Ormsby County, Nevada Explained

Conventional Long Name:Ormsby County
Subdivision:County
Nation:Nevada
Capital:Carson City
Year Start:1861
Year End:1969
Date Start:November 25,
Event End:Merged
Date End:April 1,
Stat Year1:1870
Stat Pop1:3,668
Membership Title1:Country
Membership1:United States
Membership Title2:Territory
Membership2:Nevada Territory (1861–1864)
Membership Title3:State
Membership3:Nevada (1864–1969)
S1:Carson City, NevadaCarson City
Border S1:no
Stat Year2:1960
Stat Pop2:8,063
Image Map Caption:1861 map of Nevada Territory, with Ormsby County highlighted

Ormsby County was a county in Nevada Territory from 1861 to 1864 and in the State of Nevada from 1864 until 1969. It contained Carson City, the county seat, and later, the state capital, founded two years earlier.

Name

It was named after Major William Ormsby, one of the original settlers of Carson City, killed along with seventy-five other men in 1860, in an unsuccessful attempt to subdue a perceived uprising of Paiute people near Pyramid Lake, Nevada, which was at the time part of Utah Territory.[1]

History

Ormsby County was established in 1861 with creation of Nevada Territory. The county's population dwindled significantly after the gold rush days. By the late 1940s, it was little more than Carson City and a few surrounding hamlets to the west. By the 1960 census, all but 2,900 of the county's 8,300 residents lived in Carson City. Discussions began about merging Carson City with Ormsby County after World War II. However, the effort never got beyond the planning stages until 1966, when a statewide referendum formally approved the merger. The required constitutional amendment was passed in 1968. On April 1, 1969, Ormsby County and Carson City officially merged as the Consolidated Municipality of Carson City.[2]

See also

References

39.1647°N -119.7764°W

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Carson City Essay - Three Historic Nevada Cities: Carson City, Reno and Virginia City - A National Register of Historic Places Travel Itinerary . National Park Service . 21 March 2022.
  2. Web site: About Carson City. Carson City. November 20, 2011. May 29, 2006.