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Highlights of Cultural Heritage- NEVADA
Ash Meadows NWR: Among the characters who populated the West in the early days of Euro-American settlement, Jack Longstreet was one of the most colorful. A few stones and chunks of mortar are all that remains of Jack Longstreet's Cabin, but his legend lives on through the stories collected from friends, enemies, victims, and others who encountered him. For more about the history of Ash Meadows, click here. Top Desert NWR: Until recently, the rugged, arid isolation of the Desert National Wildlife Range kept many Euro-Americans away. Evidence of human occupation in the area, however, dates back 12,000 years. For more information about the prehistory and history of Desert NWR, click here (coming soon). Top Ruby Lake NWR: "A Thrilling Experience- A visitor from Eureka to Ruby Valley meets with an adventure - He has a talk with a soldier who has been dead many years." Thus were readers drawn to a letter addressed to the Editor of the Eureka Daily Sentinel, June 16, 1887. Admitting that his story may be considered "by some incredulous or skeptical people simply fiction," John T. Baker recounted a remarkable encounter he had in what is now Ruby Lake NWR's Cave Creek Cave. Click here to read his amazing story. Today, the cave is part of an interpretive trail on the Refuge. It contains both prehistoric rock art and historic inscriptions. A well-known landmark on the road to the valley is the Bressman Cabin, built by Jacob Bressman in 1880. He died in 1896 and was buried in a grave beside the cabin. Top Sheldon NWR: With over 575,000 acres, Sheldon NWR is dotted with the remains of historic homesteads settled by hardy pioneers who tried to carve a living out of the harsh high desert environment. Among these are Last Chance Ranch, home of one of the early directors of the Fish and Wildlife Service, Gooch Camp, Kinney Camp, Thousand Creek Ranch, and Home Ranch. The Civilian Conservation Corps set up camp on Sheldon NWR in 1935, two years into the revolutionary national employment experiment that was the brainchild of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The results of the CCC's efforts can still be seen all over the Refuge today. For more information about the CCC at Sheldon NWR, click here. Top Stillwater NWR: Today, Stillwater NWR is an important haven for wildlife. Every spring and fall, thousands of waterfowl stop here to rest and refuel, and many other animals live here year-round. People used to live here too. Only a hundred years ago, Stillwater was home to the Toidikadi, or Cattail-Eater Paiute. The Toidikadi, and other people before them, had lived in the marsh for thousands of years, building new villages atop the remains of the old ones. Click here for an overview of the cultural resources of Stillwater NWR and the Stillwater Marsh Archaeological District. Top
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