Nevada

History

Exploration of Nevada's vast territories was undertaken by two government survey teams in the 1850s, although Native Americans and the Spanish, as well as trappers and traders, had established trails long before then. Settlement of the Nevada territory quickly increased during the mid-19th century as additional travel routes and mineral commodities were encountered. These early explorers and settlers usually left small, often-ephemeral scatters or isolates around water sources, mineral deposits, and temporary camps along travel routes. They are likely to consist of food containers (such as pontiled bottles, or cans with soldered tops and sides), and perhaps broken, unrepairable equipment or tools. Traveling on horseback, perhaps with a pack mule in tow, would not have allowed for the inclusion of many superfluous items.

Gambling dominates Nevada's economy, and Las Vegas is one of the most conspicuous sites of consumption in the world. This excessive use of resources has given rise to the state's other claim to fame: it is home to Apex Landfill, the largest in the United States.

However, on their way west through Nevada toward the goldfields of California, the so-called 49ers often jettisoned treasured objects, not because they were unwanted trash but often because they weighed down the heavy wagons that were difficult for emaciated and thirsty oxen to pull. These items often included otherwise valuable goods and family heirlooms. Many travelers salvaged discarded [Page 586]items, picking up essentials or trading their lowerquality items for better ones found along the road. In the early years, the Mormons sent scavenging parties back along the trail to salvage as much iron and other supplies as possible and haul it to Salt Lake City, Utah, where supplies of all kinds were needed. In many areas, wagon ruts from these trails remain, and sometimes the surviving metal parts of objects, ceramics, or glass can be seen alongside them. Sometimes, the rectangular outlines of wagons are visible in the form of rusted metal that held them together.

Nevada was first settled in 1850 by Mormons from Utah, who created a fort on the old trail between Los Angeles and Utah. Other settlements followed quickly, as silver and other minerals were discovered. Overnight (in many cases, literally) population explosions at these mining enclaves meant that infusions of equipment, tools, building supplies, work animals, food, and liquor were necessary to fortify them.

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