CARSON CITY

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. 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.

Carson City was founded as a community in 1858, seven years after the first settlement of Eagle Station trading post in 1851. Carson City is named for the nearby Carson River, which explorer John C. Fremont named after their 1843-44 expedition for his scout: the famous frontiersman Christopher "Kit" Carson. Pioneer Abraham Curry arrived in Eagle Valley in 1858 and soon thereafter surveyed and platted a town site. He 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. The farsighted and optimistic Abe Curry set aside 10 acres expressly for the construction of a capitol-- this was before the formation of Nevada Territory in 1861. Carson City was soon designated both the territorial capital and county seat of the new Ormsby County. President Abraham Lincoln, recognizing the importance of Nevada's silver and gold to the Union's Civil War effort, signed the proclamation that ushered Nevada into statehood on October 31, 1864. Carson City was selected as the state capital at the constitutional convention and has retained that honor to the present day. Of the 17 counties in Nevada, only Carson City and Virginia City have remained county seats since the beginning of statehood. Each year Nevada's "Battle Born" roots are celebrated in Carson City with the Nevada Day parade.

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. Carson City became a thriving commercial center. The booming mines in Virginia City, Gold Hill and Silver City resulted in quartz reduction mills being built along the Carson River to process the ore. Lumber for mine timbers and cordwood was provided from the Sierra Nevada mountains around Lake Tahoe. The Virginia and Truckee Railroad was organized in 1868 to connect the Comstock mines with the river mills and to bring lumber and supplies back to the mines. In the 1860's, Carson City was a station on the Pony Express and the Overland mail under both Butterfield and Wells, Fargo and Co. The United States Mint in Carson City was completed in 1869; it is today the site of the Nevada State Museum. Carson City rapidly became one of Nevada's principal communities in the 19th century.

Carson City's vitality continues today as a center of state government. Conveniently located just minutes to Reno, Lake Tahoe and to the historic Comstock, Carson City has become a thriving regional center for commerce and recreation. As it motto states, Carson City is indeed "Proud of its Past....Confident of its Future."

Population as of 2000 census 52,457
Altitude 4,600' above sea level	Area in square miles 146
Climate:
Average Annual Snowfall 31.6"	Average Annual Rainfall 11.8"
Average High Temperature (Summer) 89°	Average Low Temperature (Winter) 19°
Average Growing Season 123 days	Average Yearly Days of Sunshine 266 days
Driving Distances from Carson City
Boise 459	Las Vegas 411
Lake Tahoe 14	Los Angeles 445
Reno 30	Sacramento 165
Salt Lake City 556	San Francisco 261
Seattle 751

 

http://www.carson-city.org/	Carson City Convention & Visitors Bureau
http://dmla.clan.lib.nv.us/docs/museums/cc/carson.htm	Nevada State Museum
http://dmla.clan.lib.nv.us/docs/museums/rr/ccrr.htm	Nevada State Railroad Museum
http://silver.state.nv.us	State of Nevada Web Site
http://www.carson-city.nv.us/	Consolidated Municipality of Carson City
http://www.nevadaappeal.com	Nevada Appeal News Paper
http://carsoncity.areaguides.net/	Area Guides.net
http://www.carsoncitynevada.com/	CitiesUnlimited.com
http://www.nv.blm.gov/carson/default.htm	Carson City BLM Office
http://www.nnda.org/carsoncity.html	Northern Nevada Development Authority
http://www.carsoncitychamber.com/index.asp	Carson City Area Chamber of Commerce
http://www.wncc.edu	Western Nevada Community College