Carson City looking north from the top of the Capitol building in 1871.
Wednesday
150 Years Ago
Advertisement: “Caoutchouc, the hairless horse will be on exhibition on Musser Street, opposite the Plaza. Admission… 25 cents.”
140 Years Ago
In brief: The gamins of the Comstock are now engaged in pulling down houses for firewood and are so lively that they evade the police. It takes 500 officers to watch 100 buildings.
130 Years Ago
Smallpox: Surprise Valley has been most unpleasantly surprised by finding that 15 cases of what was supposed to be chicken pox is actually smallpox, and the entire town has been exposed.
120 Years Ago
The Vitagraph: A new bill was presented and was among the best that has yet been offered. The Freidlander Brothers have grown to be first class artists since they gave amateur shows in this city.
70 Years Ago
Fishy: “Police suspect there’s something “fishy” about a reported burglary at the home of Mrs. M.E. Kingsley, who complained that several thousand worms valued at $500 were stolen in a box taken from her yard. She said the missing worms were breeders, and their disappearance has put a serious crimp in her business of raising worms for sale to anglers at a penny a piece.
Thursday
150 Years Ago
Outhouse burned: The most regretful thing which happened from the recent fire among the outhouses of the Episcopal parsonage was the scorching and searing of the handsome and 30 cottonwoods growing there. A woodshed or a cow-stable can be made as good as new in a few days, but it takes many a long day to replace a handsome, well-developed shade tree.
140 Years Ago
Spirit materialization (New York): What George Fredrick Parsons experienced at a séance: “A light was called for, and before the gas could be lighted, a form was at the aperture to the cabinet. Several very distinct and complete materializations followed. Some of the spirits came into the room. Then a small table was placed in front of the aperture, and immediately his daughter appeared behind the table, and proceeded to float upward until she stood upon it… (continued)
130 Years Ago
Kidnapping: James Gardner and his wife of Wellington, separated by mutual consent, the wife retaining custody of the two-year-old baby, with the understanding that the father could see the child as often as he desired. He took the little one for a ride and kept on riding until he reached Carson City 50 miles away, where he placed her under lock and key. Mr. Rogers, father of Mrs. Gardner, came to town and after vainly trying to see his little granddaughter was arrested upon complaint of Mr. Gardner. Legal proceedings will be instituted for the recovery of the child by Mrs. Gardner, who will have the sympathy of the community.
120 Years Ago
Advertisement: “A Glad Gala Day for young and old. ‘The Great Floto Shows,’ the circus beautiful and mammoth menagerie… A Belle Leona, premier equestrienne. This fairy-like queen of the arena is now the only lady somersault rider living. The Great Alexijus loops the loop, defying the laws of gravitation and scorns to make use of the solid loop and the perfect bicycle… Children 25 cents, adults 50 cents.”
70 Years Ago
Moving houses: Fifty prefabricated houses will be moved from Hawthorne to Fallon to meet a housing shortage. Fallon was designated a critical defense housing area.
Friday
150 Years Ago
Memory: As a token of respect for the memory of the departed wife of their superintendent Yerington, the engineers of the V.&T. Railway draped their locomotives in crape. Quietly displayed, they were tokens of the general sense of sympathy, respect and sorrow.
140 Years Ago
Spiritualism continued: “In that position she elongated her form until she appeared to stretch within a foot of a ceiling; then, stooping forward and waving her drapery with a peculiar flying motion, she glided from the table. At this moment, the lower part of her had a vaporous appearance. She slid gracefully and easily forward into the air, and alighted on the air as light as a flake of snow…” (continued)
130 Years Ago
Apparently died: Miss Eleanor Marks, of Mount Prospect, Ohio, 22 years old, was seized with a severe cold. The cold grew worse, and she apparently died. While the coffin was being taken to the grave, there was a faint tapping. When they raised the coffin lid, Miss Marks was found to be alive. She has now been revived and is recovering.
120 Years Ago
Died: Thomas Calvert, a native of Ohio, aged 74 years, was one of the sturdy men who helped carve out Nevada’s history. Aside from the large circle of friends are four sons and four daughters.
70 Years Ago
Clara Crisler honored: The Nevada Historical Society in Reno will dedicate a room to Carson City’s Clara Crisler. The room will contain a day-by-day history of the state of Nevada. So far, 355 scrap books have been donated.
Sue Ballew is the daughter of Bill Dolan, who wrote this column for the Nevada Appeal from 1947 until his death in 2006.