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Transitory Train Towns

Transitory Train Towns NEW RAIL ROUTES OFTEN LEFT OLD TOWNS OUT TO DRY. BY ERIC CACHINERO It is generally well known that train-sized holes were drilled through hundreds of yards of solid rock to lay railroad tracks during the construction of the Central Pacific Railroad. In fact, throughout Donner Pass, countless tons of rock were […]
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Tonopah’s Revitalization

The Middle of Everywhere Not content to be a drive-through town, Tonopah is leading the charge of change. BY MEGG MUELLER In a 1975 story about Tonopah in Nevada Magazine, the writer spent a great deal of space discussing how favorable Tonopah’s climate is for those suffering from various conditions, such as bronchitis, arthritis, rheumatism, […]
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Iron Horses, Steel Stallions, & Concrete Colts

If you were to take all of the concrete used to build the Hoover (Boulder) Dam, there would be enough to create a 4-foot-wide sidewalk around the equator, or enough to build a two lane road from Seattle to Miami, according to the U.S. Department of the Interior. The Department also estimates that the dam weighs 6.6 million tons (13,200,000,000 pounds). So how did 1930s-era civil and industrial engineers figure out how to transport approximately 13.2 billion pounds of concrete, along with millions more tons of metal and other materials? They teamed up with another type of engineer—the railroad engineer.
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Lady Luck Changes Her Game

The days of illicit back-alley poker games and nickel slots paying out drinks and cigars were over, and gaming quickly became one of the state's most important industries. Since that time, the core of the industry—the games—has changed, led by technology and followed closely by the desire for bigger payouts, and more entertaining games.
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The Great Train Robbery

HIGHWAYMEN Nevada outlaws conducted the first train robbery in the West. BY ERIC CACHINERO   Just two and a half short years after the Central Pacific Railroad arrived in Reno, an engineer found his forehead on the business end of at least one six-shooter. Rather inconveniently for the engineer, the man whose trembling finger danced […]
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The Race To Bullfrog

The Race To Bullfrog Two of America’s captains of industry clashed in this desert railroad battle. BY FRANK WRIGHT This story first appeared in the July/August 1992 issue of Nevada Magazine. In 1905, two railroads began making a mad dash across the desert north of Las Vegas. The object of the race was to capture […]
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Autumn de Forest: Stays Grounded In Nevada

Autumn de Forest – Stays Grounded In Nevada Young artist paints beautiful picture of a world she aims to help. BY CHRIS LEWIS PHOTOS COURTESY AUTUMN DE FOREST An iconic image of a small boy suffering the ravages of war in Syria is hard to forget; it is one of the most recognizable of the […]
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Burning Man

“Welcome home.” They were the first words I remember hearing as I was received with open arms at the greeter station to participate in my first Burning Man. I was a Burning Man virgin in 2011 with no true concept of the weight of the words that welcomed me.
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Nevada Wildflowers

Nevada Wildflowers As many know, Nevada has seen an abundantly wet winter this year, so it was a no-brainer to include a look at the bumper crop of beauty that can be found in our normally arid climate. While a desert state might not be the first place you’d think of when you go looking […]
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A Solitary Goal

During its 150 years of continuous operation the Nevada State Prison in Carson City played a significant role in the history of Nevada, protecting its citizens, influencing architecture, and amassing an impressive list of historically significant events. The prison now sits idle after closing its doors on May 12, 2012.
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Splitting Atoms: Nevada’s Atomic History

Atomic testing is remembered as a sensational and sometimes sinister era of the state’s history. BY ERIC CACHINERO On the morning of May 5, 1955, a family nested in their contemporary dream home. A tall redbrick chimney and lovely shutters complemented the whitewashed exterior, which gave an exquisite view of the surrounding desert mountains. The […]
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Ghost Railroads

EXPLORING THE GHOST  RAILROADS OF CENTRAL NEVADA HISTORIC SITES LAY TRACKS TO THE PAST. BY JIM PRICE “Choo, Choo!” I know it seems child-like, but every time my wife and I are driving along what we know is an abandoned railroad grade I just can’t help myself. We ride through cuts and overfills that were built […]
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Trails For All

NO LIMITS NEVADA’S OUTDOOR SPLENDOR CAN BE ENJOYED BY EVERYONE, EVEN THOSE WITH LIMITED MOBILITY. BY BRETT FISHER There was a time when I thought much of Nevada was beyond my reach. Experiencing spastic muscles in my legs and reduced mobility, I was diagnosed with Primary Lateral Sclerosis (PLS), an upper motor neuron disease affecting muscles […]
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Stewart Indian School

  Lessons to be Learned Stewart Indian School is Still Teaching that the Past Should be Remembered BY JOYCE HOLLISTER Sports and girls. Those were what made Buck Sampson happy at Stewart Indian School in Carson City during his first few weeks there in 1968. While he ended up playing baseball and joining the boxing […]
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Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge

A VIEW FROM THE TOP On Nevada’s northwestern edge, Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge offers historic splendor. BY SHEVAWN VON TOBEL Nevadans can be proud of our unbelievable access to wide-open spaces, expansive views, and plenty of room to roam. From the rugged mountains of central Nevada to the colorful rock arrangements in the south, to […]
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Action Heroes Needed

UNLEASH YOUR INNER JASON BOURNE The mission for cinematic adventure is on in Las Vegas. BY CHRIS LEWIS Las Vegas built its reputation as the place to fulfill fantasies. Ever since Bugsy Siegel opened the Flamingo, the city has promised to transport us to somewhere else and maybe even transform us into someone else. In the […]