Christopher Houston

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Christopher Houston Kit Carson Mountain
man Guide for John C.Fremont
Region Explored Date Places Named
1st mission to South Pass, Colorado 2nd mission, from South Pass to California Sierra Nevada Mountains, back through Mohave 1840s Carson City, Nevada Carson River Carson Pass Carson Trail
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John C. Fremont

• Fremonts Contributions to our area
• Realized water in Nevada drained inward, named
  Great Basin
• Named Pyramid Lake due to large rock formation
• Named Truckee River after a Chief who helped
  leaded him to California
• Named Carson River after his guide, Kit Carson
• Named Las Vegas, which means the meadows in
  Spanish

Freee
Region Explored Date Places Named
1st Mission To South Pass 2nd Mission South Pass to California through Sierra Nevadas 3rd Mission Straight to California 1840s Fremont, California Fremont Street (Las Vegas) Fremont Cannon (given annually to winner of UNR/UNLV football game
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James Jim Beckwourth African-American mountain
man and scout
Not so Fun Fact Beckwourth died by eating
poisoned food from the Crow Indians, who had
named Beckwourth a chief. They allegedly killed
him so his spirit would always be with them.
Region Explored Date Places Named
Northern portion of Sierra Nevada Mountains, along present day highway 70 1820s-1830s Beckwourth Pass, Beckwourth California, Beckwourth Trail
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Peter Skene OgdenCanadian Fur Trapper
Region Explored Date Places Named
Humboldt River to Humboldt Sink 1828-1829 Ogden, Utah
Fun Fact While Trapping along the Humboldt
River, Odgen and his men trapped up to 60 beaver
PER DAY!!!
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Jedediah Smith famous fur trapper
Region Explored Date Places Named
Southern Nevada (Mohave Desert, Central Nevada 1827 Jedediah Smith State Park, Jedediah Smith Trail
Fun Fact After a Grizzly Bear ripped part of
Jedediahs scalp and ear, he had it sewed back on
by one of his men!!! Fact 2 Jedediah Smith
died at the age of 32 after being attacked by
Indians!!
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Sarah Winnemucca

• A Paiute Indian, Sarah Winnemucca fought for
  Native American rights throughout her life. She
  also opened numerous schools for Native Americans
  in Nevada.

Statue of Sarah Winnemucca in Capitol Building
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Mormon Station

• First permanent white settlement in Nevada,
  Mormon Station was a stop for settlers traveling
  on the California Trail and is located in present
  day Genoa at the base of the Sierra Nevada
  Mountains.

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Square-set system (or square-set timbering)

• Method of mining invented by Philipp
  Deidesheimer, square-set timbering helped to
  prevent mine cave-ins. It framed wood in
  rectangular cubes to which more cubes could be
  added above and to the sides. Allowed Comstock
  miners to dig deeper than ever before!

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Silver Kings

• Four businessmen and miners who came to dominate
  Virginia City and the Comstock Lode after
  striking the Big Bonanza, a huge vein of silver
  and gold. In all, the four shared about 75
  million.
• -Included John William Mackay, James Graham Fair,
  James Clair Flood and William Shoney OBrien

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Boom Bust cycle

• Term used to describe the cycle of mining towns
  a quick boom (BOOMTOWNS) leading to a large
  population, followed by an economic downturn,
  when the population collapses (Ghost Towns)
• Look at the Photos below to see the cycle!!

Rhyolite, Nevada 1908
Rhyolite, Nevada 1998
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James Warren Nye

• First territorial Governor of Nevada, later
  became a Senator for Nevada
• Nye County is named after him

Nye County
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William Morris Stewart

• Nevadas first Senator, famous for having written
  the final draft of the 15th amendment to the
  Constitution, which said that right to vote could
  not be denied on account of race

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