Nevada City: The Road To Yellowstone V

Nevada City

Nevada City and Virginia City (our next stop) are located in an area called Alder Gulch. This is a valley created by Alder Creek that shaped the area into a deep V. It is some 25km long and it was a home to several mining cities of the past. The creek must have been overgrown by alder trees - hence the name.

 

Since creeks and alders serve as prime habitat for beavers (along, of course with many other animals) the first non-native parties inhabiting the area were the hunters and trappers who made their living by supplying Old World with all the furs they could get. Minding their solitary business they had no desire to build settlements and cities.

Later on, came the miners - all aglow with gold fever - as significant amounts of placer gold were discovered in the area. The year was 1863 and it did not take long for towns to sprout along the valley. Nevada and Virginia City were amongst them.

 

History of that era reads exactly like any Script for an Old-West Movie; hard work of miners, friendships, treachery ... robberies and vigilantes, struggle for order and justice that did not have time to set roots. Evidence of that is now preserved in those two towns, making one ponder about the human kind and its nature. I am afraid that nothing much has changed in those 150 years and nothing much ever will.

Bonanza did not last long. Gold and money-fever both gone, the towns declined and today only some remain: semi-ghosts educating and entertaining  thousands of tourists year after year.

Just before our arrival to Nevada City we were treated to an unusual cloud formation. A UFO! 
It followed us all the way to Nevada City and we managed to work ourselves into an alien-mode. This was June 6th in Montana with its wide open spaces and endless sky. Two months later, I came across the following post - aliens explained.

Nevada City:

Perhaps they should have named it Shooting Star for this city boomed for about ten or fifteen years before the people packed up and went elsewhere. Its saloons, dozens of stores, the brewery and other enterprises closed and by 1880 the town was reduced to a dozen, or so, homes. Just like a shooting star it lit up and died. 

Spire house, an intriguing building at the west entrance to Nevada City. Perhaps it belonged to Henry Bovey, who re-discovered Nevada city and commenced its restoration.

Miners' cabins. And yes, right behind is the UFO cloud that caught up with us. Impressive. It is actually and for real, called a lenticular cloud.

Today Nevada city is an "open-air- museum" that the Europeans might call a "skansen" or or "skanzen" or "a folk museum". It is a collection of buildings where people can walk about, see the presentations and learn about the past. 
This one too has a collection of old buildings, some of which have been transferred to Nevada City from other places. 14 out of displayed 108 are originals - native to Nevada City of the past.

Tickets to the museum can be bought here.

 

For those who wish to spend more time here, there is a hotel and other accommodations.There is also  Cafe and a Gift Shop etc. All one needs is a bit of money and a lot of time.

If you wish to see more click on this link:  

Nevada City is connected with Virginia city by rail - not a long distance to take - perhaps 3 or 4 km. Wanting to arrive to West Yellowstone this very same day, we passed the opportunity; much to our "geez should have done it". 

Great Northern Railway (U.S.) is another part of American history, there is something for railway enthusiasts as well.

 

 

 

 
 A lonely traffic light at the end of Nevada City marks our exit - not far ahead is another tourist destination (and yes, we could have gone by train!) - Virginia City - NEXT