Who was the founder of Nevada and when?

Answer 1

There really is no founder of Nevada per se. Nevada is a harsh, arid state that was on the route to California and the Pacific coast by the famous wagon trains of people emigrating to the west.

The first settlement in Nevada was Genoa, at the base of the Sierra Nevada. It was settled by group of Mormon settlers who built it up as a fortress to defend against attacks from the local Indian tribes.

The United States later sent in its Cavalry and established a fort on the Truckee River about 20 miles east of the California. The captain's name was Reno and the fort became known as Fort Reno, later shortened to Reno when it became a town. A few years later, silver was discovered in Virginia City which set off a silver rush and boom expansion of that sleepy little mining town. Over time, more forts, and more towns began to spring up around water sources and mining sites.

Virginia City's silver mines were world famous and fabulously rich. In 1844 Nevada became a state because of the value of its silver mines. However, during the Civil War, the North became increasingly concerned that the South would commandeer the silver mines to fund their side of the war. So, the North set off explosives and flooded the mines. The mines were shut down and to this day, the mines remain flooded.

By then, water supplies had been developed that allowed for a thriving ranching industry, especially with a surprising number of small rivers that flowed down through the mountains. Today, gambling, mining, and ranching are Nevada's largest industries.