 (Photo taken on SB SR 28 @ DO/CC county line) |
Douglas County
Every county in western Nevada has a specific role; Carson City is the state capitol; Storey County needs little introduction, set immortally in the history books for the Comstock Lode; Lyon County ties Carson and Storey together forming Nevada's own historical roots. Washoe County is western Nevada's urban county, a place still in transition, home to Nevada's true city and the sprawling megapolis of the Truckee Meadows. Then... there is Douglas County, not quite old and not quite new... or is it? Indeed, Douglas stands alone in western Nevada. In fact, some life-long Nevadans believe the creation of Douglas County was an accident. After all, Douglas 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?
Douglas County sees many a faces of the California Tourist. How many faces? Douglas County alone welcomes over fifty thousand tourists every year; most of these visitors arrive from Los Angeles and Southern California via the Scenic 395 corridor of California's Eastern Sierra en route to Reno or Tahoe. Douglas may also be the envy of some other western Nevada counties. Why? Simply put, it seems like everyone wants to come to Douglas, tourists, homebuyers and locals alike. The county's western half resides within the Carson Range and most notably, the east shore of Lake Tahoe, bringing an influx of economy to Nevada; the county's eastern half remains largely unspoiled within in the Pine Nut Range. However, the lifeblood and workings of Douglas centers around its 'heart': the Carson Valley, home to the county seat of Minden and the largest community in Douglas, Gardnerville. In ten seconds or less, Douglas is summed up like this: life in Carson Valley is both deep-rooted and modern. The views remain spectacular. The pace? Ever-changing... and herein lies the problem. The plot thickens. At one time, Douglas County was genteel; now, Douglas faces a deeper problem: a problem not easily fixed.
"So... Who is older?"
Bittersweet Air
"...Oh yeah. Those are just memories."
The Markers
Historical Markers of Douglas County (18)
~ Lake Tahoe, Third Deepest Lake in North America
~ Historic land of the Washo Indians... Pine Nut Range
~ Gardnerville, Basque Capitol of Nevada
~ Genoa, Nevada's Oldest Community
Bottoms up! This is oldest watering hole (saloon) in Nevada.
Is is any surprise that Nevada's first white people found a home beneath the mountains' mighty ramparts here in Douglas County? The first white settlers in Carson Valley were mostly Mormon farmers who migrated from Salt Lake City during 1850 to find peace... a place of their own, as well as a bit of refuge from a confining belief system. Eleven years later in 1861, these same Mormon people found their haven, a home nestled at the foot of the Carson Range. This home was named simply and aptly, "Mormon's Station"; the community became a trading post for passersby, a farming community and a place free from Mormon rule. The 'station' eventually changed its name to Genoa; a courthouse was built in 1851 and soon became the seat of the newly-created Nevada County, Utah Territory. Genoa briefly served as a re-staging point along the Pony Express Trail. Since then, Genoa has refused to change much in the past 160 years; instead, proudly claiming itself as "Nevada's Oldest Settlement". The debate for the "oldest community" continues with nearby Dayton, then a conglomeration of tents and makeshift shelters. The question lies: what defines a true "community?" Should a community be solely defined as structures built from wood or stone, or can the defintion be loosened by adding in a town comprised of dirty, pitched tents? Regardless of opinion, Genoa does have one staked victory: the Genoa Bar, Nevada's oldest saloon. Established in 1851, the Genoa Bar has been serving drinks for over a century. Thankfully, the owners of the bar have no intention of closing!
Regardless of past or present, people can't help but fall for Carson Valley's spell. Many people call Douglas County home, but as mentioned above, a brewing problem persists. The problem of "instant urbanization" threatens the quality of life here in Douglas County. The proximity to Reno and Lake Tahoe make it easy for people to find refuge in Carson Valley's quiet corners and beautiful scenery; the county's relatively cheap real estate, compared to Lake Tahoe, make Carson Valley even more appatizing for newcomers'. Hundreds of people who work at the Lake (Tahoe), make the daily drive down the mountain to their 'quiet' residence on the valley floor, a residence they might not have been able to afford. Home builders have staked out Douglas' corners, and the last rural niches of Carson Valley to build gated communities to appeal to these residents, mostly newcomers to Nevada. This burst of annoying suburbia threatens the rural nature of Douglas County and its forelorn valley. To see a golf course set next to a dairy farm would've been ludacris back in the day; today, this growth is an all-too-common affair in Douglas County. Watching a Mercedes or a SAAB tailgate the bumper of an old-timer and his rusty old tractor is downright distasteful. Long-time locals keep the peace as best they can against this encroaching suburbia, but find it hard to ignore a rural way of life that is quickly changing in Douglas County. Although Douglas is easy to fall in love with, a lingering, bittersweet air catches hold of one real quick; long-time residents of the county chant "Keep Nevada Rural"; long-time Nevadans relate directly to such words. Trying to remember the good days when Carson Valley was a sheltered, green oasis set against the mountains, fresh with a taste of down-home Americana can be difficult; memories of old Sharkey's laugh in Gardnerville, the ancient language of the Washo People and the Basque sheepherders who wandered the valley may be only hints of nostalgia to today's Douglas County residents. There used to be a time when Lake Tahoe could be coined, "the jewel of the Sierra." Today, only true Nevadans know this term died with the building of Harrah's. The 'moo' of the cattle, the smell of fresh-cut hay, all set below Job and his Sister. "Ah, what great memories those are..." Then, that Mercedes whizzes right on by...
To reverse that "glass half-empty" psychosis, variety is the name of the game when it comes to Douglas County's markers! Despite being "Nevada's Oldest Community", Genoa claims fame to *drumroll please*, NO HISTORIC MARKERS! (Yes, I find this ridiculous too) However, up the mountain is a different story. By making the drive up SR 207, the Kingsbury Grade branches away from the Carson Valley to an overwhelmingly crowded version of a Mountain Vegas. Imagine how the Tahoe Basin would have been like without man's exploitation and commercialism. Was Tahoe EVER the "crown jewel of the Sierra?" I want to think so. Set aside the grudge of Nevada's casino scene and continue on US 50, along the east shore of Lake Tahoe. Return back down the mountain onto the valley floor once again... all for the sake of conquering Douglas' markers. Three markers make their home in the Tahoe Basin and even with all that adventure, only an hour's passed, realizing one very important thing: just how special us Nevadans have it down here on the desert. Working Douglas' markers effectively means to focus your attention in Carson Valley. Almost all of the markers in Douglas are found here. Book a stay in Minden and forget the tainted shores and materialism found up the mountain. Make the run, but don't forget about the few up the mountain... and our way of life at the same time. "Jewel of the Sierra?" To each his own.
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