Intro to Humboldt History
WD Historian
The region now known as Humboldt county Nevada was first explored by Peter Skene Ogden's expedition of 1828 on behalf of the Hudson Bay Company. Ogden's group entered what is now Nevada in the vicinity of Denio near the Oregon border. During 1828/1829 the party traveled south, discovering the Unknown River (Humboldt River) and followed it's course to the Humboldt Sink. They also explored parts of northeast Nevada, while traveling to their wintering grounds northeast of the Great Salt Lake. In late 1828 Joseph Paul, a young trapper became ill and died. Paul is the first recorded white man to die in Nevada. Details of his story will be in an upcoming page.
Humboldt County
Humboldt County is the oldest county in Nevada, created by the Utah Territorial Legislature in 1856. It was also one of Nevada's original nine counties created in 1861. The county is named after the Humboldt River, which was named by John C. Frémont, after Alexander von Humboldt, a German naturalist, traveler and statesman. Humboldt County was created at the first session of the Territorial Legislature by an Act approved November 25, 1861, and its boundaries were described as follows: " Beginning at the northeast corner of Storey County; thence running easterly along the immigrant road leading to the sink of the Humboldt, to the fortieth parallel of latitude; thence east along said line to the eastern boundary of the Territory; thence north, along the eastern boundary, to the northern boundary of the Territory; thence west along said boundary line to the northeastern corner of Lake County, (since called Roop); thence south along the boundary lines of Lake and Washoe Counties to the point of beginning." This comprised close upon 23,490 square miles in the northeastern quarter of the Territory. This tract of country was larger than all of New England, and larger than several of the other States; in fact it would have been, as far as territory was concerned, a very respectable State. It is not presumed that the organization of a county government served as much of a restraint on the Indians, or on the more civilized whites who launched themselves into this terra incognita.
By the Act approved December 19, 1862, creating Lander County, all that portion of Humboldt County lying between the fortieth and forty-second parallels of north latitude, and lying between the one hundred and sixteenth and one hundred and seventeenth degrees of longitude, was made a part of Lander County. This included about one-third of the original area of Humboldt County. By the Act approved March 7, 1873, a portion of the southeast corner of Humboldt County was added to Lander County, leaving the boundaries between the two counties as at present. By an Act approved February 27, 1869, the fortieth parallel of north latitude was made the southern boundary of Humboldt County. By this change Humboldt County lost a triangular piece of territory at its southwest corner that contained 29¼ square miles. In return for this cession, Churchill County was required to pay to Humboldt County the sum of $3,000. The object of the cession was to include a portion of the Central Pacific Railroad in Churchill County, and thus assist Churchill in maintaining a government. Subsequently another small triangular section was ceded to Churchill County in the extreme southwest. Pershing county was split from Humboldt county in 1919, and was the last county established in Nevada.
Humboldt County
Humboldt County is the oldest county in Nevada, created by the Utah Territorial Legislature in 1856. It was also one of Nevada's original nine counties created in 1861. The county is named after the Humboldt River, which was named by John C. Frémont, after Alexander von Humboldt, a German naturalist, traveler and statesman. Humboldt County was created at the first session of the Territorial Legislature by an Act approved November 25, 1861, and its boundaries were described as follows: " Beginning at the northeast corner of Storey County; thence running easterly along the immigrant road leading to the sink of the Humboldt, to the fortieth parallel of latitude; thence east along said line to the eastern boundary of the Territory; thence north, along the eastern boundary, to the northern boundary of the Territory; thence west along said boundary line to the northeastern corner of Lake County, (since called Roop); thence south along the boundary lines of Lake and Washoe Counties to the point of beginning." This comprised close upon 23,490 square miles in the northeastern quarter of the Territory. This tract of country was larger than all of New England, and larger than several of the other States; in fact it would have been, as far as territory was concerned, a very respectable State. It is not presumed that the organization of a county government served as much of a restraint on the Indians, or on the more civilized whites who launched themselves into this terra incognita.
By the Act approved December 19, 1862, creating Lander County, all that portion of Humboldt County lying between the fortieth and forty-second parallels of north latitude, and lying between the one hundred and sixteenth and one hundred and seventeenth degrees of longitude, was made a part of Lander County. This included about one-third of the original area of Humboldt County. By the Act approved March 7, 1873, a portion of the southeast corner of Humboldt County was added to Lander County, leaving the boundaries between the two counties as at present. By an Act approved February 27, 1869, the fortieth parallel of north latitude was made the southern boundary of Humboldt County. By this change Humboldt County lost a triangular piece of territory at its southwest corner that contained 29¼ square miles. In return for this cession, Churchill County was required to pay to Humboldt County the sum of $3,000. The object of the cession was to include a portion of the Central Pacific Railroad in Churchill County, and thus assist Churchill in maintaining a government. Subsequently another small triangular section was ceded to Churchill County in the extreme southwest. Pershing county was split from Humboldt county in 1919, and was the last county established in Nevada.
Alabama mine, Slumbering Hills
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