We are from Utah! That’s right, the area we call Nevada today (at least most of it) was originally part of the Utah Territory. And the book of records survives and can be found in the Nevada State Archives. It is wonderful way to find the earliest settlers in Western Nevada, what the economy was (hint: it wasn’t gold) and where these settlements were. [The unused document above started me on a search for other official Utah Territory documents which led me to...]
A group of settlers arrived in Carson Valley on June 6, 1851 from the Salt Lake area of Utah Territory. Lead by Col. John Reese the all-male party lost no time in erecting a trading post to serve travelers to California and clearing land for vegetables and other crops. Soon the post, known as Mormon or Reese's Station, included a blacksmith shop, saw mill, general store, hotel, and corral.
In October the Carson Valley settlers decided to stay when the U.S. Mail contractors George Chorpenning, Jr. and his partner Absolam Woodward established a mail station and drove eighty head of mules eastward from California with enough supplies to outfit their mail station for the winter. Reese and the other settlers were about to leave the valley and decided to stay the winter.
Lacking any government, the settlers met on November 12, 1851 and established a provisional government to protect their land claims and to maintain civil order. At this meeting and subsequent gatherings on November 19 and 20, May 23, 1852, and May 21, 1853 the settlers adopted procedures for filing land claims and appointed officers to carry out those new regulations - a recorder and treasurer, justice of the peace, court of four, clerk of the court, sheriff, and permanent committee of seven (later five) persons to "exercise & enforce law according to the acknowledged rules of equity which govern all civilized communities."
Frank G. Barnard, who was elected Secretary, wrote the minutes of those first and subsequent meetings in a small, ruled notebook. He was followed by Recorder J.C. (James) Fain whose handwriting comprises most of the book. This "Publick Record" was used to record all legal transactions between November 12, 1851 and March 5, 1855. Recordings included land surveys, claims, mortgages, and sales; toll road licenses; applications for attachments; performance/payment bonds; and legal judgments.
Below are some pages from this book kept in the Nevada State Archives.
A group of settlers arrived in Carson Valley on June 6, 1851 from the Salt Lake area of Utah Territory. Lead by Col. John Reese the all-male party lost no time in erecting a trading post to serve travelers to California and clearing land for vegetables and other crops. Soon the post, known as Mormon or Reese's Station, included a blacksmith shop, saw mill, general store, hotel, and corral.
In October the Carson Valley settlers decided to stay when the U.S. Mail contractors George Chorpenning, Jr. and his partner Absolam Woodward established a mail station and drove eighty head of mules eastward from California with enough supplies to outfit their mail station for the winter. Reese and the other settlers were about to leave the valley and decided to stay the winter.
Lacking any government, the settlers met on November 12, 1851 and established a provisional government to protect their land claims and to maintain civil order. At this meeting and subsequent gatherings on November 19 and 20, May 23, 1852, and May 21, 1853 the settlers adopted procedures for filing land claims and appointed officers to carry out those new regulations - a recorder and treasurer, justice of the peace, court of four, clerk of the court, sheriff, and permanent committee of seven (later five) persons to "exercise & enforce law according to the acknowledged rules of equity which govern all civilized communities."
Frank G. Barnard, who was elected Secretary, wrote the minutes of those first and subsequent meetings in a small, ruled notebook. He was followed by Recorder J.C. (James) Fain whose handwriting comprises most of the book. This "Publick Record" was used to record all legal transactions between November 12, 1851 and March 5, 1855. Recordings included land surveys, claims, mortgages, and sales; toll road licenses; applications for attachments; performance/payment bonds; and legal judgments.
Below are some pages from this book kept in the Nevada State Archives.
The First Record:
“Mr. E.L. Barnard J.P. of Carson Valley We hereby apply to you for a permit or license for us to erect suitable Bridges in the old Emigrant Kanyon, to repair the road leading up the mt. and the authority to collect toll on the same Carson Valley (Dec 1st 1852} Israel Mott John Reese “ That same day, this entry was included in the book: It is hereby ordered and determined upon the application of John Reese and Israel Mott for that purpose made to this court that this License be granted to the said Reese & Mott to keep a Toll Bridge or three toll Bridges in what is called the old Emigrant Waggon Road Kanyon at the South end of Carson Valley for the term of five years from date - And it is further ordered that said Reese & Mott be allowed to collect and raise toll for the transportation of travellers property and effects, over and across said Bridge at and after the following rates vis, one dollar for each and every waggon, ten cents a head for Horned Cattle two & 1/2 cents a head for Sheep and twenty five cents a head for horses & Mules (packed or light) and that they shall not take or require any greater sum for such transportation It is also ordered that said Reese & Mott, expend or cause to be expended the sum of One Thousand Dollars on said road and said Bridge & Road leading from Carson Valley to the top of the first sumit, said amt. of money to be expended between this and the first of July next E.L. Bernard JP |
As was the case in all Nevada communities, water was an essential issue: At a meeting called for the purpose of Enacting Laws regulating the use of water The citizens convened on the 27th day of August 1854 - Mr. J.L. Cary was appointed Chairman & Mr. M. G. Lewis secretary - after which the following resolutions were adopted Resolved that in the use of water in carson River and its Tributaries no man shall be deprived of as much as is necesssary for household purposes and where two or more are settled upon the same stream the use of the water for irrigating purposes shall be as equally divided as practicable - and where the stream is small and will not supply all at the same time an equal number of days shall be allotted to each in proportion to the amount of cultivation and in no case shall the water be used so as to divert it altogether from the original channel. |
This is an interesting read for anyone interested in early Nevada history. And to make it even easier, the State Archives have put this book online.