March – April 2019

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THIS ISSUE:

Our ghost town series continues with an incredible cache of finds. We found more towns in one trip than any of our previous trips, and you can read Eric’s story on page 36.

History takes a fun turn this issue. On page 22, read all about the “Wabuska Mangler” newspaper and its infamous editor. There’s a twist you won’t expect.

We’re also looking at birding as spring takes flight; find that story on page 28. The weather is prime for roadtrips, and to that end we’ll show you how to use commemorative passports to help plan that adventure on page 70. I’ll continue my look at Nevada’s True Grit towns with this issue’s focus on Beatty; you can read it on page 78.

-Megg

Issue Cover March – April 2019

What’s Inside

Odyssey of a Ghost Town Explorer: Part 8

More than 100 years ago, southern Nevada pioneers and prospectors spent every day surviving on the razor-edge of death. Mucking, sweating, and blasting in sweltering summers and stinging winters. They moved earth as they dug their dwellings into the sides of mountains, sleeping in ramshackle huts made of rock and wood. They tossed fire and brimstone over their shoulders with shovels and pickaxes as they sought to manifest their destiny. They took up arms against Mother Nature, who tried her hardest each and every day to convince them that living there wasn’t worth it, but they only thumbed their noses and kept digging. ... read more

True Grit: Beatty

The cycle of life in many Nevada towns can be measured by the presence of mining activity. Ore found? Boom! Ore depleted? Bust! The town of Beatty has ridden the mining roller coaster for most of its existence, and it would be an oversimplification to say the lack of mining business has routinely dampened the town’s economy. From its very beginnings, however, Beatty has continued to go with the flow. ... read more

Springtime in Nevada is for the Birds

Nevada’s vast and diverse landscape holds many secrets, not the least of which is its popularity with birds. Our feathered friends are not only populous in numbers, they are increasingly popular as evidenced by the rising use of “birding” and “birders,” two words that do not appear in the dictionary, but are proof of this ever-growing hobby. ... read more

Stamps Mark the Spot

There is a lot to see in Nevada—110,557 square miles of rugged, picturesque mountains, lakes, and desert. Because of the state’s large size and wide-open spaces, it can be daunting for even the most courageous traveler to figure out how to see it all, or even where to start. That is where commemorative passports come into play. ... read more

Capitol Improvements

The 80th session of the Nevada Legislature is now underway, and the state’s 63 senate and assembly members meet in the building just south of the State Capitol complex in Carson City. Nevada is one of just three states where its legislature is separate from its Capitol, but once upon a time, our lawmakers crowded the hallowed halls of the Capitol building. Today, the State Capitol provides the offices of the governor, lieutenant governor, and secretary of state, among others, and is also home to one of the state’s best and often overlooked tours. Not only is the building’s history available to visitors, but so is a deep and personal look at Nevada’s governmental history from its very beginning. ... read more

Fantastical Fallacies of the Notorious ‘Mangler’

Tall tales in journalism were relatively common on The Comstock and surrounding regions during the late 1800s. Because a lull in readership was becoming a worry at the “Daily Appeal,” Sam Davis did as any self-respecting editor would: he conjured up a fictitious newspaper and lied to his readers, and they ate it up. Everyone loves a juicy story, and Davis painted the “Mangler” and its editor as the juiciest. ... read more

Only in your State: Goldwell Open Air Museum

What do a ghostly figure holding a bicycle, a seemingly nude towering pink Lego woman, and a metal prospector with a penguin have in common? They’re only found together in our state. Nowhere else in the world would that sentence make sense other than at the Goldwell Open Air Museum, located near the Rhyolite ghost town. ... read more

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