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The Glory of Goldfield
On a fine spring day in the year 1900, a rancher named Jim Butler was wandering the remote hills of south-central Nevada—looking for a stray burro, as the story goes—when he came across an outcrop of black-banded rock. Ever the hobbyist prospector, Butler picked off a few samples and headed back to civilization to get them evaluated. The assayer was shocked to discover that the black bands were pure argentite. Jim Butler had discovered one of history’s richest silver deposits.
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Free-Range Art Highway
Ready to give your camera a workout? With the Free-Range Art Highway as your canvas, the photo-op stops are countless. Whether you’re a newbie photographer just learning the definition of aperture or a veteran documentarian seeking new stories, you’ll find plenty of odd and awesome vistas to ogle along this Reno-to-Vegas road trip.
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Historic Walking Tours
Self-guided walking tours are a free and fun way to explore a community at your own pace—and a good excuse to get your steps in. It’s as easy as picking up your map and brochure at the locations listed below, so get walking!
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Spirited Adventures
Nevada’s distinct history is borne by the nearly 600 towns that rose and fell before the 1900s even had a chance to stretch its legs. The gold and silver fever that struck the nation resulted in a clamor that touched nearly every corner of the state. While most towns bore fruit only for short periods, they literally left their mark on the state’s landscape. Many ghost towns have no more residents, but they are still full of stories, if you listen carefully.
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The Real Sound of Rural Nevada
“This is KGFN, Radio Goldfield, the Voice of the Old West!” Chances are if you live in central Nevada or have driven through the area on U.S. Highway 95, you’ve probably heard, or at least heard of, Radio Goldfield. It’s about the only signal on the FM radio dial for many miles.
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The Ballad of Diamondfield Jack
Despite the Hollywood version of cattle raising in the Old West, few ranchers employed a gun-for-hire to eliminate rustlers or sheepherders. This is not to say it wasn’t done; around 1895, a few of the larger spreads in Wyoming brought in a “regulator” named Tom Horn to “clean up” the range, and at $500 a head, he was well on his way to doing so when he was convicted of murder and sent to the gallows. For years, Jack Davis faced the likelihood of the same fate.
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Goldfield’s Historic Battle
The thermometer was toying with the century mark on Sept. 3, 1906 in Goldfield, when two men touched gloves in the center of the ring. The fight was now underway. It was the favorite—Oscar “the Battling Dane” Nelson vs “the Rank Faker” Joe Gans, as the local press described him.
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Law, Order, and a Game of Chance
Law, Order, and a Game of Chance THE EARP BROTHERS SEEK THEIR FORTUNES IN NEVADA. BY RON SOODALTER Life in the Old West—Hollywood notwithstanding—was often mundane. The deadly gunfights and daring hold-ups were comparatively few. Yet, certain names have attained legendary status, selling countless books and millions of theater tickets, while the reality was considerably […]
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Front and Center
A hearty dose of central Nevada is good for the soul BY MEGG MUELLER & ERIC CACHINERO A series of unexpected and delightful moments. This is the appeal of a ridiculously long roadtrip. For our latest adventure, Associate Editor Eric Cachinero and I chose another ambitious trip. Last September, we wrote about our trip to […]
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Glorified Ghost Towns
Glorified Ghost Towns A group of off-roaders find treasures in some of southwestern Nevada’s most inconspicuous places. BY ERIC CACHINERO Ghost towns. They practically hide in plain sight in our state’s unbounded wilderness. The phrase ghost town intrigues the mind with its mysterious, timeworn essence. And, with Nevada claiming more than 600 of them, many […]