This year marks the 67th anniversary of the parade in Carson City. This year's theme is "The Wild West" celebrating one of the most exciting and colorful histories of any of our nation's states. Before the pioneers and settlers arrived, the American Indians traveled and lived throughout the Great Basin and the Sierra Nevada in their natural settings.
Then came the pioneers, miners, ranchers and settlers that wrested their living from the land.
The fabulous gold and silver strikes from the mines of the Comstock attracted all sorts of colorful characters to Nevada. Among them, Mark Twain, who worked as a reporter for the Territorial Enterprise in Virginia City and Butch Cassidy and his gang who, according to legend, pulled off their last train robbery just outside of Winnemucca.
Capt. John C. Fremont and Kit Carson were among the first to explore Nevada. Captain Fremont named Pyramid Lake for its unique pyramid-shaped island and our capital city is named after Kit Carson.
The legendary Snowshoe Thompson carried the mail from Genoa to Placerville, Calif., trekking through the deep snow on snowshoes and skis no matter how severe the weather or how deep the snow. In keeping with the tradition of colorful characters from our past, our present-day Grand Marshal John Tyson is a colorful character is his own right. John is a railroad engineer, a TV reporter, a cowboy and rancher. Up in Virginia City he served as a deputy sheriff and is presently a deputy sheriff in Lyon County bringing law and order to our fair state.
Some say we became a state because of our wealth of gold and silver. Whatever the reasons, when Nevada became the 36th state during the Civil War, it brought with it a fascinating and colorful history that led to the nickname "Battle Born."
Come and celebrate the birthday of statehood for the great state of Nevada! Ron Bowman
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President Nevada Day Inc.
