Winnemucca Lake

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Winnemucca Lake is dry lake located on Highway 447 north of Nixon and south of Empire. To the west is Pyramid Lake.

History of the Comstock Silver Lode and Mines (1889) Part 3 "Winnemucca Lake. This lake lies to the east of, and parallel with, Pyramid Lake, from which it is separated by only a single ridge of gray rock and sand. It lies principally in Humboldt County, though a part reaches south into Churchill County. The lake is now about sixty miles long, with an average width of twelve miles. Of late years it has been rapidly increasing in size, as more water has been flowing through its feeder than formerly. It has on the east side a high rocky ridge, like that which separates it from Pyramid, therefore it lies in a trough between two ranges of hills. Though so near to each other, the surface of the water in Winnemucca Lake is, forty feet lower than that in Pyramid. The Piutes remember a time when all was one lake. Were the waters of these twin lakes now united they would make a lake quite as large as the great Salt Lake of Utah. The inlet to Winnemucca Lake contains several old rafts of drift-wood, which prevent a free flow of water through it. Some years ago a freshet lifted these rafts from the bed of the stream, and the water found a channel beneath them. Since that occurred Winnemucca Lake has been steadily increasing in size. There are many Indian traditions connected with these lakes, one of which is in regard to immense animals that once herded in the neighborhood. This seems to be a tradition of the elephant or mastodon. All this region was once covered by an inland sea of fresh water, over 200 miles in length, and 80 or 90 miles in width."

Place Name

  • Wikipedia
  • GNIS
    • Citation: "U.S. Geological Survey. Geographic Names Phase I data compilation (1976-1981). 31-Dec-1981. Primarily from U.S. Geological Survey 1:24,000-scale topographic maps (or 1:25K, Puerto Rico 1:20K) and from U.S. Board on Geographic Names files. In some instances, from 1:62,500 scale or 1:250,000 scale maps."
    • Alternate Name: "Mud Lake": "'Map of an Exploring Expedition to the Rocky Mountains in the Year 1842 - Oregon and Northern California in the years 1843-44,' Baltimore, MD: no publication date, no scale given. Litho by E. Weber & Co. Prepared by Brevet Capt. J.C. Fremont of the Corps of Topographical Engineers under the control of Col. J.J. Abert, Chief of the Topographical Bureau."
    • Alternate Name: "Winnamuck Lake": "'Map of the Western Division of the Fort Kearney South Pass and Honey Lake Road, Western Wagon Roads,' Dept. of the Interior: 1857, scale 1:720,000 (1 inch=12 miles). Surveyed under the direction of John Kirk, Supt., by E. A. Bishop, Engineer."

Geology =

Archeaology

Skirmish at Mud Lake

  • Sarah Winnemucca, "Life Among the Piutes: Their Wrongs and Claims," (1883) p. 76-78. In the chapter "Reservation of Pyramid and Muddy Lakes": (p "This reservation given in 1860 was at first sixty miles long and fifteen wide. The line is where the railroad now crosses the river and it takes in two beautiful lakes one called Pyramid Lake and the one on the eastern side Muddy Lake." ... "In 1865 we had another trouble with our white brothers. It was early in the spring and we were then living at Dayton Nevada when a company of soldiers came through the place and stopped and spoke to some of my people and said, "You have been stealing cattle from the white people at Harney Lake'" They said also that they would kill everything that came in their way men women and children. The captain's name was Wells. The place where they were going to is about three hundred miles away. The days after they left were very sad hours indeed. Oh dear readers these soldiers had gone only sixty miles away to Muddy Lake where my people were then living and fishing and doing nothing to any one. The soldiers rode up to their encampment and fired into it and killed almost all the people that were there. Oh it is a fearful thing to tell but it must be told. Yes it must be told by me. It was all old men women and children that were killed for my father had all the young men with him at the sink of Carson on a hunting excursion or they would have been killed too. After the soldiers had killed all but some little children and babies still tied up in their baskets the soldiers took them also and set the camp on fire and threw them into the flames to see them burn alive. I had one baby brother killed there. My sister jumped on father's best horse and ran away. As she ran the soldiers ran after her but thanks be to the Good Father in the Spirit land my dear sister got away. This almost killed my poor papa. Yet my people kept peaceful."
  • Philip D. Smith, "The Sagebrush Soldiers: Nevada's Volunteers in the Civil War," Nevada Historical Society Quarterly, Volume V, Nos. 3-4, 1962. An account of the "Expedition to Pyramid Lake", also know as ""Skirmish, Mud Lake, Nevada".
  • Captain Almond B. Wells, "March 12-19 1865, Expeditions from Fort Churchill to Pyramid and Walker's Lakes Nev with skirmish 14th at Mud Lake and affair 16th near Walker's Lake Nev,"
    • Oddly, this reports that Chief Winnemucca visited Captain Wells and that Winnemucca "expressed his approval at the results of the fight, as the Indians involved were not from his people, but were 'bad' Indians."
    • "Camp Nye Nev March 19 1865 Sir In obedience to instructions from headquarters Military Sub District of Nevada Fort Churchill Special Orders No 15 dated March 11 18C5 1 have the honor to report that on the 12th of March with fifty men I traveled a distance of ten miles in a northeasterly direction and camped for the night At 6 o clock the next morning broke camp and marched a distance of forty eight miles in a westerly direction arriving at Pyramid Lake at 6 pm I immediately ascertained from good anthority that there was a band of Smoke Creek Indians encamped about eleven miles below that they were continually stealing cattle from the ranchmen and herders I placed a guard over the Indians encamped around me and gave orders not to let one escape The next morning the 14th instant at 3 o clock I left camp with twenty nine of my men and two citizens Messrs TW Murch and W II Wilson who volunteered their services as guides for the purpose of arresting the guilty Indians We came within sight of their encampment about 5.30 am I divided my command into three squads under Sergeants Wad leigh and Besat ten men remaining with me I then approached their encampment intending to arrest them but when within about 150 yards they commenced firing upon me The first shot took effect in Corporal Dolan's shoulder wounding him slightly the second passed through the cape of my overcoat I then ordered a charge with sabers The Indians fell back to the bushes on both sides of the slough By this time the men under Sergeants Wadleigh and Besat came up and a general engagement ensued The Indians fought like veterans I killed twenty nine in all but one escaped I destroyed several guns a quantity of powder fresh beef &c I pursued and fought them for about tea miles up into the mountains Some of my men had hand to hand conflicts with them Several were beaten on the arms with the Indians guns I also captured nine horses but as they were very poor I did not deem it necessary to bring them in Throughout the battle my men behaved with a valor and fortitnde rarely equaled Without an exception they were as cool and collected as though ou an ordinary skirmish drill. My acknowledgments are due Messrs Murch and Wilson for the benefit of their experience as guides and for the aid they afforded throughout the conflict After the battle Winnemucca chief of the Pi Utes called on me and expressed himself as highly pleased with the result He told me through the interpreter that he had been talking to them all winter telling them not to steal the white men's cattle and he thought that the punishment they had received would teach them a lesson I am sir very respectfully your obedient servant. AB WELLS Captain Company D First Battalion Cavalry Nevada Volunteers"
  • Sessions S. Wheeler, "The Nevada Desert," (1971), p. 60 - p. 73. An excellent description of the murders at Granite Creek Station and Winnemucca Lake.
  • Jeremy Pratt, "Truckee-Carson River Basin Study," Report to the Western Water Policy Review Advisory Commission, September 1997. History of Winnemucca Lake.
  • Emma Richey, "The History of Winnemucca Lake," Online presentation with a few resources.
  • Rich Moreno, "Nevada's Lost Natural Wonders," Backyard Traveler. Blog. February 05, 2007. In 1936, Winnemucca Lake National Wildlife Refuge was designated. Winnemucca Lake dried up within a couple of decades of the creation of Derby Dam. In 1962, the national refuge status was removed.

Mining

  • John W. Gourley, "The Whitecap Tungsten Mine," 1962. "Located at the southeast corner of Winnemucca Lake." Owned by Fred Crosby of Sutcliffe. Section 21, T 24 N, R24 E. at 4600 ft on a small peak of the Truckee Range. Probably at 39.941466, -119.285697. APN 079-320-15 is owned by Eugene Gabrych, a large land owner.
  • "Tungsten Ground Developed by M.G.L Corporation," May 6, 1942, p. 6, Reno Evening Gazette. The area is known as the Senator Cowles tungsten property. Includes two pictures, one of Senator Cowles.
  • See also Alford Jeakins for the Jeakins Mine in the Selenite Range

Possible Historic Images

  • "Swesey family photos," University of Nevada, Reno, UNRS-P2240. (Image descriptions only)
    • Swesey family. Winnemucca Lake, ca. 1914. Man rowing boat; three passengers; dog swims behind boat
    • Winnemucca Lake, ca. 1914. Our black dog "Rowdy."
    • Winnemucca Lake in background. 1914. Louise Swesey, Al Swesey, Scott Lourer, Nellie Swesey, ??

Newspaper Articles

  • "The do not want to go to Pyramid Reservation and no Room for Them There if They Did," p. 2, 13-Dec-1884, Weekly Nevada State Journal. The Indians claim that Winnemucca Lake was to be part of their reservation. There is a "resort for Chinese fishermen."
  • "New Gun Club is Organized," p. 12, 25-Feb-1936. Charles Wibel is one of the board members. The club has already taken over the Wibel property and built a club house.
  • "Zeller Given Map to Claim States Miner," 27-March-1936, Reno Evening Gazette. Art Zeller became stuck on the east side of Winnemucca Lake. His body was found 55 miles east. If he had walked 17 miles the other direction, he would have been safe.
  • "Entertainment Guide," p. 4, 22-Aug-1936 Nevada State Journal. Mike Schon and his band play at Charlie's Place at Winnemucca Lake where there will be a dance and a skeet shoot.
  • "Remember When," p. 4, 03-Aug-1956, Nevada State Journal. 20 years earlier the Winnemucca Lake Gun Club was established on the property of Charles Wibel, located 28 miles north of Nixon on west side of Winnemucca Lake along the Gerlach road. Thomas Moltzen was president, A. J. Shaver was secretary

Personal Recollection

  • "Winnemucca Lake is not too far from the Blackrock, Gerlach separates the Smoke Creek Desert from the Blackrock, if you ever heard about Dobie Charley? He had a small resort like there and built a boat to go on to Winnemucca Lake, every one was telling him to hurry because it was going to dry up. Well I have a couple photos of Him in his boat by a little dock he built. had a model T engine in it. He disappears no one knew what happened to him. his place was just like it always was nothing removed, but him, now that is a mystery. And there is water on the Winnemucca Lake. His old boat set for years along side the bank of the lake, I always wanted to go down there, well about 20 years ago my wife and I went down to see it. all is rotted away, just enough wood left to for the bow no engine in it." Donald Jeakins, 20-Oct-2013 email to Christopher Brooks, used by permission.
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