Lost Carson City

by Peter B. Mires

Carson City has the distinction of being one of the least populated state capitals in the nation, but its contributions to Nevada's history are anything but diminutive. Set against the backdrop of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, it's a quintessential Wild West town. The gold and silver riches of the nearby Comstock Lode left a legacy that includes the Carson City Mint, one of only nine mints ever to exist in the United States, and the Virginia & Truckee Railroad, which still snakes through the hills. Residents once flocked to the Carson Opera House to take in a show and to the local racetrack to bet on the horses. Author Peter B. Mires explores the city's legacies, brick by locally quarried sandstone brick.

213 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 25, 2018

About the author

Peter B. Mires, a Vermont native, received his Ph.D. in historical geography from Louisiana State University in 1988, and subsequently taught at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, the University of Delaware, and Western Nevada College. His publications include six books and more than 50 scholarly articles, book reviews, and op-ed pieces. Dr. Mires is retired and lives in Reno, and when not reading or writing he may be found hiking the Tahoe Rim Trail or exploring the Nevada outback.

Reviews

[Teri Case · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was born and raised in Carson City, Nevada. I graduated from Carson High School. Yet I clearly knew so little about my hometown's history, because I just learned so many fun facts. Wow! From Dayton once being China Town to one of the founders hailing from Ithaca, New York (where I recently lived for two years), I was super impressed by Peter B. Mires' research and writing. And here is one fun fact* I can share. My father was a sanitation worker in Carson City at (then) Capital Sanitation for twenty years. One day he found an incredible basket at the dump. He took it to the Nevada State Museum and it was a Datsolalee basket :) One man's junk IS another man's treasure.

And this work by Peter B. Mires and The History Press is a treasure. I wish the junior high schools and the high schools in Carson City would add it to their curriculums.

Thanks for being you, Peter B. Mires.

*I realize this could be a family urban legend, so I'm now inspired to reach out to the museum to see if it can be confirmed. Though maybe I don't want to know the truth . . . :)

[Glenn Franco Simmons · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting history

This book is well-written and very interesting. It is true about living in Carson City and being fascinated with it's history and that of The Comstock Lode.

[Karen Dustman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well-researched, well-written -- what a fun guide to the "Lost" side of Carson City! (Great photos, too!)

[The Irish Lass Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love my hometown of Carson City!! And love learning about it.

[The Irish Lass Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love reading about my home town!