Carson City looking north from the top of the Capitol building in 1871.
Wednesday
150 Years Ago
Coal at Argenta: One Hundred and seventy miles east of Reno specimens of coal have been discovered on the line of the railroad. The strata are about eighteen inches wide — discoverers are greatly rejoiced; railroad stockholders are in extacies (sic). Five tons were to be shipped to Sacramento to be tried on a locomotive. If the lead is real, there will be treasure beyond price in the desert. (Reno Crescent)
140 Years Ago
Second day of New Year. It was crisp and cold — the coldest of the season. Charley Friend’s self-registering thermometer recorded four and a half below zero. The sidewalks in front of Power’s saloon and the County Building were opened, and the Street Inspector was warming up frozen pipes.
130 Years Ago
The foot race: The Holstein Ranch was the scene of a 60-yard foot race. The men were ordered to the scratch, and they stripped to the skins, except for a small pair of trunks. Some people thought some of the Thompson burlesquers were loose. The men were both frozen stiff before they started, hence the slow times. The winner was Johnson, the California sprinter.
110 Years Ago
Classified ads: “Typewriter wanted — Wanted, to rent a typewriter: standard keyboard. Minden, Nevada.” “For sale — Thoroughbred Flemish Giant buck and does; New Zealand buck and does; also, young rabbits of frying age. Apply to Mrs. J. S.”
50 Years Ago
Advertisement: “Seafood Buffet — every Friday night — $2.25, all you can eat. 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. served in the ‘Sierra Room’ — Carson City Nugget.”
20 Years Ago
Y2K glitches: The dreaded Y2K bug that concerned computer users was mostly unfounded. The year of “99” in “1999” signaled that programs would cease calculating. In Singapore computerized taxi meters went dead at noon for two hours. Two medical products, a Hewlett-Packard external defibrillator and Invivo’s Research Inc. Millennia 3500 patient motor, performed basic functions but displayed the wrong time and date.
Thursday
150 Years Ago
Death from Small Pox: Robert H. Stewart, a child of Henry Ross’ at Clear Creek, died from an attack of smallpox — the second in this county.
140 Years Ago
Cold weather: Thick ice is covering the pond at Treadway’s and the young people with skates are making the most of it. The cold weather has had the effect of bursting water pipes all over the city.
130 Years Ago
All sorts: The eclipse passed in Carson without an incident, while the thermometer fell six degrees.
The Capitol will be lighted with electricity during the session.
110 Years Ago
Influenza: Miss Gwynee Davis left for Winnemucca where she is in charge of the kindergarten. The school in that city has been closed many weeks on account of the influenza.
50 Years Ago
Junior skiing at Sky Tavern: The Ormsby-Carson Junior Ski program registration deadline has been extended. Dennis Sullivan, Ormsby-Carson Recreation Department director is in charge of registration. All junior skiers from fourth grade through high school are eligible to participate — $25 registration fee.
20 Years Ago
Box office: The top movies at North American theaters by studio, gross, number of theaters and gross and number of weeks is as follows: “Patch Adams,” “Stepmom,” “You’ve Got Mail,” “The Prince of Egypt,” “A Bug’s Life,” “Mighty Joe Young,” and “The Faculty…”
Friday
150 Years Ago
Advertisement: “New stock! Adolph Jacobs. Proprietor of the Cigar Store at the Ormsby House Corner, in Carson City, Nevada. Have this day received a large and well selected Stock of the finest brands of Havana Cigars… Domestic Cigars, fine cutlery, smoking and chewing tobacco, Meerschaum pipes…”
140 Years Ago
A strange discovery: Two brothers named Walton were digging in the ground near the old flume when one of their spades struck a hard substance. The pair prosecuted their work excavating with doubled energy. After 30 minutes of hard labor they found a box 5 1/2 feet in length, 1 1/2 feet wide and one foot high. The box was bound and the lid screwed down. They thought they had found gold and silver, but instead there were the skeletons of two men formed like the Siamese twins about 25 years of age.
130 Years Ago
All sorts: The Public School opened right after New Year’s Day with a lowering of the mercury.
110 Years Ago
All sorts: Prof. Alf Doten of the University of Nevada was over from Reno to attend the funeral of the late Professor Bray.
The little daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Regan, has been seriously ill with the flu but is reported to be somewhat better today.
50 Years Ago
Advertisement: “In new screen splendor… The most magnificent picture ever! David O. Selznick’s production of Margaret Mitchells ‘Gone with the Wind’, with Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh, Leslie Howard and Olivia de Havilland. Admission $2.50 at Sahara Tahoe Hotel and Casino.”
20 Years Ago
Sutro fire: Comstock history went up in flames as a historical residence at Sutro caught fire. The one-story residence was occupied by Greg Milton some of whose works include the bronze statues of Sutro at the Capitol. Besides the loss of the home are historical artifacts, tapes, books and antiques Milton had collected.
Sue Ballew is the daughter of Bill Dolan, who wrote this column for the Nevada Appeal from 1947 until his death in 2006.
