NEVADA (a Spanish word meaning "
snow-clad " or " snowy land,"
originally applied to a snow-capped mountain range on the Pacific
slope), one of the far western states of the American Union, lying
between 35° and 42° N. and 114° I' 34" and I' 34" W. (37° and 43°
W. of
Washington). It
is bounded N. by
Oregon and
Idaho, E. by
Utah and
Arizona, the
Colorado River separating it in part
from the latter state, and S. and W. by
California. Nevada ranks sixth in size among
the states of the Union. Of its total area of 110,690 sq. m., 869
sq. m. are water surface. Its extreme length, N. and S., is 484 m.,
and its extreme width, E. and W., is 321 m. (For
map, see
California.)
Physiography. - With
the exception of its N.E. and S.E. corners, the state lies wholly
within the
Great
Basin, the floor of which is really a vast table-land between
4000 and
5000 ft. above the sea. This plateau, however, is
not a plain, but contains many buttes and mesas and isolated
mountain ranges rising from 1000 to 8000 ft. above its surface. In
the N.E. an unnamed range of highlands, with an E. and W. trend,
forms the water-parting between the streams tributary to the
Humboldt river in Nevada and those that flow into the Snake river
through Idaho and Oregon and thence to the
Pacific Ocean. This range is very broken
and ill-defined, with peaks often reaching altitudes of from goon
to 12,000 ft., and with numerous spurs diverging N. and S. from the
main divide. Between this ridge and the valley of the Colorado
river lies all that portion of the Great Basin included within the
state. The surface of this table-land is very rugged, and
frequently broken by mountain ranges running N. and S. and from 5
to 20 m. wide at their bases. Intersecting the mountains are
numerous ravines and passes. Between the ranges lie valleys of
about the same width as the bases of the mountains. These valleys
are generally levelfloored, but at their borders gradually slope
upward, and are filled, often to a depth of several thousand feet,
with the detritus of
gravel,
sand and silt from the
neighbouring hills. This is a region of innumerable faulted crust
blocks, the elevated ones creating the N. and S. mountain ranges,
and the depressed ones the valleys that lie between. It is for this
reason that
the
mountain slopes are generally more abrupt on one side than on
the other. Several valleys often unite into a large elevated plain,
broken only by scattered buttes and spurs. The combined areas of
the valleys and the area occupied by the mountains are about
equal.
The mean elevation of the state is 5500 ft. There are 5400 sq.
m. between 2000 and 3000 ft. above the sea; 11,100 sq. m. between
3000 and 4000 ft.; 23,700 sq. m. between 4000 and 5000 ft.; 29,800
sq. m. between 5000 and 6000 ft.; 30,100 sq. m. between 6000 and
7000 ft.; 7800 sq. m. between 7000 and 8000 ft.; and 2800 sq. m.
between 8000 and goon ft. The highest point within the state is
Wheeler Peak, near the centre of the eastern boundary, with an
elevation of 13,058 ft.; the lowest points are along the Colorado
river, where the altitudes range from 700 to Boo ft. With the
exception of this
dip in the S.E.
corner, the entire state lies above the 2000 ft. line.
The
Sierra
Nevada range, which forms the western rim of the Basin, sends
into the state a single lofty
spur, the Washoe Mountains. At the foot of this
range there is, relatively speaking, a depression, with an
altitude of about 3850 ft.
above the sea, which receives the drainage of the eastern slopes of
the Sierra and what little drainage there is in the northern half
of Nevada. From this depression eastward the general level of the
plateau gradually rises to an elevation of 6000 ft. near the
eastern borders of the state. The mountains also increase in height
and importance as far as the East Humboldt range, a lofty mass
about 60 m. W. of the Utah boundary. This range is the
water-parting for nearly all the westward-flowing streams of the
state, and is by far the steepest and most rugged within Nevada, a
number of its peaks attaining a height of 11,000 or 12,000 ft. On
its eastern slope the waters soon disappear within the
bed of narrow canyons, but break out
again at the foot in icecold springs that form the source of the
Ruby and
Franklin lakes; on its western side the
descent is more gentle, and the waters form the South
Fork of the Humboldt river. Somewhat
S. of the centre of the state lie the Toyabe Mountains, with
several peaks from Io,000 to 12,000 ft. in height. The waters on
the eastern slopes flow into the Smoky Valley; those on the other
side assist the neighbouring Shoshone Mountains in feeding the
Reese river, which flows N. toward the Humboldt, but seldom has
sufficient volume to enable it to reach that stream. About loo m.
E. of the California boundary lies a third important range, the
Humboldt Mountains, whose highest point (Star Peak) is 9925 ft.
above the sea. Owing to their great height these three ranges
receive heavier rainfall than the surrounding country and are
feeders to the northern valleys, which constitute the chief
agricultural region of the state. Many of the block mountains of
the Great Basin are of complicated internal structure, showing
rocks of all ages -
slate,
limestone, quartzites,
granite, multi-coloured
volcanic rocks, and large areas of
lava overflow.
From the valley of the Humboldt river southward the plateau
gradually rises until the divide between this stream and the
Colorado river, in the vicinity of the White
Pine Mountains, is reached. From this point there
is a fall, which is gradual as far S. as the 38th parallel, and
then more abrupt. Thus at Pioche the altitude is 610o ft., at Hiko
3881 ft., at St
Thomas 1600
ft., and at the Eldorado
Canyon 828 ft. The region of the Colorado river
is largely
desert, with
occasional buttes and spurs.
Rivers and Lakes. - There are three drainage systems
within the state. North of the Humboldt Valley an area of about
5000 sq. m. is drained by the Owyhee, the Little Owyhee, the
Salmon and Bruneau rivers, whose
waters eventually reach the Pacific Ocean. Below this region flow
the streams of the Great Basin, none of which reach the sea, but
either terminate in lakes having no outlet or else vanish in
sloughs or " sinks." Small streams often sink from sight in their
beds of gravel, and after flowing some distance underground,
reappear farther on. Of the basin streams the Humboldt is the most
important. Rising in the N.E., it flows in a tortuous channel in a
general S.W. direction for 300 m. and drains 7000 or 8000 sq. m.
This stream empties into the Humboldt lake, the overflow from which
goes into the so-called Carson Sink. At no part of its course is it
a large river, and near its mouth its waters are sub-alkaline.
.^ (STNV 6) Summary of Nevada Zoning and Land Use Cases 1990 (STNV 5) Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, Regional Plan for the Lake Tahoe Basin Design Review Guidelines.- Las Vegas, Clark County, and Southern Nevada Local Planning Materials - Architecture Studies Library, University of Nevada, Las Vegas 8 January 2010 9:14 UTC library.nevada.edu [Source type: Academic]
A short distance to
the S. two other streams, the Carson and the Walker rivers, receive
their waters from the eastern slope of this range and empty into
lakes bearing their names. Of this group of lakes in the western
depression, Pyramid Lake is the largest, being 33 m. long and 14 m.
wide. Fed by the same stream is its western
neighbour, Lake Winnemucca, a much smaller
body. The waters of these two lakes are only moderately saline and
may be used for live-stock but not for human beings. Next in
importance is Walker lake, 33 m. long and 6 or 7 m. wide, whose
waters are strongly saline. On the western boundary, and partly
included within the limits of Nevada, is Lake Tahoe, 20 m. long and
io m. wide, which is 1645 ft. deep at its centre and whose waters
have never been known to freeze, notwithstanding the lake's
elevation. The
topography and the climate of Nevada have
led to the formation of two kinds of lakes, the ephemeral and the
perennial. The perennial lakes, such as those just described, hold
their waters for years and perhaps centuries; but the ephemeral
lakes usually evaporate in the course of the summer. The latter
class is formed by waters that fall on the barren mountain-sides
and rush down in torrents, forming in the valleys shallow bodies of
water yellow with the mud held in suspension. The largest of these
occurs in the Black Rock Desert, in the N.W., and at times is from
450 to 500 m. in length and only a few inches deep. Such bodies
often become nothing but vast sheets of liquid mud, and are called
" mud lakes," a term most frequently applied to the sloughs fed by
Quinn's river. When the waters evaporate in the summer they leave a
clay bed of remarkable hardness,
which is sometimes encrusted with saline matter of a snowy
whiteness and dazzles the eyes of the traveller. When such is the
case the beds are called "
alkali flats." During the
glacial period
many of the Nevada lakes attained a great size, several of them
uniting to form the ancient " Lake Lahontan," in northwestern
Nevada. As these lakes shrank after the return of an arid climate,
they left elevated beaches and deposits of various minerals, which
mark their former extent. Both hot
and cold springs are numerous, with temperatures ranging from 50°
to 204° F.
In the S.E. corner of the state is the third drainage system.
.^ Soil Survey of Virgin River Area: Nevada-Arizona.1979 (US 27) U.S. Dept.- Las Vegas, Clark County, and Southern Nevada Local Planning Materials - Architecture Studies Library, University of Nevada, Las Vegas 8 January 2010 9:14 UTC library.nevada.edu [Source type: Academic]
until it joins the
Colorado river. The latter stream flows for 150 m. along the S.E.
boundary towards the Gulf of California.
Of native animals the varieties are few and the numbers of
individuals small. In the arid valleys coyotes (prairie wolves),
rabbits and badgers are found. Large animals, such as the black and
the grizzly
bear, and
deer are found on the slopes of the
Sierra Mountains, and
antelope, deer and
elk visit the northernmost valleys in the winter.
At rare intervals antelope appear in the southern deserts. Here
also are found the sage thrasher, Le Conte's thrasher, the
Texas nighthawk, Baird's
woodpecker, and the
mourning dove. Certain species of
grouse are common high in the timbered
mountains. Several varieties of water-
fowl, especially curlews, pelicans, gulls, ducks,
terns, geese and
snipe, are
found in the vicinity of the lakes. The Truckee river and the
western lakes abound in
trout
and black
bass. Of the
reptiles the
leopard lizard and gridiron-tailed lizard, the "
chuck-walla " (
Sauromalus ater), the rattle-snake, and the
horned
toad are the most numerous.
.^ (LVSP 27) North Well Field Management Program Manual, Internal Technical Team, LVVWD, September 17, 1998.- Las Vegas, Clark County, and Southern Nevada Local Planning Materials - Architecture Studies Library, University of Nevada, Las Vegas 8 January 2010 9:14 UTC library.nevada.edu [Source type: Academic]
^ (LVSP 65) Geophysical Surveys To Detect Voids In Shallow Subsurface At North Well Field.- Las Vegas, Clark County, and Southern Nevada Local Planning Materials - Architecture Studies Library, University of Nevada, Las Vegas 8 January 2010 9:14 UTC library.nevada.edu [Source type: Academic]
^ (LVSP 12) Las Vegas Springs Preserve, North Well Field Preliminary Schematic Site Plan, Schematic Design Team, February 1999.- Las Vegas, Clark County, and Southern Nevada Local Planning Materials - Architecture Studies Library, University of Nevada, Las Vegas 8 January 2010 9:14 UTC library.nevada.edu [Source type: Academic]
The flora of Nevada, although scanty, varies greatly according
to its location. With the exception of the alkali flats, no portion
of the desert is devoid of vegetation, even in the driest seasons.
In the Washoe Mountains, as in the rest of the Sierra Nevada range,
there is a heavy growth of conifers, extending down to the very
valleys; but in many places these mountains have been almost
deforested to provide timbers for the mines. In very limited spaces
on other mountains there are scattered trees - the pinon (nut pine)
and the
juniper at an
altitude between 5000 and 7000 ft. on all but the lowest ranges,
the trees rarely reaching a height of over 15 ft.; and the stunted
mountain
mahogany on the
principal ranges at an altitude of 6800 ft. Several varieties of
poplar are found in the upper
canyons, and trees of the
willow-leaved species in the Humboldt Mountains
often attain a height of 60 ft. But except for these infrequent
wooded strips, the mountains are even more bare than the valleys,
because their shrubs are dwarfed from exposure. The trees, except
in the Washoe Mountains, are of very slow growth and therefore
knotty and ill-adapted for
timber. As a rule, the elevation of the
timber line on the
mountains increases as the
latitude decreases. On the foothills are found
phlox and
lupine, and in the N. much bunch
grass,
which is valuable for grazing purposes. The valleys are covered
with typical desert shrubs; greasewood (
sarcobatus
vermiculatus), creosote bushes (
larrea tridentata),
and sage-
brush (
artemisia tridentata);
the first-named plant is abundant, chiefly in the N. This
vegetation, covering plains, mesas, and even extending up the sides
of the mountains, gives the entire landscape the greyish or dull
olive colour characteristic of the
Great Basin. To the southward, as the valleys become increasingly
sandy and saline, even the sage-brush disappears, and little
vegetation besides the
cactus
and the
yucca is to be seen. The
valleys are treeless, except in the vicinity of the Truckee river,
where considerable quantities of the
cotton wood and a small amount of willow,
birch, and wild
cherry are found. The
mesquite grows some distance from water, and
is especially common near the Colorado river. In January 1910 there
were seven national forests in the state, created since July 1908
and chiefly in 1909, containing 7983.76 sq. M.
Climate
As the lofty range of mountains on the W. deprives the winds
from the Pacific of nearly all their moisture before they reach the
Great Basin, the climate of Nevada is characterized by an excessive
dryness. The skies are clear nearly every day in the year. The mean
annual precipitation varies from 3 in. in the S.W. (Esmeralda
county) to 12 in. in the E. (White Pine county). In the central,
north-eastern and north-western sections, embracing the counties of
Nye, Elko and Humboldt, the average annual rainfall varies from 7
to 8 in.; in the west-central section, at the foot of the Sierra,
the average is about 10 in. A so-called " rainy season " lasts from
October to April, but the precipitation is chiefly in the form of
snow on the mountains. Except at great altitudes snow lies on the
ground only a few days each year.
.^ Agriculture Forest Service Analysis of Management Situation Spring Mountain National Recreation Area Jan.- Las Vegas, Clark County, and Southern Nevada Local Planning Materials - Architecture Studies Library, University of Nevada, Las Vegas 8 January 2010 9:14 UTC library.nevada.edu [Source type: Academic]
Fogs and
hail are rare, but, as in all treeless countries,
the
rain comes in unequal
quantities, and cloudbursts are not unknown. The mean annual
temperature for the state is 49° F., but varies from 54° in the
S.V. to 46° in the N. The daily and annual variation is very great,
and is intensified toward the E., where the altitudes are greater.
.^ August 1, 2001 (24x36) (Bond) (D3 # 6) Clark County Comprehensive Planning: Land Uses and Construction Years for the Area Bounded By Sahara Ave.- Las Vegas, Clark County, and Southern Nevada Local Planning Materials - Architecture Studies Library, University of Nevada, Las Vegas 8 January 2010 9:14 UTC library.nevada.edu [Source type: Academic]
^ (LVSP 26) Quarterly Report April 1- June 30, 2001.- Las Vegas, Clark County, and Southern Nevada Local Planning Materials - Architecture Studies Library, University of Nevada, Las Vegas 8 January 2010 9:14 UTC library.nevada.edu [Source type: Academic]
^ Nov.; 1996: April, June, July/Aug., Oct.; 1997: July/August; 1998: June, Oct.- Las Vegas, Clark County, and Southern Nevada Local Planning Materials - Architecture Studies Library, University of Nevada, Las Vegas 8 January 2010 9:14 UTC library.nevada.edu [Source type: Academic]
At Hawthorne, Esmeralda county, in the
S.W., the mean temperature for the year is 54 0; for the winter it
is 36°, with extremes of 69° and - 6°; the mean temperature for the
summer is 72°, with extremes of 102° and 32°. At the head of the
Humboldt river frosts are of almost nightly occurrence, and in the
Carson Valley damaging frosts often occur in June. In the extreme
S. the isothermal lines run almost due E. and W.; but farther
northward they take a N.W. and S.E. direction. The annual range of
temperature is about 124°; the highest temperature ever recorded
being 119°, and the lowest -42°. In spite of the high temperatures
of summer, however, the low humidity prevents the heat from being
oppressive, and cases of
sunstroke are unknown. While the western
mountains keep out the moisture, they do not
ward off the winds which pour down the steep
slopes in the winter and spring and raise clouds of
dust. Early-sown
grain is often injured by flying sand and gravel.
In the summer and autumn the winds are light.
Because of this extreme aridity, agriculture in Nevada is
dependent on irrigation. The three principal areas in which
irrigation is practicable are along the Humboldt river, in the
plains watered by the Carson, Truckee and Walker rivers, and at the
foot of the mountains along the western edge of the state. There
are various places also near the mouths of desert canyons, where
small amounts of water are obtainable for irrigation purposes from
intermittent streams. The total number of acres irrigated in 1899
was 504,168, an increase of 124.7% in the decade. In 1902 the total
irrigated acreage was 570,001, an increase of 13.1% in three years.
In 1902 Congress provided for the beginning of extensive irrigation
works in the arid West, and Nevada (where preliminary
reconnaissances had been made in 1889-1890) was the first state to
profit from this undertaking.
.^ (LM 2) Soil Survey of Lyon County Area, Nevada.- Las Vegas, Clark County, and Southern Nevada Local Planning Materials - Architecture Studies Library, University of Nevada, Las Vegas 8 January 2010 9:14 UTC library.nevada.edu [Source type: Academic]
A canal 31 m. long, diverting
the waters of the Truckee river into the Carson river, was
completed in 2905 at a cost of $1,250,000. A system of reservoirs
(the main reservoir is Lake Tahoe with an area of 193 sq. m.),
distributing canals, and drain ditches was also projected, making
it possible to reclaim 231,300 acres of the desert. It was
estimated that the works would require nine years for their
completion, at a total cost of $9,000,000, although the first
200,000 acres could be reclaimed at a cost of $2,700,000. The works
were to be operated by the government foi ten years, and the cost
assessed against the holders of the land.1 At the conclusion of
this period the system was to pass into the control of the
landholders, with no further charge by the government.
The soil when reclaimed is well adapted for
forage crops, cereals, vegetables and
deciduous fruits. Nevada is
a great ranching state, and stock-raising has shown a rapid
extension. In 1900, 88.9% of its
farm acreage was devoted to
hay and forage crops, being more than doubled in
the decade. Fifty-one per cent. of the improved lands in 1899 were
devoted to the cultivation of these crops. With the growing of
grasses as the chief
agricultural product, farming in Nevada is necessarily extensive
rather than intensive. In 1899 the average size of the farms was
1174 acres. 2 The value of the different kinds of agricultural
products for 1899 was as follows: live stock, $4,373,973; hay and
grain, $1,535,914;
dairy
produce, $385,220; vegetables, $216,600; fruits, $20,900. It thus
appears that the live stock industry is one of the most important
in the state; the value of its product in 1899 exceeded its output
of
gold and
silver, which had then reached its lowest point,
by over one million dollars. 3 About 64% of the value of the live
stock was represented by neat
cattle; 19% by
sheep; to % by horses, and the remainder by
mules,
swine, asses, burros and
goats.
In spite of the predominating interest in stock-raising,
intensive cultivation of the soil is practicable where the
water supply is
sufficient.
.^ (LV 95) Lloyd D George United States Courthouse: Las Vegas, Nevada.- Las Vegas, Clark County, and Southern Nevada Local Planning Materials - Architecture Studies Library, University of Nevada, Las Vegas 8 January 2010 9:14 UTC library.nevada.edu [Source type: Academic]
.^ Document (SN 15) top State of Nevada (STNV 1 - 38) : ( http://www.nv.gov/ ) Alternatives for Management of an Expanded State Land Base.- Las Vegas, Clark County, and Southern Nevada Local Planning Materials - Architecture Studies Library, University of Nevada, Las Vegas 8 January 2010 9:14 UTC library.nevada.edu [Source type: Academic]
.^ (LM 2) Soil Survey of Lyon County Area, Nevada.- Las Vegas, Clark County, and Southern Nevada Local Planning Materials - Architecture Studies Library, University of Nevada, Las Vegas 8 January 2010 9:14 UTC library.nevada.edu [Source type: Academic]
^ (LM 1) Soil Survey of Las Vegas Valley Area, Part of Clark County, Nevada.- Las Vegas, Clark County, and Southern Nevada Local Planning Materials - Architecture Studies Library, University of Nevada, Las Vegas 8 January 2010 9:14 UTC library.nevada.edu [Source type: Academic]
^ Soil Survey of Lincoln County, Nevada, South Part.- Las Vegas, Clark County, and Southern Nevada Local Planning Materials - Architecture Studies Library, University of Nevada, Las Vegas 8 January 2010 9:14 UTC library.nevada.edu [Source type: Academic]
.^ (LM 1) Soil Survey of Las Vegas Valley Area, Part of Clark County, Nevada.- Las Vegas, Clark County, and Southern Nevada Local Planning Materials - Architecture Studies Library, University of Nevada, Las Vegas 8 January 2010 9:14 UTC library.nevada.edu [Source type: Academic]
A singular menace to agriculture in Nevada was the
plague in1907-1908of Carson field
mice. These first appeared in large numbers in the lower part of
the Humboldt Valley in the summer of 1906, and in October and
November 1907 it was estimated that they numbered on certain
ranches from 8000 to 12,000 on every acre. The alfalfa crop
suffered particularly, the total loss being about $300,000. After
unsuccessful attempts to rid themselves of the mice, the farmers
appealed to the United States Biological Survey, and alfalfa hay
poisoned with strychnia sulphate was used successfully in the
Humboldt Valley in January 1908 and in the Carson Valley, where a
similar plague threatened, in April 1908.5
Minerals. - To
its mineral wealth Nevada owes its existence as a state; but for
the richness of its
veins of
gold and silver ore it would be still little more than an arid
waste. Extending from central California S.E. along the dividing
line between that state and 1 The public lands are open to entry
free of charge, but the government withholds the title until all
the payments for water have been made. The yearly payments amount
to $2.60 per acre under the present system; this amount covers the
cost of maintenance and operation and also of a thorough drainage
system, which is as important to the settler as irrigation. Lands
already held in private ownership are supplied with water at the
same price as public lands.
2 Compare this figure with that for the neighbouring state of
California, where the average size of the farms was 397.4
acres.
.^ (STNV 32) Lincoln County, Meadow Valley Industrial Park, Caliante, Nevada, (STNV 33) Lincoln County, Meadow Valley Industrial Park Design Report,.- Las Vegas, Clark County, and Southern Nevada Local Planning Materials - Architecture Studies Library, University of Nevada, Las Vegas 8 January 2010 9:14 UTC library.nevada.edu [Source type: Academic]
For a time this was a profitable pursuit, as the
horse hides brought good
prices.
4 This is the yield reported by the United States Department of
Agriculture. Between its reports and those of the
Census Bureau in census years there are sometimes great
discrepancies.
.^ The Annual Traffic Report, No Date [assumed 2001] (STNV 21) Nevada Department of Transportation Annual Average Daily Traffic Report: Clark County Only, 2001 (STNV 22) Nevada Department of Transportation Annual Traffic Report, 1998 (STNV 14) Nevada Department of Transportation Annual Traffic Report: Clark County Only, 2000 (STNV 16) Nevada Rail Plan.- Las Vegas, Clark County, and Southern Nevada Local Planning Materials - Architecture Studies Library, University of Nevada, Las Vegas 8 January 2010 9:14 UTC library.nevada.edu [Source type: Academic]
See Stanley E. Piper, The Nevada Mouse Plague
of1907-1908 (Washington, 2909), Farmers' Bulletin 352, U.S.
Department of Agriculture.
.^ Soil Survey of Virgin River Area: Nevada-Arizona.1979 (US 27) U.S. Dept.- Las Vegas, Clark County, and Southern Nevada Local Planning Materials - Architecture Studies Library, University of Nevada, Las Vegas 8 January 2010 9:14 UTC library.nevada.edu [Source type: Academic]
.^ June 21, 2001 (H64A) Nevada State College: "New State College On Track to Open in September" by Sean Whaley.- Las Vegas, Clark County, and Southern Nevada Local Planning Materials - Architecture Studies Library, University of Nevada, Las Vegas 8 January 2010 9:14 UTC library.nevada.edu [Source type: Academic]
The mines of this one district
had produced, up to 1902, $371,248,288, of which $148,145,385 was
in gold, $204,653,040 in silver, and the remainder in unclassified
tailings. For the years1862-1868inclusive, the average annual
production was over $i i,000,000; in the second period of great
productivity (1873-1878), after the opening (by John W.
Mackay and his partners,
Flood, Fair and O'Brien) in the
Comstock Lode of the Great Bonanza mine, the average annual yield
was over $26,000,000. In 1877 the maximum annual output for the
mines was attained, being $3 6 ,3 01 ,537. For the three
years1875-1877the production of gold and silver in Nevada was more
than the combined product of all the other American states and
Territories. After this last year the output of the Comstock mines
declined on account of the exhaustion of the ore supply, the
increased expense of
mining at
great depths, and the decrease in the price of silver. The yield
reached its lowest point in 1899, but subsequently increased
through the application of improved machinery, while the tailings
of the old diggings were treated by the
cyanide process with profitable results. In
1859 the mines were worked only for their gold; the ignorant miners
threw away the " black stuff " which was really valuable silver ore
with an assay value four times as great as that of their ores of
gold; and when this was discovered there came a period of
unprecedented silver production. But the fall in the price of
silver led to a reaction, and from 1893 the gold output
predominated. The gold production of 1907 was valued at
$12,099,455; the silver production at $4,675,178.
In connexion with the operation of the Comstock mines was built
(in 1869-1879) the Sutro
Tunnel, named in honour of its engineer, Adolph
Sutro (1830-1898), piercing the mountain horizontally far below the
mouth of the mines, and at a distance of nearly 4 m. striking the
shafts of the Comstock Lode, securing
ventilation and cool
air for the miners, draining the mines above its
level, and obviating much pumping and hoisting.' Two lateral
tunnels were also constructed, making the total length 63 m.
Another mining region that attained importance in the
early
period was the
Eureka
District, in Eureka county, about 90 m. S. of the Southern Pacific
railway. Ore was first
discovered here in 1864, but it was five years before the mines
became productive. By 1882 they had produced $60,000,000 of
precious metals.
With the working out of the deposits in the Comstock region, the
mining industry declined, and between 1877 and 1900 there was a
period of great depression, in which Nevada fell from first to
sixth place among the silver-producing states and Territories.
.^ (STNV 32) Lincoln County, Meadow Valley Industrial Park, Caliante, Nevada, (STNV 33) Lincoln County, Meadow Valley Industrial Park Design Report,.- Las Vegas, Clark County, and Southern Nevada Local Planning Materials - Architecture Studies Library, University of Nevada, Las Vegas 8 January 2010 9:14 UTC library.nevada.edu [Source type: Academic]
The village of
Tonopah sprang into existence as soon as the rush of newcomers to
this region began, and in 1903 it contained 4000 inhabitants. In
two years $7,000,000 worth of gold and silver had been taken from
the Tonopah mines and it was asserted that they would prove as rich
as the mines of the Comstock Lode. The Tonopah ores were richer in
silver than in gold, the respective values in 1904 and 1905 being
approximately in the proportion of three to one. This discovery
gave a new impetus to prospecting in south-western Nevada, and it
was soon discovered that the district was not an isolated mining
region but was in the
heart of a
great mineral
belt. Tonopah is at
the outcropping of a number of ledges which continue for several
hundred feet below the surface for an unknown distance. In 1902, in
Esmeralda county, 24 m. S. of Tonopah, rich ores were found in the
Goldfield District, and
within three years there were 8000 people in this region. During
1905 the town of Goldfield had a period of
mushroom growth, then quieted, and finally
revived to a healthy development. The value of the production of
the Goldfield District in 1904 amounted to $2,341,979. This
discovery was followed in 1904 by that of the Bullfrog District, in
Nye county, 60 m. S.E. of Goldfield, and within ninety days after
its birth the village of Bullfrog, although loo m. from a railway,
had an electriclighting plant, an ice plant and a hotel. In 1905
gold was discovered in Nye county, 29 m. N.E. of Tonopah, in what
became known as the Manhattan District, and by March 1906 the
village of Manhattan was a mile in length and contained 3000
inhabitants.
After 1902 the production of gold and silver steadily increased,
being $4,980,786 in that year, $9,184,996 in 1905, and $16,774,633
in 1907. By far the greater portion of these metals came from the
southern part of the state. In production of gold in 1907 Esmeralda
county ranked first with $8,533,617 (nearly 70% of the total); Nye
county's output was $1,547,408, Lincoln county's $929,775, ' Apart
from their commercial uses, the Sutro Tunnel and the shafts of the
Comstock Lode have been employed for scientific investigations,
with the object of classifying igneous rocks, determining the
variations of temperature, and the character of
electrical manifestations
beneath the earth's surface, and the relation between the structure
of rocks and their rate of cooling.
and Storey county's a little more than $250,000. In the
production of silver Nye county ranked first in 1907 ($3,667,973,
of which $3,544,7 88 was from Tonopah), Churchill county second
($432,617, from Fairview, Wonder and
Stillwater), and Eureka county (with
lead silver ores) and Storey county
were third and fourth respectively.
Copper, lead and
zinc are produced in small quantities, being found
in fissure veins with gold and silver. In 1907 the production of
copper was 1,782,571 lb, valued at $356,514. The output of lead in
1907 was 6,271,341 lb (valued at $322,381). The output of zinc was
2,168,783 lb (valued at $127,958).
Other minerals exist in great variety.
Salt deposits are extensive and commercially
important in Washoe and Churchill counties. After 1900 the
production of salt rapidly increased up to 1906, when it was 11,249
bbls.; in 1907 it was only 6457 bbls., all graded as " common
coarse " and all obtained by solar evaporation from brine.
Borax marshes are numerous in the
west and south-west, but they are no longer commercially
productive. Large beds of
mica are
found in the east.
Gypsum
occurs in a number of places, the best known being in the
north-west. Veins of
antimony are worked in the Battle Mountain
District and in
Bullion
Canyon, 15 m. south of Mill City. There are veins of
bismuth near Sodaville. A
little
graphite is
produced in Humboldt county. A sub-bituminous
lignite is mined in Esmeralda county (800 tons
in 1906; 330 tons in 1907). Considerable quantities of the
following minerals have been found:
barytes (heavy spar),
magnetite (magnetic
iron ore), and
pyrolusite (manganese dioxide) in Humboldt
county; roofing slate in Esmeralda county;
cinnabar (ore containing quicksilver) in
Washoe county;
haematite
in Elko and Churchill counties;
cerussite and
galena (lead ores) in Eureka county; and
wolframite (a source of
tungsten) at Round Mountain, White Pine county. In 1903 and 1907
Nevada ranked second among the American states in the production of
sulphur, but its output is
very small in comparison with that of
Louisiana.
Manufactures
The manufacturing interests of Nevada are unimportant. Of the
manufacturing establishments in the state in 1900, 109, or 47.8%,
were situated in
Reno,
Carson City and
Virginia City, named in the order of their importance. These places
employed 35.9% of the labour engaged in manufacturing, and the
value of their products was 38.8% of the total for the state.
Manufactures based on the products of mines and quarries
(chemicals,
glass, clay, stone
and
metal works) constituted
about one-fifth of the whole product.
Car construction and general
shop work of
steam railways was the leading manufacturing
industry in 1905; next in importance were the
flour and grist milling industry and the
printing and
publishing of
newspapers and
periodicals. Such
statistics of the special
census of manufactures (under the factory system) of 1905 as are
comparable with those of 1900 show 99 factories in 1900 and 115 in
1905, an increase of 16.2%. Their capital in 1900 was $1,251,208
and in 1905 $2,891,997, an increase of 131.1%. The value of their
products in 1900 was $1,261,005, and in 1905, $3,096,274, an
increase of 1 45.5 .
Transportation
In its industrial development Nevada has always been hampered by
lack of transportation facilities. There are no navigable
waterways, and the railway mileage is small. Until the completion
of the trans-continental railway in 1869,
wagon trains were the only means of transporting
the products of the mines across the desert. An unsuccessful
attempt was made, beginning in 1861, to domesticate the
camel for this purpose. 2 The
railway mileage in 1880 was 739 m.; in 1890, 923 m.; in the
following decade railway building was at a standstill. Since 1900,
however, there has been considerable development, and the total
mileage on the 1st of January 1909, was 1,866.92 m.
.^ West to State Hwy 604 & I-15 intersection East and from Owens Ave.- Las Vegas, Clark County, and Southern Nevada Local Planning Materials - Architecture Studies Library, University of Nevada, Las Vegas 8 January 2010 9:14 UTC library.nevada.edu [Source type: Academic]
^ (D15#18) City of North Las Vegas: Zoning: From Decatur BLVD west to State Hwy 604 and I-15 intersection east and from Owens Ave.- Las Vegas, Clark County, and Southern Nevada Local Planning Materials - Architecture Studies Library, University of Nevada, Las Vegas 8 January 2010 9:14 UTC library.nevada.edu [Source type: Academic]
^ (SST 20) Las Vegas to Los Angeles High Speed/Super Speed Ground Transportation System Feasibility Study: Executive Summary.- Las Vegas, Clark County, and Southern Nevada Local Planning Materials - Architecture Studies Library, University of Nevada, Las Vegas 8 January 2010 9:14 UTC library.nevada.edu [Source type: Academic]
The oldest of these
trunk lines, the Southern Pacific (formerly the
Central Pacific), follows the course of the Humboldt and Truckee
rivers.
.^ (CD-ROM)(STNV 34) Vicinity Map (STNV 34H) Development Suitability (STNV 34I) Adopted North Valleys Land Use Plan (STNV 34J) Planned Land Use (STNV 34K) Reno Sphere Of Influence (STNV 34L) Special Planning Area 1 (STNV 34M) Water Service Area Boundaries Adopted Streets And Highways Plan (STNV 34N) South Virginia Corridor Specific Plan Maps, 24x36(jpeg), 23 March, 1998, ( http://www.co.washoe.nv.us/comdev/south_virginia_corridor_specific_plan_maps.htm )Accessed on 2/28/2008.- Las Vegas, Clark County, and Southern Nevada Local Planning Materials - Architecture Studies Library, University of Nevada, Las Vegas 8 January 2010 9:14 UTC library.nevada.edu [Source type: Academic]
^ (SNRPC 3) Interlocal Agreement for the Formation of the Southern Nevada Regional Planning Coalition 10/98 (SNRPC 1) Web Site: http://www.snrpc.org What is the SNRPC? Meeting Dates Agendas and Meeting Minutes Membership Southern Nevada Homeless Census And Survey 2007, ( http://www.snrpc.org/Homeless_files/FinalSouthernNevadaHomelessCensusSurveyWinter2007.pdf )Accessed on 2/6/2008 (CD-ROM)(SNRPC 4) Southern Nevada Regional Planning Coalition [SNRPC]: Las Vegas Valley Primary Trail System: Las Vegas Valley.- Las Vegas, Clark County, and Southern Nevada Local Planning Materials - Architecture Studies Library, University of Nevada, Las Vegas 8 January 2010 9:14 UTC library.nevada.edu [Source type: Academic]
^ (LVVWD 11) Turf Limitations for City of Las Vegas and Clark County, ( http://www.lvvwd.com/html/ws_turf_limits.html ) Accessed on 2/5/2008 (CD-ROM)(SNWA 15) Water Conservation Survey for the Las Vegas Valley Region.- Las Vegas, Clark County, and Southern Nevada Local Planning Materials - Architecture Studies Library, University of Nevada, Las Vegas 8 January 2010 9:14 UTC library.nevada.edu [Source type: Academic]
The Western Pacific railway, completed in 1910,
extending from
Salt Lake City to
San Francisco, and
running entirely 2 It is interesting to note that in 1875 the
Nevada legislature passed an act forbidding camels or dromedaries
to run at large. This law remained on the statute books until 1898,
when it was formally repealed.
across the state of Nevada, is parallel with the Southern
Pacific for some distance in the eastern part of the state, and
crosses the mountains at Beckwith Pass 20 m. north of Reno.
.^ West to State Hwy 604 & I-15 intersection East and from Owens Ave.- Las Vegas, Clark County, and Southern Nevada Local Planning Materials - Architecture Studies Library, University of Nevada, Las Vegas 8 January 2010 9:14 UTC library.nevada.edu [Source type: Academic]
^ (D15#18) City of North Las Vegas: Zoning: From Decatur BLVD west to State Hwy 604 and I-15 intersection east and from Owens Ave.- Las Vegas, Clark County, and Southern Nevada Local Planning Materials - Architecture Studies Library, University of Nevada, Las Vegas 8 January 2010 9:14 UTC library.nevada.edu [Source type: Academic]
.^ North to San Francisco St. City of Las Vegas Planning and development Annual Report 2003-2004 (CD-ROM) (LV 135) City of Las Vegas Planning and development Annual Report 2005-2006 (CD-ROM) (LV 135) City of Las Vegas Planning and development Annual Report 2006-2007 (CD-ROM) (LV 135) City of Las Vegas Planning and Development Department: Summary of Zoning District Requirements.- Las Vegas, Clark County, and Southern Nevada Local Planning Materials - Architecture Studies Library, University of Nevada, Las Vegas 8 January 2010 9:14 UTC library.nevada.edu [Source type: Academic]
^ Construction Connection Article from May 2001 (LV 56J) "Molasky to build government office in downtown Las Vegas."- Las Vegas, Clark County, and Southern Nevada Local Planning Materials - Architecture Studies Library, University of Nevada, Las Vegas 8 January 2010 9:14 UTC library.nevada.edu [Source type: Academic]
^ March 1999 (LVVWD 1 a,b,c,d) Las Vegas Spring Preserve Site Plan - poster 3/2000 (LVVWD 2) LVSP-Mojave Desert Preserve, Vision Continuum.- Las Vegas, Clark County, and Southern Nevada Local Planning Materials - Architecture Studies Library, University of Nevada, Las Vegas 8 January 2010 9:14 UTC library.nevada.edu [Source type: Academic]
The Goldfield and Bullfrog districts
have a further outlet to the south through a second railway, the
Nevada Short Line (Bullfrog-Goldfield and Tonopah & Tidewater
railways) which connects with the
Atchison,
Topeka &
Santa Fe at
Ludlow in California.
Population
Nevada is the most sparsely settled state of the Union. Its
population in 1860 was 6857; in 1870, 42,491; in 1880, 62,266; in
1890, 45,761; in 1900, 42,335; and in 1910, 81,875 (0.7 per sq.
m.). In 1900 10,093 were foreign-born (mostly English, Irish,
Germans, Italians and Chinese in almost equal proportions); and
there were 35,405 white persons, 5216 Indians, 1352
Chinese, 228 Japanese and 134 negroes. There were then only three
towns of importance: Reno, Virginia City and Carson City, the
capital.
The Indian population consists of Paiute, Shoshoni and the
remnants of a few other tribes of Shoshonean stock. On the
Duck Valley
reservation (488 sq. m.), established in
1877, in Elko county, between the forks of the Owyhee river and
lying partly in Nevada and partly in Idaho, and under the western
Shoshoni (boarding) school (55 pupils in 1908), there were 252
Paiute, 238 Shoshoni and i
Hopi in
1908; on the Pyramid Lake reservation (503 sq. m.), established in
1874, in Washoe county, on the borders of the lake from which it is
named, 486 Paiute; on the Walker river reservation (79.37 sq. m.),
established in 1874 (partly opened to settlement in 1906) along
Walker river and Walker Lake, 466 Paiute; on the Moapa river
reserve (15.6 sq. m.), in the south-eastern part of the state, 117
Paiute.
In 1906, of the 14,944 members of religious denominations 9,97 0
were Roman Catholics, 1,210
Protestant Episcopalians, 1,105 Latter-Day
Saints (Mormons), 618 Methodists and 520 Presbyterians.
Administration
Nevada is governed under the original constitution of 1864, with
the amendments adopted in 1880, 1889, 1904 and 1906. The
constitution as adopted limited the
suffrage to adult white males, but this
provision was annulled by the fifteenth
amendment to the Federal constitution; and in
1880 amendments to the state constitution were adopted striking out
the word " white " from the suffrage clause and adding a new
article granting rights of suffrage and office holding without
regard to race, colour or previous condition of
servitude. A residence in
the state of six months and in the district or county of thirty
days preceding the election is required of all voters. Persons
guilty of
treason or
felony in any state or Territory
and not restored to civil rights, idiots and insane persons, are
excluded from the suffrage.
.^ United States Department of Agriculture- Soil Conservation Service.- Las Vegas, Clark County, and Southern Nevada Local Planning Materials - Architecture Studies Library, University of Nevada, Las Vegas 8 January 2010 9:14 UTC library.nevada.edu [Source type: Academic]
The legislature has the right to make the payment of
the
poll tax a requirement
for voting, but no such provision is in force. 2 A law passed in
1887, requiring all voters to take an oath against
polygamy, with the object of
disfranchising
Mormons, was
declared unconstitutional by the State Supreme Court.
.^ (RTC-M 16) Testimony Before the Public Service Commission of Nevada: In the Matter of the Application of HSST-Nevada Corporation.- Las Vegas, Clark County, and Southern Nevada Local Planning Materials - Architecture Studies Library, University of Nevada, Las Vegas 8 January 2010 9:14 UTC library.nevada.edu [Source type: Academic]
^ (RTC-M 7) Hearing Before the Public Service Commission of Nevada: In the Matter of the Application of HSST-Nevada Corporation for a Certificate of Public Convenience Sept.- Las Vegas, Clark County, and Southern Nevada Local Planning Materials - Architecture Studies Library, University of Nevada, Las Vegas 8 January 2010 9:14 UTC library.nevada.edu [Source type: Academic]
It was
discovered, however, that no statute had ever been passed to carry
this provision into effect, and the votes were rejected.
In 1897 a law was passed making the right of suffrage dependent
on the payment of
poll taxes for
the preceding two years; but in the following year the State
Supreme Court declared this act unconstitutional because the title
was not descriptive of the matter.
tion and surveyor-general are chosen by popular vote every four
years. Their functions are similar to those of the administrative
officials in other states, with the exception that the governor
does not possess the usual pardoning power but is
ex
officio a member of the pardoning board. The governor and
lieutenantgovernor must each be at least twenty-five years old at
the time of election to office. The legislative department consists
of a
Senate, with members
chosen every four years, about half of whom retire every two years;
and an Assembly, whose members are chosen biennially. The
constitution requires that the number of senators shall be not less
than one-third nor more than onehalf the number of members of the
Assembly, and that the total membership of both houses shall not
exceed seventy-five. Bills of any character may originate in either
house. The legislative sessions are biennial and are limited to
fifty days; special sessions are limited to twenty days. The
judicial department consists of a supreme court with a
chief
justice and two associate justices, chosen for six years, and
district courts, with judges chosen for four years.
.^ (RTC-M 8) Hearing Before the Board of County Commissioners of Clark County, Nevada: Presentation in Support of HSST Application and in Opposition to the Las Vegas People Movers Application.- Las Vegas, Clark County, and Southern Nevada Local Planning Materials - Architecture Studies Library, University of Nevada, Las Vegas 8 January 2010 9:14 UTC library.nevada.edu [Source type: Academic]
.^ TITLE 20—COUNTIES AND TOWNSHIPS: FORMATION, GOVERNMENT AND OFFICERS .
For each township there is a
justice
of the peace, chosen biennially by its voters. The
homestead exemption
extends to a dwelling-house, with its land and
appurtenances, with
a value not exceeding $5000; but no exemption is granted against a
process to enforce the payment of purchase-money, or for
improvements, or for legal taxes, or of a
mortgage to which both the
husband and wife have
consented. The exemption can be claimed by the husband, wife, or
other head of the family, by a written declaration duly
acknowledged and recorded in the manner prescribed for conveyances;
and the
homestead can
then be mortgaged or alienated by a husband only with the wife's
consent, if the wife is at the time a resident of the state. The
exemption is not affected by the death of the husband or wife, but
inures to the benefit of the surviving members of the family. For
divorce a residence in the
state of six months is necessary; the grounds for divorce are
desertion or neglect to
provide for one year, conviction of felony, habitual
drunkenness,
cruelty or physical
incapacity.
There are a number of unusual provisions in the constitution of
Nevada. The assertion in the "
Declaration
of Rights " that " no power exists in the people of this or any
other state of the Federal Union to dissolve their connexion
therewith or perform any act tending to impair, subvert, or resist
the supreme authority of the government of the United States," is a
result of the drafting of the instrument during the Civil War.
There is also a provision that only three-fourths of the jurors may
be required to agree to a
verdict in civil cases, although the
legislature has the power to require by statute a unanimous
agreement. Amendments to the constitution must be passed by a
majority of each house of the legislature at two consecutive
sessions and submitted to a vote of the people at the next regular
election. Under this provision an amendment cannot be adopted until
nearly four years after it is first proposed.
.^ (CC 246) South County, I-15 Corridor Amendment, Adopted December 21, 2005.- Las Vegas, Clark County, and Southern Nevada Local Planning Materials - Architecture Studies Library, University of Nevada, Las Vegas 8 January 2010 9:14 UTC library.nevada.edu [Source type: Academic]
Nevada thus became
the fourth American state to adopt the
referendum.
Institutions
The state maintains a
penitentiary at Carson City and an insane
asylum at Reno. The
deaf, dumb and
blind are cared for at its expense in the California institution
for these defectives. The State University, established at Elko in
1874 and removed to Reno in 1887, is supported by the income from a
Federal grant of two townships (72 sq. m.) of public land and an
additional grant, under the Morrill Act of 1862, of 90,000 acres
for the support of a college for agriculture and mechanic arts. An
agricultural experiment station and a normal school are conducted
in connexion with the university. The control of this institution
is vested in a board of regents, chosen by popular vote. At
Virginia City is a school of mines, established by the state in
1903. The
Federal government maintains three
boarding schools for Indians in the state.
The public schools are supported by the income from a Federal
grant of 2,000,000 acres of public land (given in lieu of the usual
sixteenth and thirty-sixth sections) supplemented by state and
local
taxation. The
constitution provides that a special state tax, at a rate of not
over two mills on the
dollar,
may be levied for school purposes. All fines collected under the
penal laws, all escheats and 2% of the receipts of
toll roads and
bridges go into the school fund, which is
invested in state and Federal securities and the interest
apportioned among the counties according to their school
population. The administration of the school system is in the hands
of a superintendent of public instruction.
The bonded debt of the state on the 31st of December 1908
amounted to $550,000, of which the state held an irredeemable bond
for $380,000; the actual redeemable bonded debt of $170,000 was due
to the investment of the school and university funds in the bonds
of the state. The actual borrowing capacity of the state is limited
by its constitution to $300,000, except for the extraordinary
purpose of repelling invasion or suppressing insurrection.
Practically all the revenue is derived from the taxation of real
and
personal
property. Mines and mining claims are exempt from taxation, but
a quarterly tax is levied on the
net
proceeds of mines, and is not to be paid a second time so long as
the products remain in the hands of the original producer.
.^ (RTC-M 8) Hearing Before the Board of County Commissioners of Clark County, Nevada: Presentation in Support of HSST Application and in Opposition to the Las Vegas People Movers Application.- Las Vegas, Clark County, and Southern Nevada Local Planning Materials - Architecture Studies Library, University of Nevada, Las Vegas 8 January 2010 9:14 UTC library.nevada.edu [Source type: Academic]
A poll tax is
required of all males between the ages of 21 and 60 years, one half
of which goes to the county in which it is collected and the rest
to the state. At the close of 1908 the state receipts for the year
amounted to $1,004,041, and expenditures to $875,941.
History
The first recorded person of European descent to enter the
limits of Nevada was Francisco Garces (1738-1781), of the Order of
St
Francis, who set out from
Sonora in 1775 and passed
through what is now the extreme southern corner of the state on his
way to California. Half a century later a party of trappers of the
Hudson's Bay Company entered
Nevada and plied their trade along the Humboldt river. American
trappers came about the same time. Emigrants to California followed
the trappers, and many crossed Nevada in the early 'forties of the
19th century. During1843-1845John C.
Fremont made a series of explorations in this
region.
.^ (LV 95) Lloyd D George United States Courthouse: Las Vegas, Nevada.- Las Vegas, Clark County, and Southern Nevada Local Planning Materials - Architecture Studies Library, University of Nevada, Las Vegas 8 January 2010 9:14 UTC library.nevada.edu [Source type: Academic]
It was then a part of California
known as the Washoe Country, and remained so until the 9th of
September 1850, when most of the present state was included in the
newly organized Territory of Utah. In the meantime the discovery of
gold in California had swelled the stream of westward
migration across the Washoe
Country, and had resulted in the settlement of traders, mostly
Mormons, along the routes to the gold fields. The first settlement
in what is now the state of Nevada was planted in the valley of the
Carson river in 1849. The earliest recorded public meeting was held
at Mormon Station (now Genoa) on the 12th of November 1851. The
object of this gathering was to frame a government for the
settlers, as the seat of the Territorial government of Utah was too
remote to afford protection for life and property. Congress was
petitioned to organize a separate Territory. An independent
local
government was formed a week later, and this lasted for several
months, until the Utah authorities intervened. In 1854 the Utah
legislature created the county of Carson, which included all the
settlements in western Utah; but the inhabitants sought to rid
themselves of all connexion with the people of the Salt Lake
region, and petitioned Congress to annex them to California. In
1858 Carson City was laid out, and in the following year the people
of Carson county held a mass meeting and chose delegates to a
constitutional convention, which met at
Genoa on the 18th of July 1859, and in ten days
drafted a constitution. The instrument was submitted to a vote of
the people and was adopted, and a full set of state officers was
chosen. This attempt to create a new state proved abortive,
however, and it was not till the mineral wealth of the Washoe
Country became generally known that Congress took any action. On
the 2nd of March 1861 the Territory of Utah was divided at 39° W.
(of Washington) and the western portion was called Nevada. As then
constituted, the northern boundary of Nevada was the 42nd parallel,
its southern the 37th, and its western boundary was made to conform
to the eastern limits of the state of California. James W. Nye
(1814-1876) of
New York
was appointed Territorial governor. In December 1862 the
Territorial legislature passed an act " to frame a constitution and
state government for the state of Washoe." This was submitted to
the people and adopted at the polls. Delegates to a constitutional
convention accordingly drafted a frame of government, which on the
lath of January 1864 was submitted
to a popular vote and overwhelmingly defeated. The instrument
contained a very unpopular clause taxing all mining property,
unproductive as well as productive. Moreover, as state officers
were to be chosen at the same time that the constitution was voted
on, disappointed candidates for party nominations fought against
ratification. As a result, the constitution was rejected while
officers to act under it were at the same time duly elected.
.^ (LV 95) Lloyd D George United States Courthouse: Las Vegas, Nevada.- Las Vegas, Clark County, and Southern Nevada Local Planning Materials - Architecture Studies Library, University of Nevada, Las Vegas 8 January 2010 9:14 UTC library.nevada.edu [Source type: Academic]
^ Election of United States Senators and Representatives .
The third constitutional convention in its history now
met at Carson City and drew up a constitution which was duly
ratified. On the 31st of October President Lincoln issued a
proclamation
declaring Nevada a state. By the Enabling Act Congress had extended
the eastern boundary to the 38th
meridian (W. of Washington), and in 1866 still
farther extended it to the 37th and fixed the southern boundary as
it exists at present. The additions eastward were made from Utah
and those to the south from Arizona.
Being " battle-born," Nevada was loyal to the Union throughout
the Civil War, and in spite of its scanty population furnished a
company of troops in 1861, which were joined to a California
regiment. In 1863 the Territory raised six companies of
infantry and six of
cavalry (about 1000 men), which
saw no actual service against the Confederates but were useful in
subduing hostile Indians.
The history of the state since its organization has been largely
a history of its mines. The period from 1860 to 1864 was one of
rapid development accompanied by the wildest
speculation. This was followed by a
reaction and a general collapse of inflated values until 1873, when
the discovery of the Great Bonanza mine brought about a revival of
industry and of speculation.
.^ (SN 27) Southern Nevada New Home Buyers Survey.- Las Vegas, Clark County, and Southern Nevada Local Planning Materials - Architecture Studies Library, University of Nevada, Las Vegas 8 January 2010 9:14 UTC library.nevada.edu [Source type: Academic]
.^ May 1987 (US 21) U.S. Department of the Interior, The National Park Service, and the State Historic Preservation Office.- Las Vegas, Clark County, and Southern Nevada Local Planning Materials - Architecture Studies Library, University of Nevada, Las Vegas 8 January 2010 9:14 UTC library.nevada.edu [Source type: Academic]
^ (US 24) U.S. Department of the Interior, The National Park Service, and the State Historic Preservation Office.- Las Vegas, Clark County, and Southern Nevada Local Planning Materials - Architecture Studies Library, University of Nevada, Las Vegas 8 January 2010 9:14 UTC library.nevada.edu [Source type: Academic]
The Republicans,
however, secured the electoral votes of Nevada in 1872 and in 1876,
and in 1878 were again in full control, only to suffer defeat in
1880. Not until the silver currency question became a political
issue did Nevada take a prominent part in national politics. In
1885 the Nevada Silver Association was formed for the purpose of
advocating the free and unlimited coinage of silver. Both parties
in the state in 1888 declared in favour of free coinage, and in
1892 instructed their delegates to the national conventions to
oppose any candidate who did not favour this policy. As a means of
asserting their views effectively, the citizens, irrespective of
party, organized local silver clubs, and these eventually led to
the formation of the Silver party of Nevada, which drafted a "
platform " and nominated a
state
ticket and presidential
electors who were
instructed to support the Populist national ticket. The Republicans
in the state divided, and the majority of them went over to the
Silver party. At the national election in this year the Silver
ticket received in Nevada 7264 votes; the Republican 2811; the
Democrat 714; and the Prohibitionist 86. In the state election of
1894 the Silver party was again victorious, and not a Democrat was
returned to the legislature.
.^ Election of United States Senators and Representatives .
In the
presidential election of 1900 the Nevada Republicans pursued a
non-committal policy with regard to the silver question, declaring
in favour of " the largest use of silver as a money metal in all
matters compatible with the best interests of our government." The
Democratic and the Silver parties again united, and subsequently
dominated the politics of the state.
Territorial Governor
James W. Nye, 1861-1864. State Governors. H. G.
Blasdel, Rep., 1865-1870.
J. H. Kinkhead, Rep., 1879-1882.
Jewett W.
Adams, Dem.,
1883-1886.
Christopher C. Stephenson, Rep., 1887-1889.1 Frank
Bell, Rep., 1890.
R. K. Colcord, Rep., 1891-1894.
John E. Jones, Silver, 1895.2 Reinhold
Sadler, Silver, 1895-1902.
John Sparks, Dem. (Silver), 1903-1906.
D. S. Dickerson, Dem., 1907-1910.
T. L. Oddie, Rep., 191 1 Bibliography. -
.^ (LV 95) Lloyd D George United States Courthouse: Las Vegas, Nevada.- Las Vegas, Clark County, and Southern Nevada Local Planning Materials - Architecture Studies Library, University of Nevada, Las Vegas 8 January 2010 9:14 UTC library.nevada.edu [Source type: Academic]
^ United States Department of Agriculture- Soil Conservation Service.- Las Vegas, Clark County, and Southern Nevada Local Planning Materials - Architecture Studies Library, University of Nevada, Las Vegas 8 January 2010 9:14 UTC library.nevada.edu [Source type: Academic]
^ Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT 1-53): ( http://www.nevadadot.com/ ) Technical Report In Support Of The Landscape And Aesthetics Program For The Nevada State Highway System.- Las Vegas, Clark County, and Southern Nevada Local Planning Materials - Architecture Studies Library, University of Nevada, Las Vegas 8 January 2010 9:14 UTC library.nevada.edu [Source type: Academic]
i. No. 4 (June 1895); idem.,
The
Geological History of Lake Lahontan, a Quaternary Lake of North-western Nevada
(Washington, 1885), U.S. Geological Survey Monograph, No.
.^ United States Department of Agriculture- Soil Conservation Service.- Las Vegas, Clark County, and Southern Nevada Local Planning Materials - Architecture Studies Library, University of Nevada, Las Vegas 8 January 2010 9:14 UTC library.nevada.edu [Source type: Academic]
^ (CC 221) U.S. Bureau of Land Management, Nevada State Park System.- Las Vegas, Clark County, and Southern Nevada Local Planning Materials - Architecture Studies Library, University of Nevada, Las Vegas 8 January 2010 9:14 UTC library.nevada.edu [Source type: Academic]
^ (LVSP 32) Proposal For Las Vegas Valley Water District North Well Field Master Plan, By SNWA Resource Department, April 1996.- Las Vegas, Clark County, and Southern Nevada Local Planning Materials - Architecture Studies Library, University of Nevada, Las Vegas 8 January 2010 9:14 UTC library.nevada.edu [Source type: Academic]
7, pt. 2
(1893);
William Wright,
History of the
Big Bonanza (Hartford, Conn., 1876); C. H. Shinn,
The
Story of the Mine as Illustrated by the Great Comstock Lode of
Nevada, in The Story of the West " series (
New York, 1896)
The
Silver Mines of Nevada (New York, 1864); M.
Angel (ed.),
History of Nevada (Oakland,
Cal., 1881); H. H. Bancroft,
History of Nevada, Colorado and Wyoming, in vol. xxv. of
his
Works (San Francisco, 1890); Elliot Coues,
On the
Trail of a Spanish Cavalier, Francisco Garces (New York,
1900).
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i /nəˈvædə/ is a state located in the western region of the United States.^ 
/nəˈvɑːdə/, with the /ɑː/ of "father" after the imagined pronunciation of the Spanish, which annoys locals. The most famous case of this was George W. Bush's faux pas during his campaign for the 2004 US Presidential Election. Vindication later came when President Bush campaigned at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center on June 18, 2004. The president opened his talk by proclaiming that "It's great to be here in 
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