March – April 2018

HIGHLIGHTS IN THIS ISSUE

Our trip took us to Las Vegas, Mesquite, and Gold Butte National Monument, and inside this issue you’ll find a story about the resurgence of magic shows in Las Vegas, plus a gorgeous look at one of Nevada’s three national monuments. Look for the magic on page 22, and Gold Butte can be found on page 56.

Our yearlong train coverage brings two stories this issue; the first is on the advent of the two rail lines that fought to be the first to lay tracks to Ryholite and the Bullfrog Mining District. You can find that story on page 64. The second is on the first train robbery in the West, which happened near Verdi and Reno; read about the heist on page 72.

For history buffs, we have a couple of stories about Nevadans who left their mark on our area. Sam Davis was a Comstock journalist who worked in newspapers and Nevada government until his passing. His story is on page 28. Snowshoe Thompson is a legendary figure who always fascinates. The tales of his heroism and selflessness are well earned, and you can read about them on page 34.

Another bonus about Nevada roadtrips is all the fascinating places and people that exist in between destinations. Cold Springs Station sits on The Loneliest Road in America, and this Nevada resort deserves a stop on anyone’s itinerary. Read about this delicious and welcoming place on page 42.

Issue Cover March – April 2018

What’s Inside

The Magic Of Las Vegas

Magic Casts a Spell over Las Vegas Seeing is believing as illusionists and magicians reappear all over The Strip By Megg Mueller Merriam-Webster defines magic as “the use of means (such as charms or spells) believed to have supernatural power over natural forces.” I appreciate the need for a concise definition, but magic exists in the ... read more

Sam Davis

'30' is ticked off  for Sam Davis Sagebrush School journalist penned Silver State history. BY CHIC DIFRANCIA On March 18, 1918, the “Car-son City Daily Appeal” carried a front-page obituary for its former publisher and editor, Samuel Post Davis. The headline read: "‘30’ Is Ticked Off For Sam Davis.” Now archaic, “30” at the time ... read more

Snowshoe Thompson

SNOWSHOE THOMPSON - HERO OF THE SIERRAS Post and promises, legendary mail carrier always delivered. BY BRANDON WILDING “Most remarkable man I ever knew, that Snowshoe Thompson. He must be made of iron. Besides, he never thinks of himself, but he’d give his last breath for anyone else—even a total stranger.” —S.A. Kinsey, Genoa Postm ... read more

Cold Springs Station

On The Side Of The Road Is The Middle Of Everything Cold Springs Station offers perfect respite from the road. BY MEGG MUELLER “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” — Ferris Bueller The speed at which life appears to move is so rapid, there’s no end of sayings where we ... read more

Gold Butte National Monument

There’s a spot in Gold Butte National Monument where if you stretch your arms out wide, reaching your fingertips to their furthest extent, it seems as if you can almost touch Lake Mead and the Grand Canyon at the same time. It’s the southern apex of a landscape that encompasses the wealth of southern Nevada’s beauty and its arid, teeming desert. ... read more

The Race To Bullfrog

The Race To Bullfrog Two of America’s captains of industry clashed in this desert railroad battle. BY FRANK WRIGHT This story first appeared in the July/August 1992 issue of Nevada Magazine. In 1905, two railroads began making a mad dash across the desert north of Las Vegas. The object of the race was to capture the heart and gold of th ... read more

The Great Train Robbery

HIGHWAYMEN Nevada outlaws conducted the first train robbery in the West. BY ERIC CACHINERO   Just two and a half short years after the Central Pacific Railroad arrived in Reno, an engineer found his forehead on the business end of at least one six-shooter. Rather inconveniently for the engineer, the man whose trembling finger dance ... read more

Betty Snyder

NOTABLE NEVADANS Betty Snyder was born in Manhattan in 1925, in a house that still stands today albeit looking a little different. Her life may seem ordinary, but the stories this Nevada native tells of living in some of central and northern Nevada’s most iconic towns are the stuff of legend. Her fierce love of the Silver State brought this not ... read more

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