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Why Nevada Landmarks??
...Now, this sounds prestigious but that's not how I think of it. At first, I didn't know what kind of response I'd expect to get, let alone really find out just how many fellow marker hunters there are out there. For a moment, I had to think about what this endeavor would soon entail. If it's one thing I wanted to leave behind with this site it's knowing that history is alive and well. The grueling sounds of car alarms, locking one's self up in the newest "insta-house" are the usual norms in our today's neo-fascist society. The days when occasional dances with clouds, the viewing of long sunsets, the whimpers of coyotes or the roostertails of galloping mustangs are soon becoming things of the past in a society where change and progress are 'necessary anecdotes'. To that I say, perhaps.
Despite having the fastest car, or the most wealth in your bank account, nothing compares with the real and true Nevada. That grocery store, gas pump and hospital just a few miles down the road... those are all fortunate extremities. What joy our emigrant cousins would've felt to see such 'extremeties'. Through my ventures in marker hunting, my four wheels have amounted to over 40,000 miles on the road, 2 years, 8 months of time behind the wheel. It's amounted to hours of constant and repeated research in libraries, state archives, government offices and/or rampant pleading, just to answer further questions and locations of missing markers. Comparing notes and words to rumors and theories, sometimes took the fun out of what I was seeking in the first place. Hopefully, all of this has paid off in what you'll see here on this website. My primary purpose here in not for monetary gain. Nor is it to become some hu-hah local celebrity. Instead, my goal here is simple and honest, to catalog every state marker in Nevada to further preserve our state's history and possibly for their valued protection. As our state reluctantly grows, many markers have already
gone missing
due to heavy building and road construction and today, not even the hard evidence and research have come up with answers. For every marker I've conquered, I placed myself back in that history, imagining what it would've been like back in our ancestors' day... reliant on only one's self and the best friend you'll ever have. Sometimes all that remains of history is a single historic marker. With this website, at least the markers I have conquered will have some record of their presence ever being here. Call it a labor of love. Call it a love of history!
With that in mind, I ask that you jump behind that wheel and shout 'Bon Voyage' through a sea of sagebrush... a place where you are your own captain, first mate, starboard scout and ultimate explorer. Islands of mountains await on the horizon while up ahead, a lone blue Nevada waits to be conquered. So again, why shouldn't I seek out and find all of Nevada's 267 historical markers? The question should be... why shouldn't YOU?
You can begin exploring the markers by choosing them by county, or using the marker list. Or (my personal favorite), you can live a little by clicking "Begin Historical Markers" to browse through them one after the other!
Markers by County
If you're new!...
You'll also find that each marker has the following table, divided into four sections. Each section except for "Marker type" is rated on a scale from 1 to 10, 1 being the easiest and 10 being most difficult. Please keep in mind that when making these tables, I was extremely careful with these ratings. These numbers are based as if someone had had never set foot on Nevada soil and decided to take on the challenge of obtaining its markers. So far it's worked and have no complaints from fellow marker hunters.
Why not? Why else shouldn't I seek out and find all of Nevada's 267 historical markers? Amidst my everyday goings on in life and my busy photographic schedule, I decided to take a break from all that shooting and pursue something even more adventurous, something that I will be the first to officially conquer in the state of Nevada...
Begin Nevada Historical Markers
Nevada Fun Facts
The Nevada Horoscope
Related Links
About Me/Contact
If you are new to Nevada-Landmarks, I recommend reading the section(s) listed below. Although this site is THE premier source for Nevada's historical markers, you'll also find information that may be helpful, handy and humorous for your visit to our state. Such information most likely will come in handy when viewing this website. Keep in mind that when it comes to any and all information about Nevada's historical markers, this site leaves no stone unturned! Every marker is divided into several categories. Let's go through all of them!
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Location: 2
Visibility: 6 Accessibility: 3 Marker type: St (L) |
"Location" will tell you the about area of Nevada, 1 being right in the middle of an urban area, city, town or otherwise "congested area". A "10" rating is in the complete boondocks, such as #149. Keep in mind that a few cities/towns will deserve a higher rating because it's extremely secluded location, such as Ione, Gerlach or Jarbidge. Other major towns such as Ely, Hawthorne, Goldfield or Tonopah, although they are far from MAJOR TOWNS, they're often the ONLY TOWN within possibly hundreds of miles. Therefore, they are given a rating of "1".
"Visibility" simply lets you know how difficult a particular marker is to spot from the road. Visibility usually goes hand in hand with accessibility. Although a marker may be a breeze to access, simply opening the door and walking 5 feet, it might be set well back from the highway, often only visible if you come right up on it, or pass it by then have to turn around. Therefore, it's "Accessibility" rating would be a "1", but it's "Visibility" rating would be a higher value.
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The State Marker System
The Historic Marker Program itself was initiated by the Nevada State Legislature in 1967 for the purpose of bringing Nevada's heritage to the public's attention using 'on-site markers'. Since 1967, markers throughout the state have been erected every year. There are now 267 historical markers in Nevada commemorating all forms of Nevada history, history such as mining sites, buildings, old trails, cemeteries, historic people and figures and other sites of worthy historic occurances, such as the first flight in Nevada. In short, the Historic Marker Program is a multi-faced project, a cooperative effort involving the Department of Cultural Affairs, State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), which administers the Program and the State Historical Society which reviews proposed marker texts. The Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) assists in installing and funding the markers, but lately, private contractors and associates have helped with the upkeep of markers. This is ever more present in our dier economy.
Today, the markers are facing tough times. As our state continues to grow, markers are coming up missing, vanishing without a trace, second thought or word of mouth. The problem doesn't lie in growth, an unstoppable force in any modern day world, but rather marker maintenance. Nevada's wide open spaces naturally isolate each marker from the next and in urban areas, markers fall victim to bulldozers, home builders and lack of care from locals. Often times, people take it upon themselves to remove them if they should lie too close to their property, simply for the sake of privacy. With all of these combined problems, Nevada's historical markers are some of most endangered in the nation, yet our history is unique and exclusive to America. Ironic. The problem therein.
On my endeavor to capture all 267 markers, I've recently ran into a few private hires who help with the upkeep of the markers. These 'hires' are sometimes employed on a temporary basis by the SHPO or often times, hired on a marker to marker basis, doing important things such as re-painting, plaque re-finishing and even re-erection. With Nevada's economy on an ever-changing teetering scale, the markers are last priority when it comes to funding. Therefore, the possibility of re-erecting a missing marker, acquiring land rights, or simply re-building of a marker become a pipe-dream in the eyes of a few. The future of Nevada's markers remains uncertain. People of all professions, including state funded, are learning more and more about the would-be future of Nevada's history. People statewide are working hard to keep these markers alive and well and with the help of this website... you can too.
The purpose of this website is to capture such history before our markers DO become things of the past. I hope you'll take something away from the experience. Whether it's the explorative, interpretive or imaginative of Nevada's open beauty and history, I hope you'll find that Nevada is truly one of America's last wild places.
Nevada State Historical Markers
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Marker Type
Standard Large, St (L) markers, are the largest in the system. Most are about 5-6 feet tall, but others can be well over your head. It's interesting to know that marker sizes have changed throughout the decades ever since the establishment of the State Marker System in 1967. St (L) was the default marker used the last Stone type was finished circa 1970.
Standard Medium, St (M) markers have become increasingly abundant and are noticeably smaller than the Large size. Most are about 4-5 feet tall, usually with giant text on their plaques. After further research, I learned that to save money, the SHPO/NDOT began erecting these size markers around 1980. It makes sense considering that the first medium sized marker in the number system is #100, meaning every marker before #100 is either an St (L), "Stone", or "Classic". In addition, the bottom dedication text is usually post 1970's. Like St (L)'s, these are found everywhere in Nevada, desert or mountains!
Standard Miniature, St (Mini) markers are usually found on or near buildings. I usually dub them 'baby markers'. Their small size make them a bit tricky to spot from the road, but are compact and blend in very well with the history of the structure. In other words, it's kinda nice to see these baby markers on the front door of an historic mansion or saloon! They're only about 12" x 24" and the text is usually less than 3 sentences long, and at the most, a single paragraph. You'll find a lot of these in Nevada's urban areas and/or in small historic towns, such as Austin or Virginia City. You can find them either mounted on buildings themselves, or on rare occasion, on a post like a regular Standard size. Keep your eye out, or you just may miss a 'baby'!
Metal: Metal markers are anything as singular metal plaques, usually mounted onto a concrete/stone slab, or erected on buildings themselves. Metals have already replaced a few of the original Standard types as budgets allow. Now, Nevada's newest marker additions are all using the metal type. True, they aren't as photogenic as our Standards, but metals last longer and can remain out of sight. Unfortunately, they also make them more challenging for the marker hunter to spot. Again, metals are all over the state, so pursue them as you're persuing the rest of the family.
Stone: Stone markers are the first ever Historic Markers to come out of the state system. The first twenty markers were originally erected using the Stone face, a giant concrete slab mounted on a concrete, or natural stone base. Most were about 4 ft long x 3 ft tall. The original text was etched into the rock and on occasion, was re-faced with painted lettering. However, the Stone markers weathered fast and became susceptible to easy damage. There are a still a few original Stone markers left and some have been refitted with a metal plaque over the stone face to protect the original etching. Either way, it's nice to still have these around! Let's take care of them so other future marker hunters can enjoy them. Only markers #1-20 use the original Stone face tablet. Out of those 20, four have been converted to St (L) after they were originally destroyed. These are #10, #18, #19 and #20. Because they don't stand out like a sore blue thumb, the Stone's can be a bit trickier to spot, especially in urban areas. Keep your eye out!
Classic: Finally, Classic markers wrap up the types of Historic Markers in Nevada. Classics were actually some of the first to ever come out, the first attempts at erecting metal plaques on establishments and foundations. There weren't very many that were made, so in terms of quantity, they're quite rare. Out of all 267 markers in the system, only 6 were ever made using the Classic plaque. Sadly, 1 of those plaques is missing, resulting in a total of 5 you can conquer today. They're usually mounted into buildings and are usually only visible when you're really looking for them! Don't expect to see these from the road.
Things to know...
"The City". When locals refer to "the city", they usually only mean "town". "Town" in Nevada is anywhere with people, usually with just the basics for services. Grocery store, hospital, schools and mechanics' garage. Usually the only food in town is also the bar/saloon/casino. In terms of Nevada, this is "town" and about the only services you're going to get. (In some instances, you may even find a fast food joint). When locals refer to "the city", they rarely mean Reno or Las Vegas. Keep that in mind. Nevada is a very sparsely populated state. Once you leave the comfort of any "town", you're pretty much on your own, with lots of open sagebrush in between, so think wisely before leaving "town". Fill up your tank, or carry an extra gas can if you plan to explore our back country. If you should break down, help is usually a very long way. The only tow truck will probably be the only tow truck in the entire region for a hundred miles.
"65 MPH!". With Nevada's open spaces, you may tempted to floor that gas pedal and leave everything but the wind in the dust. Please keep in mind that Nevada's primary speed limit on its open roads is still 65 MPH. On Nevada's very rural roads, 70 MPH is allowed. Contrary to popular rumor, 75 MPH is only allowed on I-80 and I-15.
Watch the road! On your marker hunting adventures, keep an eye out for Nevada's reclusive wildlife that may plan to dart out in front of you. Nevada is an open range state, meaning cattle and ranchers ALWAYS have the right of way. Please yield or slow down if you should pass or have to traverse around a cattle drive. Be especially careful at night, when Nevada's wildlife are most active. I can't count the number of times I've almost hit an 18 hand high stallion on US 6's pitch black nights, even when going a comfortable 55 MPH! Keep an eye out for deer, pronghorn, coyotes, burros and wild horses. There's more out here than you think!
Cell phones?? Don't rely too heavily on them throughout Nevada. True, we're quickly catching up to the digital age, but providers are still trying to figure out how to connect across the Silver State's remote spaces. In the future, you may service spanning all of US 6, but don't count it for at least a decade. Nevada is born to be free and it's its nature to be remote. The bottom line is, most of Nevada's towns will have plenty of cell phone service... but that's not where you break down. More than likely, you won't have any service when traversing in between towns through our remote deserts. Think common sense and let people know where you're going in case you should break down. You'll thank me later.
Too much water?? Even in our modern age, technology won't help you if you run out of water. There's no way around this rule: Carry extra water will you at all times! People have become spoiled in today's world and even lifelong Nevadans sometimes overlook this important advice. Tourists flock into Nevada's open territory with the mindset that "town" will carry bottled water. They forgot there is lots of open space between here and there. Herein the question lies: what if you never make it to town? On every photo trip I make, I carry no less than 2 gallons with me if I'm planning on heading into Nevada's outback. True, you may not ever have to use that water, but if you ever do in extreme cases, it may save your life.
I've defined 4 types of historic marker found within the Nevada Marker System, "Standard", "Metal", "Stone" and "Classic". I will refer to markers using these terms throughout this website. The most common is the "Standard" type, in three sizes what I call, "Miniature", "Medium" and "Large". The standards are the common blue Nevada-state shaped marker that you might have seen up and down our highways, on buildings, in parking lots or at the top of a mountain pass. Standards are all over the state of Nevada, so you never really know what or where you'll find one!
This one is #222, Tannehill Cabin.
Before you hit the road, here are some things you might want to know about our rugged, die-hard state. Call it, a column of etiquette and safety. Even if you don't read it, at least I'll feel better for writing it.
This state will not be your compassionate mother, nor will it be your stern father. It's a state that will only say "I told you so".
