The year 2006 was our pit-bull, Roxy’s first Christmas with us. She had been a Christmas gift the year before to a man who couldn’t take proper care of her – so he gave her to us. We’d had her jus’ short of a year and felt she was progressing fine in her general socialization…

It cost Nevadans five cents a mile to travel on the Central Pacific Railroad in 1885, while it cost Californians only three cents a mile. This disparity also applied to freight being shipped. It cost more to ship most goods from Reno to San Francisco than it did to ship the same goods from San…

My wife was going through some of her boxes of Christmas ornaments — notice how I say “her” instead of “our” – it’s not that I don’t like them or the Christmas season – it’s jus’ that I’m too dysfunctional to truly enjoy the excitement of decorating. I’d much rather hear everyone else argue over…

In January 1860, Governor Isaac Roop wrote a letter to General Clarke of the US Army, Pacific Department: “We are about to be plunged into a bloody and protracted war with the Pah-Utah Indians.” On February 18, 1860, the Territorial Enterprise published another letter written by Governor Roop. “Citizens of Nevada Territory: Finding that we…

We’ve decided not to go with a real tree or our fake tree for Christmas this year. Instead we’re going to use the ceramic cookie jar made by Spode, in which I bought for my wife several years ago. Go ahead — say “Bah humbug!” Yes, I know – it lacks the wonderful odor of…

Sandy and Eilly Bowers began construction of a mansion in Washoe Valley in 1861, while at the same time preparing to tour Europe. They were Nevada’s first millionaires and they spent enough money to prove it. The Bowers were advised they should give a banquet at International Hotel before they departed on their journey. For…

Could another shooting-war be coming to the mid-east? It appears to be a strong possibility. Much of this is speculation on my part — but drawn from various news sources throughout the world. So take it for what it’s worth. On Tuesday, November 28, 2011, Iranian protesters stormed the U.K. embassy compounds in Tehran. The…

The four-dollars-a-day miners who worked at the Ophir Mine in August 1859,  dug up ore that had four or five times as much silver in it as gold — quantity, not value. Since there were no local mills capable of extracting silver from the ore, the mine owners had to send it to San Francisco…

Marcy was having a hard time finishing up her third plate of spaghetti As a six-year old, it was obvious that her eye’s were bigger than her stomach. She was on the verge of giving up when she asked Dad to bounce her up and down in order to make more room. Marcy believed what she had…

Isaac Roop was elected Governor of the provisional ‘Nevada Territory,’  in October 1859. J.J. Musser certified that Roop had won by a large majority, but never revealed the actual count of the ballots. This result is at odds with a letter written to the San Francisco Herald, soon thereafter. Richard N. Allen claimed that in…