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Every county in Nevada contributes to the state by way of a specific role. Here in western Nevada, Carson City is the state capitol; Storey County is set immortally in the history books for the Comstock Lode; Lyon County ties Carson and Storey together to form another branch of Nevada's historical roots. Washoe County is a struggle of transition between western Nevada ruralty and the region's only true urban metropolis. Then, there is Douglas County, quite old and yet quite new, a county with a ramshackle identity. Douglas stands alone in western Nevada.
Founded in 1861, Douglas County was named after Stephen Douglas, the running mate and Vice President to Abraham Lincoln. Is it no surprise that Douglas and Lincoln Counties are located on opposite sides of the state? A rapidly changing demographic over the past century may be to blame for Douglas’s loss of identity. Douglas County also welcomes many faces of the California tourist, close to fifty thousand on an annual basis to be exact. Visitors, mostly from Los Angeles and Southern California, arrive in droves via the scenic 395 corridor of California’s eastern Sierra. This may further complicate the county’s changing identity. Douglas may also be the envy of some other western Nevada counties. Simply put, fate seems to favor Douglas with good old-fashioned income. The county's western half resides within the Carson Range, a virtual gold bath with half of its real estate right alongside Lake Tahoe's east shore. This whopping influx of economy contrasts greatly from the county’s eastern half –- a largely unspoiled terrain within the Pine Nut Range and neighboring high desert valleys. Here in “the east,” wealth takes on a much different meaning. However, it is its “heart,” the Carson Valley, that provides the lifeblood and workings of Douglas County. Life in the valley negates a struggle that carries on today. While the views here will likely forever remain spectacular, its pace and way of life remains ever-changing. Herein lies the problem and herein is where the plot thickens. Once genteel, Douglas County faces a deeper struggle not easily fixed in today’s growing Nevada.
Part One: "So ... Who is older?"
Genoa has refused to change much in the past 160 years. Although Genoa claims to be “Nevada’s Oldest Settlement,” the debate for the “oldest community” sparks some notoriety with nearby Dayton, some thirty miles to the east. Many historians believe Dayton is Nevada’s earliest settlement. The earliest permanent residents settled at the mouth of Gold Canyon from the spring of 1851 at least two weeks earlier than Mormon Station, even though “Day-Town” was more or less a conglomeration of tents and makeshift shelters. This competes with Genoa's brick and wooden structures along its well-defined main street. The debate is so touch-and-go, even life-long Nevadans cannot quite settle on an answer! Of course, each town has its own opinion. So then, the question should not lie in which town is older, but rather, “what should define a true community?” Should a community be solely based as structures built from wood or stone, or can the definition be loosened by adding in a town comprised of pitched canvas tents? Both communities were active commercially, each one living out opposite trades. Do we go with a bucolic farming community nestled at the mountain’s base, or a dusty, gold mining outpost along the Carson River? Whatever the case, why not battle out the debate with a Dayton fellow inside Nevada’s oldest saloon. Yes, Genoa does have one staked victory -- the Genoa Bar, officially confirmed to be Nevada's oldest watering hole. Established in 1851, the Genoa Bar has been serving drinks for over a century and a half ... so why waste any more time here? Bottoms up.
Part Two: Bittersweet Air
Long-time locals like June and her husband continually chant "Keep Nevada Rural.” Almost every true Nevadan relates directly to such words. Of course it is still possible to see the good days in Carson Valley, when the valley was a sheltered, green oasis set against the mountains. It is also possible to revoke the thought, just as much as referring to Lake Tahoe as "the jewel of the Sierra." Only true Nevadans know this term died with the building of Harrah's. Add on memories of Sharkey lounging around in his casino in Gardnerville, or the ancient language of the Washo People resonating among high-desert sagebrush in the Pine Nuts. Still not convinced? Imagine Basque sheepherders wandering the valley, or a time when US 395 was a two-lane byway without shoulders or stop lights. Better yet, embrace the quiet crackle of aspen leaves in Douglas’s mountain ranges, a sound complimented not by barreling traffic or the sound of progress on US 50, but rather what it means to be a Nevadan: wild and free. All of these may be only hints of nostalgia to today's Douglas County residents, but they are hints nonetheless. Visitors here need to close their eyes, take in a final whiff of fresh-cut hay and then breathe in the overwhelming smell of a short, summer rain. Then, I would hope they open their eyes to see such beauty set against a cloud-studded blue sky or an autumn light show at sunset. For all we know, these may be the last reminders of a rural Carson Valley and a land set below Job and his Sister. Life goes on.
The Markers
After stopping in Stateline for a break or two, three more markers await conquering along the east shore of Lake Tahoe. At Glenbrook, US 50 makes a swift turn eastward to head over the summit and back down onto the valley floor in Carson City. After mounting a defense against the traffic and the basin’s overpriced goods, most people realize one very important thing: just how special us Nevadans have it down here on the desert. Therefore, it is my hope that Nevadans continue to embrace this very nature. Hopefully, people of Nevada continue to let themselves be strengthened by the past, the state’s triumphs and defeats equally and without remorse for centuries to come. As Nevadans, let us not be in a hurry to change. Instead, let us change wisely and patiently. Nevada has always been a fighter and a survivor with its dignity and roots intact. She is “Battle Born” after all.
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