Barns tell Valley's history

Staff Reports

Visit some of Nevada's first barns and learn about the agricultural history of Carson Valley during the Emigrant Trail Barn Tour, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.

This year's six featured barns are along or near the Carson River route of the trail taken by thousands of emigrants between 1850-70.

The annual barn tour is a fundraiser for the Douglas County Historical Society. Tickets are $20, or $15 for historical society members. Price includes a presentation on the Emigrant Trail, a talk by timber-framed barn expert Paul Oatman, and entrance to the Genoa Courthouse Museum and Carson Valley Museum & Cultural Center in Gardnerville.

Purchase tickets at 782-2555 to be picked up 8-9 a.m. Saturday at the Genoa museum.

Barns on the tour:

Lange/Herbig Barn, Muller Lane

The barn was 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, and established a ranch near Gardnerville. The dairy barn was used for milking and hay storage.

The ranch was purchased in 1946 by Herman, Anna and Herman H. Herbig, who used the barn for a large dairy operation. The Herbig family still owns the ranch.

Jubilee Barn, Foothill Road

The largest barn on the tour was built around 1900 on property owned by Peter and his son Oscar Van Sickle from 1857 to 1927. The upper level housed feed and the lower level had dairy stalls. Today it's used to store antique cars and ranch artifacts.

Milton Edward "Ted" Bacon bought the ranch in 1951 and changed the name to the Jubilee Ranch.

Van Sickle Station Barn, Foothill Road

This 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.

Henry Van Sickle took a land claim along the Carson River route of the Emigrant Trail in 1855, and established a way station for travelers and freight haulers traveling the Emigrant Trail and the Georgetown toll road. Van Sickle Station was a popular stop along the trail with hotel, dining room, store, blacksmith shop and several barns.

Dake/Hawkins Barn, Main Street, Genoa

Charles W. Dake built this barn probably in the 1870s and used it for livestock, feed, and for storage for his undertaking parlor.

Today the barn is used for storage for Antiques Plus located in the house. The barn and house survived a 1880s snow slide that destroyed homes and killed a number of people living nearby.

Dondero Barn, Main Street, Genoa

Brothers Joseph and John Dondero came to Nevada from Sardinia, Italy, around 1855, purchased property from Robert Lyon, and built the barn and house. The Donderos were sheep ranchers and received the first sheep brand in Carson Valley.

Haines Barn, Foothill and Limousine

This three-bay barn was built in the 1880s by Sen. Haines for hay storage and livestock. The barn is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Haines made his first trip to Nevada with 500 sheep in 1859. 

He helped frame the state constitution, was a merchant, livestock producer and rancher. He was involved with logging and built the first V-flume in the region. He also donated the land for the Genoa Cemetery.