Carson City
Capital of Nevada, situated at an altitude of 1,425 m/4,674 ft near the eastern foothills of the Sierra Nevada, 48 km/30 mi south of Reno, and to the east of Lake Tahoe; population (2000 est) 52,500. The mainstays of the economy are tourism and legalized gambling, although mining and livestock raising are still important. From 1861 it was the capital of Nevada Territory and became state capital of Nevada in 1864.
History
The city was originally called Eagle Ranch and was settled as a trading post on the route from Salt Lake City to California in 1851 by US settler Abraham Curry. In 1858, it was renamed Carson City after the Carson River, which was named after the US frontier guide Kit
Carson. The town flourished after the discovery of the nearby Comstock silver-ore lode in 1859.
Features Attractions include the Stewart Indian School Museum, which first opened as a school in 1890 and now houses the Stewart Indian Cultural Center; the Nevada State Museum, which was a former US Mint (1870–1893) and Federal Assay Office (1889–1933); and the State Railway Museum, which commemorates Nevada's first short-line railroad that operated from 1869–1950. The Brewery Arts Centre is located in a brewery dating from 1864. Nine entries on the national register of historic places include houses, the water system, and a railroad depot. |
