Buffalo Meadows

Buffalo Meadows "is a flat located east of the Smoke Creek Desert and north of Twin Mountain" (Carson).

Buffalo Salt Works is located on the west side of the Smoke Creek Desert.

c. 1914 map of the W.P.R.R. showing Buffalo Meadows between Granite Peak and California, not near the WP RR

In 1911, The Nevada Historical Society stated: "Buffalo Meadows - There are eight stations which have received their names from some native characteristic. Buffalo Meadows, which was settled in 860 takes its name from what is known as buffalo grass which grows about the place. (Footnote l: Authority of Mr JH Smith Buffalo Meadows Nevada) There never were known to be any buffalo in that part of the country. (Footnote: Ibid It has been thought by some that the place received its name from the fact that there were buffalo in that part of the country)"

Place Name Links

• Helen S. Carlson, "Nevada Place Names: A Geographical Dictionary
  • p. 62 of Carlson states that areas with the name Buffalo were named for "buffalo grass grass in the area or for buffalo bushes growing on stream banks". Carlson states that Buffalo Meadows was a stock raising station located on the WP RR and that it had a post office from March 29, 1879 until November 15, 1913, when the mail moved to Sheepshead.
• George R. Stewart, Western Folklore, Vol. 7, No. 2 (Apr., 1948), p. 174 quotes a local as saying that the name came from an Indian by the same name. The local qualified his statement with saying that there was an old Indian with that name and that he supposes that the area was named after the Indian.
• GNIS cites "Paher, Stanley W. Nevada Ghost Towns and Mining Camps. Berkeley: Howell-North Books, 1970, 492 pp. Gives historical background for mining towns and camps in Nevada. p154"
• 1896 Post Route Map shows Buffalo Meadow 15 miles north east of Salt Marsh (n.o.)

History Links

• Nevada Census: Search for "Buffalo Meadows" to get 1880 residents
• Description UNR Image of Buffalo Salt Works (UNRS-P2007-01-18.tif)
• New Mexico, Utah, Nevada, Wyoming and Arizona Gazetteer and Business Directory," p. 492, 1884: "BUFFALO MEADOWS - A post office on Buffalo creek in Washoe county 158 miles northwest of Virginia City and 106 northwest of Reno the county seat nearest railroad station and banking point Settled in 1879 Stages to Reno fare 10 cents a mile Population 100 Mail daily, F.A. Sawtell postmaster."
  • Beatam, W. live stock breeder
  • Belts, James farmer
  • Brundage, David farmer
  • Clark, L.G. live stock breeder
  • Copperwitt, W. live stock breeder
  • Freeman Langen & Co salt mnfrs
  • Horn, F.E. live stock breeder
  • Jones, A.R. horse breeder
  • Kellogg, E. sheep breeder
  • Langen, J.W. creamery
  • Norton, C.C. clerk
  • Richardson, E.A. sheep breeder
  • Richardson, James drayman
  • Sawtell, F..A Hotel and Live Stock Breeder
  • Ward, OW & AM stock breeders
  • Wonters, G sheep breeder
  • Wright George I. farmer
• Buffalo Meadows, Washoe Co., NV - 1907-1908 Business Directory
  • A stock ranch of 30 population, is located west of the central portion of Washoe County, on Buffalo Creek, 100 miles north of Reno, the county seat and nearest banking point, and 50 miles northeast of Amedee, Cal, the nearest shipping station. Has stage communication with Amadee five times a week, fare $5.00.
  • J H Smith, postmaster
  • Last Name First Name Type of Business
  • Bailey E K stock raiser
  • Disobell A L stock raiser
  • Fuller C A stock raiser
  • Noelen C C stock raiser
  • Smith J H Postmaster and Stock Raiser
  • Vinning C stock raiser
  • Ward J M stock raiser
• 1893 Rand McNally map shows Buffalo Meadows

Buffalo Meadows Post Office

• GNIS Buffalo Meadows Post Office (historical)
  • History: "PO Mar 1879 to Nov 1913"
  • Citation: "Gamett, James, and Paher, Stanley W. Nevada Post Offices. Las Vegas: Nevada Publications, 1983, 176 pp. Discusses historical background of Nevada post offices. p75"
• Major G.W. Ingalls, "The History of Nevada, Chapter LVIII., Washoe County," From The History of Nevada, edited by Sam P. Davis, vol. II (1912)] says "Buffalo Meadows — A post office 100 miles north of Reno on Western Pacific Railway. Is centre of a stock raising district. Has a public school and two hotels. Was established in 1865."
• Carson states that Buffalo Meadows had post office from March 29, 1879 until November 15, 1913, when the mail moved to Sheepshead.

Buffalo Station

• Buffalo Station was on the Railroad Stage Line near Paradise, 7 miles north of Cane Springs (Andorno Ranch) and 8 miles south of Rebel Creek.
• Buffalo Station was probably located near Buffalo Meadows and Buffalo Springs. near present day US 95.
• Bancroft (1890) lists Buffalo Station as one of the towns and settlements in Humboldt County. Hubert Howe Bancroft, "History of Nevada, Colorado, Wyoming, 1540-1888," p. 264, 1890.

Buffalo Springs

• Humboldt Mountains to the Mud Lakes (1855) shows "Buffalo Spring" in the area and that Edward Griffin Beckwith and his expedition stayed there on June 15-16, 1854.
• Sketch of the Idaho and California Stage Road From Chico To Boise City John Mullen. August 24, 1865 shows "Buffalo Spring."
• 1856 Map of the Western Division of the Fort Kearney South Pass and Honey Lake Road" shows "Buffalo Spring."
• Territory and Military Department of Utah: 1860 shows Buffalo Springs.
• 1863 DeGroot's map of Nevada (David Rumsey) shows Buffalo Springs.
• 1893 Rand McNally map shows Buffalo Springs.
• "Western Folklore," Volume 7, 1948 states that Buffalo Springs was named for an old Indigenous man named Buffalo.

Buffalo Canyon

• * "General history and resources of Washoe County, Nevada, published under the auspices of the Nevada Educational Association." (1888)
  • p. 19: "At Buffalo Canyon and Red Rock some hay is cut and the hills abound in springs. Cattle and horses range on the hills."
• Granite Range (1894, Rp. 1923) (UNR) shows Buffalo Canyon.
• 1895 U.S. Atlas - Washoe County shows Buffalo Canyon.

Maps

• http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?lat=40.7481&lon=-119.836&datum=nad27&u=4&layer=DRG&size=l&s=50
• http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=h&om=1&ll=40.7484,-119.8346&spn=0.045452,0.11467&z=14
• http://terraserver.microsoft.com/image.aspx?PgSrh:NavLon=-119.8346&PgSrh:NavLat=40.7484