Yerington Monday: Silver Springs

Yerington Monday: Silver Springs

What is Silver Springs to Yerington?  Well, anyone from Yerington enroute to Fallon, Reno, Carson City, Dayton or Fernley must stop at the four corners of Silver Springs.  If you lived in the 1950-1960’s, you were privileged of watching this community grow as Silver Springs came into existence in 1949. An article, dated February 1953, in the Fallon Standard, stated “ twenty-six families live in Silver Springs – or are presently building homes.”  By the 2010 census, The population had grown to  5,296. Prior to becoming Silver Springs, the area was known as the “Crossroads” or “Jackrabbit Junction”.  As a teenager, nearby Lahontan Lake was a favorite recreational area and “party spot”.

Click on pictures to explore more about Silver Springs.  Above this post is a new blog post “Terror on Alt 95”, a true short story about an experience I had in this area in 1972.

History:

There were hostile and friendly native Indians, explorers, gold rush pioneers, missionaries, entrepreneurs, drifters, artists, men, women, children, livestock (including rumored pack-camels) and wild animals that passed through or put down shallow roots, for a spell, in or around the valley. It is even a tale that Mark Twain spent a restless and frightful night in a blizzard, just west of the valley! They came, and they went -- but none stayed to build a future! Many years, (maybe a hundred) later, one man and his business partner took a look at the area that had become known as the “Crossroads” (or Jackrabbit Junction), and liked what they saw.

Timeline:

The first ten years of the community of Silver Springs began in 1949 when Merle S. Peek and Bernard Klassen purchased a large portion of the valley from Dick Conklin. The future town site was originally a part of the Break-A-Heart Ranch. In the beginning, Mr. Klassen maintained an office in Fallon, and Mr. Peek’s land sales were conducted from an office in Los Angeles.

1950: The location of the “town site” was purchased, by Mr. Peek, from another man, Mr. Hurt, in 1950. Walter Reid, an engineer from Virginia City, and E. P. Osgood were commissioned to survey and map out most of the early subdivisions, commercial areas and small residential lots for Sub. I, located on the East Side of 95A.

1953: An article in the Fallon Standard, dated February 1953, stated “ twenty-six families live in Silver Springs – or are presently building homes.”

The first building in Silver Springs – The Land Office

The manager, Dick Curtis and his parents V.J. and Febe lived in a mobile home along-side the factory.

Febe Curtis was the first newspaper columnist, writing the weekly news from Silver Springs, for newspapers in Fallon and Lyon County.

Bob Lee and his family, wife Nancy and children – Virginia, Robert Jr. and Dorothy, had moved from Denver, to Fernley, after purchasing property in Silver Springs property (sight unseen) from an ad in the LA Times.

Dan and Pat began building for Jim Dodd, who had purchased the land on the northwest side of the intersection. A huge block building, the second, went up over several months. At the time, the building was to become a restaurant and casino. The men then went to work on the third building, a seven-unit motel.

Also arriving in 1951 were Warren and Rosemary Barlow, and son Butch. They first built their home, near the southeast corner of the Crossroads. They also started construction on their restaurant, “Barlow’s Café”.

While still living in Los Angeles the Barlows, along with other “absentee” landowners formed the first “Chamber of Commerce” to promote the community they planned to move to and help build!

1952: Just after Thanksgiving the Barlow’s Café opened to a hungry community. It soon became the favorite stopping place for travelers and school teams, too. Rosemary’s hamburgers were known as “the best around”. With Jukebox, a neighborhood bar, and foods from breakfast to steaks, Barlow’s was the place to meet and mix with neighbors and friends!

1954:    Highlights included the building of the first Plumbing and Home Supply store, opening under the ownership of Jack & Lee Wooten

John and Adele Binkley built their home on the north end of Ft. Churchill St, and began construction on another motel, Del’s. Tom and Alberta Fiorica and sons became residents.

The community celebrated getting their first post office.

Pay telephone service came to the Crossroads, installed at The Land Office, Barlow’s Café and Dan’s new and bigger service station located nearer the intersections.

1956: Channel 8 (KOLO – TV) was received and welcomed into many homes!

1957-60:  (who opened the Wilson’s Bluebird Café (where Pipers Casino now stands)

Silver Saver Mart & Shell Gas Station Highway 50 & 95A Silver Springs, NV 89429

Extent of prehistoric Lake Lahontan

Lake Lahontan was a large endorheic Pleistocene lake of modern northwestern Nevada that extended into northeastern California and southern Oregon. The area of the former lake is a large portion of the Great Basin that borders the Sacramento River watershed to the west.

At its peak approximately 12,700 years ago (during a period known as the Sehoo Highstand), the lake had a surface area of over 8,500 square miles with its largest component centered at the location of the present Carson Sink. The depth of the lake was about 900 feet at present day Pyramid Lake, and 500 feet at the Black Rock Desert. Lake Lahontan, during this most recent glacial period, would have been one of the largest lakes in North America.

Climate change around the end of the Pleistocene epoch led to a gradual desiccation of ancient Lake Lahontan. The lake had largely disappeared in its extended form by about 9,000 years ago. As the surface elevation dropped, the lake broke up into series of smaller lakes, most of which rapidly dried up, leaving only a playa. These playas include the Black Rock Desert, the Carson Sink, and the Humboldt Sink. The only modern remnants existing as true lakes are Pyramid Lake and Walker Lake. Winnemucca Lake has been dry since the 1930s and Honey Lake periodically desiccates. The ancient shoreline is evidenced by tufa formations throughout the area.

Surprisingly, the watershed feeding Lake Lahontan is not thought to have been significantly wetter during its highstand than it is currently.

Lahontan cutthroat trout is the largest subspecies of cutthroat trout, and the state fish of Nevada. It is one of three subspecies of cutthroat trout that are listed as federally threatened. The Lahontan cutthroats of Pyramid and Walker Lakes were of considerable importance to the Paiute tribe. The Lahontan cutthroat trout evolved as a predator species within the waters of Lake Lahontan, feeding on native chub and sucker. This subspecies of cutthroat trout survives today in tributary rivers of the Great Basin, and has been reintroduced to Pyramid Lake and Walker Lake after being extirpated during the 20th century.

Sunset on Lahontan Lake

Bait Farm Saloon

1450 US Hwy. 50

Silver Springs, NV 89429

(775) 577-2596

Nugget Casino

Silver Springs Airport