There are only a few reasons why a person finds his/her way onto lonely State Route 844: two of which are Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park and Ione. In fact according to NDOT its only purpose is linking Berlin-Ichthyosaur S.P. and Ione to the rest of society and even during the peak tourist season (June-August), SR 844 is lucky to receive an average of 50 cars a day.
According to Nevada State Parks, Berlin-Ichthyosaur receives the least amount of visitors of any Nevada state park. In other words, if you seek solitude with your state park experiences Berlin-Ichthyosaur will always deliver. True to that fact, we were the only people there for the several hours we were exploring. We loved it.This rather secluded State Park was first established in 1957 to protect and display North America’s most abundant concentration of the largest-known ichthyosaur fossils. The park also preserves the turn-of-the-20th century mining town of Berlin, as well as the Diana Mine.
So first, Berlin. What an interesting history. The first mining activity in the region was in May 1863, when a small group of prospectors discovered silver in Union Canyon and the small mining camp of Union was settled. The following year the Union Mining District was formed, which included the towns of Union, Ione, Grantsville and later, Berlin. The first assay report in Berlin Canyon was in 1869, but it was not until 1896 that the Berlin Mine was established.
With the purchase of the mine and numerous surrounding mining claims by the Nevada Company in 1898, the town of Berlin was soon at its height of popularity, which continued until 1908. The town declined to its death by 1911. The Berlin Mine’s total production from its three miles of tunnels is estimated to have been $849,000 at a time when gold was $20 per ounce.During its heyday, Berlin and its Union suburbs supported 200-250 people including miners, woodcutters, charcoal makers, a doctor, nurse, forest ranger and a prostitute.
More than 80 interpretive signs bring to life the ghost towns of both Berlin and Union. Buildings included a 30-stamp mill, assay office, barn and corrals, union hall, store and post office, infirmary, stage station and homes. Many of the buildings still remain and we were able to get up close and really study them and marvel at their left behind contents.Hiking around gave us a true feel for the vastness of the town and also the precariousness of the work involved.Armed with the townsite map, we strolled the streets where life began when one's shift was done at the mine.Here were the homes, a saloon, a boarding house, and off in the distance, the cemetery... a reminder of just how hard life was here.The absolute coolest find for me was this button/buckle. Measuring almost 3" in diameter and made of lead or tin, it was in pristine condition. I just can't believe something over 100 years old, and exposed to the elements, could look so perfect. Wow.Loved this beer can. The Acme Brewery of San Francisco was established in 1907 by Leopold Schmidt, owner of the Olympia Brewing Company of Tumwater, WA. Needless-to-say, there were many such cans where the miners went to unwind.Berlin stands today, in a state of arrested decay, as a true Nevada ghost town, preserved for present and future generations. Steve and I left incredibly impressed. Having the aloneness and freedom to wander aimlessly, was such a unique experience at a place like this. I know we'll be back with our future generations.
Next stop: Fossil ogling! Ichthyosaurs are an ancient marine reptile that swam in a warm ocean that covered central Nevada, 225 million years ago. The fossils are protected and displayed at the park’s Fossil House. We are standing in front of a life-sized reproduction. How incredible to imagine.This 1966 building protects an exposed bedrock surface that contains the bones of several giant ichthyosaurs. These massive creatures died and were buried in sediments about 217 million years ago during the Triassic period. At that time, an arm of what is now the Pacific Ocean covered portions of the west, including present-day Nevada.The first person to recognize the bones as belonging to giant ichthyosaurs was Siemon W. Muller of Stanford University in 1928. Twenty-four years later, in 1952, Mrs. Margaret Wheat of Fallon collected some of the ichthyosaur bones and brought them to the attention of Dr. Charles Camp. Mrs. Wheat brought Camp out to the site a year later.At the time, Camp believed these Shonisaurus popularis were the largest yet known — some reached lengths of more than 49 feet. He also believed that the unusual concentration of skeletons — he discovered nearly 40 individuals — was due to the creatures being stranded during unusually low tides, but later studies of the sedimentology indicated a deep-water depositional environment. So the reason for this odd concentration of ichthyosaur skeletons — the greatest concentration of ichthyosaur skeletons known — remains something of a mystery.
Camp and Wheat made a formidable team, for in less than two years the Nevada Legislature had established the Ichthyosaur Paleontological State Monument, and in 1957 the site was incorporated into the State Park System. As icing on the cake, the Legislature designated Shonisaurus popularis the state fossil of Nevada in 1977.While on our own paleontological explore, we discovered what appears (to us) to be a small fish fossil. What a very cool history lesson, found in the most unlikely of locations. Fun.With a big storm coming to Tahoe, we all decided to get home before the snow gets unmanageable. We spent our last evening at the Veteran's Park in Hawthorne. Disappointingly, our open-ended camping trip turned into just a weekend. But oh what a weekend! In a path covering only 350 miles, we covered million of years of Nevada history. What an adventure.
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2 comments:
We managed to cover a lot of history & fun explores ~ and still get home before the heavy snow! Having the historical sites & ghost town all to ourselves (off season) was cool too. Great trip.
Who knew Nevada had a state fossil? Do you know what California's is? I just looked it up. It is the sabertoothed cat.
You always do so much in one day! I would have to break that into two... we are on three year old schedule. And next month, we will be on a four year old schedule. Less is more at this point.
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