By Ronni Hannaman
“Are you exercising?” That’s one of the questions continually asked by doctors who believe strongly exercise will assure us a long and healthy life.
Sure, you can go to a gym (what did we do before gyms?) or you can participate in one of the best exercise routines of all — walking. Walking is easy on the body and allows one to stop and view the scenery, or as they say, “smell the roses.”
We are a city made for walking whether in the hills along the many trails or whether within the city. Visitors from all over the world come to walk the most scenic and historic of all walks in our area — Carson City’s 2.5 mile historic Kit Carson Blue Line Trail. This easy walking trail showcases the Carson City of yesteryear where little has changed and little will change thanks to the strong Carson City Historic Society bent on preserving what once was.
The unofficial beginning of the Blue Line Trail begins at the Carson City Mint, better known as the Nevada State Museum on the corner of Carson and Robinson Street.
Venturing up the west side of Robinson to the Governor’s Mansion you’ll notice that none of the houses have the “western” look so many expect when touring a western city. Instead, the houses along the way are very similar to ones you would see in the upper East Coast particularly in New York and New England because that is where many of our early founders were born and raised.
These great early homes have many tales to tell — some ghostly — with the most famous being the Bliss Mansion named after the lumber baron Duane L. Bliss who was born in Massachusetts. Henry Marvin Yerington, former owner of the Yerington House, was born in eastern Canada and Nevada territorial governor, James W. Nye, of the Stewart/Nye Mansion was born in New York. It is thought Nye designed St. Peter’s Episcopal Church, a church very similar to those found in New York and New England. Abraham Curry, considered the founder of our city was a native of New York, although his home on 406 N. Nevada Street was built of native sandstone.
The home of the German born butcher Mathias Rinckel, builder of the very (then) modern Rinckel Mansion is considered one of the best remaining examples of high-style Victorian architecture in the American West.
Born in Illinois, George W. Ferris, Sr. built the Ferris Mansion for his family and transported quite a few trees here from the east. His son (Jr.) was the inventor of the Ferris Wheel. These few homes mentioned are but the tip of the iceberg. You won’t even realize you’ve walked the entire 2.5 miles as you ponder the history, take photographs and become Carson Proud!
Now is the most beautiful time to walk the Blue Line Trail. The eastern trees transplanted by Ferris will soon be ablaze. Historic markers can be found on many of the fences. Learn more about the Blue Line Trail by logging on to www.carson.org.
Another historical walk of great interest is to be found in the old part of Lone Mountain Cemetery where many of our early residents are buried and still watching over this city. Enjoy beautiful, walkable, historic Carson City!
— Ronni Hannaman is the Executive Director of the Carson City Chamber of Commerce.
