Homeward Bound - Dayton Nevada-High Desert -

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13 April 2011 17 April Dayton, Nevada

Arriving at Lyle and Judy's

We encountered all seasons from San Francisco to Dayton, Utah. Starting out it was spring, mild and cool with dappled sunlight. Then as we left the urban environment behind we met summer. Full sunlight and no clouds--we even tapped the windows open. Then we started climbing and climbing...a green river ran to the right of the road and snow flurries floated down upon us. Road signs instructed us to have chains! At the top of the Sierra's we were in the white winter mist of clouds as more snow descended. Soon we were winding down and into other seasons. Around a bend we got our first glimpse of the southern bank of Lake Tahoe. Huge pines waved us on. Then suddenly we were in Nevada--and the landscape abruptly changed--no trees, just brown and scrub brush--and Casino's galore--Welcome to the high desert--which is beautiful in its own way.
We drove into Dayton, Nevada, which does have 'A' street-light and out the other side. Judy had said we couldn't miss it, which is always ominous to me--but Tim was driving, so it was okay. Just when I'd have been ready to turn back and go to the one lone street-light, Tim found the entrance to our friend's subdivision. Soon we were driving onto their driveway and falling into their hugs. Tim hadn't seen Judy and Lyle since he'd taken pictures at her wedding many years ago. But when you get to know the essence of folks, the friendship remains.
Virginia City, Nevada
The next day we went to an old graveyard in Virginia City Nevada. It's from the 1880's and someone is restoring it. Old markers, with tall angels and low graves marked with rocks. Most markers said "So and so from Illinois," like they hadn't really let themselves become a part of Nevada.
It was a bit windy--that's what they say in Nevada--'a bit windy or breezy,' but it was a good thing Lyle sat his metal back yard furniture on its side or it may have made a new opening in one of the windows.
Next we went to Virginia City or 'Verginny City' as the natives call it. I had trouble getting out of the car because the road was at an angel and my end was sticking up. But I managed to climb out and hit the wooden sidewalks, which also lean one way or the other. The town consists of all the old buildings--filled with interesting shops and good-eats.
Virginia City got it''s name, back in the day, from James Finney, who was nick-named "Old Virginy." His real name was James Finnimore--and he'd fled his home state of Virginia after killing a man. He had better luck in Nevada because he found the Comstock Lode--gold, gold, gold. And later, silver-silver-silver!
So then Virginia City became a mining boomtown! At its peak it had over 30,000 residents--most looking for the mother-lode, most not finding. In 1898 the mine played out and the population declined sharply.
The average age for miners to live in Virginia City was age 38 . I thought they probably died from Black Lung Disease, but most didn't live long enough for that disease to kill them. No, most miners died from tooth decay and the infections that brings with it. The acid from the mines ran into their ground water and it took the enamel off their teeth. Second leading cause of death was pneumonia. Virginia City sits on a natural hot-springs so the mines were extremely hot. Miners could only work a half-hour and then had to come out. One man built a special room, cooled by water and dry-ice, inside a cave especially for the miners. So they got over-heated and then got cold, the perfect recipe for pneumonia. Women just died early because it was a hard life and they wore out having children.
Another Virginny City story. Back in 1963 Samuel Clements was a reporter for the "Territorial Enterprise Newspaper." In fact, it was in this city that he first used his famous pen-name--Mark Twain. On November 10, 1963 he was mugged as he was walking up a hill toward town. They got his gold watch and all his money. Later his friends told him it was a joke. They'd staged it so he'd have something to write about. He was NOT amused. He got his money and gold watch back In 1872 he published ROUGHING IT and told of the incident--and he was still angry!
Back to the present. The folks in the shops and earterys are very friendly and helpful. No question is too small and I have a lot of questions. We had a very enjoyable afternoon--and it almost felt like we'd stepped back in time.
*In 1940 Errol Lynn made a film in Virginia City.
*In the movie Back to the Future Part II, Michael J. Fox's character says he had a distant relative by the name of Martin McFly who was stabbed with a Bowie Knife in Virginia City, Nevada.
* Virginia City was the fictitious setting for the 1859 Ponderosa Ranch, the long-playing TV series Bonanza . At first the range was 1000 acres square, but when Lorren Green sang a song about it--it was cut down to half--500 square acres. In the opening credits for Bonanza when the riders and horses ride toward the camera, the order of the rider in front was always varied, never consistent . The show was the first long playing series to focus on a family and how they related to each other. And it wasn't always authentic to the times. The men all had belt loops on their pants--and pants didn't have them until decades later.

Lake Tahoe
The next day we drove up to Lake Tahoe--they guys enjoyed the drive, but Judy and I were holding on for all we were worth--in the back seat, car sick. The lake is beautiful, clear blue, and luminous. It was formed over 7000 years ago by a collapsing volcano. it is over 2,000 feet deep at its deepest. It is surrounded by a huge Ponderosa Pine Forest. . We noticed that many of the trees appear to be dying. Later we learned that back in the mid-1800's the miners cut down all the trees. Years later the trees were replaced by planting new trees, tree for tree. Unfortunately, they planted Ponderosa Pines to replace White Pine. And the ground does not have enough nutrients to nourish the much larger Ponderosa; hence many are dying a slow death.
A European was the first reported to see the lake in 1853 and he named it "Deep Blue Lake" It was renamed at least three times--Blue Lake, Lake Majesty, and Crater lake. Lake Tahoe is 5 miles by 6 miles with the longest part being vertical. [In Bonanza they placed the lake on its side in the opening credits, probably because it fit in the shot better].
It was too cold to venture into the 10' show drifts along the side of the road so we went to the Donner Museum. I had heard about them in 3rd grade in California. They were an unfortunate wagon train that left Virginia City in November bound for California. They had a shifty guide who told them of a short cut that would shave days off their travels. He even promised to come back for them. It was the worst wagon train disaster in the west’s history.
The wagon train had 20 wagons with 87 folks looking forward to their future in gold country. The wagon train had left Independence, Missouri in May of 1946. They followed the Oregon Trail until they reached Ft. Bridger, Wyoming at the end of July. There they met Lansford Hastings. Hastings told them of a new route that would shave 300 miles off their journey. He told them to go through Echo Canyon and then send some men ahead to find him and he'd guide them over the new pass.
The wagon train had many misfortunes, not the least of which was Hastings shorter calculation of how long his trail would take. For example, he told them there was 40 miles of desert, which could be traversed in 3 days. It was almost 80 miles of desert and it took them over a week. When they went through Echo Canyon and sent men for Hastings--he refused to come personally guide them, and drew them a rough map instead.
The Donner party started out and quickly found out it was slow-going. They had to chop down trees, clear brush, and dislodge boulders to get the wagons through. When they arrived at the pass there was over 5 feet of snow, and they took refuge in a cabin they saw a little way back. Soon they ran out of food. They couldn't catch any fish, and had only killed a squirrel and coyote during all their hunting. Members of their party started dying. Eventually, they resorted to cannibalism.
At the end of 3 months, only 47 for the 87 members were still alive. After their rescue they were made unwelcome in San Francisco and nearby environs because of their cannibalism. The museum made it all real. And there is a monument that shows how high the snow was while the Donner's were trying to survive on top of a mountain-pass filled with snow.

Dayton, Nevada
Judy,Lyle, and I went to an architectural salvage place and plundered among the rusting ruins. Judy wants an old mining cart to put in her back yard. At first mining cars were made of wood, but when the train came through they had access to steel and subsequent carts were made of it.
Long ago, Dayton was the place where immigrants stopped to decide if they'd follow the river south or continue west. Hence, Dayton's first name was 'Ponderers Rest.'
In 1849 Abner Blackburn found a gold nugget in Gold Creek on his way to California. Hey, there's gold in that thar river!! The gold boom began, by 1850 there was a miner settlement at the mouth of the river.
in 1859 the Comstock lode was found in Virginia City , 6 miles North, took prominence over Dayton. Dayton continued, albeit with a smaller population, by milling ore.
In 1860's Dayton's population surpassed 100 residents, peaking at 600 in 1910.
In 1909 a fire destroyed much of Dayton, including the courthouse.
In 1961 the Misfits was filmed in Dayton.
Dayton is high desert with little green clumps of cedar trees and brown bushes to match the brown ground. I noticed the majority of cows in and around the high desert are black. I supposed this is so they can be found, as brown ones would blend into the background and be lost.

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Photos

Old Wooden Grave Marker
Virginia City, Nevada

Judy in Graveyard Virginia City
Virginia City, Nevada