Louis Gerlach
The town of Gerlach is named after Louis Gerlach (b. 1835 - d. 1921).
Louis Gerlach hired James Raser as his foreman.
Wheeler states that Gerlach was bit by a tick when he came to inspect the Deep Hole ranch. As there had been cases of tick fever that year, Gerlach was rushed to Reno. After that Gerlach never visited is property again and conducted his business with Raser in Reno. There is mention of this story in Thornton's oral history. However, Van Norman writes: "Mr. Gerlach did not spend much time around the spread. He couldn't ride a horse too well. He would come up once or twice a year and ride from ranch to ranch on his buckboard."
Sessions Wheeler states that Louis Gerlach bought the Deep Hole, Granite Creek and Clear Creek ranches in the 1890's and the Bare ranch at the foot of Surprise Valley in the early 1900s.
Louis Gerlach's son Fred owned Fly Ranch
References
- San Joaquin County Biographies: Louis Gerlach
- Find a grave
- Clarence. J. Thornton, "Ch. 3: Ranch Life in Northern Nevada and Eastern California," University of Nevada Oral History Project.
- Sessions S. Wheeler, "The Black Rock Desert," p. 157-158.
- Oddie Van Norman, Wes McGirr, "I Rode For Gerlach," Old West Magazine, Fall, 1974. (Nevada Historical Society has a copy)