At one time there was no Nevada Historical Society of State Museum. But some far-seeing citizens saw the need to preserve the history that they were living in. With that the State of Nevada 'Pacific Coast Pioneers' was established in 1872.
It mission was, “To form a library and cabinet, collect and preserve such literary and scientific objects as the Society determines will perpetuate the memory of those whose energy and enterprise induced them to settle in the wilderness and become the founders of a new empire upon the Pacific Coast.”
To be a member you had to arrive in the West before January 1, 1851. The Society built a two story brick edifice on B Street in Virginia City to house their meetings and store the artifacts collected. By 1875 the Cabinet contained the most valuable mineral collection this side of the Rockies. Additional cabinets were crowded with rare old coins, historical documents and papers, natural curiosities, obsolete firearms. The bookshelves were packed with many old and rare books.
But in October of that year, Virginia City quite literally burned to the ground. Not even a brick building could withstand the demon winds and hellishly hot fire. The Society lost everything.
But it did not take them long to get right back on their feet. Virginia City was a town of immense wealth and rebuilding started within the year. I concur with Eric Moody that these bonds must have been used to rebuild their Hall and refurbish their artifacts.
To anyone with knowledge of the history of the Comstock, the names of the members are well known: Alf Doten, William Sharon, James Fair, AM Cole, Richard Kirman, CC Goodwin, JB Overton, AJ Tyrell, SA Kinsey, Thomas Sunderland, Patrick Flanigan, Hobart, John Kinkead, AKP Safford, CC Thomas, SH Marlette, William Stewart, Theodore Winters, CB Zabriske, Ulysses S. Grant (honorary), and John C. Fremont (honorary).
Besides collecting and valuing artifacts of these brave pioneers, the Society was a moral, social, benevolent, literary, and social club. Yearly picnics were planned for members and the public. Benevolent gifts were given to worthy causes in the name of the members.
By 1887 the Comstock was fading fast and the Society could no longer no longer adequately preserve and collect the history. So they asked the Nevada State Legislature to accept the artifacts that they had gathered. Through the years those artifacts have been dispersed throughout the land.
Bibliography
Letter form Eric Moody, Curator of Manuscripts for the Nevada Historical Society
Reno and Virginia City newspapers
“History of Nevada, by Thompson & West
“History of Nevada” by Davis
State of Nevada; Society of Pacific Coast Pioneers” by Doten