Home, means Nevada,
Home, means the hills,
Home, means the sage and the pines.
Out by the Truckee’s silvery rills,
Out where the sun always shines,
There is the land that I love the best,
Fairer than all I can see.
Right in the heart of the Golden West,
Home, means Nevada to me.
Select the markers below to learn more about some of the area’s historical markers.
Virginia & Truckee Railroad
Virginia & Truckee Railroad linked Comstock mines to national rail lines, operating from 1869 until its final run in 1950.
Galena
Founded in 1860, Galena grew into a busy lumber and mining town before fires and economic hardship led to abandonment.
Galena Creek Fish Hatchery
Operating from 1931–1949, this hatchery restored fish populations damaged by Comstock mining and marked early conservation efforts.
Mount Rose Weather Observatory
Established in 1905, this observatory pioneered snow survey science and modern water forecasting.
The Winters Ranch
Completed in 1864, this Gothic ranch was home to Theodore Winters, Comstock investor, rancher, politician, and racehorse breeder.
Bowers Mansion
Built by Comstock millionaires Sandy and Eilley Bowers, this mansion reflects sudden wealth, tragic loss, and a lasting Nevada legacy.
Franktown
Founded in 1855, Franktown thrived on milling and farming before railroads bypassed it, causing decline.
The Great Incline
of the Sierra Nevada
Completed in 1880, this steam-powered cable railway hauled lumber uphill to flumes serving the Comstock mines.
Sand Harbor
Sand Harbor transferred Lake Tahoe logs to rail and incline systems supplying lumber to Comstock mines.
Lakeview
A former railroad stop, water hub, and lumber yard, Lakeview supported Comstock mining until operations ended in 1896.
First Air Flight Over Nevada
In 1910, Ivy Baldwin flew Nevada’s first airplane here, setting altitude records during Carson City’s Sagebrush Carnival.
The United States Mint
Operating from 1870–1893, the Carson City Mint produced nearly $50 million in coins from Comstock silver.
Federal Government Building
Completed in 1891, Nevada’s first federal building housed courts and postal services and remains a public landmark.
Carson City
Founded in 1858 by Abe Curry, Carson City became Nevada’s territorial and state capital.
Nevada’s Capital
Completed in 1871, this Victorian sandstone Capitol features marble walls, crystal windows, and historic expansions.
Nevada’s Birthplace
Carson Valley’s Genoa, settled in 1851, is Nevada’s first town and key emigrant trail stop.
Carson Valley
Carson Valley evolved from emigrant meadow stop into major agricultural hub supplying Comstock, Bodie, Tonopah, and Goldfield miners.
Walley’s Hot Springs
Walley’s Hot Springs became a famous 1862 resort, known for therapeutic geothermal waters along the emigrant trail.
Kingsbury Grade
Kingsbury Grade toll road, built 1859–1860, created a shorter, vital route linking California and Virginia City mines.
Mottsville
Mottsville, settled in 1851, was site of Carson Valley’s first school, court session, cemetery, and pioneer family homestead.
Sutro
Sutro Tunnel town supported Adolph Sutro’s massive drainage project, improving safety, ventilation, and access in Comstock mines.
McCones’ Foundries
John McCone’s foundry became Nevada’s largest, producing vital railway castings and record-setting ironwork.
Mark Twain
Samuel Clemens, later known as Mark Twain, began his writing career in Nevada before worldwide fame.
The Comstock Lode
Discovered in 1859, this rich silver and gold deposit fueled Nevada statehood and Virginia City’s boom.
Old Geiger Grade
Built in 1862, this steep toll road carried people and freight between the Comstock and Truckee Meadows until 1936.
Geiger Station
Once the busiest stop on the Geiger Grade Toll Road, this station served travelers, freight teams, and social gatherings.
Steamboat Springs
Famed for healing waters, these hot springs became a resort and freight hub during the Comstock era.
Desert Well Station
Desert Well Station served Overland Mail travelers; Mark Twain wrote of it, and camels once watered here.
This project was developed as part of the America 250 celebration to educate the public and preserve the historical milestones of Northern Nevada and the Washoe Valley area. The Washoe Valley Alliance collaborates with eighteen government agencies and community service organizations to support this mission.
