A Fine Day for a Hangin'

My sister, Sherry, and her husband Dave arrived at the RV park yesterday.  Their Lakota fifth wheel is parked next door to us.

This morning we decided to go to Virginia City and Nevada City.  It was 31 degrees this morning when we got up but turned into a glorious day.  

Gold was discovered in 1863 and thus the town of Virginia City was born.  The town is celebrating it's 150th year anniversary.

There were plaques on nearly every building explaining the history of the structure.

There were horses to ride, a stagecoach and a train.

A quick look at our options and we decided to ride the rails.  Ten dollars a piece included a round trip train ride on the Alder Gulch Short Line Railroad and the museum in Nevada City.  

OK, we're ready to ride. Left to right--Sherry, Dave, Me (Jan) and Bill.  Notice the chain across our laps.  The ride took about 20 minutes to Nevada City.  

There are some unusual organs that automatically played in the museum.

And then we stepped out the side door to the town of Nevada City.  These buildings have been moved here by Charles Bovey to form the town whereas the ones in Virginia City are the actual ones. 

The volunteers are real historians and local re-enactors that portray their parts in dress and actions.   

There were children in period

clothing and acting their parts.          

         Bill enjoyed watching this man engrave an 1851 Colt.

                                             

There was a dedication of the Charles A and Sue Ford Bovey  Visitor Center.  Charles Bovey is responsible for preserving both Virginia City and Nevada City.  He used his money to preserve the buildings and the histories of the towns.  They even supplied a lunch of hot dogs, chips and sodas in his celebration.  

There was a huge disturbance and we investigated.  It seems the Vigilantes caught  some "Innocents" in town and they asked the town people if they should hang them.  A trial was held and the verdict was "hang em".  Sure 

enough all the town folks agreed.  Ropes were placed around their necks and they were marched off to a makeshift gallows.  Stools were found for them to stand on and, which were kicked out from under them. A two foot dead drop.

In the end they showed everyone the harnesses that they were wearing when they knocked the stools out from under them and hung them.  

Our trip to Virginia City and Nevada City will remain vivid in our memory as one of those special places we've visited and we'll remember the stories of the Innocents and the Vigilantes.

On the ride back to Dillon we checked out Robbers Roost.  

The old stage stop station looked very well preserved.  

There was still a little daylight left so we took a quick trip to Camp Fortunate.  This is where Lewis and Clark had to give up their canoes for horses.

Turtle Safely,