Historic Emigrant Trail Barn Tour is May 22

Staff Reports

The Douglas County Historical Society's Historic Emigrant Trail Barn Tour fundraiser is 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. May 22. The barn tour gives ticket holders an opportunity to step back in time and learn about the history of agriculture in Carson Valley and the Emigrant Trail. Tickets are $20, or $15 for historical society members.

The event includes the barn tour, and the "Trail to the Promised Land" Emigrant Trail lecture and slide presentation at 1:30 p.m. and 2:45 p.m. at the Genoa Courthouse Museum.

Also included is admission to the Genoa Courthouse Museum and the Carson Valley Museum & Cultural Center in Gardnerville, and a presentation about timber-framed barns by barn expert Paul Oatman.

Tickets may be purchased at the Genoa Courthouse Museum and the Carson Valley Museum & Cultural Center in Gardnerville. Call 782-2555 to purchase tickets by credit card to pick up between 8-9 a.m. on the day of the tour at the Genoa museum. There is an additional $1 charge to have tickets mailed.

Jubilee Barn: This historic property belonged to Peter Van Sickle and his son Oscar from 1857-1927. The barn was built by Peter Van Sickle around 1900. The barn is the largest on the tour at 100-by-65 feet with 13,000 square feet of hay storage, three aisles and six bays. The barn is a Pennsylvania bank a' hill, stone to weather style, where one end of the barn is built into the hill. This style is used so that the harvest can be taken into the upper level without the use of a hoist. The lower level housed the animals and the upper level was used for the feed. The lower level features full length dairy stalls. Today the barn is used to store antique cars and a few ranch artifacts. Hay is not stored in the barn today because bailed hay is much too heavy for the barn floor to hold. Thomas Summers purchased the ranch in 1927 and sold it in 1951 to Milton Edward Bacon, known as Ted in 1951. One of the first projects was the exterior siding and roof of the barn. Bacon changed the name to the Jubilee Ranch.

Van Sickle Station Barn: This historic barn is probably one of the oldest barns in Nevada built in the late 1850s by Henry Van Sickle. The barn is a Pennsylvania Bank Barn, built into the hill so both levels can be entered from ground level. The lower level housed the animals while the upper level was used from hay storage and threshing. The barn has several scarf joints of the type of construction is not found in the West. That type of joints was used primarily in ship building and some east coast barns. Henry Van Sickle arrived in Carson Valley in 1852 he took up a land claim in 1855, along the Carson River Route of the Emigrant Trail. He established a way station for travelers and freight haulers traveling the Emigrant Trail and the Georgetown toll road. Van Sickle Station was a popular stopping place along the trail with hotel, dining room, store, blacksmith shop and several barns to accommodate the needs of travelers and freighters. Henry Van Sickle is best known as the man that shot and killed notorious bad man Sam Brown. You will learn about this historic event during the tour. 

Dake/Hawkins Barn: This barn was probably built in the 1870s by Charles W. Dake. The barn was used by Dake for livestock, feed and for storage for his undertaking parlor once located north of the barn. C.W. Dake was not only the local undertaker he was also the Justice of the Peace and conducted much of his business from his home located next to the barn. Today the barn is used for antique storage for Antiques Plus located in the house. The small building located between the house and barn was used as the carriage house. The barn and house were spared by a huge snow slide in the 1880s that destroyed several nearby homes and killed a number of those living nearby. Located in the barn is an old barn door from the Haines barn with initials and names of several boys that grew up in Genoa. The property was then owned by Theodore Perry Hawkins, Pony Express relief rider and well-known citizen. Hawkins came to Carson Valley from Cleveland, Ohio, via Utah when he was a boy. His father John Hawkins built his step-daughter Sarah Jane Thompson Kinsey what was considered the first Mansion in Nevada. He also built the original Walley's Hot Springs and worked on the first courthouse in Nevada, now the Genoa Courthouse Museum.

Haines/Christy Barn: Sen. Haines built this large three bay barn in the 1880s for hay storage and livestock. The barn was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  When Haines ranched, his land extended from the barn to Genoa Lane. The old barn door from the Haines barn with initials and names of several boys that grew up in Genoa can be seen at barn No. 4 on the tour. Haines was a prominent citizen he helped frame the state constitution and was re-elected several times as a senator. In business he was very enterprising he was a merchant, livestock producer and rancher he was involved with logging and built the first V-flume in the region. Haines also donated the land for the Genoa Cemetery. Haines was born in Canada, lived in Ohio prior to traveling to California in 1849. He opened a store in Sacramento and raised sheep in 1859 he made his first trip to Nevada with 500 sheep. They drove the sheep to the Carson Sink where the local Paiutes helped them build a shelter. Bad man Sam Brown was looking for his cattle and joined them, all sleeping in the tulle and canvas shelter. They bought supplies at Ragtown when they ran out of money Sam Brown picked up the tab. When Haines return to California Sam Brown gave him $20, for the trip. Haines found Sam Brown to be a good companion and generous man. A short time later he was killed by Henry Van Sickle.

Dondero/Cochran Barn: The Dondero brothers, Joseph and John, came to Nevada in the early 1860s, purchased the property from Robert Lyon, built the barn and house. The Donderos were sheep ranchers and received the first sheep brand in Carson Valley. The Donderos came from Sardinia, Italy, about 1855. The first record of them in the west is Clarksville, Eldorado County, Calif., where John owned an Italian store. When the brothers came to Carson Valley, Joseph began purchasing property and loaning money. Joseph loaned money to several prominent citizens and often sued or was sued over property disputes. Joseph loaned large sums to Henry Van Sickle, and they purchased a ranch together. Joseph eventually sued Van Sickle over the purchase and division of the ranch. Joseph took the case all the way to the Nevada Supreme Court. Joseph could not read or write but was an astute businessman. He directed lawyers to draw up complicated deeds, trust deed documents. He was able to extract high interest rates and tie up the debtor's property. He spent a lot of time in court. Upon Joseph's untimely death in 1884 from pneumonia, John inherited his property, loans and between $10,000 and $12,000, a large sum in those days. 

Lange/Herbig Barn: This three bay barn was probably built in the early 1920s and is 70-by-56 feet. The barn was probably built by William Lange after his return to Carson Valley after World War I. The Lange family came to Carson Valley in the 1880s from Germany, establishing a ranch near Gardnerville. Their son William Lange purchased this property and built the barn. The barn was used primarily as a dairy barn for milking and hay storage. The ranch was purchased in 1946 by Herman, Anna and Herman H. Herbig, who used the barn for their large dairy operation. The Herbigs, as many other dairy ranchers, have ceased their dairy operation. Today in Carson Valley there is not a single dairy still in operation. The Herbigs still own the ranch but have diversified Ralph Herbig is a local doctor with a large family practice. Ralph is the grandson of Herman and Anna and the son of Herman H. and Annaleese Herbig.   

Funds from the barn tour help support the Douglas County Historical Society's two museums. The Douglas County Historical Society is self-supporting and raises operating funds from events like the barn tour with the goal to preserve local history and to make it accessible to residents and visitors.