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Lincoln County
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Unlike Shakespeare's, Much ado about nothing, there is Much ado about everything, when it comes to Lincoln County! State parks, historical markers, ET's and UFO's. Yes, on my way to conquering its historical markers, it didn't take long to find much more than meets the eye in this very unassuming and forgotten piece of Nevada.
The area what would later become Pioche, named in honor of F. L. A. Pioche, a San Francisco banker/mine promoter, was first settled in 1864 with the opening of a silver mine. Reorganized in 1868, it had grown to become one of the most important silver-mining towns in Nevada by the mid 1870's, but most interesting was the town's reputation for being one of the roughest towns in the West. Pioche rivaled camps in Arizona, Colorado and Wyoming as being the 'roughest and toughest'. No better example of a typical Hollywood rough and town town was Pioche. Local lore claims that 75 men were killed in gunfights before the first natural death occurred in the camp! This legend is immortalized by the creation of Boot Hill, now a proud landmark in town. A visit to Pioche, like many, is a trip back in time to the rowdy Old West. It was here that yes... a man could easily be gunned down by the hands of a drunk gambler. Pioche is famous for it's "Million Dollar Courthouse," built in 1871. Although the estimated cost was originally $88,000, building the structure was postponed a number of times, eventually far exceeding initial estimates by overtime interests. Final financing a few years later reinstated bonds totalling nearly $1 million! Today's Pioche, like most mining camps, is a mere shadow of what it was, but no less interesting of a place. It currently contains the county administrative offices and has one of the oldest grade schools in the state. It's well-developed downtown area, complete with a park, beckons a stroll down memory lane. See the old saloons, take a trip up to Boot Hill and the fine view of Lake Valley from the tramline.
Lincoln County is unique because of its variety of landscapes and lifestyle. US 93, the county's backbone and lifeline is designated as a "Scenic Route" for much its length through Lincoln, traversing through all three unique desert landscapes! A drive down US 93 will take you from the cold, sage choked desert of the Great Basin in the north, curving its way through picturesque Southwest 'red' desert near Caliente, characteristic of Utah and northern Arizona, before finally filling its trip with Mojave Desert to Las Vegas. In one day, it's hard to imagine you're still in the same county. Lincoln is also well-known for its cluster of state parks, 5 of them packed together within a 40 mile distance! A trip to Kershaw-Ryan or Beaver Dam will make you think twice if you're really in Nevada or staring at the ramparts typical of Zion or Capitol Reef National Parks in Utah.
The Markers
For one, Lincoln has strong historical roots. Once part of New Mexico territory, this county was established in 1866 after Nevada moved its state line eastward, then southward, at the expense of Utah and Arizona territories. It was then named in honor after none other the 16th president, Abraham Lincoln, the very man responsible for admitting Nevada into the Union. (Although a good portion of Nevadans think we should've become part of the Confederacy) The county was originally going to be called "Stewart County", after Nevada Senator William Stewart, but dubbed it unfitting after Douglas County had been created. Everything just fell into place, but Lincoln's seats were unsettled. Crystal Springs was the county's first seat in 1866, followed by Hiko and then finally in 1871, Pioche (pronounced Pie-Oash) where it sits today.
Cathedral Gorge perplexes its visitors with its sculpted sandstone spires and slot canyons. Landscapes aside, Lincoln's lifestyle is hard to determine. For the most part, you won't find the typical Nevada style gaming you're used to. No bawdy neon lights, or free drinks found in Lincoln. Even the 'bar & tavern' scene is hard to find, even in Pioche where the West still lives. Instead, the county's atmosphere is more reflective of Utah, largely in part because of close proximity to St. George and the Beehive State. Visit Panaca and you'll notice the largest structure in town... the LDS Church, Latter Day Saints. It's residents, protective and closed off from the rest of Nevada. This is not Nevada. This is Utah, or is it? Answer that question yourself upon your conquering. For this reason alone, prepare to be the only one on the road if you come on a Sunday Morning!
Despite the local differences, Lincoln is a blast! The scenery alone makes the trip enough to finding these markers. Lincoln's markers concentrate on two things: the typical mining lore of old Nevada towns and its unrelated strong Mormon past. Panaca alone, a really strong Mormon town, has three markers, while Caliente to the south has two. The rest are widely scattered across the county, so prepare to spend most of your time on US 93. Lincoln has 4 towns of major importance, but its easy to dispute which one has enough services to warrant it as a marker base. Since the county is largely Mormon influenced, motels AND eateries are hard to find and don't cater to well to travelers (Let's forget that US 93 is the only major artery in Eastern Nevada!) Take a trip across rural Utah and you'll know what I mean. In my scouting, I found 2 motels in Caliente and 1 in Alamo. There are 2 B&B's in Pioche and nothing at all in Panaca. To make it worse, most of these motels are only open temporarily, usually by request. Except for the grocery store in Alamo and the "Little A'Le Inn" in Rachel, there really isn't a whole lot anywhere! In other words: You're on your own. Your best bet is to stock up in Ely before heading into Lincoln and camp in one of the state parks nearby, either by tent or RV. Cathedral Gorge is a great one and it's only a few miles outside of both Panaca AND Pioche! Kershaw-Ryan usually has limited camping, but it's only a mile away from Caliente. These two parks put you at a perfect base for most of Lincoln's markers, the scenery is hard to beat and their fees are pretty much nothing. Caliente is the county's largest town and although big on scenery, it comes complete only with VERY basic services. We're talking a gas station, auto repair and a few local eateries without posted hours. Bottom line: for the first time on Nevada-Landmarks, DON'T DEPEND ON THE LOCAL TOWNS FOR SERVICES, except gas. You are on your own here. Lincoln's markers can be conquered in a day, but trust me, it's tiresome. I would advise at least 2 days, even more if you plan to visit some of the state parks. It'll also give you a little time to adjust to the local differences you'll find here. Either way, good driving and good times await you! Just don't forget about the rest of us in Northern Nevada.
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