Nevada had become a state in 1864.But it had only been a territory for a few years before. It was still going through massive growing pains. One of the issues it was having troubles dealing with were the Indians. And in 1865 and 1867 those troubles were centered around Paradise Valley!
Another growing pain it was dealing with was the vast size of the state and the lack of adequate communication and transportation. There was a telegraph, but that only reached a few communities. There were inadequate roads - when there were roads at all. A 142 mile trip from Paradise Valley to Carlin today takes about 2 1/2 hours today. But in 1867….
Paradise Valley was so cut off from the rest of the state that they got their supplies from Oregon and Idaho, through Owyhee and down to the ranchers of the valley
You just might be wondering why they didn’t get their supplies from Winnemucca, Reno, Battle Mountain, Elko or Carlin? Well in 1867 those towns did not exist. The transcontinental railroad would change all of that, when it was completed in 1869. But in 1865 and 1867 Oregon and Idaho were still the easiest locations for the ranchers of Paradise Valley to reach.
During the Indian uprisings, Idaho and Oregon was also the easiest way to get troops into Paradise Valley. As such the road was known to the locals as the Military Road. Although the last major skirmishes took place in 1867, the local ranchers were probably still concerned about a third flare up. The railroad was coming, but they were used to getting support from the north. Hence our letter comes into play!
In 1868 Andrew Fife, with his brother Matthew, received a permit from the state to build a toll road from Paradise Valley to Three Forks (just north of Owyhee and on the Oregon border). And hence our letter is born! [See all four pages of letter.]
Our letter is from Thomas H. Smith. In the 1870 census Smith is listed as a lawyer living in Carlin. The town of Carlin was put on the map in 1869, the year this letter was written, when the transcontinental railroad opened and Carlin was chosen as the eastern Nevada yards and offices.
He is writing to John Wilson of Portland, Oregon. I could not ascertain who Wilson was.
Mentioned in the letter are Andrew Fife and William Davenport. Both of these men held some role of importance in Nevada and their biographies are included.
Smith is writing to Wilson for some help. It seems that he agreed to build - or improve upon - a road from Paradise Valley to Oregon in 1868. Andrew and Matthew Fife had secured this project and they hired Smith to complete it.
Remember that in 1868 Oregon was the main road to and from Paradise Valley. In 1869, when the letter is written, the town of Winnemucca, which was on the transcontinental railroad, would become the supply center for Paradise Valley as it was only 40 miles away!
"Herewith enclosed I send you a promissory note executed by Andrew and Mathew Fife on the 15th day of August, 1868 for $2,500 with 3% a month interest." This loan was due August 15, 1869, and were secured by two certificates for 250 shares each in the Owyhee Road & Bridge Company.
So, when Smith went to work in the summer of 1868 to build this road, he had to purchase supplies and hire men to do the work. A loan from Mr. Sandy was secured with $625 given in advance. However, Sandy would not loan any more money for the reason that Mr. Fife did not comply to certain conditions “for no known reasons.”
To get out of the predicament he was in, Thomas Smith settled with Sands for the money he had advanced. Now Smith wants to get his money back to repay Wilson, and other friends he was indebted too; many of whom lived in the Idaho Territory and he was indebted to before this project took place.
William H Davenport Biography:
He was born in Delaware in 1831.
In 1862, he represented Storey County in the Nevada Territorial House of Representatives, and in 1864, he served as the Police Recorder and Justice of the Peace for Virginia City.
Thereafter, he established a law practice in Treasure City (present day White Pine County) and then in Eureka, Nevada as the city’s first attorney. In 1872, Mortimer Fuller, Judge of Nevada’s Ninth Circuit District Court, appointed Davenport as the “Register in Bankruptcy” for the District of Nevada. In 1880, the voters elected him District Attorney of Eureka County.
He was elected as Nevada’s sixth Attorney General on November 7, 1882, Davenport (Republican) received 7,181 (50.2%) of the 14,297 votes cast, and G.W. Merrill (Democrat) 7,116 received (49.8%) votes. At the end of his one term he declined to run for a second term citing ‘physical indisposition.
Andrew Fife Biography:
In 1860, Andrew moved west becoming a stock raiser in Sonoma, Mendocino, California. Sometime after, he moved to Pioche.
A Republican in politics, he was elected sheriff in Pioche on September 18, 1874. Some years later he served as coroner. In 1881 he was the Pioche town coroner.
In June of 1882, Andrew took his family to the Las Vegas Ranch owned by the Stewarts. Mrs. Fife was not in good health and it was thought she would fare better there.
The following years, Andrew engaged in various mining partnerships. In 1896 he could be found promoting mining at Silver Peak in the Nevada State Journal. In 1899 he and Thomas Wheeler took up an extension of a copper mine just north of Reno. In 1900, he was in a partnership with Thomas Clark in Esmeralda County.