Douglas County
Douglas County was created on November 25, 1861, and was one of the first nine counties formed after the territory of Nevada was separated from the Utah Territory and was named for Stephen A. Douglas, a nationally known political figure and opponent of Abraham Lincoln.
Historical Points of Interest in Douglas County
Nevada Historical Markers in Douglas County Nevada
Douglas County is home to eighteen Nevada Historical Markers.
As we visit each we will link the articles below for you to learn more about the history of the site the marker represents.
Click here to view Nevada Historical Markers.
- #12 Nevada’s Birthplace
- #117 Kingsbury Grade
- #118 Luther Canyon
- #120 Walley’s Hot Springs
- #121 Mottsville
- #122 Sheridan
- #123 Cradlebaugh Bridge
- #124 Boyd Toll Road
- #125 Twelve Mile House
- #126 Double Springs, Nevada
- #129 Gardnerville
- #130 Minden
- #131 Dresslerville
- #207 Carson Valley
- #219 Glenbrook
- #225 Spooner Area (Logging and Lumber Period: 1868-1895)
- #226 Cave Rock – De’ek Wadapush
- #261 Spooner Summit
Douglas County, Nevada Ghost Towns
Click here to view all the Ghost Towns in Nevada.
- Blue Ridge
- Buckskin
- Bullionville – A mining district T 11 N R 22 E in the south end of the Pine Nut Range and named for the oar.
- Carter’s Station
- Delaware (Brunswick, Brunswick Canyon, Hot Springs, San Francisco, Sullivan)
- Double Spring
- Fridays (Edgewood, Burke and Smalls Station, Smalls, and Small’s Station)
- Gardnerville – A town founded in 1880 18 miles south of Carson City in the northwest part of the county. Named for John Gardner, a rancher, by Lawrence Gilman, the founder.
- Genessee
- Genoa – The oldest settlement in Nevada on the west side of the Carson River, settled in 1848. Named by Judge Orson Hyde for the birthplace of Columbus.
- Glenbrook – A town in the northwest part of the county in a sheltered corner of the east-central shore of Lake Tahoe that was settled in 1860. Named for a hotel “Glenbrook House” located there, in turn for the natural features.
- Green Valley
- Holbrook – A mining district in the Pine Nut Range in southern Douglas County. Named for Mr. Charles Holbrook, one-time proprietor of the station.
- Mottsville
- Mount Siegel (Sunrise)
- Mountain House (Holbrook, Pine Nut, Eagle, Mammoth Eagle, Sulphur Spring)
- Red Canyon (Silver Lake, Bullionville, Eagle, Mammoth Eagle, Pine Nut)
- Risue Canyon (Wellington)
- Sheridan
- Silver Star (Gold Range, Mina, Excelsior, Camp Douglas, Marietta, Black Mountain)
- Summit Camp (Summit)
- Van Sickles
- Wellington (Silver Glance, Wright, Risue Canyon)
- Wheelers
The Record-Courier – Gardnerville, Nevada · Friday, September 25, 1914
How Our Towns Were Named
Following is a partial list of the towns and stations in Douglas County, and the manner in which they obtained their names:
- Desert Station, located about the center of the Valley on the road from Carson to Rodenbah’s. was truly a desert station, in its best day it consisted of nothing more than sagebrush and a well from which water was procured by travelers It is now entirely deserted.
- Double Springs Flat is on the road to Bodie, and near Carter’s. It was given that name because there were two springs near together. The place was first occupied by Jim Dean, who sold to Sprague. Nothing is now left but the spring.
- Glenbrook is a small town located in the western part of the county on Lake Tahoe. It acquired its name because it is situated in a beautiful glen, through which a small brook runs.
- Edgewood is a later name for Friday’s Station. It was named by Mr. Areril because of the natural location of the place.
- Mountain House is five miles east from Double Springs, where the road branches off to Antelope Valley. Tom Rissue, or Lasue, built a station which was called Mountain House, but it has been known at different times according to proprietorship, as Holbook, Kigore’s, etc.
- Twelve Mile House is a station on the road to Genoa. It acquired its name from the fact that it is twelve miles from Genoa. It was originally called Wheeler’s.
- Cave Rock is a natural feature on the shore of Lake Tahoe just south of Glenbrook and was named because of the natural cave at that point.
- Lake Valley derives its name from Tahoe. It extends from the first summit to the California line. There was a stage station in the Valley in early days. An election was formed in 1861 but now abandoned.
- Long Valley is one of the principal valleys in Douglas county. Col. Warren Wasson was its first inhabitant.
- Rattlesnake Hill is in the southern part of the county and probably secured its name from the serpents that infest it.
- Carter’s Station is above the Twelve Mile House. It was named after its owner, Charles Carter.
- Cradelhangh’s is on the Carson road and was named after Judge Cradelhaugh.
- Rodenbah’s is on the Bodie road and was named after the owner, J. Rodenbah.
- Gardnerville is a flourishing town on the East Fork of the Carson river. It was settled in 1870 and was named after a man named Gardner.
- Hoye’s store is a place mentioned Brancroft. It is at Wellington and is named after John Hoye.
- Holiday’s Station was on the road three miles below Morman Station, established by Ben Holliday in 1854. It was but temporary.
- Job’s store was at what is now Sheridan. Moses Job established the station and the peak was named in his honor. This was in 1854.
- Mottsville is six miles from Genoa. The farmers settled along the foothills of the Sierra Nevadas in the natural meadow bottom lands. They named the place after one of the settlers, Hiram Mott. Mrs. Mott was the first permanent woman settler in Carson Valley.
- Old’s hotel otherwise known as Luther Olds, was a station where M. Kay’s house now stands. It is a noted place because of the collection with the killing: of Sam Brown by Henry VanSickel.
- Carson Valley received its name from Carson river, the latter being named by Fremont for Kit Carson, the famous scout.
- Jacks Valley was named after Jack Winter.
- Genoa is probably the oldest settlement in Nevada, It was first called Mormati Station and was remained by Judge Orson Hyde, after the birthplace of Columbus, He said the cave in the mountain reminded him of the harbor of Genoa, Italy.
- Minden was settled January 1907. It was named after Minden in Germany, the latter being the native town of H. K. Dangberg, deceased.
Douglas county was named after Stephen A. Douglas, an eminent statesman in Congress. Nevada territory was divided into counties November 1861.
The above is taken from the third biennial report of the Nevada Historical Society. up the on all j { |