National Historic Landmark

The Comstock Foundation for History and Culture is pleased to announce receiving the 2014 Business of the Year for Storey County from the Northern Nevada Development Authority.

In a recent “letter” published in CarsonNow.org Pamela Abercrombie decried the negative reaction of Silver City and Gold Hill residents to the Comstock Foundation’s fund-raising gambit offering prints of the “Nine Cheers for the Silver State” painting to subscribers. In characterizing critics of the painting as “this handful of local residents,” she echoes a favorite tactic of Corrado de Gasperis, Comstock Mining’s CEO who frequently diminishes the legitimate concerns of residents by portraying CMI critics as “a few disgruntled residents” or the like.

Editor,
I read with interest Pam Abercrombie's recent letter about Comstock Mining Inc and the Foundation it funds.

To an outsider the Comstock Foundation for History and Culture looks like a public relations effort, window dressing to distract attention from their continuing destruction of the Virginia City National Historic Landmark by the pit mining now underway in Gold Hill and threatening Silver City.

Recently, a few naysayers have written to local newspapers, criticizing the effort of the Comstock Foundation for History and Culture, a 501(c)(3) organization, to raise funds to preserve historic resources within the Comstock Mining District, a National Historic Landmark.

Renowned Dayton artist, Steven Saylor, has completed his painting “Nine Cheers for the Silver State,” featuring current governor Brian Sandoval, the two U.S. Senators from Nevada, and Mark Amodei, who represents the Northern Nevada congressional district.

The painting celebrates the 150th anniversary of Nevada statehood and will raise funds for the Comstock Foundation for History and Culture, a non-profit organization dedicated to the restoration and promotion of the Comstock Historic District, a National Historic Landmark.

The Nevada State Railroad Museum’s historical 1910 McKeen motor car, a National Historic Landmark, will carry passengers from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the museum, 2180 S. Carson St. in Carson City.

The McKeen motor car will operate for only four days in 2014; two of those days are this weekend. The event celebrates National Train Day, which is May 10.

This weekend, the McKeen will run every 30 minutes between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Rides are $8, $4 kids ages 4-11; free for children younger than 4.

From the front, St. Mary’s Art and Retreat Center is the epitome of Virginia City’s Old West heritage. But take a peak around back and you’ll find an energy source that’s anything but old-fashioned.

Reno nonprofit Black Rock Solar just completed construction of a 110-panel ground-mount photovoltaic array at the National Historic Landmark, built in 1875. The 30-kW array will generate enough energy to cover almost all the electricity costs of the former Comstock hospital.

To commemorate National Train Day the Nevada State Railroad Museum in Carson City will operate and offer rides on May 10 aboard Virginia & Truckee Railway's McKeen motor car No. 22.

The car entered service for the V&T on May 9, 1910, and was retired in 1945. No. 22 is the only restored and operable McKeen motor car in the world. In 2012, the Secretary of the Interior granted the No. 22 National Historic Landmark status, which recognizes the McKeen motor car's significance to United States history.

The Comstock Foundation for History and Culture raised $15,003 for nine organization within the Comstock Historic District. The Comstock Foundation matched donations up to $1,000 for each organization.

The fundraising event was part of a commemoration of the restoration of the Upper Yellow Jacket hoist and ore chute in Gold Hill, the Foundation’s first substantial preservation project since organizing in June 2013. Work on the Upper Yellow Jacket hoist and ore chute cost roughly $100,000.

At the Lyon County Commission meeting January 2, the commissioners voted 4-1 to grant a request from Comstock Mining Inc., to modify the county Master Plan and change the zoning, which would allow pit mining in and adjacent to Silver City.

Four of the Commissioners ignored the recommendation of the Planning Commission and the express wishes of the citizens of Silver City and voted without explanation to abandon precedent and acquiesce to the company's desires.

Please join the citizens and merchants who are keeping the Comstock National Historic Landmark open in Virginia City this Saturday, October 12.

We have the Great Pumpkin Festival and RedRun zombie race this week to entertain visitors, so you can have a great time and communicate an important message to Washington, all at the same time.

Saturday October 12th events will, of course, be a peaceful but clear demonstration of support for action by the Federal government to immediately reopen the National Parks, Memorial, Monuments and Landmarks.

Enjoy a wondrous evening under the stars with our friends from Great Basin National Park as they host the Star Train at Nevada Northern Railway, Saturday, Sept. 28 at 7 p.m.

There will be a trivia contest on board with prizes for those with their thinking caps on. Passengers will be let off the train in order to gaze through telescopes at the night sky, guided by the Dark Rangers of Great Basin National Park. This is a great train ride that the whole family can enjoy.

Virginia City’s St. Mary's Art and Retreat Center, the Gold Hill Hotel, and the Comstock Foundation for History and Culture will be co-hosting an event called “Turn up the Heat – Saving the Boiler at the Arts Center.” The event, held at the Gold Hill Hotel, will include a wine tasting and art auction. All proceeds will assist with the restoration of the 1875 historic building that houses the Center.

Carson City will be featured on the C-SPAN network's two channels this weekend after their visit to the capital city earlier this month.

In addition to having feature stories sprinkled in throughout the weekend on the respective networks, both American History TV and Book TV, there will be a block of programming where all of the respective Carson City pieces for their networks will air, said C-SPAN spokeswoman Laura Finch.

Tickets are now on sale for a special performance from Roy Rogers and the Delta Rhythm Kings, Saturday August 3 at 7:30 p.m. at the Bob Boldrick Theatre in the Carson City Community Center located at 851 E. William Street.

The Pony Express Territory is pleased to announce that Victor Galbraith of Auburn, Calif. has won and accepted a free overnight stay in Ely and four tickets to experience the magic of Nevada’s original Polar Express train. When notified that he was the contest winner, Galbraith said, “My wife and I are excited to be bringing our Grandkids with us. They are going to have a blast!"

The 2012 Polar Express train aboard the historic V&T Railway in Carson City has sold all of its tickets, officials said. The all-ages train ride is set for 15 different dates, Nov. 23 through Dec. 23. The V&T officially sold all 10,794 of its tickets as of Thursday, said Candy Duncan, executive director of the Carson City Convention and Visitors Bureau.

One of Nevada’s most significant historic treasures is now the nation’s newest historic landmark with action today from the United States Department of the Interior. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar listed the McKeen Motor Car at the Nevada State Railroad Museum in Carson City as a National Historic Landmark.

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar on Wednesday announced the designation of the Virginia and Truckee Railroad McKeen Motor Car #70 based in Carson City as one of 27 national historic landmarks.
Calling the McKeen Motor Car #70, Virginia & Truckee Railway Motor Car #22, "the best surviving example of the first commercially viable application of internal combustion power in a self-propelled railroad car" the designation possess exceptional value and quality in illustrating or interpreting the heritage of the United States, Salazar said.

Celebrating National Train Day, the Nevada State Railroad Museum’s historic 1910 McKeen motor car will ride the rails from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 12 in Carson City.

Now a stellar attraction for rail enthusiasts and family fun, the McKeen Motor car operated from 1910 to 1945 racking up more than a half-million miles between Reno and Minden. The prestigious car became a diner and an office but was rescued by the museum when it was donated by the Bernhard family of Carson City in 1995.

(PRESS RELEASE) ELY, Nev — June is the month for grads and Dads; with school out and Father’s Day just around the corner on June 19, reward them both with a unique gift from Nevada Northern Railway. Put Dad and the grad in your life right in the cab of a locomotive — in the Engineer’s seat, hand on the throttle.

Blowing that iconic steam whistle can actually be a dream come true with the Nevada Northern "Be the Engineer & Take the Throttle” program.

By Erich Obermayr
Silver City, Nevada —population around 200 — is a small, unincorporated community in rural northwestern Nevada. It is located along State Route 342, in Gold Canyon, 3.5 miles from Virginia City. It lies within the Virginia City National Historic Landmark and the Comstock Historic District. The nearest large cities are Reno, 20 miles to the north, and Carson City, 9 miles to the southwest.

ELY, Nev. — The community-owned Nevada Northern Railway Museum in Ely, Nevada remains open and unaffected by Nevada state budget actions. The museum operates the famous Ghost Train of Old Ely and manages the Nevada Northern Railway complex, except for the state-owned, East Ely Railroad Depot Museum.

Ely, Nev. – The Nevada Northern Railway is not your usual traditional museum with stationary buildings, equipment and trains that may not even tie to the history of the area.