Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 39–Senators Raggio, Amodei, Care, Carlton, Coffin, Jacobsen, James, Mathews, McGinness, Neal, O’Connell, O’Donnell, Porter, Rawson, Rhoads, Schneider, Shaffer, Titus, Townsend, Washington and Wiener

 

May 9, 2001

____________

 

Joint Sponsors: Assemblymen Dini, Anderson, Angle, Arberry, Bache, Beers, Berman, Brower, Brown, Buckley, Carpenter, Cegavske, Chowning, Claborn, Collins, de Braga, Freeman, Gibbons, Giunchigliani, Goldwater, Gustavson, Hettrick, Humke, Koivisto, Lee, Leslie, Manendo, Marvel, McClain, Mortenson, Neighbors, Nolan, Oceguera, Ohrenschall, Parks, Parnell, Perkins, Price, Smith, Tiffany, Von Tobel and Williams

____________

 

Read and Adopted

 

SUMMARY—Recognizes celebration of 150th anniversary of establishment of permanent, non-Indian settlements in Dayton, Genoa and Carson City, Nevada. (BDR R‑1508)

 

~

 

EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted.

 

Senate Concurrent RESOLUTION—Recognizing the celebration of the 150th anniversary of the establishment of permanent, non-Indian settlements in Dayton, Genoa and Carson City, Nevada.

 

1-1     Whereas, In 1851, the western portion of the Utah Territory that now

1-2  encompasses Carson City and Douglas, Lyon and Storey counties saw the

1-3  beginnings of the first settlements by courageous pioneers adventuring

1-4  west to explore the frontiers of America and find new places to make their

1-5  fortunes or raise their families; and

1-6     Whereas, This area of the present State of Nevada has a history rich

1-7  with the stories of prospectors, traders and settlers who came in search of

1-8  their dreams and stayed to brave the cold winters and arid summers to

1-9  make Nevada their home; and

1-10     Whereas, The Town of Dayton traces its history to 1849 with the

1-11  discovery of gold at the mouth of Gold Canyon by Abner Blackburn, who

1-12  was forced to leave when provisions ran low but whose discovery brought

2-1  other fortune seekers who would stay in the area and build their lives on

2-2  the Comstock; and

2-3     Whereas, During the winter of 1850, James “Old Virginny” Finney

2-4  lived in his make-shift shelter at the mouth of Gold Canyon and by the

2-5  spring of 1851 was joined by as many as 200 miners who settled in the area

2-6  which became known as Hall’s Station because the residents were supplied

2-7  by the trading post built by Spafford Hall of Indiana; and

2-8     Whereas, Hall’s Station, grew and prospered, became known as

2-9  Chinatown because of the many Chinese who lived there and worked the

2-10  placer claims in the canyon, and in 1861, it became the first county seat of

2-11  Lyon County and was renamed Dayton in honor of John Day who laid out

2-12  the town and later became Surveyor General of Nevada; and

2-13     Whereas, The Town of Genoa traces its history back to 1848 when it

2-14  was an early campsite on the Emigrant Trail to California and 1850 when

2-15  its first permanent structures, a roofless log enclosure and corral, were

2-16  built; and

2-17     Whereas, In 1851, John Reese and 16 other men arrived in present-day

2-18  Genoa with 13 wagons to build a permanent trading post, known first as

2-19  Reese’s Station and later as Mormon Station, that led to the settlement of

2-20  the town which became the nucleus of a small farming population; and

2-21     Whereas, In 1854, this settlement, renamed Genoa in 1855, was

2-22  proclaimed the seat of Carson County, Utah Territory, and, with the

2-23  organization of the Nevada Territory in 1861, was established as the county

2-24  seat of Douglas County, a position it retained until 1916; and

2-25     Whereas, Carson City was first established in 1851 as Eagle Station, a

2-26  trading post and small ranch on the Carson Branch of the Emigrant Trail,

2-27  and was settled over the next few years by Mormon colonizers who were

2-28  called back to Salt Lake City by Brigham Young in 1857; and

2-29     Whereas, In 1858, Abraham Curry and several business partners

2-30  bought Eagle Station, laid out the town and named it in honor of John C.

2-31  Fremont’s most celebrated frontier scout, Kit Carson; and

2-32     Whereas, With the discovery of the Comstock Lode the following

2-33  year, Carson City was brought to life as a freight and transportation center

2-34  and, true to the prediction of Abraham Curry albeit with some shrewd

2-35  political maneuvering on his part, was selected as the territorial capital in

2-36  1861 and was confirmed as the state capital when Nevada was granted

2-37  statehood in 1864; now, therefore, be it

2-38     Resolved by the Senate of the State of Nevada, the Assembly

2-39  Concurring, That the members of the 71st session of the Nevada

2-40  Legislature do hereby recognize the 150th anniversary of the establishment

2-41  of permanent, non-Indian settlements in Dayton, Genoa and Carson City

2-42  and applaud the efforts of those who are working to honor the memory of

2-43  the traders, explorers and prospectors who led the way, and the men and

2-44  women who followed, to work the mines, plant crops, raise livestock and

2-45  raise families in what is now the great State of Nevada; and be it further

2-46     Resolved, That the residents of Nevada are urged to join in the

2-47  celebrations as our history is remembered and relived during Dayton

2-48  Founder’s Day: Dayton’s 150th Birthday Party, honoring pioneer women,

2-49  to be held May 26 and 27, 2001, the events leading up to and the grand

3-1  finale of Genoa’s Sesquicentennial Celebration to be held on June 3 and 4,

3-2  2001, and the many events held annually in Carson City that recognize its

3-3  unique history; and be it further

3-4     Resolved, That these celebrations renew our pride in the state we call

3-5  home and rekindle in each of us the spirit of adventure and courage that is

3-6  the legacy left to us by these first settlers; and be it further

3-7     Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate prepare and transmit a copy

3-8  of this resolution to the Genoa Sesquicentennial Committee, the Dayton

3-9  Historic Society and the Carson City Convention and Visitors’ Bureau.

 

3-10  H