Shubael Thomas Swift was an early resident of Carson City. He lived there when there were only 30 or 40 houses and before it was a State Capitol. He was born around 1825 in New York and immigrated to Nevada in the 1850’s. He was the Ormsby County sheriff for 14 years from 1869 to 1878 and 1881 to 1884. (He was defeated in the 1879 election.)
He also purchased the land around the local hot springs in 1880 waiting to be elected sheriff again. He called the area Swift’s Hot Springs. He built bathhouses, a clubhouse, and a hotel with rates of $10 to $14 per week. In 1882 he would sell it to a man named Shaw who changed its name to Shaw’s Hot Springs. It eventually became the Carson Hot Springs and was always a popular spot with the locals. A volunteer fire department in Carson City was formed in 1873 and named for Carson pioneer and sheriff S. T. Swift. Swift was not a member as far as I know, but this shows his importance to the city. |
But we are focusing on his other endeavor. Before 1860 Shubael built a station on the Lake Bigler (as Lake Tahoe was known then) Road. It was a stop for the wagons of lumber and supplies using this road to get from the lake to Carson City. The station had a large frame hotel, complete with barn and outbuildings. It was located on the King's Canyon Road about two miles east of Spooner Summit. During the 1860s and 1870s Asa Hawley (builder of the Hawley Grade of the Bonanza Road chain) operated Swift's Station.
In the 1860’s this was the road to get lumber via Carson to the Comstock. As new roads (following highway 50) were built this road declined in importance and eventually traffic stopped using King’s Canyon Road. Below is a note just two weeks after Nevada was granted statehood. It has the Savage Mining Company stamp over the two cent US revenue stamp. S. T. Curtiss was the superintendent of the mine at this time. This document is for billing for miners staying at the hotel in 1881. Mr. Chapman, millwright in charge spent 6 nights. Mr. Ambrose, laborer, spent 13 nights and took 2 baths. Mr. Gammon, carpenter, spent 11 nights and took 2 baths. Mr. Murphy, laborer, spent 11 nights and took 2 baths. I am not sure why he got a 15 cent discount? The Princess Mine was just on the other side of the mountain as far as I can tell. The paper on the next the next page indicates the wages for all working on the mine at that time. The payment is made to S. T. Swift himself. |