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Churchill County and Fallon
began to grow rapidly during the Newlands Project at the
turn of the century. The project was the first federal
land reclamation project in the country. The plan called
for the diversion of water from the Carson and Truckee
Rivers to reclaim land from the desert for farms and
ranches. The "Heart O' Gold" cantaloupe,
prized for its sweet and juicy meat, was shipped all
over the country in the early 1920's, served in some of
the nation's finest restaurants, and is still grown in
the valley today. Farms and ranches remain a vital part
of the local economy and contribute to the area's claim
as the "Oasis of Nevada." Fallon is also home
to Naval Air Station Fallon and the famed Navy Fighter
Weapons School, TOPGUN!Fallon is the queen city on
Highway 50, the "Loneliest Road in America."
This east-west scenic byway that parallels the original
Pony Express route is filled with interesting people and
places that define the "other side" of Nevada.
Today in Fallon, the past
meets the future in dramatic fashion as TOPGUN pilots
from NAS Fallon train in the skies that once saw Pony
Express riders galloping east and west with news of a
growing nation.
Descending into Lander
County from the New Pass or Carroll Summit leads
travelers into the sparsely-settled Reese River Valley.
The former silver rush town of Austin can be seen at the
intersection of State Route 305 and Highway 50. Prior to
1862, the area surrounding Austin was considered an
"unexplored" Nevada territory. That all
changed in May of that year when William Talcott, an
employee of the stage station at nearby Jacob's Spring,
stumbled onto a rich vein of silver. Austin soon grew to
become Nevada's second-largest city, boasting a
population of more than 10,000. Because Austin's silver
held out for nearly 20 years, substantial brick
buildings were constructed. They included banks, lecture
halls, schools, churches and homes. Many of these
establishments, like the Stokes Castle, the
International Hotel and the Gridley Store are still
standing today. Storekeeper Reuel Gridley made a big
name for himself during the Civil War by doing service
for the forerunner of t!
he American Red Cross. In
1864 he paid an election bet by carrying a heavy sack of
flour the length of Main Street. To raise more money for
the worthy, he auctioned the flour sack off over and
over again; first in Austin, but Gridley soon went
farther afield to Virginia City, Sacrament, San
Francisco and some eastern cities, ending up a year
later at the St. Louis World's Fair, having raised
$275,000. Unfortunately for Austin's miners, the silver
mines gave out long before the turn of the century and
today's Austin is almost a ghost town. Listed on the
National Register of Historic Places, visitors are
welcome to enjoy the historic buildings, browse in the
library and stroll along weathered sidewalks. Food,
drink, gas, groceries, lodging and other supplies are
readily available.
As you travel along you
arrive in Eureka. With the possible exception of
Virginia City, no other Nevada community has retained
its historical character like Eureka. Dual disasters
over the years, fires and floods, forced Eureka
residents to rebuild their structures out of brick,
which, fortunately for us today, resulted in much more
permanent buildings. Listed on the National Register of
Historic Places, a walking tour of Eureka finds the
visitor viewing wonderfully preserved brick and wood
commercial buildings as well as private dwellings. The
1879 Eureka County Courthouse still houses the original
courtroom complete with original wainscoting, pressed
tin ceiling and chandeliers. Across the street from the
courthouse is the restored Eureka Opera House. This 1880
structure was built on the ashes of the Odd Fellows
Hall. It has served as the gathering place for the
people of Eureka. The first silent movie was shown in
1915 and then in the 1920's the opera house became the !
Eureka Theatre and
"talkie" shows were presented. By 1958 the
building had fallen into disrepair and in 1990 Eureka
County acquired the structure and began a three year
restoration. The building received the 1994 National
Preservation Honor Award after being reopened on October
5, 1993. Today the Eureka Opera House is a full service
convention center and cultural arts center.
Next on our trip, just 7
miles east of Ruth on Highway 50 is Ely, White Pine
County's seat. Copper, not silver was the impetus for
the development of Ely. The early 1900's saw the advent
of successful copper mining operations. Because Ely is
situated at the junction of Highway 50 and U.S. 93, it
has grown to become the largest city in eastern Nevada.
It is the hub of a region of outdoor recreational
opportunities and historic sites. Located in Ely, the
historic Nevada Northern Railway Museum is housed in the
former Nevada Northern Railway depot. The Museum is
opened for guided tours on weekends from May to October,
with rides on vintage equipment on selected weekends.
1100 Avenue A, East Ely, 775-289-2085. The web address
is http://www.nevadanorthernrailway.net. Also in Ely is
the White Pine Country Public Museum features historic
photographs, Native American artifacts, mining
equipment, and displays that tell the rich mining
history of the region. 2000 Aultman Street, Ely,
775-289-4710.
The last leg of your trip
winds up in a beautiful desert oasis. Established in
1986, Great Basin National Park in eastern Nevada is a
tribute to the unique Great Basin region in the western
United States. The area was named Great Basin by
explorer John C. Fremont because its rivers and streams
flowed inland, soaking into the earth, evaporating, or
forming lakes, with no outlet to the sea. However,
rather than being one large basin, the Great Basin is
actually an extensive series of mountain ranges and wide
valleys spread over Nevada, Utah, and portions of
California, Oregon, and Idaho. The 77,100-acre Great
Basin National Park commemorates many of the features
common to the Great Basin, including dramatic mountain
peaks, lush meadows, clear mountain streams, alpine
lakes, fascinating limestone caves and sweeping scenic
vistas. The park also boasts an exceptionally wide range
of plant and animal habitats extending from the
pinion-juniper life zone, characterized by jack ra!
bbits, scrubjays, and
sagebrush, to the frigid alpine life zone at the higher
elevations.
We hope you enjoyed this
little tour,of course it says nothing for the real
thing, its an incredible journey through time and
scenery you will never forget. So saddle up, and join us
today for the experience of a lifetime.
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