If you're new!...
Each marker page also comes complete with 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 I was extremely careful when assigning these ratings. When in doubt, ask yourself this question: "How would I find this marker if I have never been to Nevada?" Obviously, these numbers reflect somebody who isn't familiar with the marker system, more specifically, an average Joe who has never set foot on Nevada soil. If you happen to disagree with any of the ratings listed, please let me know so I can re-evaluate them.
This page is for anybody new to Nevada-Landmarks - a website primer if you will. This page will help you get used to things around here and with that, I hope all of you will find Nevada-Landmarks to be the premier source for Nevada's historical markers, along with some included random facts, interesting oddities, and a cyber-guide to our great state. Keep in mind that I have done my best to record every possible ounce of information collected about Nevada's historical markers and my own personal accounts of my travels throughout our great state. In other words, this site leaves no stone unturned! First off, please know that every marker is divided into these categories...
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Location: 2
Visibility: 6 Accessibility: 3 Marker type: St (L) |
"Location" rates a general area in Nevada where the marker is located. Markers located within or near a major community mandate a low rating while markers located far from a major community command a high rating. For example, a "10" marker is likely to be found only in the complete boondocks (such as #149 or #188), while a "1" marker is likely to be found right in downtown Reno. High-rated markers are often far from the common services found in Nevada, while a low-rated marker might sit next to a casino, hospital, urban park, or a convenience store.
"Visibility" is simply how difficult a particular marker is to spot from the road. Ask yourself this question: "How well can I see this sucker from the street?" Visibility will almost always go hand-in-hand with accessibility, or how easy a marker is to access ...
-- Let's say a particular marker is accessible by rolling down the window to read the plaque. On the flip-side, the marker is easily missed by the average commuter traveling at 75MPH. Such markers may force many hunters to backtrack or make U-turns because they never saw it from the road. This case would reflect the following rating: "Accessibility" rating would be a "1", but its "Visibility" rating would be a higher value.
"Accessibility" is simply how difficult a particular marker is to access. Ask yourself this question: "How hard is this sucker to get to?!" Accessibility will almost always go hand-in- hand with visibility, or how easy a marker is to spot from the road ...
-- For example, a marker with an accessibility rating of "1" may be accessible by pulling right up next to the marker and rolling down the window to read the plaque without ever leaving the car! On the other hand, this same marker requires a two-hour drive on a rough dirt road! Obviously, this marker would rate a high value for accessibility.
Please know that I have given only a handful of markers a "10" accessibility rating. A "10" marker may require some finesse or smooth-talking to access. A "10" marker may be located on private property, or accessible only during certain hours, seasons, or conditions. A "10" marker may even require a bit of a hike to access! The State Marker System erected markers with leniency in mind, accessible by the common traveler. As such, markers with a "10" accessibility are rare in Nevada.
Marker Type
Standard Large: St (L) markers are the largest markers in the system. Most Standards L's stand about 5-6 feet above the ground, but others can be well over your head. It's interesting to know that marker sizes have changed through the decades since the establishment of the State Marker System in 1967. "St (L)" was the default marker used since the last Stone type was finished circa 1974.
Standard Medium: St (M) markers have become increasingly abundant over the years. Starting in 1980, the SHPO began erecting St (M) markers for cost-efficiency rather than erecting the much larger (and often unnecessary) St (L) markers. In essence, St (M) markers came after St (L) markers; the first St (M) marker in the number system is #100 meaning that every marker before #100 is either an St (L), "Stone", or "Classic" design. In addition, most dedications listed on the bottom of St (M) plaques are usually post 1990's. St (M) markers are noticeably smaller than St (L) markers, with most of them standing about 4-5 feet tall. Most noticeable about St (M)'s are the sometimes over-sized text on their plaques! Like St (L)'s, mediums are found everywhere in Nevada - urban, rural, basin, or range. The hunt is on!
Standard Miniature: St (Mini) markers, or "baby markers," are usually found on or near buildings. The small size of an St (Mini) marker make them a bit tricky to spot from the road. However, it is this feature that makes minis compact! These markers blend in very well with most structures providing a much cleaner appearance when compared to the much gawdier look of other Standard markers. Don't be surprised to find these markers mortared onto establishments such as an old saloon or an historic mansion! St (Mini) markers are only 12" x 24" and the text is usually less than 3 sentences long or no longer than a single paragraph. Be prepared to find a good number of St (Mini)'s throughout Nevada's urban areas and in small compact historic towns such as Austin or Virginia City. You can find them either mounted on buildings themselves, or on rare occasion, mounted onto a single post. In other words: keep your eyes peeled or you just might miss a "baby!"
Metal: Metal markers are anything composed of a singular metal plaque mounted onto a concrete slabs or on buildings themselves. These markers seem to be the future of Nevada's historical markers not only because they are more affordable to manufacture, but tend to be a little cleaner in appearance. In fact, metal markers have already replaced a few of the original Standard markers as budgets allow so prepare to find them all other the state! Although metals aren't as photogenic as Standards they have a few key advantages to the State Marker System ...
- Metals last longer because of the iron and brass that are used in their construction. These materials are less prone to Nevada's extreme weatherization.
Detail: Detail markers are recent additions to the State Marker System. The first one debuted in 2004 when the cost of Standards significantly increased. These markers stand roughly four feet square and stand either independantly or can be found mounted onto large boulders or stone slabs. Details are named such because they contain text and images representing its content. Only a handful of these markers have been made since 2004, but they can be found scattered thoughout the state. Rest assured ... should you happen across a detail marker, you may be there awhile to take in all it has to say!
Stone: Stone markers are the first to debut in the State Marker System. The first twenty markers were originally erected by using a Stone face - a giant concrete slab - that was usually mounted on a natural stone base. Stone markers stand roughly five feet square with text etched into the face. As you can probably guess Stone markers were highly susceptible to damage and weatherization in Nevada's extreme climate. Fortunately, a few original Stone markers still remain. Most have been refitted with a metal plaque over the stone face to protect the original etching. Either way, it's nice to see these old nostalgic markers around the Silver State. Let's take care of them so other future marker hunters can enjoy them! Despite their size, Stones can be a bit trickier to spot especially in urban areas.
* NOTE: Only markers 1-20 use the original Stone face tablet. Out of our twenty stone markers, five have been converted to Standard (L) after they were originally destroyed. These are [6] -- [10] -- [18] -- [19] -- [20].
Classic: Classic markers wrap up the four types of Historic Markers in Nevada. Classics are among the first markers erected by the State Marker System; they were also the first attempts at manufacturing metal plaques on establishments and slab foundations. Originally, classic markers were only made for a couple of years as temporary fixes before the debut of Standards. As such, there weren't very many that were made. Out of all 271 markers in the system, only six were ever made using the rare Classic plaque! Over the years, two Classic markers have gone missing bringing the total down to a dimunitive count of four. I should also add that Classics are probably the hardest markers to spot in the entire system! Don't expect to see these from the road!
Things to know...
"The City". When locals refer to "the city", they usually mean "town". The word "Town" in Nevada is a generalization, meaning "town" is usually anywhere with people. "Town" could be a ranch, a mining operation, an outpost, or a true "town" complete services. "Town" in Nevada is usually very basic, having the bare essentials such as a grocery store, an occasional fast food joint and hospital, a school, a mechanics' garage or a town park. Usually the nucleus in "town" is the bar/saloon/casino. Let's get one thing straight: in Nevada, "town" is priceless. "Town" is just about the only form of services you're going to find. However, when locals refer to "the city", sometimes they mean Reno or Las Vegas. Other times, "the city" could simply mean "town", depending on where in Nevada you're visiting. Despite the deception of Nevada's neon lights and the Las Vegas Strip, Nevada is still a very sparsely populated state! If demographics did not include Reno and Las Vegas, Nevada would be the 2nd least populated state in America! Please know this: Once you leave the comfort of any "town", you are pretty much on your own, with possibly hundreds of miles of open sagebrush in between. 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 away. The only tow truck will probably be the only tow truck in the entire region for a few hundred miles.
"65 MPH!". Every year on my photo hunts, the common misconception of "nobody watching" in the far reaches of rural Nevada, continues to be de-mystified. The truth is, Big Brother is alive and well in the form of Nevada's rural Sheriffs. A few years ago, I witnessed a horrendous accident on my way to White Pine County. Traveling down Pinto Summit from Eureka at a comfortable 55MPH, I was quickly passed by a white sportscar probably going 80 to 90. The California license plate didn't surprise me. Any local that is familiar with "America's Loneliest Road", knows damn well that going 80 to 90MPH down the summits of US 50 is suicide. Near the base of the summit, the white sportscar suddenly swerved, t-boning right into the side canyon wall! It was a miracle the idiot was still alive. With his broken sunglasses, the moron begged for help and of course, I was the only one to arrive. I reluctantly stopped and waited for his response. No words ever came. I was the one to break the ice by simply asking: "Learn your lesson?" Not only was the man lucky he didn't die on impact, he was lucky there was somebody like me just up the road to help him. He was lucky he crashed just outside of a major "town" and he was lucky he received one bar of service on his cell phone to call for help. Ten minutes later, Eureka Sheriff, followed by the ambulance arrived with the same question I had for him: "Learn your lesson?" You don't hear those kind of questions in California...
Folks, as much as it's hard to believe, Big Brother is still watching Nevada's open spaces... but don't depend on it. You may tempted to floor that gas pedal on Nevada's open roads. Please keep in mind that Nevada's primary speed limit on its open roads is still 65 MPH, with a few exceptions adorned with a 70MPH speed limit. Oh yeah, and contrary to popular rumor and Hollywood movies, 75 MPH is allowed only on I-80 and I-15.
Watch the road! On your marker hunting adventures, keep an eye out for Nevada's reclusive wildlife! Nevada is an open range state, meaning cattle and ranchers ALWAYS have the right of way. Please yield or slow down if you happen across a cattle drive or sheep flock in migration. Be especially careful at night when Nevada's wildlife are most active. I have lost count at the number of times I've almost hit horses and antelope on US 6's pitch black nights, even when going a comfortable 55 MPH! Keep an eye out for deer, pronghorn (antelope), coyotes, burros and of course, Nevada mustangs. There's more out here than you think!
Cell phones?? Don't rely too heavily on them. True, Nevada is quickly catching up to the digital age, but note the keyword: "catching up." The truth is, cell phone providers are still trying to figure out how to connect the open spaces of rural Nevada. In the future, you may find service spanning all of US 6 or US 50, but don't count it for at least a few decades. However, most of Nevada's towns will likely have plenty of cell phone service, but "town" isn't usually where people break down. More than likely, there won't be any service in between one "town" and the next. Use common sense and let people know your basic itinerary in case you should break down in between here and there. 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 simply no way around this rule: Carry extra water with you at all times! People have become spoiled in today's world and even lifelong Nevadans sometimes overlook this important advice. In case any of you have forgotten (which believe it or not does happen!), Nevada is a desert! Tourists flock into Nevada's open territory with the mindset that "town" will carry bottled water. The truth is, of course they will, but people forget there is great vastness in between here and there. Therefore, the question lies: what if you never make it to town? On every photo trip I make, I carry no less than two gallons of water with me if I'm planning on heading into Nevada's outback and 1 gallon of water if I plan to stay mostly on the paved highway. True, you may never have to use that water, but if you ever do in extreme cases, it may save your life!
I have defined four 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. These are found in three sizes that I lovingly call, "Miniature," "Medium," and "Large." Standards are the common blue Nevada-state shaped markers found along our highways, on buildings, and in parking lots throughout Nevada. Rest assured that whereever you travel in Nevada you are bound to see at least one Standard marker!
* Please keep in mind that the SHPO does not refer to the markers using these definitions. These definitions are used here as an added ease and convenience for this website. *
This one is [222] Tannehill Cabin.
- Metals are significantly less prone to vandalism! Since they are either erected on concrete slabs or on establishments themselves, this reduces their risk of destruction from car collisions, gunfire, or physical de-facings.
* This metal plaque is a replacement of an original St (L) *
[6] is rare using both its original Stone face and its representation on a Standard (L) (recently erected in 2010).
Before hitting the road, here are some things to remember. I guess I can call this a column of "wrong and right" - a column of etiquette and safety if you will. Even if nobody reads the following information at least I'll feel better for writing it. In all seriousness, DO keep these things in mind when visiting the real Nevada. Neon lights, cheap buffets, and the bustle of Reno and Las Vegas are the deceiving sides of our rugged state.
Nevada 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".
Copyright © Paul Sebesta