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Kit Carson,
for whom the city was named
Photo courtesy of Western
History/ Genealogy Department, Denver Public Library |
The first European Americans to visit the Carson City area were John
C. Frémont and his party of explorers in January 1843, during their
survey of the far West for the U.S. Topographic Engineers. While exploring
and mapping the area, Frémont named the Carson River in honor of his
scout and mountain-man companion Kit Carson. The area had been traditionally
inhabited by Washoe and Northern Paiute people until the influx of European
American settlers in the 1860s. The first European American settlement
with permanent structures in Nevada was established 13 miles south of
Carson City in 1851, at the townsite of Genoa. Soon afterward, all the
land was claimed surrounding Genoa, and settlers began claiming parcels
one valley north of the original permanent settlement.
Home of settler Abraham Curry, date
unknown
Photo from Nevada State Museum in collection of Library
of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, Historic American
Buildings Survey, Reproduction Number HABS, NEV,13-CARCI,12-1
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The original Carson City settlement was known as "Eagle Station" after
the initial trading post, which sported an eagle killed by the original
settlers. Carson City was officially established in 1858, seven years
after the first white settler moved into Eagle Valley. Newly arrived settler
Abraham Curry bought the Eagle Station and Ranch
in 1858 (with several business partners), established the town of Carson
City, and had it surveyed and platted, including a 10-acre parcel for
a capitol. Curry named his townsite Carson City, after the nearby Carson
River and Kit Carson. The boom of the Comstock
Mining District, beginning in 1859, brought hundreds and then thousands
of settlers into the area.
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The Inyo, an engine of the Virginia & Truckee
Railroad
Photo courtesy of Nevada State Railroad Museum
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The Comstock mining industry resulted in the development of related businesses
and industry in nearby Carson City. The Virginia & Truckee
Railroad established between Carson City and Virginia City in the
1870s, made Carson City an integral link in transportation between mines
and their ore, equipment and lumber from the Sierra Nevada. A wooden flume
was established between Carson City and the Sierra to transport the much-needed
lumber on its way to the mining district. East of town on the Carson River,
several ore mills sprung to life to serve the need to process ore for
the Comstock mines. Soon Carson City was an industrial and commercial
center. The "Rush to Washoe" in 1860, spurred by the gold and silver strikes,
helped make Carson City, only 14 miles west, an obvious choice for establishing
the seat of government.
King St., Carson City, c. 1880 Photo courtesy Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division Historic American Buildings Survey, Reproduction Number HABS NEV,13-CARCI, 2-2 |
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Once Nevada gained its territorial status in 1861 (this area had been
part of the Utah Territory previously), Carson City was the designated
territorial capital. Carson City has always been the only territorial
and state capital for Nevada. President Abraham Lincoln chose James Nye,
a staunch supporter of the Union, as Nevada's first Territorial Governor.
The Territorial Secretary position was given to Orion
Clemens, whose brother Samuel migrated to Nevada to assist the Secretary
in his new duties. Soon Samuel Clemens, better known as Mark Twain, was
reporting on the Territorial Legislature for the Territorial
Enterprise newspaper. The legislature created Ormsby County in
1861, where Carson City is located, making the town the county seat as
well. The county draws its name from Major William B. Ormsby, who died
in battle during the Pyramid Lake Indian War of 1860. This was the first
of two battles between U.S. troops and Northern Paiute warriors (along
with some Bannock associates) at Pyramid Lake that year.
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View of east and north façade of the
Capitol in 1872
Photo from Nevada State Museum in collection of Library
of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, Historic American
Buildings Survey, Reproduction Number HABS,NEV,13-CARCI,4-3, f |
Several years passed before Abe Curry's vision for a prominent capitol
in the center of Carson City was realized. Although Nevada obtained statehood
status in 1864, it was not until 1870 that construction on the state capitol
began. During the early 20th century, growth in other regions of the state
resulted in the growth of the capital. For instance, many wealthy elite
who gained their fortunes during the mining boom in Tonopah (southern
Nevada) moved to settle in Carson City. Growth around the state also meant
more railroad service in and out of the capital.
The Ormsby County Courthouse was built in the
early 1920s by Frederic DeLongchamps, 60 years after the county was
created. In 1969, Ormsby County and Carson City became incorporated
as one governmental unit, thus the county finally shed its "Ormsby"
title.
Essay by Terri McBride, Historic Preservation Specialist, Nevada
State Historic Preservation Office
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