Devil's Gate
Lyon County, Lyon County, Nevada
Marker Inscription
Devil’s Gate. It gives ... “a forcible impression of the unhallowed character of the place.” J. Ross Browne . 1860This rugged reef of metamorphic rock was once one of the famous landmarks of the Nevada Territory. In June of 1850, John Orr and Nicholas Kelly unearthed a gold nugget nearby, the first ever found in Gold Canyon. For the next ten years, the can was the scene of placer mining and one of the first stamp mills in the Territory was erected just to the south of Devil’s Gate during the summer of 1860.During the brief Paiute War of May, 1860, the people of Silver City built a stone battlement atop the eastern summit and constructed a wooden cannon for protection.Devil’s Gate marks the boundary line between Storey and Lyon Counties. Through this narrow gorge paraded thousands of the most adventurous souls of the mining West as they made their way to the gold and silver mines of the Comstock Lode.
Erected by Division Ofhistoric Preservation And Archaeologysponsored By:Reno Chapter Of The National Societydaughters Of The American Colonists
The Story
This rugged reef of rock was one of the most famous landmarks of Nevada Territory, guarding the narrow gorge through which thousands of prospectors streamed toward the Comstock Lode. Nearby in June 1850, John Orr and Nicholas Kelly found the first gold nugget ever unearthed in Gold Canyon, opening a decade of placer mining. During the brief Paiute War of 1860, Silver City's residents built a stone battlement and even a wooden cannon atop the eastern summit for defense.
Why it matters
Devil's Gate stood at the literal gateway to one of America's richest silver strikes, and its Paiute War fortifications recall the violent collision between Native peoples and the mining frontier.
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Related people
- · John Orr
- · Nicholas Kelly
- · J. Ross Browne
Related events
- · Paiute War
Themes & tags
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