Welcome to Kingsbury Grade
(elevation 4735')
Nevada State Historical Marker No. 117
It might seem strange that you won't find the Kingsbury Grade historical marker at the base of the current Kingsbury Grade road. That's because the original grade started right here! Traveling by car, you'll be on State Route 207 (SR 207), an 11.082-mile (17.835 km) state highway in western Douglas County. Commonly known as the Kingsbury Grade, it is one of three Nevada highways that connect the western edge of the state to the Lake Tahoe region through the Carson Range. The route was part of State Route 19 prior to 1976. However, the Kingsbury we drive on now is the bigger, newer, faster version cut through the hills. It is not the original route of the toll road this marker commemorates. You can still access parts of the old grade for hiking and biking, but you have to find the right places to pull out and park.
Marker Text:
Originally named Georgetown Trail, the Dagget Pass Trail and Pass was named after Charles Dagget who acquired the land at the base of the road in 1854. In 1859— 1860, David Kingsbury and John McDonald received a franchise from the Utah Territory to operate the toll road. At the time, the area was part of the Utah Territory.
The men spent about $70,000 to construct a wagon road to meet the demand for a more direct route from California to the Washoe mines and to shorten the distance between Sacramento and Virginia City by ten miles. The new 16 foot wide road, supported in some places by granite retaining walls on both sides, made the passage easier for travelers on this main route from California. Merchants and teamsters frequently traveled this road moving goods and people in and out of Nevada.
In 1863, some of the tolls were 50 cents for a man and horse and $2.00 for a horse and buggy. That year the estimated tolls collected were $75,000.
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This marker was one of 116 historical markers replaced throughout the state as part of Nevada's year-long susquicentennial celebration in 2014-2015. The Nevada 150 Commission raised private sector funds for the celebration along with legacy projects like this one. The Nevada 150 Commission contributed $165,000 to the project along with in-kind donations valued at more than $50,000 from YESCO, helping to significantly speed up the normal process of historic marker replacement.
The State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) budget typically allows for the replacement of only 1-2 markers per year. Many more are constantly in need of replacement due to vandalism, disrepair or outdated wording. If not for these contributions it would have taken 60-100 years to replace this many signs based on the current budget and schedule.