| Page Views: 1,007 Last Visit to Virginia City: - | Virginia City, Nevada by al_mary - last update: Dec 17, 2005 |
One Of America's Largest Historic Landmarks
We found our visit to Virginia City to be an excellent 1/2 day trip if you are
visiting or staying in Reno. We went about 8 AM from Reno, had a great
time exploring the little town, had lunch there, and returned to Reno at
about 2 PM in the afternoon.
Virginia City is one of America's largest Historic Landmarks. that is located
just south east of Reno, Nevada, this historic mining town is easily accessible
by car from Lake Tahoe, Reno, or Carson City.
Some say Virginia City's rich gold and silver mines financed the Civil War.
Now rich in history, Virginia City and the Comstock Lode still maintain the
flavor of the hifalutin mining days, when Mark Twain roamed the streets
and everybody wanted a piece of the "Richest Place on Earth" ....
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|  | Nicknamed: "Old Virginny"
Virginia City holds a special place in the history
of the West and America. The first truly industrial
city in the West began in the late 1850's.
Gold was found at the head of Six-Mile Canyon
in 1859 by two miners named Pat McLaughlin and
Peter O'Reilly. A fellow miner, Henry Comstock,
stumbled upon their find and claimed it was on
his property.
The gullible McLaughlin and O'Reilly believed
him and assured Comstock a place in history
when the giant lode was named. Following the
gold up the canyon an outcropping of gold in
quartz was found. Another miner, James Finney,
nicknamed "Old Virginny" from his birthplace, is
reported to have named the town during a drunken
celebration. He dropped a bottle of whiskey on the
ground and christened the newly founded tent and
dugout town on the slopes of Mt. Davidson ...
"Old Virginny Town," in honor of himself.
The biggest problem in this grubstake paradise was
the sticky blue gray mud that clung to picks and shovels.
When the mud was assayed, it proved to be silver ore
worth over $2,000 a ton - in 1859 dollars! Gold mixed
with high quality silver ore was recovered in quantities
large enough to catch the eye of President Abe Lincoln.
He needed the gold and silver to keep the Union solvent
during the Civil War.
On October 31, 1864 Lincoln made Nevada a state although
it did not contain enough people to constitutionally authorize
it's inception into statehood ....
Click On Photo To Enlarge
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Federally Designated Historical District
Today, many mansions such as the Castle, the
Mackay and the Savage stand as monuments to
the opulence of life on the Comstock.
The Virginia & Truckee Railroad runs again from
Virginia City to Gold Hill.
The largest federally designated Historical District
in America is maintained in its original condition.
"C" Street, the main business street, is lined with
1860's and 1870's buildings housing specialty
shops of all kinds ....
Click On Photo To Enlarge
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al_mary's Virginia City Travel Tips
| Overview | Things to Do
Tips: 3 - Photos: 14 | | | Restaurants
Tips: 1 - Photos: 5 | Hotels & Accommodations | | | | Nightlife | Off The Beaten Path | | | | Tourist Traps | Warnings Or Dangers | | | | Transportation | Local Customs | | | | Packing Lists | Shopping | | | | Sports Travel | General Tips |
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