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Carson City is the capital of the state of Nevada in the United States of America. As of the 2000 census, its population is 52,457. Carson City is now an independent city, not part of any county.

Like many towns in Nevada, Carson City was founded in the boom days of mining — in the case of Carson City, silver mining. It was the county seat of the former (1861-1969) Ormsby County, and was named for explorer Kit Carson.

Carson City was one of five state capitals not served by an interstate highway. Dover, Delaware; Jefferson City, Missouri; Juneau, Alaska; and Pierre, South Dakota are the other four state capitals with this distinction. This changed on February 16, 2006 with the opening of Phase 1 of the Carson City Freeway Project; a four lane stretch between Lakeview Hill and US 50. This will eventually be renamed Interstate 580 when the link between Reno and Carson City is complete. With the completion of Phase 2, the Carson City Freeway will loop around the city and end near US 50 to the south.

Carson City has the distinction of being the smallest of the 361 Metropolitan Statistical Areas as designated by the United States Census Bureau (as of 1 July 2004).

The largest nearby city to Carson City is Reno, about 30 miles to the north.

History

The habitat of the Eastern Sierra must have been a welcome refuge for explorers Kit Carson and John C. Fremont as they rode into Eagle Valley during their 1840s quest to map the West.

To the east, long stretches of desert mark the difficult terrain settlers had to endure to get here. To the west, the Sierra Nevada mountains stretch out as a gateway to the Pacific.

During that time, Northern Nevada saw its first wave of white settlers. The Bidwell-Bartleson party is believed to have made their way through the area in 1841. Westbound traffic increased, spurred by the big boom of 1848-1849 when the discovery of California gold ignited the frontier spirit and transformed Eagle Valley.

By 1851, Eagle Station, a trading post and small ranch on the Carson Branch of the California Emigrant Trail, served as a stopover for travel-weary gold prospectors.

According to historical accounts, the station and surrounding valley took their names from an eagle shot by Frank Hall with his ball-and-cap Colt and mounted on the trading post wall. Frank, brother W.L. Hall and George Jollenshee ran the ranch, located at the current site of Fifth and Thompson streets.

In 1858, Abraham Curry bought Eagle Station when he found lots in Genoa to be too expensive. Carson City’s future designation as a capital was largely the fruit of Curry’s labor. He left a 10-acre plaza in the city center for his predicted location of the state capitol as he laid plans for the city’s future.

In 1859, gold prospectors hit silver in the hills east of Carson City. The Comstock Lode, as it was called, was the largest silver find in world history. Tens of thousands of miners poured into Carson City and Virginia City.

In the 1860s, Carson City was a station on the Pony Express and the Overland mail under both Butterfield and Wells, Fargo and Co. In 1861, true to Curry’s prediction, and largely because of his shrewd maneuvers, Carson City became the capital of the Nevada Territory.

Despite its small population and expansive territory (Nevada is the seventh largest state), statehood was inevitable. War was brewing in the east, and Nevada’s wealth, as well as its congressional votes, would prove vital to the Union war effort. Nevada was granted statehood on October 31, 1864. Each year Nevada’s “Battle Born” roots are celebrated in Carson City with the Nevada Day parade.

Prosperity continued when the Big Bonanza, another major silver strike, was discovered in 1873. Construction of the Virginia and Truckee Railroad served the mines by transporting ore and timber.

Climate

Carson City is situated in high desert valley of approximately 4730 feet above sea level. There are four fairly distinct seasons, all of which are relatively mild compared to many parts of the country. Winters see snowfall, however rarely is it heavy. Most precipitation occurs in winter and spring, with summer and fall being extremely dry, much like neighboring California. Mid-summer highs typically top out in the 90s, however temperatures of 100 degrees and above do occur on occasion. The low humidity and high elevation generally make even the hottest and coldest days quite bearable. July high and low temperatures average at 91 and 51, respectively, while in January this falls to 45 and 22.
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Most of Nevada lies within the Great Basin of the Basin and Range region of North America. The rivers in the southeast belong to the Colorado River system, while those of the extreme north drain into the Snake. Like the Humboldt, most Nevada rivers go nowhere, ending instead in desolate alkali sinks-except where they have been diverted for irrigation and reclamation, as by the Humboldt project, the Newlands project, and the Truckee River storage project.

The alkali sinks and arid stretches clothed with sagebrush and creosote bush typify Nevada’s landscape. Its mountain chains generally run north and south, further segmenting the state. On the California border stand the lofty Sierra Nevada [snowy range]. In the driest state in the nation, days and nights are generally clear. The mean elevation is c.5,500 ft (1,676 m). In the north and west winters reach extreme cold, while in parts of the south the summers approach ovenlike heat.

Carson City is the capital; Las Vegas is the largest city, and Reno the second largest. Outside the cities, visitors are attracted to Hoover Dam and Lake Mead, with its facilities for fishing, swimming, and boating; Lake Tahoe and Death Valley National Park, both on the California line; Lehman Caves National Monument; Great Basin National Park; and restored mining ghost towns like Virginia City.

Las Vegas is known for its elaborate entertainment as much as for gambling. Visitors have their pick of being entertained by some of the biggest stars in the business - Celine Dion, Julio Iglesias, Liza Minnelli, Wayne Newton, illusionists Penn and Teller and a collection of lesser known entertainers among whom may be the next rising star.
Hotels and Casinos: The 3044-room Mirage Hotel-Casino displays a man-made volcano. Nearby, the Treasure Island features Buccaneer Bay with a full-scale pirate ship and British frigate engaged in battle.

The MGM Grand Hotel and Theme Park is the largest resort hotel in the world. New York, New York duplicates the Big Apple’s skyline, while the Las Vegas Hilton Hotel and Casino offers an interactive Star Trek experience with virtual reality stations, a themed bar and Star Trek memorabilia. There is also The Excalibur, with 4008 rooms, built in the style of a medieval castle, and the Egyptian-themed Luxor, a full-scale pyramid watched over by a sphinx. The US$2.7 billion Wynn Las Vegas opened its doors in 2005.

Cowboy Country

The beautiful Jarbidge Wilderness Area and the surrounding forests, north of Elko, are excellent regions to sightsee by horse. Wildhorse and Southfork Reservoirs are known for their good fishing, as are the wetlands of the Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge. The Ruby Mountains, where visitors can try their hand at the sport of heli-skiing, also make an excellent hiking ground. The Western Folklife Center in Elko, known for the Cowboy Poetry Gathering, is dedicated to the preservation of Western ranch culture. Elko’s historic Commercial Casino (dating from 1869) has reopened after a fire caused its 10-month closure. The casino now includes 72 new machines and 49 new games and various new entertainment areas.

Some 32km (20 miles) along Highway 227 (a National Scenic Byway) are the Ruby Mountains, and Lamoille Canyon. On the edge of the Bonneville Salt Flats at the Utah-Nevada border is the resort of Wendover, and up near the Nevada-Idaho border is Jackpot. Winnemucca, once a stop on the emigrant trail, now entertains visitors in true cowboy tradition. In Elko, the Northeastern Nevada Museum is well worth a visit, featuring exhibits on mining, ranching, railroads, natural history and Native Americans. In Lovelock, the Pershing County Marzen House Museum has displays of mining equipment, home fixtures, Native American artifacts and a Lovelock Cave exhibition. The Great Cowboy Cookout in Wendover offers a horse-drawn wagon ride and a cowboy-style cookout.

Special events

The following is a selection of special events occurring in Nevada’s Cowboy Country in 2005:
Jan 22-29 Cowboy Poetry Gathering, Elko. Mar 11-13 Shooting the West XVII (photography conference), Winnemucca. May 27-29 Run-A-Mucca Motorcycle Rally, Winnemucca. Jun 7-9 Silver State Stampede Rodeo, Elko. Jul 2-3 National Basque Festival (includes dancing, parades, wood chopping and games), Elko. Jul 29-31 50s Fever and Good Times Street Drags, Winnemucca. Aug 27-Sep 5 Elko County Fair and Livestock Show, Elko. Sep 2-4 Tri-County Fair and Stampede, Winnemucca. Dec 31 Countdown in downtown, Elko.

Travel
Elko’s airport is the J C Harris Field. Scheduled air services are provided by Delta Connection-Sky West; chartered services by El Aero Services. Amtrak trains stop at Elko on route from Chicago to Emeryville in California (see Travel - International section). All major transport facilities are available, including Greyhound bus connections and car hire.

Climate
Temperatures reach a summer high of 94°F (35°C) in Lovelock, while winter temperatures can drop below 10°F (-12°C) in Elko and Wells.

Pony Express Territory

Scattered along US Highway 50 are the ruins of old Pony Express Stations, as well as the mining towns of Austin and Eureka. The road also passes through the town of Fallon and the lush Lahontan Valley - the site of the first reclamation project in the USA. The Forty-Mile Desert has been transformed into productive ranchlands. Also on US Highway 50 is the old mining town of Austin, founded by a former Pony Express rider. Eureka was a boomtown of the 1870s lead and silver mining period, and is well preserved to this day.

Across nine mountain ranges lies Ely, gateway to one of the country’s least-crowded National Parks, Great Basin National Park. Attractions here include the spectacular rock formations of the Lehman Caves; the East Ely Railroad Depot Museum, where visitors can learn of the mining and transport heritage of the region; the Eureka Sentinel Museum, located in the home of the town’s longest-running newspaper, with displays of the lead and silver mining era; Grimes Point Archaeological Site, with a trail through boulders covered with petroglyphs; and the Hidden Cave, an ancient storage site for local Native Americans, located near Fallon.

Special events

The following is a selection of special events occurring in Nevada’s Pony Express Territory in 2005:
May 12-15 Nevada Open Road Challenge (car rally and show), Ely. May 13-15 Spring Wings Festival, Fallon. Jul 4-9 Silver State International Rodeo, Fallon. Jul 15-17 Nevada Indian Days All-Indian Rodeo and Pow Wow (includes rodeo, parade, pow-wow, Native American hand games, arts and crafts), Fallon. Aug Eureka County Fair; White Pine County Fair, Ely; White Pine County Horse Races, Ely; Nevada Motorcross Championships, Fallon. Sep 2-5 Heart of Gold Cantaloupe Festival, Fallon. Sep 24-25 Fallon Senior Pro Rodeo. Oct 6-8 Harvest Days and Nevada State Picnic, Fallon. Oct 6-9 Eighth Annual Stockhorse Spectacular, Fallon. Oct 8 Fourth Annual Mayor’s Cup Golf Tournament, Fallon. Oct WNCC Collegiate Rodeo, Fallon; Sixth Annual Reining Futurities, Fallon. Dec 2 Christmas Tree Lighting, Fallon. Dec 3 Hometown Christmas (craft and food vendors), Fallon. Dec 31 New Year’s Eve Fireworks, Fallon.

Travel
The regional airport is Yelland Field Airport in Ely, which has good connections to destinations throughout the USA.

Climate
The summer weather is hot, reaching temperatures of 92°F (33ºC) in Fallon. In winter, temperatures drop below 20°F (-7ºC).

Reno Tahoe Territory
The steep eastern slopes of the Sierra Nevada rise up to contain Lake Tahoe. Carson City is only 14.4km (9 miles) away, but is nearly 500m (1500ft) below. The lake not only hangs over the State capital, but also the towns of Minden and Gardnerville, which are almost directly below it. Reno-Tahoe Territory is geographically compact and Carson City, Reno and Sparks all make good bases from which to explore. The area is one of the fastest-growing communities in the West and more then US$1 billion will be channelled into Reno and Sparks. South Lake Tahoe will receive US$250 million for redevelopment and improvement of its downtown.

Travel
Lake Tahoe International Airport (TVL) (website: www.laketahoeairport.com) is located in the Sierra Nevada mountains at Lake Taho. Greyhound buses stop at Carson City, with one service to Los Angeles and a second to Reno. K-T Services operate scheduled bus services, while Frontier Tours operates chartered services. Car hire is widely available.

Climate
Temperatures range from a high of 89°F (32°C) in the summer months to 30°F (-1°C) and below in the winter.

Reno
Reno was founded at Lake’s Crossing, where Myron Lake’s bridge crossed the Truckee River. A new whitewater park on the river is a popular attraction with kayakers and thrill seekers; the park also includes an amphitheater, picnic facilities and river access for boaters. Many gambling casinos are to be found downtown on Virginia Street including Harrah’s, Nevada Club, the Eldorado, the Golden Phoenix, Circus Circus, Silver Legacy, Fitzgerald’s and the Sands Regency.

A River Walk follows the river east past the Hilton and through Sparks, and westwards past an amphitheater. The Sierra Nevada Museum of Art is located in two sites: the E L Weigand Museum, with a variety of traveling exhibitions and shows by local artists; and the neo-Georgian Hawkins House, which exhibits 19th- and 20th-century US art. The Stremmel Gallery is a thriving showcase for leading artists, as is the University of Nevada Reno campus. The Nevada Historical Society Museum is excellent for those wishing to learn about Nevada’s history. There is also a museum at the Fleischmann Planetarium, which features star shows and SkyDome films. The National Automobile Museum has exhibitions of classic cars throughout the year.

Special events

The following is a selection of special events occurring in Reno in 2005:
Jan 17 Martin Luther King Celebration, Reno/Sparks. Apr 21-23 Reno International Jazz Festival. May 7-8 Cinco de Mayo Celebrations, Reno. Jun 16-25 27th Annual Reno Rodeo (world-class athletes compete in the ‘Wildest Rodeo in the West’). Jul 1-31 Arttown 2005 (arts festival), Reno. Jul 15-17 Big Easy (Cajun festival), Sparks. Jul 30-Aug 7 Hot August Nights (a celebration of the USA’s love affair with cars and rock ‘n’ roll), Reno.

Aug 4-11 33rd Annual Concours d’Elegance and Wooden Boat Week, Reno. Aug 17-21 Reno-Tahoe Open PGA Championship (golf tournament), Montreux Golf Country Club. Aug 24-28 Nevada State Fair, Reno. Sep 9-11 The Great Reno Balloon Races; 46th Annual Virginia City Camel Races. Sep 15-18 National Championship Air Races, Reno/ Stead Airport. Sep 24-25 Genoa Candy Dance. Oct 8-9 Great Italian Festival, Reno. Nov-Dec Festival of the Trees and Lights, Reno. Dec 3 Sparks Hometowne Christmas.

Carson City and Surroundings

The town of Genoa began as a log cabin trading post and was Nevada’s first white settlement: today, it is a village and a State park. The once-wealthy Comstock mining district comprising Dayton, Silver City, Gold Hill and Virginia City was founded by prospectors from California. The period of the Civil War dominates Carson City, the State capital; the silver-domed 1894 Capitol Building, the State library, the Nevada State Museum (all close to each other) and the Nevada State Railroad Museum are well worth a visit. Lake Tahoe is a top-class skiing resort with a vibrant nightlife, and is home to the Shakespeare at Sand Harbor Festival, which takes place in the summer. The spectacular scenery can be seen from the lake’s excursion boats. Another lake, noted for excellent fishing, is the Pyramid Lake north of Reno, part of the Paiute Native American Reservation.

Special events

The following is a selection of special events occurring in Carson City and surrounds in 2005:
Jan 15 Winter, Wine and All That Jazz, Carson City. Mar 12 12th Annual Cowboy Jubilee and Poetry, Carson City. May 5-8 Spring Fun Fair, Carson City. May 15 10th Annual Multi-Cultural Festival, Carson City. Jun 10-12 Carson City Rendezvous. Jun 24-26 Run What Cha Brung, (rock and roll weekend, with cars and entertainment), Carson City. Jul 1-4 Fourth of July Cavalcade of Spectaculars, Carson City. Jul 29-31 Silver Dollar Car Classic, Carson City. Sep 18 St Theresa’s Basque Festival, Carson City. Oct 1 Oktoberfest, Carson City. Oct 27-30 Nevada Day Celebration (including Nevada Day Parade), Carson City. Dec 1 Silver and Snowflake Festival of Lights, Carson City. Dec 11 Victorian Home Christmas Tour (selected homes decorated and open for viewing), Carson City; Holiday Treat Concert, Carson City.

Pioneer Territory

To the north of Pioneer Territory, mountain ranges and long narrow valleys rise high above the timberline of Pinon pines. Further south, however, the land descends into the Mojave Desert, with its distinctive Joshua trees and creosote.
The Toiyabe Range in the Basin and Range Country provides spectacular mountain scenery (over 3000m/ 10,000ft). Walker Lake, the remains of an ancient inland sea, is now a popular resort for boating and fishing, and nearby Hawthorne makes a good base for exploring this region.

Beatty is the gateway to the famous Death Valley National Park, where visitors will witness unique geological features in the extremes of the desert. Scotty’s Castle is a popular, if slightly odd, century-old desert guest ranch. Amongst Nevada’s own parks in Pioneer Territory is the Berlin-Icthyosaur State Park, home to the well-preserved and greatly detailed ghost town of Berlin. The Cathedral Gorge State Park, towards the east, is worth visiting to see the spectacular spires and grottoes carved into the clay by natural erosion.

The mining town of Goldfield was founded in 1902, and contains the beautiful Goldfield Hotel and the Esmeralda County Courthouse, as well as the old mining district. The Lyon County Museum in Yerington has displays of a kitchen, sheriff’s office, barbershop, mining artifacts, schoolhouse, blacksmith shop and a 100-year-old general store. The Belmont Courthouse State Historic Site is located in the ghost town of Belmont, and was the county seat of Nye until 1905. Visitors to the Pahrump Valley Winery in Pahrump can look forward to free tours, tasting and Saturday evening concerts, as well as a gourmet restaurant. In Hawthorne, the Mineral County Historical Museum houses animal, bird and fossil exhibitions, mining and fire-fighting equipment, buggies and a 1907 drugstore display.

Special events

The following is a selection of special events occurring in Nevada’s Pioneer Territory in 2005:
Apr Annual Arts and Loon Festival (celebrates the return of the loons each year and includes guided boat tours), Lake Walker, Hawthorne. May Spring Mother’s Day Madness (women’s team roping), Yerington. Jun Spring Fling Car Show, Yerington; Portuguese Celebration (dance parade and ‘Sopa’), Yerington. Aug Spirit of Wovoka Days Pow Wow, Yerington. Aug 19-22 Lyon County Fair and Rodeo, Yerington. Sep Sundae in the Park (arts and crafts festival), Yerington. Dec County Christmas, Yerington.

Las Vegas Territory

Las Vegas is becoming an increasingly elaborate holiday destination. Each new hotel-casino tries to outdo the last for sheer spectacle. Laughlin, on the Colorado River, has become the second most popular holiday destination in Nevada, owing largely to the reasonably priced accommodation and restaurants, and the fact that it has unusually sunny summers and mild winters considering its location. A US$100 million development on the Laughlin Bay Marina opened in 2005 and is the hub of entertainment in the Laughlin area; a plan to add housing to the area is currently underway. Mesquite and Primm, on the Nevada border with Utah and California respectively, are also becoming popular new resort towns.

Climate

The average temperature is 66°F (19°C ) and the average yearly rainfall is 10.7cm (4.2 inches). There are 212 clear days annually, 82 partly cloudy days and 71 cloudy days.

Las Vegas

Las Vegas is Spanish for ‘The Meadows’. ‘Vegas’, as seen today, began after World War II when the idea of large hotels along the brand new Strip was developed. Tourism and gaming are the two major employers. Manufacturing, the Nellis Air Force Base and other government agencies, warehousing and trucking are secondary industries. The city proper is an 135,618 sq km (84,272 sq mile) enclave surrounded by Clark County. The Las Vegas Strip is best seen at dusk when it is lit up in neon lights. Children will enjoy Wet ‘n’ Wild, a water park on the Strip, and the Lied Discovery Children’s Museum. Fremont Street Experience is a pedestrian mall dominated by gaming with a spectacular light show every night. For something different, the Marjorie Barrick Museum of Natural History houses exhibitions of the archaeology and natural history of the Mojave Desert, whilst the Old Las Vegas Mormon Fort Historic Park is the site of the first settlement of Las Vegas, and the Nevada State Museum and Historical Society explains southern Nevada’s history.
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Due to the tremendous growth of Las Vegas in recent years, there is a noticeable divide between politics of northern and southern Nevada. The north has long maintained control of key positions in the state government even while the Las Vegas area is larger than the rest of the state (the “cow counties”). This has fostered resentment as the north sees the south as a potential bully of majority rule and the south sees the north as the “old guard” trying to rule as an oligarchy. Most people outside the state are not familiar with this rivalry.

The state is not dominated by either major political party. Republicans won Nevada three times in the 1980’s. Democrat Bill Clinton won the state in the 1992 and 1996 presidential elections and Republican George Bush won Nevada in 2000 and 2004. In 2004, George Bush narrowly won the state’s 5 electoral votes by a margin of 2 percentage points with 50.5% of the vote. Las Vegas’ Clark County, which contains the vast majority of the state’s population, was the only county to vote Democratic.

Interstate 15 passes through the southern tip of the state, serving Las Vegas and other communities. It has spur routes I-215 and I-515. Interstate 80 crosses through the northern part of Nevada, reaching from Utah in the east and passing westward through Reno and into California. It has a spur route, I-580. Nevada also is served by several federal highways: US-6, US-50, US-93, US-95 and US-395. There are also 189 Nevada State Highways.

The state is one of just a few in the country that allow semi-trailer combinations with three trailers-what might be called a “road train” in Australia. However, American versions are usually smaller, in part because they must ascend and descend some fairly steep mountain passes.

Union Pacific Railroad has some railroads in the north and in the south (map). Amtrak’s California Zephyr uses one of the northern branches in a daily service from Chicago, Illinois to Emeryville, California serving Elko, Winnemucca, Sparks, and Reno. BNSF Railway has trackage rights to the Union Pacific lines in the north.

Amtrak provides bus services from Las Vegas to Needles, California and Los Angeles . Greyhound Lines also provides some bus services.

Las Vegas has a bus network and a monorail system that is being extended. McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas is one of the busiest airports in the United States.

There are also bus services in Reno/Sparks, and from there to Carson City. Some counties do not have public transport at all, for example Eureka County.

The Bureau of Economic Analysis estimates that Nevada’s total state product in 2003 was $88 billion. Per capita personal income in 2003 was $31,910, 19th in the nation. Its agricultural outputs are cattle, hay, dairy products, onions and potatoes. Its industrial outputs are tourism, mining, machinery, printing and publishing, food processing, and electric equipment. It is well-known for gambling and nightlife. Large, luxurious casinos in Las Vegas, Lake Tahoe and Reno attract visitors from around the world.

Mines control a large percentage of Nevada’s economy. Gold from the Carlin Trend in Northern Nevada is the second richest mining area in the world. Gold isn’t the only mineral found in Nevada but other minerals, such as copper, molybdenum, and lithium, are also mined.

Nevada is also one of only a few states with no personal income tax. The state sales tax in Nevada is 6.5 percent. Counties can assess option taxes as well, making the combined state/county sales taxes rate in some areas as high as 7.5 percent.

According to the Census Bureau, as of 2005, Nevada has an estimated population of 2,414,807, which is an increase of 81,909, or 3.5%, from the prior year and an increase of 416,550, or 20.8%, since the year 2000. This includes a natural increase since the last census of 81,661 people (that is 170,451 births minus 88,790 deaths) and an increase due to net migration of 337,043 people into the state. Immigration from outside the United States resulted in a net increase of 66,098 people, and migration within the country produced a net increase of 270,945 people.

The racial makeup of the state is:
65.2% White non-Hispanic
19.7% Hispanic
6.8% Black
4.5% Asian
0.9% Native American
1.4% Mixed race

The five largest ancestry groups in Nevada are: German (14.1%), Mexican (12.7%), Irish (11%), English (10.1%), Italian (6.6%), American (4.8%).

In Clark and Pershing Counties, a plurality of residents are Mexican; Nye County and Humboldt County have a plurality of German-Americans.

6.8% of its population were reported as under 5, 26.3% under 18, and 13.6% were 65 or older. Females made up approximately 50.7% of the population. As a result of its rapid population growth, Nevada has a higher percentage of residents born outside of the state than any other state. (more…)

Derived from the Priest Kino expeditions at the end of the 17th century through north Mexico and south U.S., Nevada passed to Spanish control, belonging to the Viceroyalty of New Spain. In 1821 became part of the First Mexican Empire of Agustin de Iturbide, until 1823, and afterwards of Mexico.

As a result of the Mexico-American war of 1847-48 and based on the Guadalupe-Hidalgo Treaty, Nevada became part of the United States. On August 14, 1850, the U.S. Congress established the Utah territory which included the present day states of Utah, Idaho and Nevada. The year 1859 saw the discovery of the Comstock Lode, a rich outcropping of gold and silver, and Virginia City sprang up. This discovery brought a flood of miners, prospectors, merchants and others hoping to strike it rich.

On March 2, 1861, Nevada separated from the Utah territory and adopted its current name, shortened from Sierra Nevada (Spanish for “snowy range”). On October 31, 1864, just eight days prior to the presidential election, Nevada became the 36th state in the union. Statehood was rushed through despite Nevada’s tiny population to help ensure Abraham Lincoln’s reelection and post-Civil War Republican dominance in congress. As Nevada’s mining-based economy tied it to the more industrialized Union, it was viewed as politically reliable (as opposed to the more agrarian and Confederate-sympathizing California).

Nevada achieved its current boundaries on May 5, 1866 when it absorbed the portion of Pah-Ute County in the Arizona Territory west of the Colorado River. The transfer was prompted by the discovery of gold in the area, and it was thought that Nevada would be better able to oversee the expected population boom. This area includes most of what is now Clark County, Nevada.

Mining shaped Nevada’s economy for many years. In the late 19th century, the Comstock Lode played out, and Nevada went into a tailspin. There was even talk of stripping away statehood, the only time in American history such an action was discussed in Congress. However, the rich silver strike at Tonopah in 1900 helped save the state. This was soon followed by strikes in Goldfield and Rhyolite in the following years. These strikes lasted well into the 1910s and made Nevada a dominant player in mining once again.

Over 87% of the land is owned by the Federal Government. The primary reason for this is that homesteads were not permitted in large enough sizes to be viable in the arid conditions that prevail throughout Nevada. Instead, early settlers would homestead land surrounding a water source, and then graze livestock on the adjacent public land, which is useless for agriculture without access to water (this pattern of ranching still prevails).
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