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The Northern Nevada region known as the Comstock encapsulated the true pioneer spirit of the rugged Old West. A source of tremendous wealth thanks to rich deposits of gold and silver, the Comstock boomed in the mid-1800s and spurred thriving communities, bountiful railroads and a hearty breed of pioneers who called the Comstock their home. Now, award-winning Nevada author Dennis Cassinelli brings to life the varied and colorful stories of the past with his podcast, Chronicles of the Comstock ...
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For thousands of years, much of western Nevada was submerged under the waters of ancient Lake Lahontan. About 4,000 years ago, climate change caused the waters to recede and the area around what is now Fallon, Nevada became a dry desert playa. Prevailing winds from the west blew millions of tons of sand from this playa into a 500-foot high pile of …
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Carson Sink is a playa, or large alkali flat area, in the northeastern portion of the Carson Desert south of Fallon. This was formerly the terminus of the Carson River where the waters of the river simply sank into ground and evaporated. Thousands of years ago, this area was several hundred feet under the waters of ancient Lake Lahontan. The Carson…
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Williams Station is the next Nevada Pony Express station to be encountered when traveling east from Hooten Wells and Desert Station. Originally located along the Carson River, the ruins of the station have been inundated by the waters of Lahontan Reservoir since Lahontan Dam was created in 1911. There are reports that during the drought of 1992, th…
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The next original Pony Express station east of Buckland’s Station was Hooten Wells and nearby Desert Station. When the Pony Express riders left Buckland’s, they rode south over the wooden toll bridge Buckland had constructed across the Carson River for about two miles before turning east toward the next station. About twelve miles east was Hooten W…
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Episode 015: The Northern Route (Stillwater Dogleg)
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Beyond Fort Churchill and Buckland’s Station through the area now known as Churchill County, the history of the Pony Express Stations becomes a confusing mess. Captain James H. Simpson blazed a trail across central Nevada that roughly follows U.S. Highway 50 across Nevada and Utah in 1859 and 1860. This became known as the Simpson Route or the Cent…
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The previous Pony Express station I told about in this series was Buckland’s Station. It served as a Pony Express station for just a short time between April 3, 1860 until the Pyramid Lake Indian War started about May 12, 1860. For the next two months, service on the Pony Express was disrupted by periodic Indian attacks on several of the riders and…
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The next Pony Express station we come to when traveling east along the Fort Churchill Road from Miller’s Station is really the site of two stations serving the same general area. The first one, established in 1860, was Buckland’s Station. At that time, Fort Churchill did not exist. It was not until the summer of 1861, after the Pyramid Lake Indian …
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The next documented Pony Express station to be encountered when traveling east from Dayton was known as Miller’s Station. It was a wooden structure located about 8 miles east of Dayton along the Old River Road and the Fort Churchill Road. It had been one of about 20 or more rest and supply stations that were established along the Carson River branc…
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In 1849, Abner Blackburn and other prospectors heading to the California gold fields discovered the first Nevada gold where Gold Canyon reaches the Carson River at a place that later became Dayton. In the early 1850s, Spafford Hall constructed a log station and trading post to accommodate the needs of emigrants bound for California along the Overla…
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Episode 010: The Carson City Pony Express Station
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By 1851, a trading post and a small ranch were established on the Carson Branch of the California Emigrant Trail in what is now Carson City. Frank Hall, W.J. Hall and George Jollenshee operated the station near what is now Fifth and Thompson streets. They called the place Eagle Station due to a large stuffed eagle that had been shot by Frank Hall m…
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The second Pony Express Station encountered when traveling east from Friday’s Station at the California/Nevada State Line is Van Sickle Station at the bottom of Old Kingsbury Grade in Carson Valley. In 1857, rancher Henry Van Sickle constructed a two-story hotel with a bar, kitchen and a store to cater to the needs of emigrants traveling to Califor…
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When I first started researching the Pony Express I was not too impressed with the operation and the prominence it held in the history of the American West. The more I read and studied, however, the more I came to appreciate how the Pony Express became so famous. At my first impression, I wondered how this enterprise that lasted just eighteen month…
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Episode 007: Pony Bob Haslam and the Pony Express
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Much has been written about the Pony Express and the place it has occupied in the History of the American West. Many of the stories written about the Pony Express were romanticized fictional accounts. One true story about the Pony Express that is well documented is the exciting adventures of of Pony Bob Haslam. Continue reading →…
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I first heard about the legend of Susan's Bluff more than 40 years ago from Oliver Perondi, a fellow employee at the Nevada Department of Transportation. We were traveling east on Highway 50 a few miles east of Dayton when he pointed to a mountain off to the south and told me it was called Susan's Bluff. Continue reading →…
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Did a petrified forest once really exist in Dayton, Nevada? Continue reading →By Dennis Cassinelli
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Episode 004: The Cassinelli-Perino Artifact Collection
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The Cassinelli-Perino Artifact Collection is a permanent exhibit of American Indian stone tools on display at the Carson Valley Museum and Cultural Center in Gardnerville, Nevada. It contains such items as an obsidian crescent and a moccasin last. Continue reading →By Dennis Cassinelli
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Episode 003: The Remains of the Rock Point Mill
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The remains of the Rock Point Mill exist alongside Highway 50 in Dayton, Nevada. The area is connected to the Dayton State Park via a tunnel that runs underneath the highway. Visitors can view the ruins and follow a trail that leads up to the top of a small hillside. Continue reading →By Dennis Cassinelli
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Virginia City, Nevada, is the quintessential Old West town. Just minutes from Reno, tourists flock here each year to walk along VC's historical streets. Landmarks include the Bucket of Blood Saloon, the Mackay Mansion, the Washoe Club, and Piper's Opera House -- just to name a few. Continue reading →…
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Episode 001: The Historic Cemetery Memorial Marker
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Throughout the early 1900s, patients at the Nevada State Asylum in Sparks, Nevada, were buried in unmarked graves. As a young boy, Dennis witnessed the bodies being dug up during a road project. A group known as the Friends of the Northern Nevada Adult Mental Health Services Cemetery helped to create a memorial park to pay respect to all those buri…
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