USA > Nevada > Washoe County > General History and Resources of Washoe County, Nevada, Published Under the Auspices of the Nevada Educational Association > Part 3
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depended for news in regard to the secession movement. While one read the paper aloud, the others sat in their bunks and listened. After the reading they commented on the news, "" Old Black " leading the discussion. After spending .some hours in this way they doused the glim and took to their bunks, to think over things in gen- eral, and finally to fall asleep. Ye Gods! how they could snore in those days-and some have not forgotten yet.
They had a school at Ophir, and three married men acted as trustees. They failed to perform their duties in the way of making reports and consequently lost their appointment. Next, three bachelors were selected, and the chairman of the board was Dave Ehler. Shortly after being in- stalled, a widow woman, who had seven children, and was known as being able to handle a small man or two, called on the trustees to complain of the teacher whipping one of the children. They said they would attend to it that noon. After dinner Dave went to the schoolhouse-he liked to go-and asked the schoolma'am if she had used up the bundle of willows he had left a few days before, and if she had he would bring her some more to use as occasion required, and as there was plenty not to spare them. As Dave was concluding the widow walked in with fire in her eye just in time to hear him. She grabbed him by the coat collar and the seat of the pants, and threw him out of the door bodily. She fol- lowed, to give him some more, but he was half way down the mountain and still going.
After several years of unprecedented growth, Ophir's decline began. The connection of Empire with Virginia City by the V. & T. R. R. proved such a shorter haul and more economical method of quartz crushing, that the Ophir company disman- tled the mill and moved the machinery. At one time a bridge costing $75,000 was constructed across the low tide lands and waters of Washoe Lake from this place to the eastern shore. Im- mense piles were driven and the bridge set up in many places from eight to ten feet above the wa- ter. Over this were driven heavily laden teams drawn by sixteen animals. After several years use the structure was abandoned and to-day not a remnant is visible. So vanished Ophir City.
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GENERAL HISTORY AND RESOURCES
FRANKTOWN.
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Original Franktown, the pioneer town of Washoe county, was first settled in 1852 and be- came a town three years later. In the busy years that followed Washoe City was the hub, Frank- town the left bower, and Ophir City the right bower. Later came Galena to make four of a kind. Franktown, asa village, was situated at the mouth of Franktown Canyon on Franktown Creek. It was here that Elder Orson Hyde built the saw mill in 1852, which he sold to old man Rose in 1857, who in turn sold the property to Bill Sides in 1859. The opening of the Com- stock mines paved the way for the rapid advance of Franktown. In 1861 J. H. Dall & Co. built the largest quartz mill in the country, at a cost of $250,000. The Dall mill was one of the best in the State. It carried sixty stamps-forty for dry crushing, and twenty for wet crushing. Its bullion output exceeded that of any other mill by fully 25 per cent. This splendid property was laid low by the fire fiend in 1865, and it was rebuilt only to be again burned to the ground.
Franktown had several sawmills and they fur- nished a share of the wood and timber which now lies rotting in the Comstock mines. Some years ago the large dam of a reservoir built in a ravine near Franktown burst, and the water carried enough rock, sand and gravel with it to utterly ruin some of the best fields. With the disappearance of the timber and the loss of Dall's mill, the town took a relapse and dwindled away. What was left now depends upon the surrounding ranches. The lay of the hills above Franktown is such that the V. & T. R. R. Co. built a flume, in 1872, for the purpose of bringing down cord- wood from the mountains. A gang of men is employed to load the wood on the cars. Frank- · town as a railway station is a shipping point for farm produce. The telegraph operator, who is stationed here, acts as postmaster and Wells, Fargo & Co.'s agent. There are a store, hotel, blacksmith shop, and several neat dwellings. A good school is located at the foot of the mount- ains in a prominent part of the town .. Mill Sta- tion, in the hills two and one-half miles south of Franktown, was a pleasant little place in the six- ties, and the site of a busy little sawmill A good sized stream of water poured down from the
mountains and timber was right at hand. Like all the rest natural causes have reduced it to a small schoolhouse and several small cabins. The ruins of the old mill are there yet and serve as a reminder of brighter days to those who go over this route to Hot Springs. Lake Tahoe, Washoe City, Franktown, Ophir and Mill Station, are within the confines of Washoe Valley, and as we have related the history of these places as far as our limited space and experience permits, we will proceed to take up the valley.
WASHOE VALLEY.
As we choose to believe that the doings of the pioneer towns, and the settlements from 1853, are the early history of Washoe Valley, we will deal with it in generalties. Washoe Valley lies in the southern part of Washoe County, and is twelve miles long. running north and south, and six miles wide. The southern portion of the val- ley contains Washoe Lake proper, a clear sheet of water about four miles long and two miles wide, which, in season, affords good hunting and fishing. From this lake, lowlands and tules ex- tend in a strip to little Washoe Lake at the north end of the valley. Besides being well formed, Washoe Valley is very fertile, comprising many different varieties of excellent soil, and exceed- ingly picturesque, lying at the eastern base of the Sierra Nevadas, the slopes of which are covered by a hardy growth of young pine and fir. In the sixties the water supply came principally from the west, consisting of Franktown Creek, Ophir Creek and Brown's Creek. In the early days the valley contained the major portion of the pop- ulation and the cultivated section. The follow- ing pen picture of the valley as it appeared in 1864, is in the main as true as it appears to-day: Washoe Valley is perhaps the most productive and beautiful of the valleys of Washoe County. From a central standpoint its whole area can be seen. Fifty thousand enclosed acres, dotted here and there by dwellings, from the most superb and beautiful that would be a credit to any city on the Pacific Coast, to the little white cottages peeping out cozily from a grove of majestic pines, beautified and adorned by surrounding fields of golden grain, gardens and shrubbery, lying close beside the towering Sierra, whose dark forests, mingling their leaves with the clouds of heaven,
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convert almost one-half of the day into the soft- ness of twilight; nestling in the southern center, a lake whose beautiful and placid surface, reflecting as by a mirror, the surrounding scenery, alto- gether go to make up a scene, which for beauty, loveliness and sublimity is seldom excelled. In 1864 the first ranch, going south from Washoe City, was that of Andrew Saur. who came to the valley in 1859 and bought his ranch of Jim Gregory. Then came the ranch of Theodore Winters. The brick and frame dwelling was large and costly, and, except "Bower's Mansion," was much the best in the valley. The land slopes gently to the east and combines every variety of soil adapted to garden, grain, fruit and meadow. As other ranchers have become tired he has pur- chased their property, until to-day his ranch comprises nine square miles of territory. He has a lovely home and the surroundings are simply beautiful. Going south from Ophir one comes upon the famous Bower's ranch and man- sion. As early as 1861 the Bowers family em- ployed the warm springs, which broke out from the hillside, for washing purposes. In 1862 work was commenced cutting stone for the "mansion." The mine at Gold Hill seemed to afford an inexhaustible supply of silver, and while "Sandy " and his "gude wife " trav- eled to "Yurrup " for carpets, upholstering and bric-a-brac, the mansion of cut stone went up two stories in hight, and the vast expense ($400,000) of it and beautiful surroundings are matters of history. Such an array of house furnishing, decorating, china and silver service, beautiful paintings, silver mountings and silk apparel was never seen in the Silver State. But to-day the glory has departed, the lone building is stripped, cold and weather-beaten, the grounds are in ruins, poor Sandy lies just up the hillside in a few feet of Mother Earth, and Mrs. Bowers wanders the wide world over in the effort to gain a scant livelihood. Further up the valley were the ranches of Jim Sturtevant, Bill Sides, J. H. Dall and Dick Sides. Leaving Franktown we come to Folsom's ranch, Bill Champion's, Reuben and Harvey Perkins', Ross Lewers', and Wm. Mus- grove's. The first plow in Washoe Valley was made by George Hepperley, who was helped by Jim Gregory. Hepperley used old wagon tires, which
he cut in strips and fastened to a beam. In the flush days of the Comstock the large population required all the products of these ranches. Garden stuff, hay grain, etc., brought big prices, and the mountain roads were lined with ranch teams. Many a rancher sold hay for $100 a ton, and it was not all prime hay, either, judging from the following: F. C. Dickinson had a ranch in Washoe Valley, and the principal crop was tules; hence the nickname "Tule Frank," which has stuck to him like a Carson girl sticks to her mother. Frank had two Dutchmen working for him who mowed tules in their shirt-tails when the ranch was flooded with three feet of water-its general condition, and necessary to insure a full crop. The soaking wet tules were raked out and thrown into the hay press. When the beater came down a deluge of water was poured out, and Frank growled at the loss in weight. With a load of this stuff he put out for Virginia City. Lew Drexler said he left his team on the grade and went into town to see whether hay or cord- wood commanded the better price. It cordwood, he had a load of it; if hay, he had a load of it. But times have changed, and we have better ranches and better ranchers. The ranchers of Washoe Valley to-day are: J. J. McEwen, James Arthurs, C. Gratz, W.R. Musgrove, Ross Lewers, G. A. Lamb, James Howard, William Thompson, R. D. Alvey, Henry Heidenrich, S. Predoli, C. Predoli, A. & E. Twaddle, Theodore Winters, A. Saur and John Cronin. They have fine prop- erties, nice homes, growing orchards, and are sturdy, independent, and abreast of the times. A railroad passes their doors, they have good schoolhouses presided over by efficient teachers. Lake Tahoe can be reached in a few hours' drive, and, to sum it all up, they enjoy many blessings not granted to other mortals. They have made their homes what they are, and they are entitled to all they have.
PLEASANT VALLEY.
Two miles north of Washoe Valley lies the fertile and appropriately-named Pleasant Valley. The first settler in Pleasant Valley was a man named Quick, who took up a ranch which he sold to George S. Smith, Sr., in 1860. In 1862 the Temelec was built and crushed Comstock quartz for four years. The surrounding country
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GENERAL HISTORY AND RESOURCES
was woody and a bountiful supply of Spring wa- ter was at hand. Crookshank settled on a piece of ground near the mill. One by one the early settlers dropped in until to-day we find Pleasant Valley contains the ranches and homes of George and H. D. Smith, George. S. Smith, Jr., I. H. Ball, W. D. Harden, R. S. Gammon, A. C. Neilson, M, Ferretto, Michael Logan and J. Por- ter.
Their good farms, extensive gardens and growing orchards are cultivated with excellent results, and the ranchers are frequently first to market with early vegetables of superior quality. Pleasant Valley contains some 1,500 acres of good land, hemmed in by towering mountains, and well-watered by many crystal streams, which meet at the base of the hill and form a large creek. Pleasant in climate, pleasant in feature, pleasant in name, and occupied by pleasant peo- ple, it is a gem without a flaw.
STEAMBOAT SPRINGS.
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Following down the stream, passing the ranches of Gammon and Hardin, the clouds of vapor ris- ing from the crevices in the rock announce the famous Steamboat Springs, so named because, when discovered, the steam when it escaped pro- duced a noise resembling the puffing of a steam- boat. They are situated at an altitude of 4.506 feet above the sea, eleven miles from Reno, eleven miles from Virginia City via the Geiger Grade, forty miles from the same place by rail- road, and twenty-eight miles from Carson City by railroad. Steamboat Springs were located by Felix Monet, who was shot and killed by Jim Miller. In the same year a man named Cameron located the southern portion, but his claim was jumped by Dr. Ellis in 1861. Dr. Ellis put up a building in 1862, and made other improvements. Soon after the completion of the buildings Ellis was ousted by Charles Cullins, to whom Cameron had sold his title. The improvements made by Dr. Ellis were burned in 1867, and in 1871 Cullins built a depot and other buildings. In the Fall of'71 the V. & T. R. R. was completed to this point, and quite a town sprang up. In 1873 Cullins fell into one of the springs, and was scalded so he died soon after. In 1874 Rapp Bros. purchased the property and erected the otel and other buildings. In March, 1880, a
postoffice was established. Atter Rapp Bros. came Charley Moeller, the genial, who disposed of the property to Farnum & Murphy, the former since retired in favor of Murphy, whose entertainment of guests isi now celebrated and known to the traveling public. Steamboat Springs cover a belt of territory about a mile in length and a quarter of a mile in width, at the foot of a range of low basaltic hills, the basalt being an ex- tensive flow overlying granite. They are very numerous, some of them occupying narrow fissures, which emit a sound like the battery of a quartz mill. Others are pools from which there is an emission of gas and steam; but the most noticeable is an intermittent spring occupying a small basin two or three feet in diameter, which has been built up by the deposition of the solid matter held in solution by the water, to the hight of about a foot above the bench. The rise and fall in this basin occupies about six and one- quarter minutes. For about five minutes the small quantity of water in the basin is quiescent. It then gradually begins to rise, the ebullition increasing till the water runs over the rim, when it slowly subsides, the agitation lasting nearly a minute. This action is continued with great regularity, but it may be varied by artificial means. After throwing in the basin a few cunces of soap, the waters rise and fall as usual three or four times, when they commence to boil with un- usual energy, throwing up the spray from two to eight feet, and emitting an immense volume of steam. In this way the spring will boil tor hours, with varying activity, sometimes partially subsid- ing, only to gather renewed strength, when it finally comes to rest, the water at such times dis- appearing from the basin and not rising again for considerable time, as if completely exhausted. The lapse of years has gradually covered the bench with a thick coating of silicious matter, nearly white, which renders the spring visible at a considerable distance; and the surrounding country affords every evidence that at some time the springs covered an area many times greater than their present extent. The ground in the vicinity of the springs is in some places strongly impregnated with sulphur. The temperature of the chief spring is about 204º F., which is near the boiling point of water at that altitude. These
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OF WASHOE COUNTY, NEVADA.
springs have been a sanitarium from the earliest days. They are a specific for rheumatism and many kindred complaints. With nice buildings. surrounded by a beautiful grove of large trees and a rich grassy meadow, through which flows a cool stream of spring water, a commodious dance hall, bowling alley, swings, bars and interesting scen- ery, it furnishes comfort, amusement and health. A few minutes' ride over the Virginia & Truckee Railroad, or a half-hour's drive down a shady avenue, flanked on either side by fields extending here to the foothills and there for mile upon mile, one reaches this popular resort, where he is made to feel at home, and supplied with the best the market affords.
About the earliest settlers in Steamboat Valley or vicinity were Watt Sturtevant, Lem Savage, Barney Clow and Peleg Brown, about 1858. Others followed. and the natural grass lands were soon taken up. The boys of these days were a jolly crew, and if there was any amusement going on they wanted a share; and, perhaps, some of them will remember how they got some at Steam- boat one memorable night. Hearing there would be a dance at the springs, about twenty got to- gether and determined to have one dance at least. When they arrived at the festive scene they found that George Lamroux was the the only man in the crowd who had a " biled" shirt. After con- sidering the question they came to the conclusion that they were not presentable in their colored garments, and, in order to let each one have a swing, George must pass the shirt around. George went in and had a dance, and while he was gone the rest drew lots for turns. By the time every one of them had worn the garment and had a dance, the shirt was as black as a crow. So many of the boys out for a lark made a good deal of noise, and Clay Patrick, who was trying to get a wink of sleep overhead, got mad, rose from his bed, and entered the ballroom in his night garment, singing: "Handle me gently, I was raised a pet!" The ladies fled, and, as the boys did not like the idea of the dance breaking up, they handled Patrick in a manner that left him broken Clay.
In 1876 Louis Dean and Tom Wheeler found deposits of sulphur and cinnabar at Steamboat
Springs. The following year they sold the prop- erty to P. August Humbert, a part owner and agent for the Nevada Quicksilver Mining Com- pany. The mine was worked for some years and sulphur was taken out. After spending some $30,000 in improving and developing the mine, it was shut down and an agent placed in charge. He did not attend to it, and some parties jumped the claim, and operations may be resumed any day.
GALENA.
About four miles southwesterly from this point was the town of Galena, on Galena Creek, at Galena Flat. The district received its name from the large quantities of galena found in the ore, and the following is an account of its discovery: Indian Jim, a Piute character of the times, was coming down the hill and stumbled on a piece of curious-looking rock, which he showed to a man named Smith. Smith gave the Indian a rifle to show him where he found the rock. Smith staked out a claim, the news of the "find" spread, and the town of Galena was laid out in the Spring of 1860. A smelting furnace, the first this side of the Sierra, was built on Willows Creek, the present site of Governor C. C. Stev- enson's Morgan Mill, and a quartz mill was placed by its side. On account of the high assay · of the ore the mine owners indulged in "great expectations."' Men flocked in from other places, and work was plenty. A road was constructed from the town to Galena Hill. Two boarding houses, six saloons, a meat market, barber shop, and other business houses were erected. Many efforts were made to reduce the ore, but it was too base. The amount of silver obtained would not pay expenses, and the mines were abandoned for the forest. The people found a source of revenue in the timber, the largest and finest body in the county. A rapid change took place, and Galena soon became a flourishing lumber camp of two hundred and fifty inhabitants. In 1864 205 votes were cast at the election-203 Repub- lican and 2 Democratic. While things were booming, the town was destroyed by fire May 27, 1865. As business was good, a new town soon took the place of the old, and thrived until the supply of timber was exhausted. With no other
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GENERAL HISTORY AND RESOURCES
available resource at hand, the workers had to leave the spot, and-
" Down, down, she went like a feather, And out of sight."
With the advent of the depletion of Galena a writer of the times published the following, which is applicable to all the lumber camps, and which will carry some of my readers back a quarter of a century :
" It almost afflicts one with melancholy to see how fast our beautiful forests are melting away before the woodman's ax. Many square miles of what was, only a few years ago, covered with forests so very heavy, nothing is left but stumps and a few old logs to mark the change, Perhaps no business has had greater success than lum- bering, including the production of hewn timber, logs and cordwood. The mountains are literally repeopled each year, those of last year having realized a small fortune, and taken their departure for some dear spot in the distant East."
Following down the stream below Steamboat Springs, we arrive at Crane's ranch, on the east side of the creek, and on the road leading to Virginia City. . This ranch is famous in having been the first in the State whereon was sown alfalfa seed. As an experiment Mr. Crane pro- cured seed in 1863. The product was so large that the grass came into general use, and has re- sulted in adding to Washoe County alone half a million dollars in value, and thousands of dollars annually in revenue. The next ranch northerly is the Brown ranch, which was formerly a stage station for the stages running from Dutch Flat to Virginia City, via Crystal Peak, Hunter's and Anderson's stations. In 1864 this ranch was one of the most valuable, and to Mr. Brown also be- longs some credit for the introduction of alfalfa. The natural grass meadows commenced there and extended northerly to the Truckee River at Glen- dale. Barney Clow's ranch was formerly natural grass, but it was extended over the sagebrush land until now it is one of the most valuable in Washoe County. Besides E. Crane, B. G. Clow and E. Brown, M. J. Howard, A. M. Lamb and John Wright have valuable ranches. We would like to particularize, but space will not permit.
STEAMBOAT VALLEY.
Steamboat Valley includes the upper and lower portions of the country along Steamboat Creek,
and contains about 6,000 acres of good soil and . some natural meadow. The rising vapor of Steamboat Springs is a beacon which can be seen for miles. The valley is lined with rough, rugged and interesting hills. The waters of a thousand springs come dancing down the hillside to unite and form that young river, Steamboat Creek. Here and there is a beautiful farmhouse, in the front of which is a garden of fragrant flowers, the care and pet of the household. Taking all in all, Steamboat takes the lead in point of geological interest, and she is abreast of her neighbors in health, wealth and comfort.
HUFFAKER'S.
Following the county road northerlv we come to Huffaker's. Huffaker's is on the Virginia & Truckee Railroad, seven miles south of Reno. The region about Huffaker's was first settled by Mormons, and one of them had a stone house on what is now Barney Clow's ranch. He was one of the faithful, and when Brigham called he went and left his stone building. In 1858 George Huf- faker and Lew Drexler brought 500 head of cattle into Truckee Meadows, and took up the place now occupied by Huffaker's ranch. In 1860 the Pioneer Express established an office here, and two years later the station was given a postoffice, with Granville W. Huffaker as postmaster, and Wells, Fargo & Co. succeeded the Pioneer Ex- press. For the next ten years Huffaker's was the most prominent stage station in the county, and the ranch was one of the principal "gathering points " for the bachelor ranchers to come and give rein to their jolly natures. Of those who participated the following are best remembered, because they generally succeeded in making Rome howl: Lew Drexler, Hank Miller, John Stewart, Peleg Brown, Big Sandy, Jim Slingerland, Sol Gehler, Bill Libby, Jim Harl, Jack Wright, Jim Evans, John Richards, Jim Holbrook, Jim Mc- Means, George Smith, Watt Sturtevant, Barney Clow, William Sewell, Jim Gregory, Aleck Case, Jim Ferguson, Dan Wheeler and George Alt. Hank Miller, Aleck Case and John Richards made music for the numerous dances, and when they played "Lannigan's Ball," Dan Wheeler used to get in and "whoop her up." When they got tired of dancing they raced horses, or talked about the "Confederate Cross-roads."
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Finally these amusements grew tame, and they had lots of fun over land squabbles, and George Alt pegged away at Ferg with both loads of a double-barreled shotgun, and, although "Ferg " was only fifteen feet away, it was a clean miss. But Ferg stayed with them until he received a charge in the leg, and the boys found more charm in dancing.
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