Carson City prides itself on preserving and celebrating its past—a big reason why the editors of True West magazine recently named it the “Best Western Historical Site.” A visit to Carson City is an opportunity to catch a glimpse of Nevada’s rich and colorful history. The city’s origins are closely linked to the creation of the state of Nevada. In 1861, when the Nevada Territory was established, Carson City was named the capital of the territorial government. Three years later, when statehood was bestowed, Carson City was designated the official state capital.

Carson City’s first residents, however, were ranchers, not politicians. In 1851, a trading post was established in Eagle Valley, in which Carson City is located, to provide goods and services to travelers heading to California. A few years later, Abraham Curry, B.F. Green, J.J. Musser, and Frank Proctor purchased the trading post and most of the surrounding area. The four laid out a town site, which Frank Proctor named after the Carson River, which flows through the area. In 1844, explorer John C. Fremont had named the river in honor of his scout, Kit Carson.

Early Carson City was a classic frontier town. Writer Mark Twain, who arrived in the community in August 1861 on a stagecoach, wrote, “visibly our new home was a desert, walled in by barren, snow-clad mountains. There was not a tree in sight. There was no vegetation but the endless sagebrush and greasewood. All nature was gray with it.

Early Carson City photo courtesy Nevada Historical Society

“By and by Carson City was pointed out to us . . . it was a “wooden” town; its population two thousand souls. The main street consisted of four or five blocks of little white frame stores . . . They were packed close together, side by side, as if room were scarce in that mighty plain. The sidewalk was of boards that were more or less loose and inclined to rattle when walked upon. In the middle of the town was the “plaza” which is native to all towns beyond the Rocky Mountains—a large, unfenced, level vacancy, with a liberty pole in it, and very useful as a place for public auctions, horse trades, and mass meetings, and likewise for teamsters to camp in.”

Curry eventually bought out his partners and became an energetic promoter of his community, which prospered as a supply point for miners working in nearby Virginia City. In addition to selling lots and developing a number of businesses, Curry set aside 10-acres of land in the middle of his settlement, which he donated for a state capitol, which was completed in 1871.

The gift proved to be worth its weight in silver as Carson City became the state capitol and the center of Nevada state government. As a result dozens of government buildings, many built in the 19th century, have been erected in the city, and state government remains one of the community’s largest employers.

In the early 20th century, Carson City was the quintessential small American town. In “Basque Hotel,” writer Robert Laxalt, who grew up in the capitol city in the 1930s, recalled, “The capitol dome was not much of a dome, but then Carson City was after all the smallest capital in the United States. This was drummed into the children of Carson from day one by townspeople and schoolteachers and the Carson City Daily Appeal. The children accepted the boast and repeated it to each other as dutifully as if it were one of the Commandments.”

Today, the best way to explore Carson City’s historic sites is with a stroll or drive on the Kit Carson Trail. The 2.5-mile tour, which is marked with a bright blue line, passes more than 60 of the community’s most historic buildings and homes, many constructed in the 1860s and 1870s.

Carson City’s Historic District

Among the many historic structures found along Carson City’s Kit Carson Trail are:

State Capitol in 1871 photo courtesy Nevada Historical Society

State Capitol— Constructed in 1870-71, Nevada’s state capitol is built of native sandstone and combines elements of classic Corinthian, Ionic and Doric architecture. The result is a building that, as the State Register noted in 1870, "any State in the union might be proud to call its own." The capitol building is nearly 300 feet in length and 120-feet high from the ground to the top of the octagonal, silver-painted cupola. Inside, visitors find the offices of the Governor and other constitutional officers as well as a portrait gallery containing paintings of every Nevada governor. Near the center of the building is a life size bronze statue of Nevada Native American activist and teacher, Sarah Winnemucca. An identical statue of the noted Paiute leader can be found at the Hall of Statues in the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C. The second floor of the capitol contains displays in the historic legislative chambers that describe the construction of the building, early Governors, and the history of the state. At the rear of the main building is a three-story octagonal annex, also built of native sandstone that was constructed in 1906 to serve as the state library. The library outgrew the space in 1936 and since then the annex has housed several state agencies, including the State Controller's office, the present occupant.

Carson Brewing Company photo courtesy Nevada Historical Society

Brewery Arts Center—Constructed in 1865, this imposing two-story, brick structure was the home of the Carson Brewery (later called the Carson Brewing Company). From the 1860s to the 1940s, under several different owners, the brewery produced a variety of beers, lagers, and other products, most notably, Tahoe Beer, which had the slogan, “Famous as the Lake.”
In 1950, the structure was sold to Donald W. Reynolds, owner of Donrey Media Group, for use as the printing plant for the Nevada Appeal and Carson Chronicle newspapers. In 1974, Donrey Media moved the newspaper operations to a larger location and, through the efforts of the Carson City Centennial-Bicentennial Commission, the building was converted into a community arts center. Today, the Brewery Arts Center annually hosts dozens of musical and theater productions, art shows, and other artistic endeavors.

the Old Federal Building photo courtesy Nevada Historical Society

Paul Laxalt State Office Building (Old Federal Building)—Named for former Nevada Governor and U.S. Senator Paul Laxalt, this four-story, red brick structure at 401 N. Carson St. was erected in 1890-91. The distinctive Victorian building originally housed the post office, federal courts, U.S. Weather Bureau, and other federal agencies. Prominent 19th century government architect, Mifflin E. Bell, was responsible for its design. As with many of his structures, Bell incorporated a clock tower into the building.
The last court case was heard in the building in 1965, after which the federal court was moved to Reno. The post office moved to new quarters in Carson City in 1970. The Nevada State Library moved into the building and remained there until the early 1990s, when it was extensively restored and became the offices of the Nevada Commission on Tourism and Nevada Magazine.

Governor's Mansion, Fall 1968 photo courtesy Nevada Historical Society

Governor’s Mansion—Nevada didn’t have a home for its governors during the first four decades of statehood. Some historians say that the reason for the lack of an official home for the state’s governors was that many early legislators thought that providing an official residence at taxpayers’ expense was an aristocratic luxury.
As a result, the state's first eleven governors either built their own homes in Carson City or rented quarters. Today, you can still find a handful of those early, privately built Governors' homes in Carson City's historic district.
In 1907, however, the legislature appropriated $40,000 for building and furnishing a mansion for the state's chief executives. Planning and construction took about two years and the mansion, built in a Southern Colonial style, was completed in July 1909, with Acting Governor Denver S. Dickerson and his family serving as the first residents. On September 2 of that year, Dickerson's wife, Una, in fact, gave birth to a daughter, June, the only child ever born in the mansion.
The two-story mansion at 600 N. Mountain Street incorporates four classic white columns at the entrance and a beautiful, curved second-floor porch. The home has been renovated several times including a partial refurbishing in 1959, a more substantial remodeling in 1967, and a $5 million reconstruction in 1999-2000, which was funded by private donations.

Bliss Mansion photo courtesy Nevada Historical Society

Bliss Mansion—Located at 710 W. Robinson Street, this impressive, two-story structure was built in 1879 by Lake Tahoe lumber and railroad magnate Duane L. Bliss. Bliss made his fortune with the Lake Tahoe Narrow Gauge Railroad that carried timber from Lake Tahoe to Virginia City's mines.

Niles-Sadler House—This home, at 310 N. Mountain Street, was built in 1878 by Edward Niles, paymaster and general ticket agent for the V & T Railroad. The home was purchased in 1896 by Governor Reinhold Sadler and was considered the unofficial Governor's Mansion during his term.

Brougher-Bath House—Located at 204 W. Spear Street, this impressive home was built in 1903-04 by Wilson Brougher, a state senator who made his fortune during Tonopah's silver strike at the turn of the century. Brougher moved to Carson City after he purchased the Arlington Hotel on Carson Street. He built this home adjacent to the hotel—now long gone—and incorporated a number of unique design features including a two-story circular porch, stained glass windows and a wonderful circular tower that gives the structure the appearance of a castle. Ernest Bath, the city’s postmaster, purchased the house in 1937 and lived there with his family for more than 40 years. It has recently been restored and is currently used for meetings and special events.

Bender-Pozzi House—This majestic mansion at 707 W. Robinson was built in 1866 by lawyer George Nourse. A few years later, it was purchased by David Bender, a passenger and freight agent for the V & T Railroad. In 1901, the home was acquired by Archie Pozzi Sr., an Ormsby County commissioner, and remained in his family until 1980. The two-story house is notable for its broad curved porch that overlooks a large, manicured lawn lined with beautiful trees.

the Warm Springs Hotel photo courtesy Nevada Historical Society

the Warm Springs Hotel—The first Territorial Legistlature met on October 1, 1861 at Abe Curry's Warm Springs Hotel in Carson City.

The Orion Clemens House—Located at 502 N. Division, this home was built in 1863 by the older brother of Samuel Clemens, better known by his pen name, Mark Twain. The latter is believed to have occasionally stayed in the house in 1863 and 1864. The two-story stucco building was originally built with wood siding. Orion Clemens served as secretary to Territorial Governor William Nye.

The Krebs-Peterson House—This classic Victorian, located at 500 N. Mountain, was built in 1914 by a prominent surgeon and featured in the movie, The Shootist, actor John Wayne’s last movie.

The Sears-Ferris House—Located at 311 W. Third, this was the boyhood home of George Washington Gale Ferris Jr., who later invented the Ferris Wheel for the Chicago World Columbian Exposition of 1893. From 1868 to 1890, the house was owned by agriculturalist George Washington Gale Ferris Sr., who was noteworthy in Carson City's development because he imported a large number of the trees from the east that were planted throughout the city. Gregory A. Sears, a pioneer Carson City businessman, originally built the house in about 1863.

Lone Mountain Cemetery—Spread over about 40 acres, Lone Mountain Cemetery consists of seven separate cemeteries including sections for Masons, Oddfellows, Catholics, and children. Among those buried in the cemetery are noted stagecoach driver Hank Monk (made famous in Mark Twain's book, "Roughing It"), Carson City founder Abe Curry; Jennie Clemens (niece of writer Mark Twain and daughter of Orion Clemens, who died in 1864 of spotted fever at the age of nine); and five governors, including, John Henry Kinkead (3rd Governor); Roswell K. Colcord (7th Governor); John Edward Jones (8th Governor); Reinhold Sadler (9th Governor); and Denver S. Dickerson (11th Governor).

Stewart Indian School—Located on Snyder Avenue at the south end of Carson City is the former campus of the Stewart Indian School. This complex encompasses several dozen buildings, many of which were built with walls of rough-cut, multi-colored native stones imbedded in dark mortar.

the Stewart Indian School photo courtesy Nevada Historical Society

According to historical reports, the "Stewart Indian School" architecture was a style borrowed in the early 1920s by then-superintendent Frederick Snyder, who had admired a church of similar design in Arizona. The first building of this design (the former Administrative Building) was completed in 1923. Eventually more than 100 buildings utilizing the stone architecture were constructed on the school grounds, most built by stone masons trained at the school.

The Stewart Indian School story began in the 1880s when Nevada's Superintendent of Public Instruction, C.S. Young, recommended to the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Nevada State Legislature that an Indian industrial school be established because most of the state's Native Americans were not being formally educated. The Nevada State Legislature passed legislation in 1887 that established an Indian school and authorized the issuing of bonds for the facility, provided the federal government agreed to operate the school.

Nevada's U.S. Senator William Stewart guided the appropriate federal legislation to approval, including congressional funding, and the Clear Creek Indian Training School, as it was originally known, was built by the Bureau of Indian Affairs on 240 acres.

Later, the school was named for Senator Stewart (it was called a number of names over the years, including the Carson Indian School, the Stewart Institute and, finally, the Stewart Indian School) and officially opened on December 17, 1890. The school was operated much like a military school in its first decades. Historic photos show that students wore military-style uniforms. Academic classes consumed about half of each day, followed by vocational training in such skills as sewing, shoe and harnessmaking, blacksmithing, carpentry, printing and other work.

Beginning in the 1890s, the Stewart athletic teams played a variety of sports, including football, track, basketball, boxing and baseball. While relatively small in size, the school won several state championships.

In addition to educating Nevada's Native Americans (who were actually a minority of those who ever attended the school), the Stewart facility housed Native Americans from throughout the country. In fact, in the late 1940s, the school became part of a special program for Navajos and by the mid-1950s, most of the students were of Navajo descent.

The school was finally closed in 1980, after the federal government decided to phase out Indian boarding schools. The land was sold to the state of Nevada, which converted many of the structures into state offices.

Carson City’s Museums

For a community its size, Carson City boasts a relatively large number of museums and historic exhibits, including:

The Nevada State Museum— Built in 1866 of native sandstone quarried by inmate crews at the Nevada State Prison, the structure that now houses the Nevada State Museum originally served as a U.S. Mint. From 1870 to 1893, the Mint produced more than $50 million in coins, most minted from Comstock silver.

Today, the museum contains displays describing Nevada’s rich past and fascinating natural history. For example, the museum’s natural history section spotlights many of the plants and animals indigenous to Nevada. Species on display range from the rare cui-ui fish to the mountain bluebird (the state bird).

The museum’s Native American section is highlighted by a large collection of handmade baskets crafted by Dat-So-La-Lee, the famed Washoe basket maker renowned for her meticulous handiwork.

In other parts of the museum, visitors will find a large display of minerals, ranging from unique opals and gems to various crystal and quartz stones, as well as the reconstructed skeleton of one of the largest mammoths ever found in North America. The massive beast, which lived 17,000 years ago, stands 13-feet high at the shoulder and is posed in a simulated mud bog next to the bones of a 25,000-year-old horse.

One of the most popular sections of the museum is its life-style replica of a typical Nevada ghost town. The mock mining camp contains all of the standard ghost town buildings—the newspaper office, the assay office, the general store and, of course, the saloon—constructed from weathered and worn wood. An automated old prospector and his mule serve as your guide in describing each building and the lifecycle of a 19th century Nevada mining camp.

From the ghost town, you can take another interesting journey into the past at the museum's reconstruction of a 19th century mine, located in the museum’s basement. Along the way, you can find out about the importance of Deidesheimer square-set mine timbering and why mining was such a dangerous profession a century ago. The museum’s gift shop is a warehouse of Nevada-related souvenirs, books and other items. Wandering around the shop, you can find anything from gold panning kits to Nevada flags.

The Nevada State Museum is located at 600 North Carson Street, between Robinson and Caroline streets. Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for seniors and no charge for those under 17. The museum is open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information call 775-687-4810.

The Nevada State Railroad Museum—Devoted to the history of Nevada’s railroads, the state museum’s primary focus is on the historic Virginia & Truckee (V & T) Railroad. The bulk of the museum’s collection of more than 60 locomotives and cars were once part of the V & T Railroad. In the 1970s, the state of Nevada purchased the pieces from Paramount Studios, which had used them in many motion pictures and television programs. The movie company acquired the rolling stock in 1937, when the V & T was experiencing financial difficulties.

Today, visitors can view meticulously restored rail equipment that helps to tell the state’s rich railroad history. Inside the main museum building is the Inyo, a wood-burning Baldwin locomotive that was built in 1875, as well as V & T Caboose No. 9, built in 1873; Coach No. 4, the oldest piece of V & T equipment in the museum, constructed in 1872; and the Dayton, a shiny locomotive built in 1873 at the Central Pacific Railroad yards in Sacramento.
Near the front of the museum, visitors will find the restored Wabuska Depot as well as a typical railroad worker’s cottage, and a reproduction of a square, bat-and-board style water tower, a type that was used in the 19th century.
On summer weekends, rides are offered on tracks that encircle the museum buildings. Additionally, on selected dates, such as July 4th and Labor Day, the museum steams up some of the vintage locomotives for brief rides.
Visitors shouldn’t overlook the museum gift shop, which has a large selection of railroad books, videos, posters, shirts, and other rail-themed gift items. Admission to the railroad museum is $4 for adults and free for children under 18. The Nevada State Railroad Museum is located at 1280 South Carson Street in Carson City. It is open daily 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For more information, call 775-687-6953.

The Children’s Museum of Northern Nevada—Learning and having fun are what the Children’s Museum of Northern Nevada in Carson City is all about. The museum, which opened in 1994, offers several dozen exhibits that entertain and educate—without being boring.

Located in the historic former Carson City Civic Auditorium, built in 1939, the children’s museum isn’t like most other museums. For one thing, nearly everything in the children’s museum is designed to be interactive—meaning that kids are supposed to touch and play with them.

For instance, the Shadow Box is an interesting exercise in photosensitivity. Participants stand against a green wall while a bright light flashes every couple of minutes. The light reacts with the wall, leaving shadows behind. Kids quickly learn that if they twist their arms and legs into strange shapes, they can make really weird shadows.
Over at Smith’s Grocery Store, children can play in a kid-scale version of the popular local business that is filled with products (empty cans and boxes) like they might find at your local supermarket. Children are supplied with funds and encouraged to shop within a budget. There’s also a cash register to tally purchases.
There is also a play area for smaller children, which offers a puppet theater box and a selection of hand puppets. To keep kids coming back for more, the museum is continually adding new exhibits and attractions.
The Children’s Museum of Northern Nevada is located at 813 North Carson Street in Carson City. Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for children (free for kids under 1). Hours are 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily. For more information call 775-884-2226.

The Nevada State Library and Archives—Nevada’s State Constitution is on display in the State Library and Archives building, which is directly east of the State Capitol. There, visitors can find an informative, multimedia display featuring the original, handwritten pages of the document, which was drafted during the constitution convention of 1864. Adjacent to the Constitution exhibit is a changing gallery that often features the work of Nevada artists and photographers. The State Library and Archives is open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.