Mark Twain
Storey County, Storey County, Nevada
Marker Inscription
Mark Twain. 100 years ago, in 1864, Samuel Clemens left the territorial enterprise, moving on to California and worldwide fame. He was a reporter here in 1863 when he first used the name, Mark Twain. He later described his colorful adventures in Nevada in “Roughing It.”
Erected by Placed Byjames Lenhoff, 1960 Editor And Publisherterritorial Enterprise
The Story
It was in Nevada that Samuel Clemens became Mark Twain. Working as a reporter for Virginia City's Territorial Enterprise, he first adopted the famous pen name in 1863, then left in 1864 for California and the worldwide renown that followed. He later immortalized his rollicking Nevada years in the book Roughing It.
Why it matters
This is where one of America's greatest literary voices was born, forged in the raw energy of a Comstock boomtown.
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Related people
- · Samuel Clemens
- · Mark Twain
Themes & tags
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