Thorp Point
USA /
Nevada /
Sparks /
World
/ USA
/ Nevada
/ Sparks
ruins, place with historical importance, toll road, toll gate
Several foundations with chimneys in place. There are signs next to the structures but they have been vandalized to the point of being illegible. One still standing Bathroom (pit toilet style, non-operational) Other structures around that seem to have been used as fence post. They have a creepy feel about them. Almost look like Creepers from Minecraft.
There is a plaque afixed to a rocky section with stairs as a look out dedicated to:
Dr. DM. GEIGER
PIONEER ROAD BUIDER
1821 - 1895
An early wagon road dating to the 1850s ascended north from Dayton along Gold Canyon, eventually reaching Virginia City. After 1859, another road descended east from Virginia City along Six Mile Canyon to the Carson Valley. Because teamsters used it to haul ore to the Carson River for processing, the road was named Mill Street. To the west, Jumbo Grade and Ophir Grade gave access to mills along the shore of Washoe Lake.
On November 29, 1861, the territorial legislature granted Dr. D. M. Geiger and J. H. Tilton a franchise to develop a northern route from Virginia City to the Truckee Meadows. The resulting road opened completely in 1863 with several toll stations. Its sharp descent, including hairpin turns and steep slopes, made it impractical for heavy loads, but it was a popular route for stagecoaches. Because drivers had to slow in some places, these became favorite locations for robberies.
In 1936, the New Deal Works Progress Administration improved Geiger Grade. The project bypassed the steepest grades, widened the road, and made it more functional for automobiles. Improvements encouraged tourists interested in the Old West, drawing on Reno's increasingly popular resorts. The road remains in service today.
www.onlinenevada.org/articles/geiger-grade
Photos:
goo.gl/photos/vwkQE5WkYqywHBVC9
There is a plaque afixed to a rocky section with stairs as a look out dedicated to:
Dr. DM. GEIGER
PIONEER ROAD BUIDER
1821 - 1895
An early wagon road dating to the 1850s ascended north from Dayton along Gold Canyon, eventually reaching Virginia City. After 1859, another road descended east from Virginia City along Six Mile Canyon to the Carson Valley. Because teamsters used it to haul ore to the Carson River for processing, the road was named Mill Street. To the west, Jumbo Grade and Ophir Grade gave access to mills along the shore of Washoe Lake.
On November 29, 1861, the territorial legislature granted Dr. D. M. Geiger and J. H. Tilton a franchise to develop a northern route from Virginia City to the Truckee Meadows. The resulting road opened completely in 1863 with several toll stations. Its sharp descent, including hairpin turns and steep slopes, made it impractical for heavy loads, but it was a popular route for stagecoaches. Because drivers had to slow in some places, these became favorite locations for robberies.
In 1936, the New Deal Works Progress Administration improved Geiger Grade. The project bypassed the steepest grades, widened the road, and made it more functional for automobiles. Improvements encouraged tourists interested in the Old West, drawing on Reno's increasingly popular resorts. The road remains in service today.
www.onlinenevada.org/articles/geiger-grade
Photos:
goo.gl/photos/vwkQE5WkYqywHBVC9
Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nevada_State_Route_341
Nearby cities:
Coordinates: 39°23'3"N 119°42'19"W
- Virginia City, Nevada 8.3 km
- Donner Memorial State Park 49 km
- Ed Z'berg - Sugar Pine Point State Park 53 km
- Squaw Valley Ski Resort 54 km
- Historic Donner Pass 56 km
- Malakoff Diggins State Historic Park 106 km
- Foresthill, California 108 km
- Georgetown, California 112 km
- Burning Man - Black Rock City 163 km
- Thrust SSC, 1st car to break sound barrier. (1997 site) 168 km
- D 4.1 km
- Virginia City Highlands 5.6 km
- Sage Hill Trap Club 6.6 km
- Stone Ruin 11 km
- Washington, Nevada 11 km
- Hidden Valley Regional Park 11 km
- Lockwood Regional Landfill 13 km
- Lockwood, Nevada 15 km
- Explosives / hazmat 16 km
- Tahoe Reno Industrial Center (approximate) 24 km
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