Tag: history

Dan Zampirro took these "now" pictures recently on a trip through the Carson River Canyon. His trip followed the old route of the V&T Railroad, which you can see etched into the side of the hill in some of the photos. This is the same route the future V&T Reconstruction project will take through the canyon.

It was also the route taken by famed photographer Carleton Watkins back in the 1870s. Back then many ore mills dotted the banks of the river at the bottom of the canyon. The mills are long since gone, their sites reclaimed by nature. Dan sent me these pictures asking that I match them up with Watkins originals, showing how much the canyon has changed in 130 years, and yet how little it has changed.

Thanks to Dan for submitting these shots!

News Release: Probable image of Henry Comstock surfaces 150 years after one of greatest gold and silver strikes in history

William Bohn, a private photography collector on the East Coast, and Ron James, Nevada state historic preservation officer, announced today the discovery of an antique image tentatively identified as Henry Comstock, a prospector who briefly rose to national prominence 150 years ago.

Comstock gave his name to the Comstock Lode , one of the greatest gold and silver strikes in history, discovered in June 1859. The mining district included Virginia City, which became famous for its wealth and cutting-edge technology.

Bohn acquired the photograph at an antiques show in Palmer, Massachusetts on May 10, 2009 from a seller who claimed the image depicted Comstock and that it came from an estate sale in Maine . The dealer also alleged that a document associated with the photograph described the discovery of the Comstock Lode , but that it had already been sold separately. Analysis of the image identifies several similarities to the only positively identified photograph of Comstock.

“Henry Comstock in one of the more important characters in the history of Western mining,” said state historic preservation officer Ron James and author of "The Roar and the Silence: A History of Virginia City and the Comstock Lode" (1998). “The discovery of a photograph that might depict him is exciting news and is of considerable importance to the entire nation.”

The image of Comstock is a tintype, which was a form of photography popular from the mid 1850s until the end of the nineteenth century. The only positively identified image of Henry Comstock is grainy and difficult to evaluate, but certain similarities are obvious.

“Initial analysis of the image indicates there is a strong resemblance between the verified image of Comstock and this new discovery,” said Bohn. “Using rudimentary tools for facial comparison, it is possible to determine that the general shape of the two faces and the shape of the nose match. In addition, similarities in clothing and the appearance of the beard reinforce the idea that this new photograph depicts Comstock.” Bohn provides a detailed analysis of the photograph on his website.

Henry Tompkins Paige Comstock earned a reputation in the West for being fast-talking and uninterested in serious work. He was nicknamed “Pancake” because people said he was unwilling to take the effort to make bread and instead simply turned his flour into easily-prepared pancakes.

On June 8, 1859, Comstock happened upon Patrick McLaughlin and Peter O’Riley, two Irish immigrants, who had found a profitable outcropping of gold ore on the slope of a mountain in what would become western Nevada . Comstock insisted they were working on land he owned, and so the two prospectors included him and another man as co-claimants. Within a few weeks, an assay of the ore demonstrated that the discovery included a fabulous amount of gold and silver.

Hundreds of people quickly arrived to stake claims and mine in the district. After extracting gold and silver through the summer, Comstock, like most of the first claimants, sold his interest for several thousands of dollars, presuming that he had already extracted the richest part of the ore body. What no one understood at the time was that the Comstock Lode would produce today’s equivalent of several billion dollars in precious metals over the follow twenty years.

Comstock eventually left his mining district, always searching for the next big strike. Some claimed that he went insane, perhaps plagued by having lost the enormous fortune of his claim. Others insisted he always lacked a firm grasp on reality. For whatever reason, Comstock fatally shot himself in 1870 while living in Montana .

“We hope that by announcing this discovery, additional information may be forthcoming,” said James. “Details about the document associated with this image would be extremely helpful, and the assistance of photographic experts who could confirm that this is indeed Comstock would be welcomed. If this is, in fact, Henry Comstock, we are able, for the first time, to see a clear image of a man who shaped industrial history and was known throughout the nation.”

Virginia City and the Comstock Lode remained household names until the mines began to fail in the 1880s. The National Broadcasting Company renewed the fame of the mining district with the television show Bonanza, which premiered in 1959, fifty years ago as part of the centennial celebration of Comstock’s discovery. One of the first episodes featured Henry Comstock and the initial strike.

When photographer Carleton E. Watkins visited Virginia City and the Comstock in the fall of 1876, he had no idea he was viewing the area at its absolute peak. More gold and silver were being pulled out of the ground than had ever been before, and though no one knew it, than ever would be again.

Watkins' interests in Nevada also were purely monetary. One of the preeminent landscape photographers of the late 1800s, Watkins traveled around the West visiting all the places the people of San Francisco and Los Angeles probably never would get to. Much of his work was done in Yosemite, which back then required several days worth of hard travel to visit. So Watkins made the trip for them, hauling his huge store of photographic equipment, and brought back pictures that he would sell to the curious citizens who would probably never set foot outside the city. Photographs back then were rare objects, and they sold well, but not well enough to keep up with Watkins' spending. In the 1870s he was deep in debt, and had to sell all of his negatives to escape from bankruptcy.

After this setback he had to start over from scratch, and since he was now essentially competing against himself and all the pictures he had taken that were already out there, he decided to start his "New Series". One of his first expeditions after relaunching his business was to travel to Lake Tahoe, Virginia City, and the Comstock, fabulous places that had been capturing the public's imagination for several years. Word of the endless riches held in the Comstock had spread all over the West, and even back East, but few photographs of the place were circulating around. So Watkins saw an opportunity to boost his New Series with a truly unique group of images, and he set off for Nevada.

This photo is from that trip. On his way up to Virginia City, Watkins spent a lot of time in the Carson River Canyon, where the raw ore from the Comstock was milled into pure gold and silver. He photographed most of the mills in the canyon, sometimes climbing hundreds of feet up steep rock walls until he found the perfect vantage point to best show off the mills and their natural surroundings. But for some of the pictures he found the best view came from the railroad tracks. This photo was taken from the Virginia and Truckee grade, and shows the Santiago Mill perched on the water's edge far below. The mills had to be located on the river, because before electricity the motion of the water was all they had to power the large stamps that crushed the ore. Several large buildings are evident at the mill site, including what looks like a house for the mill superintendent. To the far right you can see the scar of the V&T Railroad grade cutting through the hillside, and below is a wagon road. I think you can even see the faint line of an ore slide heading from the railroad tracks down to the mill, used for quickly dumping entire hoppers of raw ore and using gravity to get it down to the mill.

130 years later, the mills are gone and the river is quiet. The railroad has been gone 70 years, although an effort is underway to bring it back. And in fact it was the railroad that brought me to the river canyon this day. Ever since the rails had been pulled up, the old grade became a four-wheel-drive road, used by recreationalists wanting to access the canyon. But then the news came out that the railroad reconstruction project, which is going to return the tracks to the old railbed, was ready to start work in the canyon and would be closing the road to vehicle traffic permanently. So I knew this would be my last chance to drive into the canyon and see some of the vistas. So I drove part of the way in, until I felt I had gone far enough and was ready to turn back. I stopped in a little turnout, with a great view of the canyon, and pulled out a little stack of Watkins' photographs to see if any of them lined up. Amazingly I found I was in almost the exact spot that Watkins had set up his tripod to take the picture of the Santiago Mill. So I snapped off a few shots, much easier with my digital SLR than with Watkins' large format glass negatives.

Comparing the two views actually shows very few changes. The wooden mill of course is gone, and the trees on the river banks have been allowed to grow wild. But other than that, the canyon has remained the same. The scar of the railroad grade and the wagon road are still there, both used by off-road vehicles now. The water level in the river seems to be about the same, maybe a bit higher in Watkins' time. But the level in the river fluctuates wildly throughout the year, just as it has done for thousands of years.

One day you'll be able to ride the V&T Railroad through this canyon again, just as Watkins did, although I doubt they'll stop to let you hop off and take a picture. The view, though, will be the same as what travelers saw 130 years ago.

Two more Looking Into the Past photos:

One of the first photographs of Carson City was taken from the very center of town, at the corner of King and Carson Streets. Taken around 1864, it shows a young city that's only about 6 years old but already has a couple of large hotels and saloons. The fence on the left enclosed the Plaza, where city founder Abe Curry set aside four blocks as the site of the future State Capitol. This was a bold move when the town had a dozen residents, but twelve years later Curry's dream came true, and the Capitol still stands there today.

The Sweetland Building was built in the 1930s in downtown Carson City, a solid brick building for the downtown core. In the 1950s the Pine Cone Cafe was a popular hangout for the town's high school kids. After the Pine Cone, a series of restaurants moved into the space. Jimmy G's Cigar Bar is the latest establishment on the corner, opening in June of 2009.

Photo by Flickr user BBkld

No Safe Place has put up more pictures of the Nevada State Capitol Building, and the rebuilding work that was done during the 1970s. This is Part 7, where they finally start putting the thing back together.

Inspired by Looking Into the Past on Flickr.

Photo by Flickr user BBkld

No Safe Place is really stretching this series out. In the late 1970s the Nevada State Capitol was gutted down to an empty shell, and rebuild to modern standards. He's come across the photos taken during the project and has been posting them over the last two months. Today comes Part 6: The Walls Go Up.

Photo by Flickr user BBkld

More to come, and I can't get enough!

Photo by Flickr user BBkld

No Safe Place has a look at the Capitol Building during the 1970s, when the whole building was gutted and rebuilt with modern materials and techniques. The result is a new earthquake-proof building inside the old shell of the old Capitol.

In my post about the Carson Mall the other day, I briefly touched on the subject of the Silver City Mall. I wanted to revisit that mall in its own post, because I have these pictures I've been sitting on forever, and now is as good a time as any to bring them out.

The Silver City Mall was located at the corner of Fairview and Carson. Still is, actually, since there's still a shopping center there, and according to Google Maps it's still called the "Silver City Mall". But as far as I know you won't find that name anywhere on property; the name has been wiped out. Above you can see the original sign for the mall, half-hidden behind a tree on the right.

The Silver City Mall was one of only two enclosed malls in Carson City. The other one is the Carson Mall, about a block and a half north. I'm not sure who decided to build the two so close together, but that proximity may have been one of the things that doomed the Silver City Mall. That and the fact that to go inside was like walking into a dungeon. The mall I think was built in the 1970s (if I'm wrong about anything here, please send in comments!), and the designers made the brilliant decision to use dark wood, paint the ceiling black, limit the number of skylights, and illuminate the place with just a few bare hanging bulbs. I swear, it was one of the few places in town that even at night was darker inside than out.

The mall was home to Albertson's, Osco Drug, Sears and Kmart, as well as a few stores in the enclosed portion. A gym, the Bookcellar bookstore, a laundromat, Amimoto Japanese restaurant, a hair salon, a candy shop, and a slot parlor are what I can remember. There were some other storefronts, some of which sat empty for the entire 15 years I knew the mall, others that opened and closed with little stores of no note. Kmart closed in 1994 to move to the new SuperK at the north end of town. That store closed in 2003. Albertson's moved out in the mid 90s, and Office Depot moved in. Osco changed its name to SavOn. Ernst Hardware moved in to Kmart's space, but closed in 1996. The mall was in bad shape.

And that's the condition the mall was in in early 2000, when it was announced that it was going to be torn down to make way for a Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse. So in February of 2000, even though this was long before the days of digital photography, I decided to use half a roll of precious film documenting the state of the Silver City Mall, knowing that soon it would all be gone. I think that was the first time I photographed something explicitly for the purpose of preserving it, something that I now do on a regular basis on this site. So I guess you have to blame the Silver City Mall for all the nonsense that goes on around here.

Anyway, on to the photos. Any of you that have been around for more than 10 years, feel free to play along at home.

This view across the parking lot looks at the part of the mall that was torn down. On the right is the Ernst storefront, but Ernst had been closed for nearly four years.

The main entrance to the mall. I'm not sure if the truss is supposed to remind you of a railroad bridge, or just the general inscrutability of 1970s architecture.

This corner of the mall usually was full of swirling trash, caught in some kind of perpetual vortex.

Inside the mall. These photos had to be lightened quite a bit from some dark negatives, so the dust and scratches are very visible. This was one of the bright spots in the mall, underneath one of the few skylights. Amimoto Japanese Restaurant was on the right.

A view down the mall's main hall. Yes, it was really that dark all the time. In the center was an old buggy on display. To the left was the Bookcellar bookstore, to the right you can see a couple of slot machines.

This was the only mall where you could get mugged and nobody would know. Only one store is open, but it's not very inviting.

Another look at the main hall. Closed stores to the left and right. A couple of lonely trees huddle together to fend off the darkness.

This photo really had to be lightened a lot in Photoshop. It's the mall's directory, hidden away in one of the dark corners.

In the back of the mall was the Taqueria Los Tres Amigos, and another entrance to the mall itself.

I also managed to track down a few old articles in the Nevada Appeal about the mall's demolition.

December 30, 1999, Lowe's deal for Carson City project still not finalized

For the second time, rumors have surfaced that Lowe's has made a deal with Tsutomu Wakimoto to either buy or lease the Silver City Mall at the south end of the Capital as a site for the new store. Wakimoto could not be reached for comment, but a corporate representative at Lowe's headquarters in North Carolina said no final agreement has been reached.

January 6, 2000, Mall buyout possible

January 7, 2000, Lowe's wants to move quickly in opening home center here

The community development department received special use permit and major project review applications Thursday from Lowe's for a store at Fairview Drive and Roop Street, former site of Ernst Hardware and, before that, Kmart.

"They intend to demolish the old building, install drainage and other infrastructure, construct the building, complete parking lot improvements and place landscaping within that time," Sullivan said. "It's a very ambitious schedule."

January 25, 2000, Lowe's building plans go before commission for approval

January 27, 2000, Lowes plans to open in Carson City

As Home Depot puts the final touches on its new Carson Valley store, Lowe's Home Improvement Hardware is putting the final touches on plans for a store in Carson City.

On Wednesday, the Carson City Planning Commission unanimously approved a special use permit for a Lowe's store, planned to replace the former Kmart/Ernst Hardware building at Fairview Drive and Roop Street.

June 17, 2000, Lowe's parcel map filed, sale not completed

July 2, 2000, Silver State Fitness changes name, location:

It has been three months since Silver State Fitness moved into its new location and things are beginning to settle down.

The gym and associated Superior Physical Therapy moved to 1945 Idaho St. from its prior location in the Silver City Mall.

July 11, 2000, Lowe's closes escrow on mall property

Escrow closed Monday on parcels at Silver City Mall, clearing the way to for Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse to build a proposed 135,000 square foot hardware store.

Escrow documents filed Monday show the sale of 11.2 acres of land owned by Tom and Margarita Wakimoto for $4.77 million. Wakimoto has declined to to comment publicly on the sale, but he has told tenants notification of lease terminations wouldn't be made until escrow closed.

July 12, 2000, Fadco buys half of Silver City Mall

July 13, 2000, Construction plans firming up for Lowe's store in Carson

The planned Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse Store could be opened on Fairview Drive by early next summer, a company spokeswoman said Wednesday.

Meanwhile, tenants of the east portion of Silver State Mall that will be razed to make way for the store have begun to receive eviction notices and make plans to relocate.

Lowe's spokeswoman Suzanne McCoy said current tenants have been given 30 to 60 days to vacate the property.

September 5, 2000, Demolition of Silver State Mall will make room for Lowe's

Demolition of half of the Silver State Mall to make room for a Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse will begin this week, possibly as early as today, according to a company spokesman.

Jack Mandel, a real estate specialist for Lowe's, said demolition would likely begin at the southeast end of the mall, the end farthest from Sav-On Drugs and Office Depot, which will remain in their present locations.

Chain link fencing has been installed around the eastern portion of the parking lot on Fairview Drive between Carson and Roop streets. The businesses that used to occupy the mall portion of the complex have closed their doors or relocated.

October 18, 2000, Sav-On to build on Ming's site

A new Sav-On Drug store could open by next summer in the Silver City Mall on the site of the former Ming's Restaurant.

The former restaurant will be demolished so construction of a 15,251-square-foot store could start in December, Sav-On spokeswoman Judy Decker said Tuesday.

October 22, 2000, Thai restaurant moves to downtown Carson City

April 3, 2001, Mall remodel expected be complete by summer's end:

Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse is set for a mid-June opening, and a new Sav-On is expected to be ready by late summer in the Silver City Mall remodeling project.

Mall developer Fadco is still looking to fill the space that will be left vacant when Sav-On moves across the parking lot to its new building at Carson Street and Fairview Drive, said developer Don Gaube.

Gaube said his company has been in talks with several retailers including Best Buy, a chain home electronics retailer. Nobody has committed to the space.

And also an additional story about "Big Al's Good Time Pizza", which opened in the restaurant space in the mall's parking lot on July 28, 1999. Big Al's didn't last long. That restaurant has been Q's BBQ for many years now.

Photo by Flickr user BBkld

No Safe Place: The Nevada Centennial of 1964

This gentleman is Nevada Governor Grant Sawyer and, to paraphrase Will Rogers, the Governor here never met a camera he didn’t like