Nevada Appeal at 150: Carson celebrating 90th birthday, records disclose

Carson City is celebrating its birthday.

State Surveyor H.M. MacNelly disclosed that on Feb. 3, 90 years will have passed since the townsite was laid out and recorded in the office of T.C. Rector, surveyor of what was then known as Carson County.

The property described in the surveyor’s records was deeded to J.D. Sears, G.A. Sears, W. R. Sears and J.A. Thompson. The land that made up the first townsite is now known as the Thompson-Sears division.

Original map and terms of the grant can be seen in the office of Zoe M. Riley, county recorder. The land that made up the original grant is described in the beautiful copperplate script of Rector and the map bears the signatures, McBride and Barker.

MacNelly said when he, in conjunction with A.L. Curtis and R.W. Wickenden, drew up a map of the town several years ago, 12 of the original stones used to mark the first boundaries of Carson City were uncovered.

Later surveys were made especially difficult since no definite standard of measurements were used in 1860 when the town was laid out. MacNelly’s survey found evidence showing that at least three different tapes were used, none of them alike.

This continues the Appeal’s review of news stories and headlines during its Sesquicentennial year.