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Difficulty:
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Terrain:
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Size: 
(regular)
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This cache is a .30 cal. ammo can and originally contained: Log
Book, 2 multi- point pencils and cache note, Magnetic Hide-a-key,
Hand Grip, Super Glue (new), Umbrella, Multi Tip Screwdriver,
Superball, Moistened Towelettes, Incense Holder, Auto Litter Bag,
Water Resistant Matches: Taken from the Tonopah and Tidewater/Payet
Cache http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?ID=44501
Caution: please use the underpass to cross the railroad tracks, do
not use the road that goes over the top. The national reclamation
act of 1902 provided for the building of canals and dams for
irrigation and hydro-electric power in 17 states. Francis G.
Newlands arrived in Nevada in 1888 and began to champion the idea
of using the water from the Truckee and Carson Rivers for
irrigation of family farms in Lyon and Churchill counties. The
money to create the project was to come from the sale of Federal
lands. Mr. Newlands was elected as a representative of Nevada in
1892 and served in that capacity until 1902, when he became senator
from 1903-1917. As a representative he worked with the chief
hydrographer of the US Geological Surveyors, Fredrick Newell, who
had conducted surveys of the area. They both worked to promote
support for the project but it did not become a priority in the
House until President Theodore Roosevelt took office in 1901. The
water from the project was intended to irrigate land “along the
Carson River as well as Wadsworth and the new community, Fernley.”
(Townley, pg.33). Because Senator Newlands continued to promote the
idea of reclamation, the Reclamation act was named after him.
Between the years of 1903 and 1917, work on the proposed water ways
and dams proceeded and brought economic opportunities to the area.
The construction of Derby Dam began in 1903, and was completed in
June of 1905. Senator Newlands was on hand to open the gates that
would provide irrigation from the Truckee River to the farms in
Lahontan Valley. Work crews and equipment were brought in to
construct the dam, which stimulated the economy. The crews lived in
tent towns during the construction of Derby Dam. Raw materials of
sand and gravel were brought from area canyons for the cement. In
1904 railroad freight was delivered to Hazen. The first parcels of
land were sold in 1904; some in Fernley but most were located in
the Fallon area. Preparing the desert soil for farming took a great
deal of time, patience and stubbornness. To survive these years
many farmers worked on the construction projects created by the
same waterways they would be using. Many of the settlers lived in
tents just as the work crews did until they were able to build
barns or homes to live in. After the completion of Derby Dam in
1905, the tent town moved to Hazen and contracts were bid to dig
the Truckee Canal. The canal bids were given out in ten-mile
sections. “The first farms were watered in 1906 and at that time
there were 108 ranches with 674 people”. There was an ample market
for the goods. However it took three to five years to get a good
alfalfa crop and a long time to prepare the soil for farming that
other employment was necessary. Then, the flood season in 1907
destroyed many of the farms. Mining had picked up again by this
time though and people either gave up the farm for mining or
supplemented their income from them. Continued work on the railroad
and the water project provided work and markets for the area
farmers. Ironically, tragedies also allowed the settlers to survive
these sparse farming years. In 1908 Hazen's business district
burned down, and in that same year Fallon burned along Maine
Street. This generated new building and work for the farm families.
Then in 1911 work began on the Lahontan Dam, which brought in more
work crews, equipment and demand for produce and beef. Other
tragedies allowed the settlers to survive these sparse farming
years, as well as continue to work on the railroad and the water
project providing work and markets for the area farmers. Work on
the Lahontan Dam was complete in 1914. Tractors and metal farm
equipment began to arrive in the area. There was an increase in the
number of farms from 1700 to 2300 between 1914 to 1919. Crops were
progressing. Alfalfa was in high demand now; orchards were showing
fruit; and there were potatoes, celery, lettuce, and melons. The
Fernley cantaloupe group formed in 1922 and marketed as independent
growers directly to California and the Midwest. The market was so
good at the time that they organized cantaloupe days. But by 1925
the area had only a few growers and eventually the market was
limited to the local area. Alfalfa (in and out of the sack) was the
stable crop and even with the invasion of Russian thistle (tumble
weeds) in 1913, and the weevil in 1924, the crop continued. WWI
brought an even higher demand for beef and Alfalfa. But it was the
drought cycle between 1921 and 1934 that hit hard and Fernley was
nearly abandoned in 1932. Stubbornness won out however and between
1945 and 1970 with farm equipment available and more leisure time,
the area began to build recreation and wild life habitat. Fernley
had its first irrigation sprinkling system installed in 1956. This
was the beginning of the conservation of water so it could be used
for recreation as well as farming. Agriculture, ranching, industry,
and recreation are still alive and well in Fernley as it continues
to build new homes and provide new employment opportunities for old
and new residents alike.
Additional Hints
(No hints available.)