Coordinates: 39°18′37″N 119°38′57″W / 39.31028°N 119.64917°W / 39.31028; -119.64917
View of Virginia City, Nevada, from a nearby hillside, 1867-68
Virginia City is an unincorporated community that is the county seat of Storey County, Nevada, United States. It is part of the Reno–Sparks Metropolitan Statistical Area.
History
View of Virginia City from Boot hill
Virginia City is one of the oldest established communities in Nevada. Like many cities and towns in the state, Virginia City was a mining boomtown; in fact it is one of the most famous boomtowns in the Old West as it virtually appeared overnight as a result of the Comstock Lode silver strike of 1859. During its peak, Virginia City had a population of nearly 30,000 residents. When the Comstock Lode ended in 1898, the city's population declined sharply.
Adolph Sutro built the Sutro Tunnel in support of the mining operations. Conceived in 1860, it wasn't completed until many years later, after much of the silver mining had already been completed.
From its creation in 1859 to 1875, there were five widespread fires. The 1875 fire, dubbed the Great Fire of 1875, caused $12,000,000 in damages.[1]
The Virginia & Truckee Railroad's northern terminus is located at Virginia City. A project was started in 1977 to begin rebuilding one of the nations "crookedest railroads." The portion of line that's been rebuilt so far stretches south to Carson City, Nevada and through Gold Hill. The project ran the first steam engine from Carson City, September 5, 2009. Meanwhile, other trains are pulled by historic locomotives between Virginia City and Gold Hill, attracting thousands of tourists each year.
Virginia City Historic District
Church St. Mary in the Mountains
Virginia City was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1961.[2][3] This in effect created a Virginia City Historic District.
Today, Virginia City is but a shadow of its former glory, however, it still draws over 2 million visitors per year. It is one of the nation's larger[citation needed] National Historic Landmarks and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Keeping with tradition, Virginia City does not have any chain stores or fast food restaurants.[citation needed]
Virginia City locals
The population of Virginia City is 1,000 people in the town. 4,000 live in Storey County. It has 1 elementary school, 1 middle school, and 1 high school. Many locals work at the shops in town that cater to tourists, while others seek jobs in the surrounding cities. Popular hangouts for teens include the swimming pool and restaurants. Basketball is very popular, with the high school possessing the most state championship titles in Nevada.
Virginia City Hillclimb
There is an annual hillclimb that runs from Silver City to Virginia City via Highway 341 (a truck route) that is put on jointly between the Ferrari Club of America Pacific Region and the Northern California Shelby Club. Originally the event was put on by the SCCA and took a totally different route; before the truck route was constructed cars would run up Highway 342, past the Gold Hill Hotel and other landmarks. Highway 342 is now the return route for cars that have completed their runs up Highway 341. The hillclimb covers 5.2 miles (8.4 km), climbing 1,260 feet (380 m) and passing through 21 corners.
Popular culture
Many tons of rich gold and silver ore such as the example shown here, built and supported Virginia City
Virginia City is near the site of the fictitious Ponderosa Ranch on the Western television drama Bonanza. As such, the show's characters made visits to the town regularly -- or at least to the flat Hollywood backlot town.
It was the locale of a 1940 Errol Flynn movie set during the Civil War.
Elmar Bartlmae (Dir.): Virginia City und die wahre Geschichte des Wilden Westens. Dokumentation, France 2007, Arte-TV, May 26th, 2007 (the real history...; French, German)
"Darcy Farrow", a folk song written by Steve Gillette and Tom Campbell mentions Virginia City and other places and landmarks in the area (including Yerington, the Carson Valley, and the Truckee River). The most popular version was performed by John Denver.
Virginia City could be considered the birthplace of Mark Twain, as it was here in 1863 that writer Samuel Clemens, then a reporter on the local Territorial Enterprise newspaper, first used his famous pen name.[citation needed]
Historical data in The Virginia City Historical documents point out that newspaper writer Samuel Clemens, was "mugged" one night as he walked over the hill from the south while returning to Virginia City (probably after consuming alcoholic beverages at the home of friends). The evidence shown points out that this was one of the reasons that persuaded him to relocate elsewhere. The highwaymen with the common "Stand and deliver!" relieved Mr. Clemens of his watch and money he had with him. This evidence is found in the newspaper office and the veracity of the robbery is likely valid as it is reported as a crime in the (period)newspaper. As a motivation for his leaving, it is just speculation since the date of the robbery is prior but close to his leaving and beginning his writing career in earnest at a more developed city. This robbery (10 Nov 1863) turns out to have been a practical joke played on Sam Clemens by his "friends", to give him "material" to write about. He did not appreciate the joke, but at least he got his belongings back, especially his gold watch worth $300), which had great "sentimental" value to him. [5] Sam Clemens also mentions the incident in his own book "Roughing It", (published Feb 1872) - and he was still sore about it(Ibid)!
In the 1950s, two Virginia City neighbors got into a dispute.[6]. When one of the men built a new house, the other bought the lot next to it and built a house less than twelve inches (305 mm) from his neighbor's house in spite to deprive the neighbor of both view and breeze.[6] The Virginia City Spite House still is standing and occupied.[6]
References
- ^ Snell and Larew, pg.2, 8, 9
- ^ "Virginia City Historic District". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=322&ResourceType=District. Retrieved 2008-01-23.
- ^ Charles Snell and Marilynn Larew (April 21, 1978) (PDF), National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: Virginia City Historic District, National Park Service, http://pdfhost.focus.nps.gov/docs/NHLS/Text/66000458.pdf, retrieved 2009-06-22 and Accompanying 50 or so photos from 1968, 1971, 1978 and other dates. PDF (8.81 MB)
- ^ Moffatt, Riley. Population History of Western U.S. Cities & Towns, 1850-1990. Lanham: Scarecrow, 1996, 159.
- ^ Powers, Ron, Mark Twain: A Life. Free Press, 2005, p. 167. ISBN
- ^ a b c Lonsford, Michael, "Ghosts of the Old West Haunt Virginia City Streets", Houston Chronicle. July 3, 1988, Section: Travel, Page 1
External links
