Carson City, Nevada
According to CountryAAH.com, Carson City is a city of great natural beauty, with charm, history and typical western hospitality, it gets its name from a legendary hunter and explorer, Kit Carson. Visiting this city is like a live history lesson. Just follow the Kit Carson Trail, a path that passes old mansions, courthouses, a station and a brewery, to experience the life of the Wild West.
Also downtown, the Capitol, built in 1870, offers insight into the birth of Nevada as a state and Carson City as its capital. Other historical monuments, cultural heritage centers and museums dot the landscape that surrounds the city, not to mention its nightclubs.
The city is known for the Divine Nine, a group of premium golf courses designed by professionals such as Arnold Palmer, Johnny Millar and John Harbottle and nestled in the magnificent Sierra Mountains. After golfing, gambling, or visiting the many attractions, relax at the Carson City Hot Springs. You will feel relaxed, rejuvenated and ready to experience new emotions.
History
The eastern Sierra habitat must have been a welcome haven for explorers Kit Carson and John C. Fremont, as they traveled in Eagle Valley during their search to map the West in the 1840s.
To the east, long stretches of desert mark the difficult terrain settlers have had to endure to get here. To the west, the Sierra Nevada extends like a gate to the Pacific. During that time, northern Nevada saw its first wave of white settlers. The Bidwell-Bartleson part is believed to have made its way through the area in 1841. West traffic increased, fueled by the great boom of 1848 – 1849, when the discovery of California gold ignited the spirit and the frontier transformed Eagle Valley.
In 1851, Eagle Station, a small and trading post on the Carson Ranch of the California Trail Emigrants Branch, served as a stopover for weary trips for gold seekers. According to historical accounts, the station and its surrounding valley took its name from an eagle shot by Frank Hall with his Colt ball-and-cap and mounted on the back wall of trade. Frank, brother WL Hall and George Jollenshee run the ranch, located on the present site of Fifth and Thompson streets.
In 1858, Abraham Curry Eagle purchased the station when he found lots that were presented in Genoa, Nevada to be too expensive. Carson City’s future designation as a capital company was largely the fruit of Curry’s workforce. He left a ten-acre plaza in the center of the city for its planned location of the State Capitol and plans for the city of the future. In 1859, prospectors hit silver in the hills east of Carson City. The Comstock LODE, as it was called, was the largest silver find in the history of the world. Tens of thousands of miners will pour into Carson City and neighboring Virginia City.
In the 1860s, Carson City was a station for the Pony Express and overland mail under the Chorpenning, Butterfield, and Wells Fargo. In 1861, true to Curry’s prediction, and largely due to his shrewd maneuvering, Carson City became the capital of the Nevada Territory.
Despite its small population and expansive territory (Nevada is the seventh largest state), statehood was unavoidable. War was brewing in the East, Nevada, and wealth, as well as their Congressional votes, would prove vital to the Union war effort. Nevada was granted statehood on October 31, 1864. Every year Nevada “Battle of Birth” roots are celebrated in Carson City with the Nevada Day Parade.
Geography
According to Abbreviationfinder, the city limits of Carson City cover 155.7 square kilometers, making it one of the largest cities in terms of area in the state. Downtown Carson City is located in Eagle Valley, which is surrounded by the Sierra Nevada to western Virginia and the range to the East. Snow Valley Peak, rising 9214 feet from the Sierra Nevada, is the highest point in the city. The border city limits Lake Tahoe to the west and the Carson River passes through the city to the east.
Climate
Carson City is located in the high desert valley approximately 4730 feet above sea level. There are four quite distinct seasons, all of which are relatively mild compared to many parts of the country. Winters see snow, however it is rarely heavy. Most of the precipitations take place in winter and spring, summer and fall being extremely dry, like neighbors of California. Typically high mid-summers in the upper 90s, however temperatures of 100 degrees and above do occur from time to time. Low humidity and high altitude generally make even the hottest and coldest days quite bearable. Julyaverage high and low temperatures at 91 and 51, respectively, while in January this drops to 45 and 22.
Demography
As of the 2000 census, there are 52,457 people, 20171 households, and 13,252 families residing in the city. The population density is 141 / km² (366 / mi²). There are 21,283 housing units at an average density of 57 / km² (148 / mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 85.30% White, 1.80% Black or African American, 2.40% Native American, 1.77% Asian, 0.14% Pacific Islander, 6.46% Other races, and 2.12% from two or more races. 14.23% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
Education
Western Nevada Community College is a regionally accredited, two-year institution that is part of the Nevada System of Higher Education. The college has an enrollment of approximately 6,000 degrees-seeking students attending classes on campuses in Carson City, Fallon, and Douglas County and teaching centers in Dayton, Fernley, Hawthorne, Lake Tahoe, Lovelock, Smith Valley, and Yerington. It has an extensive prison education program, which offers undergraduate classes to search for five inmates in correctional institutions (four men and one woman).
The University of Nevada is also in the area, located 30 miles north of Reno. Carson City has six public elementary schools: Bordewich / Bray, Empire, Fremont, Fritsch, Mark Twain, and Seeliger.
Transport
Carson City is one of five state capitals not served by an interstate (Dover, Delaware; Jefferson City, Missouri; Juneau, Alaska, and Pierre, South Dakota are the other four). This soon change as Interstate 580, also known as the City of Carson Freeway, is currently under construction. The Washoe County Regional Transportation System (RTC) provides public transportation service between Reno and Carson City, and on October 3, 2005, Carson City’s first bus system, Explore Carson (JAC) opened its doors to the public.
