Dennis Cassinelli: Plenty of spirit in small Caliente

My only visit to Caliente was when a fellow NDOT employee and I went there to final out a construction project in the area in the 1970s.

Located in southeastern Nevada, the quiet town of Caliente is the only incorporated community in Lincoln County. Evidence of the historical roots of this railroad town can be seen in its mission-style Caliente Railroad Station. Town services include restaurants, gas stations, motels, a bar, a small casino and a variety of stores. The town has many Mormon residents and when we checked in to the motel, the proprietor said she smelled cigar smoke on us and told us we were not allowed to smoke in the room.

Caliente is conveniently located within some of the most beautiful country in the state. To the south is magnificent Rainbow Canyon, with the oasis-like setting of Kershaw-Ryan State Park just two miles south of the city center. Within 50 miles of town are five other Nevada State Parks: Beaver Dam, Cathedral Gorge, Spring Valley, Echo Canyon and the Valley of Fire.

The meadow area around the nearby junction of Meadow Valley Wash and Clover Creek was originally settled in the early 1860s by Ike and Dow Barton, two former slaves who had escaped from Arkansas.

In 1874, ranchers Charles and William Culverwell purchased the Jackman Ranch and renamed it as Culverwell Ranch. Along with ranching, the family earned a living by providing hay for the mining camps in Pioche and Delamar.

In 1901 William Culverwell allowed one railroad grade to be built through his property. The Union Pacific assumed control of the project. The town of Culverwell later became Caliente (the Spanish word for hot) after the hot springs found in a cave at the base of the surrounding mountains. The town was surveyed, and on Aug. 3, 1901, a post office opened. The railroad line was completed in 1905, and by 1910, Caliente was the largest town in Lincoln County with 1,755 residents.

In 1923, the impressive Caliente Train Depot was built, replacing an older depot that had burned down. A classic Mission-style building constructed of tan stucco, this two-story building included the railroad station, private offices and a community center on the first floor, while the second level featured a hotel.

Within a few years, Caliente grew to more than 5,000 residents. For more than 40 years, Caliente was one of the major division points on the Union Pacific Railroad line. When steam engines were replaced by diesel locomotives in the 1940s, the division point moved to Las Vegas. Without the depot as a main railroad stop, the town’s growth dwindled but not its spirit.

The Caliente Youth Center, established in 1962, is a staff-secure facility located in Caliente. The facility includes seven separate housing units for youth committed to the state for correctional care. A town steeped in history, Caliente has many stories to tell and was one of the favorite writing spots for western novelist Zane Grey.

Dennis Cassinelli is a Dayton author and historian. You can order his books at a discount on his blog at denniscassinelli.com.