Nevada – The Silver State

Caliente – Steeped in Railroad History

The California Trail – Rush to Gold

The Comstock Lode

The Donner Party Tragedy

Getting Away With Murder

The Ghost of Armbruster Pike

Frank “Shorty” Harris – Single Blanket Jackass Prospector

Las Vegas, Nevada – Sin City, USA

Bugsy Siegel and the Re-birth of Las Vegas

Sam Gay -The Sagebrush Sheriff

Helen J. Stewart: First Lady Of Las Vegas

The Death of Sheriff Tom Logan

Extraterrestrial Highway & Area 51

Ghost Towns & Mining Camps

Bullfrog Mining District

People of the Bullfrog Mining District

Delamar – The Widow Maker

Death Valley Ghost Towns

Goldfield – Queen of the Mining Camps

Haunted Goldfield Hotel

Gold Point – Waxing & Waning Through Time

Goodsprings, – Still Kicking the Desert Dust

Nelson & Eldorado Canyon – Lawlessness on the Colorado River

Hell Dogs of Eldorado Canyon

Nevada Death Valley Ghost Towns

Pioche – Wildest Town in the Silver State

Rhyolite – Little More Than a Memory

Searchlight Lives On

Silver City and Gold Hill – Mining the Comstock Lode

Swindle at the Gold Bar Mine

Tybo – Plight of the Chinese

Virginia City and the Comstock Lode

The Ghosts of Lake Mead

History & Fascinating Facts of Lake Tahoe

Las Vegas & Tonopah Railroad

Mary Jane Simpson – The Lady and the Mule

Midland Trail – First Transcontinental Auto-Trail

A Midnight Adventure in Nevada

Nevada Credits & Contributors

Nevada Fun Facts & Trivia

Nevada Indian Battles

Nevada Mining Tales

Nevada Photo Galleries

Nevada Postcards

Nevada Triangle – A Trap in the Mountains

Old Spanish Trail

Pioneers on the Nevada Frontier

Pony Express – Fasted Mail Across the West

Pueblo Grande de Nevada – The Lost City

Queho – Renegade Indian Outlaw

Quirky Nevada – Roadside Attractions

Goldwell Open Air Museum

M&M’s World

Rhyolite Bottle Building

Stokes Castle in Austin, Nevada

Thunder Mountain Park

Tales of the Overland Stage

Treasure Hunting in Nevada

Violence on the Nevada Frontier

Greetings from Nevada Postcard, available at Legends' General Store.

Greetings from Nevada Postcard, available at Legends’ General Store.

Before the first white explorers entered Nevada, the region was inhabited by the PaiuteShoshone, and Washoe tribes. The first European to come to the area is thought to have been Spanish priest Francisco Garces in 1776. The area formed part of the Viceroyalty of New Spain and was called  Nevada (snowy) due to the snow that covered the mountains in winter. The state became part of Mexico when it gained independence in 1821. In 1826 Peter Skene Ogden of the British Hudson’s Bay Company came to Nevada in a prelude to his later exploration of the Humboldt River. The same year, American trapper Jedediah Smith began to traverse the state.

The United States annexed the region in 1848 after its victory in the Mexican-American War and was incorporated as part of Utah Territory in 1850.

The discovery of silver at the Comstock Lode in 1859 led to a population boom, and Nevada Territory was carved out of Utah Territory in 1861. It became the 36th state three years later, on October 31, 1864.

Today, much of the state’s economy is tied to tourism. Whether it’s enjoying a concert in Las Vegas, visiting one of the many ghost towns, such as RhyoliteGold Point, or Treasure City; or sailing on Lake Tahoe; Nevada is a playground for visitors.

You can ski in the winter at Mount Charleston, climb at Red Rock Canyon, golf at hundreds of courses, enjoy 24 state parks and 314 mountain ranges, and gamble pretty much anywhere, if that’s your fancy.

Welcome to the Silver State!

Nevada State Flag – On a cobalt blue field, a variant of the state’s emblem sits in the upper left-hand corner. The emblem is a five-pointed silver star placed between two sprays of sagebrush crossed to form a half wreath; across the top of the wreath is a golden scroll with the words, in black letters, “Battle Born.” The name “Nevada” is beneath the star in gold letters. The current Nevada State Flag design was adopted on March 26, 1929, and revised in 1991.

Eldorado Canyon, Nevada by Amy Stark.

Eldorado Canyon, Nevada by Amy Stark.

Gold Dust in Gold Point, Nevada

Gold Dust in Gold Point, Nevada.

©Kathy Alexander/Legends of America, updated February 2024.

Also See:

Destinations Across America

National Parks

United States Geography

U.S. States