups who had been awarded a construction franchise from state legislatures. In return for their investment and continued maintenance, travelers compensated the owners ... VIEW POST
Recent Ghost Towns & Travel Updates
Markleeville Cave, California: Winter Shelter, Ceremonial Site and Speakeasy
Markleeville Cave lies off Highway 89 between Markleeville and Silver Mountain City. I have driven past for years and never noticed the cave just off the road. I was on the way home from the ghost towns of Monitor when I noticed an old road leading into the woods. Road construction was difficult and costly and historic roads always had a purpose. Being me, I had to investigate. Edel ... VIEW POST
Golden Gate Mill, California: A Devastating Loss to History
Golden Gate Mill, bunkhouse and double ore bin were a one-of-a-kind treasures in Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. The 113-year-old structures were stabilized by Bureau of Land Management and the National Park Service in 2005. Golden Gate was was the sole remaining stamp mill on public lands in the region. On the morning of August 29, 2020 lightning strikes caused a fire in nearby ... VIEW POST
Haunted Carson Valley, Nevada
Author's note: It is not my intent to convince the reader to believe - or disbelieve - the stories that follow. These are merely some of the tales one hears in these parts. Take them for what you will. Genoa Lying at the eastern base of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, the site of Genoa became an important way point for the 49ers. By 1850, Mormons built a stockade, corrals and opened ... VIEW POST
Monitor, California: Named for a warship, remembered for beer.
Silver was discovered in the narrow canyon of Monitor Creek in 1857. Substantial mining and community development did not occur until the early 1860s. Monitor was named after the Civil War ship, USS Monitor. The Monitor was the first ironclad warship and launched on January 30, 1862. It sank during a storm on December 31, 1862 off the coast of North Carolina. Sixteen of the forty-nine ... VIEW POST
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