2017-2018 FWSA Digital Insert - 64-7

Take a Ride Back Into History!
A lot has changed since the mid 1800s.
But, history does leave its mark and shape the
present. There's another way to look at it. It
is interesting to learn about the past, and to
image yourself as being part of an historic era.
What was life like before all the modern conveniences? How did the word so quickly
spread that there was a discovery of silver that
turned a quite little town into the most important industrial center between Denver and
San Francisco, virtually overnight?
It started in 1848 when an employee of
John Sutter, James Marshall, found two gold
nuggets as he was helping to build Sutter's
Mill. Word traveled fast! Within months, the

The 12th Annual Michael German Memorial
Golf Tournament will be held at the beautiful
Lakeridge Golf Course in Reno. photo courtesy
of Reno/Tahoe USA

TOP: Go back in time to the 19th Century. Visit the Old West via the Wild West Tour from
South Lake Tahoe to Virginia City, Nevada. Take a minibus along the old Pony Express Trail to
Virginia City and board the historic Virginia & Truckee Railroad. The train is powered by an
old steam locomotive. This scenic adventure is narrated so passengers can learn about this towns's
unique past when the Comstock Mine was flourishing. LOWER: Virginia City is an old mining
town built during the 19th Century. The old victorian buildings still exist; many turned into
historic museums. photos courtesy of Reno/Tahoe USA

gold were considered equal, and bought by the
US government for coinage. By 1873, silver
was demonetized because there was so much
of it coming out of the mines of Nevada. Perhaps it was because of the demonetization,
and silver losing some of its value, but by
1879, mines were closing and the population
dropped by more than 50% to about 11,000.
During the boom, the charming city was
built around the architecture of the day. The
main street and other areas have been carefully preserved to retain its historic character.
In 1961, Virginia City was declared a National
Historic Landmark.

Make it a point to spend several hours
visiting Virginia City while you are in the area
for the FWSA Convention. The Wild West
Tour departs from South Lake Tahoe. An old
steam engine locomotive similar to those used
in the late 1800s and early 1900s complements a visit to this very charming and historic town. Or, take the scenic route from
Reno which climbs over a small mountain
range for excellent views of Reno, the Washoe
Valley and the Sierras.
For further information on any of the activites listed, subject search the internet or
contact Reno/Tahoe USA. ss

Far West Skier's Guide 2O17 - 2O18 / Digital Edition Insert

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California Gold Rush began bringing in over
300,000 new immigrants to the state in search
of gold.
Many of these immigrants came by boat
from China and South America, but there
were also numerous prospectors who traveled
from the eastern states, crossing parts of Nevada in search of wealth. Ten years after the
1849 Gold Rush began, the Comstock Lode
was discovered. Another influx of prospectors resulted. James Fennimore was one of
the first miners to the area. One of the stories
about how the town was named is that he
tripped and broke a bottle of whiskey. His
nickname was Old Finney. Perhaps he was
from Virginny - ah Virginia? "Old Virginny
Finney". Sometime after he "christened" the
town with that broken bottle, the growing
town became Virginia City.
The discovery of silver created the "Big
Bonanza" which brought out at least $300
million worth of mineral ore. Mine shafts and
tunnels were dug throughout the surrounding
hillsides. Virginia City was the richest city in
America at this time. The value of silver and

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of 2017-2018 FWSA Digital Insert

2017-2018 FWSA Digital Insert - 64-1
2017-2018 FWSA Digital Insert - 64-2
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2017-2018 FWSA Digital Insert - 64-7
2017-2018 FWSA Digital Insert - 64-8
2017-2018 FWSA Digital Insert - 64-9
2017-2018 FWSA Digital Insert - Cover2
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