Category: Historic Monument

Ruby Valley Station

Posted on by

The Ruby Valley Station was started in 1859 as part of George Chorpenning’s mail route. Later the station served the Pony Express and Overland Mail Company line in White Pine County, Nevada. The station was managed by William “Uncle Billy” Rogers and Frederick William Hurst.

Ruby Valley, White Pine County, Nevada - Ruby Valley Pony Express Station - photo taken in 1944
Ruby Valley, White Pine County, Nevada – Ruby Valley Pony Express Station – photo taken in 1944

Richard Burton visited the site on October 7, 1860, Rogers served as stationkeeper. At that time, this station was considered a half-way point between Salt Lake City, Utah and the Carson Valley. Protection from angry Western Shoshone Tribes is provided from Fort Ruby from 1862 – 1869, which is located near by. The station is an extremely small log cabin which is just eleven feet wide and eighteen feet lone.

The area’s rich soil provided excellent opportunities to raise food and hay for the other stations along the route. A band of Shoshone and the army also established camps near the station at various times. Camp Floyd’s Company B of the 4th Artillery Regiment arrived at Ruby Valley in May 1860 to protect the mail route during the Pyramid Lake War and remained there until October. Thereafter, the station’s name appeared on the 1861 mail contract list.

NPS – Pony Express DIVISION FOUR: STATIONS BETWEEN SALT LAKE CITY AND ROBERTS CREEK

The structure is built from vertical logs which form the walls. The walls are topped by smaller logs placed perpendicularly to form a slightly sloped shed roof. The root is originally covered with sod. An exterior stone chimney stands at one end of the cabin. The only opening into the building is the front entrance, centered in the main facade. Pony Express stations consisted of rudimentary cabins for shelter, they were critical to the survival of the route.

For preservation, the Ruby Vally station was physically relocated to the grounds of the Northeastern Nevada Museum in Elko in 1960. The Northeastern Nevada Historical Society donated a brass maker to identify the station site in 1979. 

Ruby Valley Station Map

Station Summary

NameRuby Valley Station
LocationWhite Pine County, Nevada
Latitude, Longitude40.04652, -115.4918
GNIS845958
Elevation6030 feet
Pony Express Station No.131

References

Potosi Nevada – Clark County Ghost Town

Posted on by

Potosi Nevada is the oldest lode mine in Nevada and the town site is located just off highway 160 between Las Vegas and Pahrump, Nevada.  The site was started in 1856 by some Mormon prospectors who were lead to the location with the help of a Piute guide.  The Mormons found the site in April 1856 and a month latter it was named Potosi after the boyhood home of Nathaniel Jones.  They did not begin mining until August after a return trip to Utah for supplies.  

Potosi mine, south center of sec. 12, T. 23 S., R. 57 E., the mine workings explore a zone at the base of the Yellowpine limestone. Clark County, Nevada. Circa 1921. Plate 33-B in U.S. Geological Survey. Professional paper 162. 1931.
Potosi mine, south center of sec. 12, T. 23 S., R. 57 E., the mine workings explore a zone at the base of the Yellowpine limestone. Clark County, Nevada. Circa 1921. Plate 33-B in U.S. Geological Survey. Professional paper 162. 1931.

By September, the first wagon of ore sent back to Utah for trading and three months later three wagons returned with supplies including bellows, furnace, and hearths among other things.  On Christmas day 1856, an crude adobe furnace was used to smelt ore.

In the spring of 1861, a larger smelter was setup by the Colorado Mining Company at the Potosi Spring.  News of new silver mine spread all over the west in no time.  The town of Potosi was setup 700 feet below of the Potosi Mine or the Las Vegas Silver Mines as they were called and was soon home to 100 miners.

Carol Lombard was killed on a Douglas DC-3, Jan 16, 1942 on Mt Potosi
Carol Lombard was killed on a Douglas DC-3, Jan 16, 1942 on Mt Potosi

The site continued to slowly grow and develop until 1906.  In 1913 the Empire Zinc Company purchased the rights and was soon Potosi was Nevada’s largest producer of Zinc.  After nearly 100 years of production Potosi produced about 4.5 million in lead, silver and zinc.

Potosi is a designated at Nevada State Historic Marker no. 115.

Town Summary

NamePotosi
LocationClark County, Nevada
GNIS849366
Latitude, Longitude35.9708, -115.5408
Elevation5705
Population100

Potosi Trailmap

References

Henry Wade Escape Route

Posted on by

The Henry Wade Escape Route is an easy 4×4 trail suitable for almost any vehicle and connects highway 127 to Badwater Road. The route is usually dry and easily passable, however can be rough going in the wet. The spring wildflowers may offer amazing scenery for those who travel at this time.

Henry Wade Escape Route Monument located on Highway 127
Henry Wade Escape Route Monument located on Highway 127

Henry Wade like many men of his time, sought his fortune in California on the news of the gold discover which lead to a historic gold rush. In 1849, a group of about one hundred wagons, led by Jefferson Hunt entered Death Valley en route from Utah. The caravan was searching for a shortcut from the Old Spanish Trail to the booming gold rush of California. Soon discovered they were in real trouble, bogged down in the sane and heat of the Mojave. Several men died, which may have provided Death Valley with its name. Henry Wade led the expedition from Death Valley roughly along the trail which now bears his name and eventually found their way through Cajon Pass into Southern California. Although the exact route is debated, Henry Wade led is group out of Death Valley via the south entrance.

Harry Wade Exit Route – Some 100 wagons found themselves in Salt Lake City too late to cross the Sierra Nevada. They banded together under the name of Sand Walking Co. and started for the gold fields in California over the Old Spanish Trail. After being in Death Valley with the ill-fated 1849 caravan, Harry Wade found this exit route for his ox-drawn wagon, thereby saving his life and those of his wife and children. At this point the Wade party came upon the known Spanish Trail to Cajon Pass.

Highway Placard on Hgwy 127

Further Reading

Henry Wade Escape Route Trailmap