Tag Archives: Nevada

Dominique Laxalt Family

August 9, 2018 Tim Purdy Leave a comment

With the passing of former Nevada Governor and U.S. Senator, Paul Laxalt on Monday August 6, 2018, many may not realize that family is part of the heritage of the Madeline Plains. Dominique was the youngest of the three Laxalt brothers who had various interactions on the Madeline Plains. Unlike his brothers, Dominique was a true tramp sheepman (though many today use the term itinerant instead of tramp). Dominique would take his band of sheep and move them place to place in search of feed and water. Other Basque sheepman, like his brother, Pete, eventually acquired a home place. During World War I when sheep and wool price went soaring, Dominique and fellow Basque sheepman, Pete Etchecopar formed a partnership. It was during this time when Dominique married Therese Alphetche in Reno, where he moved. In the early 1920s, when wool prices crashed Dominique, Therese and their infant son, Paul, returned to the Madeline Plains. While residing there, the second son, was born, Robert, who became the well known author of Sweet Promised Land. Things did not work out well on the Madeline Plains and Dominique moved his family to Carson City, and started a new chapter in his life.

History

Buffalo Meadows Salt Works

July 22, 2018 Tim Purdy Leave a comment

One of the most interesting enterprises around the region was the Buffalo Salt Works in the Smoke Creek Desert. It is so easy today to take many things for granted, but back in the early days of settlement of the mid-1850s, those hardy souls did not have that luxury.

First of all, it boggles my mind, how B.F. “Frank” Murphy and Marion “Comanche George” Lawrence discovered and claimed the salt marsh in the summer of 1864. For most of its existence Murphy was the main operator of the Buffalo Salt Works. Two types of salt was produced. The first being table salt that 99.8% pure. A lesser grade was sold to mining operators with a smelting plant that utilized the salt. The salt was obtained from wells, the brine pumped into vats, and left to dry. In 1888, it was reported that 200 tons of salt was produced annually. Continue reading Buffalo Meadows Salt Works →

History

Sand Pass, Nevada

June 15, 2018 Tim Purdy Leave a comment

Located at the southern end of the Smoke Creek Desert, it was a tiny outpost on the Western Pacific Railroad that for a brief time even had its own post office that operated from 1911-1916.. Some of the old buildings remain in a dilapidated state, the railroad had abandoned it years ago. The most striking feature is the huge gravel pit the railroad used for its ballast.

It makes for an interesting stop, just to view the shear expanse of the Smoke Creek Desert and ponder where you might head to. If you continue along the main road, the next stop is the abandoned Bonham Ranch. Continue further, you can take a left turn on Smoke Creek Road and make an entire loop of the country, as it will take to near Viewland on Highway 395.

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History

Flanigan Today

May 6, 2018 Tim Purdy Leave a comment

Rail cars on the old Southern Pacific line at Flanigan, February 13, 2018

There is really not much left of the former railroad community of Flanigan. It is, however, not void of activity. As you can see from the photograph there are lots of railroad cars parked there. They happen to be full of railroad ties. Near the former intersection of the two railroad lines, is now chipper to grind the old ties.

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History

The Pioneer

April 25, 2018 Tim Purdy 1 Comment

In 1862, John Burkett opened a saloon at what would later become the address of 724 Main Street. He named his new enterprise the Humboldt Exchange. After all, at this time, a number of Honey Lakers were prospecting in Humboldt County, Nevada where there were a flurry of mining discoveries. The following year, he sold to George Heap and Joe Hale and they renamed it the Pioneer. The Pioneer, now the home of Lassen Ale Works, has operated in the same location all these years, though it has been through several buildings. The back bar, it should be noted is from its 1901 building. Of note, that building still exists and is located on the 900 block of Main Street.

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History

Indians of Coo-yu-ee Pah

January 29, 2018 Tim Purdy Leave a comment

This is the title of Nellie Shaw Harnar’s 1974 book concerning the history of the Pyramid Lake Indians spanning the years 1843-1959. Nellie was born in 1905, a Ne-muh or Northern Nevada Paiute at Wadsworth, Nevada. This is a very well researched work, for those that might be interested in the topic. While it is no longer in print, it is available through such sites as Bookfinder.com or available at many libraries.

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News

A Smoke Creek Tour?

January 25, 2018 Tim Purdy 9 Comments

The post about Mott’s Mine in the Smoke Creek Desert generated a lot of interest. One subscriber wanted to about if the BLM tours that were done, it what seems like in a previous life could be resurrected. For those not familiar, the BLM archaeologist, Don Manuel and myself as a historian, conducted tours to Smoke Creek, Skedaddle Dam and so forth. Stan Bales, also of BLM, and I even did an east side Eagle Lake tour. One item of note, is Don has since retired. Another factor at play, is whether the BLM has any interest to do tours and I am out of the loop so to speak, with the current BLM personnel. So, I guess the questions are one is there that much interest and two how to proceed?

History

Bonham School

January 10, 2018 Tim Purdy Leave a comment

Flanigan, 1976, courtesy of Christopher Moody

Established in 1887, it was originally located at the Bonham Ranch in the Smoke Creek Desert. The school closed in 1919 for lack of students. In 1929, it was resurrected at Flanigan in the Honey Lake Valley. It closed on June 20, 1969 and at that time it was the only remaining one-room school in Washoe County. Standish resident Ed Bass purchased the school and moved to his property.

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History

Smoke Creek Ranch

January 5, 2018 Tim Purdy 8 Comments

The Smoke Creek Ranch is one of the oldest ranches in Nevada, first settled by T.T. Kingsbury on May 30, 1857. It is also one that I have not had the best of luck finding information, so I am doing this post to see if anything surfaces. During the late 1800s it was owned by the Winters family of Washoe Valley. They even acquired the Shinn Ranch and George Winters planted the cottonwood grove there. One of the next owners were the Pon Brothers. I was recently in contact with some Pon descendants but they had no information. Then there was Patrick Flanigan and Rees T. Jenkins outfit among others. In 1949, Albert Freeman, then owner of the Smoke Creek Ranch, had the reservoir constructed. If anyone can enlighten me and others about this place, I would truly appreciate it.

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History

Behind the Door

December 29, 2017 Tim Purdy 4 Comments

My grandmother Purdy was an avid rock hound, so I experienced some interesting outings as a child. One of these adventures was to the Apache tears mine in the Smoke Creek Desert. The mine dates back to World War I when Smoke Creek resident Gordon Mott while exploring a small canyon came across a mica deposit. He developed a tunnel and a vertical shaft hoping that he would find gold. What he did find was small pieces of obsidian embedded in the soft mica, sometimes referred to as Apache tears or Black Diamonds.

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