Mormon Station is the site of Nevada's first permanent non-native settlement and colony making it one of the first sites where the west was born in the Silver State.  The small town of Genoa is quaint with allot of historic sites, lakes and lush land. It resides nestles in the foothills of the Carson Range and if some of you want to see our expedition above the fort you can do so at Click Here: Sierra Canyon & Genoa Peak Adventure! When I say Non-Native I meant that at one time this territory became a part of Utah which nearly took the west and America came close to being divided prior to NV ever even become a state. as Mormonism was spreading. 

The area is very ancient where today's replica fort is located as it was home to the Washoe People of Nevada.  I still think that I am on the correct path to sharing there history and ancient roots with the world as its very intriguing that is why we work so much with these sites. Therefore the early Washoe came down to the Carson Valley in the winter after collecting berries, roots, seeds, meat from there hunts in the higher Sierras and fish from Lake Tahoe during the warmer months.  The Carson Valley offered small game but also pine nuts and even grass seeds. 

The Washoe ground the seeds and berries using grinding rocks somewhat similar to a mortar and pestle technique.  My son found a broken arrow head not to far away from this area when we hiked up to the peaks that reside above the Genoa Town Historic Cemetery also the final resting place of one of my heroes Snowshoe Thompson which there is also a statue near the entrance of Mormon Fort Station.  Please make note that this is one oldest cemetery's in Nevada aside from many of the ancient tribes who have burial grounds located within the Carson Valley. We also found on the property outside the fort an old grinding rock we also seen a similar one at Maggie's Peak California which just substantiates even further that the tribe was rather nomadic and used such techniques above as below the Sierra Nevada mountain range.  It has been fun not only searching for the paranormal but also tracing all these ancient and historic roots that all tie together in this region.

The trading post would offer goods to those on the Emigrant and Californian trail as by 1850 the gold rush was at full force. You hand miners and sometimes there families spreading throughout Nevada in turn this caused a boom in camps, colonies, towns and settlements. Most of them no longer exist today they are merely ghost towns of what once was but in the little town of Genoa many of the historic buildings are preserved just as the main cabin which today is a museum at the Mormon Fort Station is one of the oldest structures in all of Nevada so you can see that the site is extremely relevant.  

The Sierras first began to get explored in the 1830's with discovery made in 1848 at Sutter's Mill in Coloma California where gold was discovered. Therefore you massive migrations which took place from early settlers heading westbound for California while in some cases Nevada also. These emigrants they would stop in the Carson Valley to resupply and water was abundant so they could rest their horses also replenish from their rugged journey through the Nevada mountains. Nevada as more mountain rangers and peaks then any other state besides Alaska not everyone made it. As a matter in fact it was dangerous for when in 1850 Mormons Abner and Thomas Blackburn, Hampton S. Beatie and Joseph Dumont established their trading post a mile north of where today's fort replica stands were attacked by Bannock Indians 6 months later after they were returning to Salt Lake City. So life in the wild west was not an easy to understand our state quote of "Battle Born"!

After the trading post was abandoned in June of 1851 a John and Enoch Reese along with a man by the name Kinsey loaded over a dozen wagons filled with supplies. They then made the trek to set out for the Carson Valley. The Reese Company built a permanent trading post just a mile away from the temporary one established by Blackburn, Beatie & Dumont. The Station added a blacksmith shop, flour mill, hotel, store, saw mills and even a livery stable nearby. The ground here was also very fertile with the Carson River meandering through the area there were many lakes and methods to irrigate the land for crops. Thus the Genoa area you see today had grown as merchants poured in along with many Mormon settlers under the direction of Utah's Governor Brigham Young. The residents in the Carson Valley established a Mormon Government who named this area Carson County Utah by the Utah Territorial Legislature who organized all of this. Mormon Apostle Orson Hyde was to appointed to act as a spiritual figure of the community as a probate judge. 

Although I do not think the settlement had lawlessness I do believe that the Mormons encased most of the settlement inside as it grew in numbers all the way up till about 1855.  However I believe that there were violent Native American tribes perhaps even the Bannock's who were not appeased with the presence of the Mormons therefore wooden walls were built and there was an Indian fort. Such forts built by the Mormons were not uncommon during this time period and it kept the women/children safe at all times while most of the men carried guns as a form of protection when outside of the settlement.  In 1857 most of the Utah settlers of the Fort Station fled or were being recalled by Brigham Young to fight and defend themselves in the Utah War.

This left the Mormon Elder Orson Hyde to build the town known today as Genoa. Hyde was an admirer of Christopher Columbus thus he wanted to name it after the Italians explorers birthplace.  This led to the building of one of Nevada's most gorgeous towns as later came the Masonic Hall, Courthouse, Fire House and of course the upkeeping of the Genoa Bar which was built in 1855 back when the Mormons were settling this area and still it exist today. Nevada's first newspaper called the Territorial Enterprise was founded in Genoa in 1858 and employed Mark Twain as some of you know him by as Samuel Clemens.  Genoa was also a regular stop for the Pony Express during its 18th month bonanza that ran through 1860 to 1861.  Then you have James W. Haines the inventor of the V-Flume which ran freshly cut logs lumbered in the Carson Range to the valley to be exported for the use of the construction of the mines and all the local towns who came from Genoa. One of his biggest flume operations ran through an area known as the Flume Trail by Martlette Lake!

Here is another fact I bet some of you do not know but the Genoa Bar was patronized by Teddy Roosevelt and Johnny Cash. It was also used in some John Wayne and Clint Eastwood Movies. The town served as the set for the movie Misery you guys remember that horror flick with Kathy Bates? Just across from today's fort is the Genoa Square which has antiques, old fashioned candy, ice cream parlor, small restaurants, lodges, 1855 saloon and gourmet coffee shops. Its a quaint place known for its Candy Dance festival which has arts, crafts, live music and even candy beyond your wildest dreams. The Candy Dance has been held since 1913 so definitely allot of history and transformations throughout this settlement. 

The forts grounds are covered in a variety of trees especially a new Maple Tree I never have seen until I visited the fort once in 2011 and now in 2014. Just to enjoy the shady walkways and take in the views is amazing for me but behind the town is a whole wilderness just waiting to be conquered. Therefore black bear, mountain lion and espcially a very large deer population surround the fort. I have driven past the fort many nights and seen deer grazing. As a matter in fact when we did our cemetery investigation in Genoa I walked around the grounds of the fort late at night and had deer walking on both sides of me within petting distance. 

In 1864 Nevada became a state the 36th to be precise and because it became statehood during the Civil War it is how our quote came to be "Battle Born" but I think we were this way the moment early emigrants came to Nevada. Life was not easy death and danger lurked around every turn in the wild west all the way from miners dying to Indian raids to the harshness of the terrain. Once governor James Nye came into office he designated Carson City as the Capitol of NV in this new territory thus Ormsby County was born and so was Douglas where Genoa is located. 

During this time the Comstock Lode was booming in Virginia City Nevada thus Genoa remained an important center of activity for freight and passenger traffic. Unfortunately when the Central Pacific Railroad and Virginia Truckee Railroad was constructed the county seat was moved from Genoa to Minden in 1916.  Prior to this in 1910 many of the historic buildings including the abandoned fort were burned down in a great fire.  What did not get hit by the fire stood vacant afterwards while today only some of the historic structures and sites remain in tact but no less Genoa is still a strong symbol of the American West which is why it is so relevant to add the Mormon Fort Station to our site so we can educate but also bring you a variety of elements such as the ghosts, history, nature, travesties and some well known historic figures that are connected to the Mormon Fort Station which became the Genoa you see today that even includes the Hot Springs which at night cover the road with this steam its pretty wicked. 

In 1945 an Assembly Representative named Otto Hussman proposed to the Nevada Legislature that $5000 in funding would be made available to build a replica of the original log cabin. Keep in mind that today when you visit the museum most of the wagons, artifacts and historic relics were given by many of the locals who lived in Genoa for multiple generations.  One of them is a piece of the wall from the original trading post which was recovered during an archaeological dig. 

Under the direction of The State Highway Department and designer Edward S. Parsons the departments Architect his task would be to research the cabin site in order to create this replica. The site along for the log cabin and fort would be purchased from the Henry Cordes family along with their home. The family would not go very far just up the road as the 2 and 1/2 acres would be necessary to recreate what the fort looked like in the 1800's.  The museum and station reopened as a replica minus the Cordes family home which would have been one of the oldest structures in NV dating back to the early pioneer days renovated so others could get a feel for the history that resided here in the Carson Valley.

As far as the construction goes the logs would have to be cut all of them came close to Genoa as some of you know this is an area with allot of timber and is very lush so this would not be an issue. The entire task of building the cabin took all 5k. It still would not be enough more funding had to be given to complete it over time with electrical lighting, shelves, cabinets and even the stockade fence later erected in 1964. Then they had to ask local families whose previous family members were some of the first pioneers to the area thus may have left behind some of the old artifacts and treasures you see that I photographed at the museum for our viewers.  No less in 1848 the replica would be dedicated on Pioneer Day by State Officials and Mormons today this event continues its like stepping back into time.   In 1955 the Legislation transferred the management of the property to the Division of State Parks and today is managed by the Western NV Region of State Parks. 

So today the fort is not just a historic site but a park where you can picnic, host a wedding or just enjoy the shady trees along with the wildlife. If you visit our nature album you will have the opportunity to see some of the wildlife we found while exploring the walls of the fort. We found many fruit trees within the park and beyond even the forts walls so this probably explains why so many deer are found even during the day running around and vegging out. Think about it today's fort stands where so many great things occurred in wild western history such as the Pony Express, growth of the American west to many notable figures that rose up in early NV history.

Historic figures like Snowshoe Thompson who carried mail and supplies over the sierras skiing for 100 miles at times never getting paid to help others risking his own life. If you want to read about Snowshoe Thompson you can do so at Genoa Town Historic Cemetery and The Elephants Back Snowshoe Thompson Monument. Then you have pioneers like Henry James "Hank" Monk who was a well known stage coach driver in 1853. Monk made a set of gloves out of bear skin to battle the cold when I seen them I starting thing whoa this is some wildman type of stuff and if he ever used those gloves to make hand prints you may have sworn it off as a Sasquatch possibly.  He was known to have a wild west mentality full of adventure but all of his passengers made it unharmed and he did quite a few gold bullion runs in his day. Then you have Frank Fettic who ran the Fettic's exchange prior to it being known as the Livingston's Exchange. He also ran one of the kindest most gentlest saloons of the west known to be a place where rough stuff and excessive drinking were not allowed. One of the most inspirational figures was Eliza Middaugh/Mott the first female to arrive in the Carson Valley in 1851 and the first woman to give birth to the first white child in the valley as well. She also operated the first school in the region in 1854 and 1855 being one of the first educators in the Carson Valley. Sadly her husband Israel died in an accident in 1863 she eventually went on to marry another man and today the small hamlet of Mottsville was born all that remains of old Mottsville is the Mottsville Cemetery where Eliza once resided near so please take a gander!

Genoa borders Mottsville you can practically walk or ride a horse to it or if your in modernism drive lol so I sort of consider the both of them great areas to explore historically and if your into the outdoors. Rumor has it maybe its a legend but one of the ranchers or ranch hands may have started his mattress on fire near one of the poor farms thus igniting the big fire of 1910 that burned down so many buildings. I read somewhere that the men on the poor farms often had to deal with bed bugs therefore it drove some of them insane or at least to the degree they would burn them. Not sure in the 1800's or even early 1900's fire safety was a priority therefore many great pioneer towns suffered the travesty of having great fires were many buildings will be lost forever that is why most settlements we explore are abandoned because no town is ever the same after half or most of it burns down!

Therefore I feel that there is a good possibility that most of Genoa is haunted that includes the 2 and 1/2 acres surrounding the fort which ill get more in detail as to why I am willing to test this theory. First off you have two cemeteries nearby and ancient land where the natives hunted, gathered & perhaps even done battle against other tribes. More then likely one of the main Washoe settlements was not far from the replica as further down the road are many lakes including the river therefore this could be the perfect place at the base of the sierras for the natives to have a village. 

Then if you delve deeper this goes mentioning all the accidents, sickness and travesties that came with living in the wild west let alone this region thus leaving the land to be haunted by residual energy of the past or even some of these notable figures who may haunt these grounds. Also let us keep in mind the Californian Trail runs right through the middle of today's fort. Tens of thousands of emigrants ranging from miners to merchants traversed this wagon trail seeking prosperity. Many of them did not complete this harsh journey some just did not make it others died therefore any EVP we recorded here may be attributed by all the energy that the trail has gathered in the 1800's and therefore those are residual imprints of early history associated with the trail that eventually takes you up and over the Sierras a mountain range our group has conquered time and time again in search of Bigfoot and UFOs along with the Ghosts that haunt the many historical sites found in the region today!

In 2013 I did send an email to the staff at Fort Station to do a much more thorough investigation without people around and geared more towards dusk I was ignored. The fort closes in mid October which leaves no staff to answer questions therefore I came back a year later to bring our viewers this special wild west addition to our website. In order to keep the museum in operation you can find out more at Old Mormon Fort Station State Park Website! It cost a simply 1 buck to tour the museum, roam within the forts walls and actually get to see some really great wild western history in relation to the area. 

Therefore my interest in Genoa and the fort has been growing so greatly we really could not wait to reveal it on our site for our viewers as you get to see it in our light and hope that for many years to come preservation continues of this ancient site! We have plenty of historical information and photos available along with many sections for you to browse in hopes that we can continue to educate many schools in the region and country on one of Nevada's first settlements an amazing journey it took when the wild west was born!  Of course over the years their has been some disagreements over who built the first settlement in the area between Dayton and Genoa. So I also posted the articles below and if you have time are very interesting reads this is history my friends which even allot of locals may or may not know! You never know how long these relics of the past may last afterall the Genoa Fault could be disasterous if it releases an earthquake one that would reshape the town along with the fort as we know it. I posted that article below as well feel free to indulge!

Copyright By
Lord Rick aka AngelOfThyNight
PGS Founder
Author, Talk Show Host, Producer and Paranormal Investigator

Genoa Fault a Valley Disaster Looking for a Time to Happen

February 8, 2006
by Kurt Hildebrand
The Record-Courier

Photo: Nevada's Genoa fault marked by read arrows is a "disaster waiting for a time to happen."On Tuesday, the University of Nevada Reno held a press conference to discuss Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology's earthquake loss-estimation report.

A magnitude 7 earthquake along the Genoa fault could kill as many as 27 Douglas County residents and leave as many as 400 households in need of shelter.

According to State Geologist Jon Price an earthquake in Nevada will occur and the chance for death and destruction is substantial.

"But there is something we can do about it now," he said. "What is clear from earthquakes in California where there was a lot of preparedness is that lives can be saved and property damage can be minimized, if mitigating steps are taken."

The Bureau of Mines ran Nevada counties through the Federal Emergency Management Agency's computer modeling to estimate losses Nevada counties could suffer if an earthquake occurred near the county seat.

Damage estimates were based on the 2000 Census, and on distribution of population provided by the state and county.

According to the scenario, the earthquake would be centered between Muller and Mottsville lanes along Foothill Road. The quake would be shallow and rupture a 50-kilometer stretch of the fault.

The number of people killed depends on what time the earthquake occurs. Should the quake occur at 2 a.m., nine people would be killed, five would be seriously injured and 38 would require hospitalization.

However, the loss of life would be much greater if the quake occurred at 2 p.m. or 5 p.m., with an estimated 27 people losing their lives in either case.

With a 2 p.m. time, 15 people would receive severe injuries and 84 would require hospitalization.

If the quake occurred at 5 p.m. there would be more critical injuries, mostly as a result of traffic accidents caused by the quake. The model predicts 42 severe injuries and 85 moderate.

According to the model, 5,333 of Douglas County's 17,000 buildings would receive at least moderate damage. An estimated 382 buildings would be damaged beyond repair. The vast majority of these buildings would be single family homes or other residential structures. Four churches, 18 industrial buildings and 83 commercial buildings would receive moderate or greater damage.

Since most of the damage would be suffered by homes, the vast majority of the damage would be to wooden structures, with manufactured homes coming in a distant second.

The earthquake would damage one school and two fire stations.

The model predicts that of Douglas County's 29 bridges, nine would suffer moderate damage and four would be destroyed.

Water pipelines would experience 344 breaks and 1,374 leaks from the earthquake. Natural gas lines would suffer 290 breaks and 1,162 leaks.

According to the model, 10,606 homes or more than half would be without drinking water on the first day and 5,820 homes would be without water after a week. Electricity to the 6,075 homes without power after the earthquake would be restored more quickly, with 3,653 households without power at day 3 and 1,457 without power a week after the quake.

The model predicts that five fires will start as a result of the earthquake and the fires will displace about 66 people and do $4 million in damage.

The earthquake will displace 413 households, of which 93 people will seek out temporary shelters.

According to the report, there are 17,000 buildings in the county with a total replacement value of $3.128 billion.

http://www.recordcourier.com/article/20060208/News/102080013