When is a rock not simply a rock? When it’s a boulder and part of a new monument to honor the Comstock Cemetery Foundation.
The rock, as it has become generally known, was dedicated Nov. 7, along with three new flag poles that now stand inside the Silver Terrace Cemetery.
The rock rests at the entry way to the Virginia City cemetery at the south terminus of Cemetery Road and north of the junction of Cedar Hill Canyon, which over looks the Jewish section of the cemetery. It was placed there by the Comstock Mining Inc., following a conversation with the company’s CEO Corrado De Gasperis and Gus Fincel, according to Comstock Mining’s Alexia Sober.
“One day they were discussing erecting a flag pole at the cemetery,” explains Sober. “When Gus suggested how nice it would be if the 601 Vigilance Committee could put up a memorial plaque to thank the Comstock Cemetery Foundation for all the hard work they put in.”
It was this idea that sent Comstock Mining’s Chris Peterson into the field to find ‘that perfect rock.’
“After several large rocks were photographed and then studied, it was a rock that was located on Comstock Mining property that was selected,” Sober said. “It was found up behind Goldhill, beyond the cemetery that can be seen from the road (342) and near the older cemetery, but not from the cemetery.”
Sober says the rock was a natural choice because of its make up, the fact that it must have moved there and wasn’t part of an outcropping or anything and of course, it’s size.
“It had to be loaded and moved the seven miles from where it sat to the Virginia City Cemetery and Comstock Mining facilitated that move,” said Sober. “It was out there by itself, so imagine if you will that someone had to move there and it was probably done by a mule team.”
As for the 601 Vigilance their primary purpose was to maintain law and order and administer summary justice where governmental law enforcement was inadequate.
It was 1871, the “601s” were was formed in Virginia City in order to combat lawlessness. The Committee was made up bankers, storekeepers, miners, stockbrokers, and others.
Although lore has it that “601” means ‘Six Feet Under, Zero Tolerance, and One Rope,’ the number probably more accurately reflects the 601 original members of the San Francisco Vigilance Committee. Regardless, the sight of the numbers “601” posted on a door, presented to an undesirable, or pinned to a dead body, meant that justice was about to be or had been served.
Rather than issuing a warrant to undesirables, the group issued their own calling card, a handwritten note for these persons to leave town with only the numbers “601” written on it. If that person or persons did leave town within 24 hours, they were severely dealt with by the members.
To be ‘severely dealt with’ meant forced removal either by horse, by foot, by train, by wagon, or by casket.
One of most notorious executions that the Virginia City 601s committed was that of Arthur Perkins. Arthur was identified by witnesses in the cold-blooded shooting death of a man in the bar of the International Hotel, convicted and summarily hanged from the rafters of Piper’s Opera House.
Today, the 601 Vigilance Committee is a nonprofit community service organization which helps preserve the Comstock heritage and cowboy traditions through fundraisers and donations. Its membership represents all five branches of the United States military services from WWII, Korea, Vietnam, conflicts and current and retired law enforcement.
As the first snowfall of the season threatened to blanket Virginia City about 125 braved the chill of a continuous zephyr to dedicated not only the memorial plaque and rock, but to address a situation that took place in 1870.
At the dedication were a number of reenactors portraying dignitaries including President’s Theodore Roosevelt and Ulysses Grant. Col. H. Emery offered a brief history of the Virginia Cemetery and the flags.
“Near the end of the nineteenth century and into the early twentieth, it was common for people to walked through cemeteries in order to find peace and quiet, they often held family picnics,” Emory said.
However, Emory reminded those gathered that they were not there for picnics but rather to dedicate three flag poles to the pioneers and America’s fallen soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines.
“The flag pole that stood in this cemetery fell in a wind storm 150 years ago,” he said.
Soon the sound of bagpipes could be heard moving up the hillside towards the main gate. Behind the piper were three men, each cradling a neatly folded American flag in their arms and pressed against their chests.
The were quickly joined by three members of Scouts of America Troop 847 and three members of the 601 Vigilance Committee. Together they entered the cemetery and splitting off, made their way to one of the poles.
The raising of the flags were preceded by the playing of Taps, Amazing Grace, two 21-gun salutes and the National Anthem.
Also in attendance were Veterans of Foreign Wars #8071, Marine Corps League Detachment #630, Fort Churchill Living 8th Calvary Pacific Div., Virginia City Living Legends, Virginia City Silent Riders, Virginia City Gun Fighters, Nevada Gun Fighters, Old West Legends, Horse Thief Canyon Desperados, Foothill Vigilantes and Virginia City Peace Commission.
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