Verdi, Nevada - General History and Resources of Washoe County, Nevada, Published Unde

General History and Resources of Washoe County, Nevada, Published Unde

Verdi is a station on the Central Pacific Railroad, about two miles from the old town of Crystal Peak, and now eleven miles from Reno by railroad or wagon road.

In i860 Verdi proper was known as O' Neil's Crossing, O'Neil having built a rough log bridge here and established a station, to catch the trade of the travel to the Comstock. In 1862 this bridge was carried away by the disastrous floods of that year, but it was soon ] rebuilt. In" 1870 occurred the robbery which created so much excitement, and which is still fresh in the minds of many. On November 4th of that year a band of robbers, composed of J. E. Chapman, A. J. Davis, E. B. Parsons, James Gilchrist, T. P. Cockerill, J. C. Roberts and John Squires, went to Verdi, and when the overland train of the 5th came in the morning they boarded it, cut off the engine, mail and express cars from the rest of the tiain, and compelled the engineer to run down the track to a culvert where some of the gang were waiting with tools. The express messenger was ordered out of Wells, Fargo & Co.'s car, and placed under guard, with the engineer and fireman, in the mail car. The treasure boxes were broken open, and $41,600 secured. This was hastily divided, and the members scatttered in different directions. The officers of justice were soon on the trail, and in a few days all of the gang were behind the bars. Roberts weakened and told all he knew about the matter, and $40,000 was recovered. At the trial in December Roberts and Gilchrist turned State's evidence and were liberated. Davis and Jones pleaded guilty, and were sentenced to ten and five years respectively in the penitentiary. The others stood trial, were found guilty and sentenced to various terms, ranging from eighteen to twenty-four years.

In 1873 the wagon bridge at Verdi fell into the Stream when an ox team, drawing a load of wood, was crossing. The wagon struck the water "right side up with care," and was drawn out of the gulch, with the help of the uninjured oxen.

In 1882 the Central Pacific Railroad Company took down the wooden bridge over which the railroad passed, and constructed a small iron bridge. While in process of construction something supporting the bridge gave way, and five carpenters were hurled into the gulch with the crashing timbers. Several were badly bruised, and taken to Reno for treatment, where they quickly recovered.

Verdi V principal business is in its extensive lumber interests. Several fine saw- mills, costing in the aggregate some $60,000, were erected here. Some of the material for these mills is flumed from the adjacent hills, while other is transported by railroad. They do superior work, and manufacture all kinds of lumber and some furniture. The principal business houses are May's saloon, a popular resort; Foxwell's saloon and Judge Borman's hotel. About eighty men find employment in Lonkey's Sash Factory. Katz & Henry sold their mill, lumber and land to the Truckee Lumber Company in 1883 for $45,000. They used to flume wood from Dog Valley. Verdi is a pleasant little place, and the mountain breezes make the summer weather endurable. In season the Truckee affords good fishing, and deer are found just over the hill. The people are pleasant and sociable, and they have a nice schoolhouse. There is property in Verdi and vicinity to the amount of $120,000.

Prehistoric Printing

It has long been known that "pictured rocks" were to be found in many parts of Nevada, and Washoe County has her share at Verdi. The largest of the group is eight feet long, five and a half feet across, and five feet thick. It is of a dark red or dirty brown color of lava formation, and worn smooth by water. Its top and sides are covered with lines and marks that convey to the present generation no intelligence whatever. A line half an inch wide starts at the hole and, bending downward, forms a sort of border for the letter, until it reaches midway of the rock, when it suddenly turns up and mingles with the hieroglyphics above. Two or three similar marks cross on top of the stone, and ' one runs across the north side, losing itself inside a coating of moss as hard and dry and old as the rock itself^ From a line at the bottom hangs a few scallopylooking marks that may be part of the picture, or it may be fringe or ornament. The figures are not those of any animal, bird or reptile, but seem to be made of all known forms, and are connected by wavy, snake-like lines. Something that might be taken for a dog, with a round and characterless head at each end, looking towards you, occupies a prominent place near the lower line. The features are all plain enough. A deer's head is joined to a mixed-up patchwork, that has something which may be meant lor four legs beneath it. Birds' claws show up in two or three places, but no bird is near them. Snaky figures run promiscuously through the whole thing. A circle at the right end has spokes joining at the center and running out and losing themselves in the maze outside. The whole thing is a crazy-looking mess of stuff that may have meant something once; but if it did, it must have taken some time to learn the art of reading it. No one can look at these relics of a remote past without having his mind filled with conjecture as to the intelligence which dictated them, and the objects which they represent. J. K. Lovejoy ("Old Piute") discovered them in 1858, and the Indians say they have been there, and along the Truckee at other places, for many years, and they have no legends or traditions concerning them. Dan De Quille says they are rude maps of the country, and the lines, figures, etc., employed mark the course of rivers and the direction of mountains, while the holes represent the lakes. He says several parties have found the keys of some of the stones, and followed the lines with a result bearing out this theory. However this may be, the rocks may be classed among our natural curiosities, and a look at them pays well for a visit to the place.

Hunter's Station is a crossing point of the Truckee River about half way between Verdi and Reno. It was one of the numerous "crossings" on the route of travel between California and Washoe. In i860 George Stout built a bridge here, which was carried away by the deluge of '62. Stout was drowned in the flood. .In i860 Hunter kept a hotel here, and the place still goes by the name of "Hunter's." After the destruction of Stout's bridge a new one was built by the

Henness Pass Toll-road Company, and used in conjunction with their road. Their irarichise expired in 1872, and the bridge became the property of Washoe County.

Pea Vine

Peavine Mining District, in the Peavine Mountains, nine miles from Reno by the N. & C. R. R. , was so named from the number of wild peavines which abound in the vicinity. The Peavine ledges, which contain copper, silver and gold, were discovered in 1863. In the same year a town named Peavine was laid out near a cluster of springs, a mile or so up the mountain. The ore assayed from $60 to $600 per ton in gold and silver. A trial of the ore at the Auburn Mill showed that it could not be reduced by the ordinary process, and smelting works with a capacity of ten tons per day were erected. Still the ore, which lies in a granite and metamorphic formation and contains base, proved refractory, and many of the miners left. A few remained, with, the hope that some new and successful process would be found, while they in the meantime engaged in placer mining for gold in the canyons when water was plenty in the Spring. In 1865 work was resumed, and several rich ledges were developed in the "Poe," "Paymaster," and "Golden Fleece." A ten-stamp mill, having in connection a new style furnace, was erected, and some thousands of dollars were spent in other improvements. The population of the place at this time was about 150, and the town was named Poe City. The new mill and furnace failed to reduce the ore, and new processes were tried from time to time. The ore possesses some of the most complicated combinations of mineral known, and although the assays range high, enough of the precious metals cannot be extracted to pay for the working. Other ores are found near, and yield fair returns.

Down the hill from Peavine, on Lemmon's Flati lies the Emma mine, from which a company expected to reap a fortune. Some of the parties interested in the Peavine mines still have faith, and resume operations and prospecting from time to time. We trust that faith will be rewarded ere long, and the rebellious rock forced to yield its treasure.