My New House

Jed Margolin
Spring  2006


The new house I bought is in Virginia City Highlands, about 22 miles South East of Reno and 5 miles North of Virginia City.

Virginia City was a boomtown that started when silver (and some gold) was discovered there in 1859.  President Abe Lincoln needed the gold and silver to keep the Union solvent during the Civil War so in 1864 he made Nevada a state although it did not contain enough people to constitutionally become one. Samuel Clemens lived there for a time.  It's where he started using the name Mark Twain.

Today it is a small tourist town that attracts people because of its colorful history and because it is where the Cartwrights on the TV show Bonanza usually went when they had business to do. (It was about to become a ghost town when Bonanza went on the air.)

The new house is 2400 sq. ft. and is on 2 acres.
 

My new house:



Here is the view from my computer room after it snowed in January.



Here is a more recent view now that Spring has arrived.



Here is the view of my house from the edge of my property. My house is practicing how not to be seen.




My new neighborhood




is for rugged Mountain Men like me.





My mailbox is 2.5 miles down the road.




Caution: Wild Horse Crossing. I've seen them on my road. They've been on my property. They've left me presents on my driveway.



They have been eating the birdseed I put out for the birds.




Not all the horses up here are wild. This is my neighbor, Ed.




Ben, Little Joe, Hoss, and Adam have their own road.


 
 

And everyone knows where they usually went when they had business to do.




This is on the road from Reno (Geiger Grade, also known as SR341).




This is the view from half-way up Geiger Grade, looking at Mt. Rose.




You can almost see Reno.  The Reno Hilton is the square blob in the distance in the right three-quarters of the picture.


 
 

This is at the bottom of Geiger Grade where everyone goes to escape the peace and quiet.



The Foothill Market is next to the Saloon, about 100 yards closer to Virginia City.




Wild horses couldn't keep me away from the party.

Oh, wait. Yes, they could.




Going back up Geiger Grade, here we are in Virginia City.




The Main Street (technically called C Street).


 
 



This is a real post office.



Virginia City is built into the side of the mountain. This school is on the next street down the mountain.



This is the Courthouse where I registered my car. It's on the next street up the mountain.




Looking down at Main Street. It's a lot steeper than it looks.





The Courthouse is next to the Opera House.


 

Back on Main Street. The Mark Twain Bookstore is great. They have lots of books of historical interest, not just Mark Twain. It was in Virginia City that Samuel Clemens first used the name Mark Twain



Leaving town. There's lots more for me to see. I'll be back. (It's only 5 miles from my house.)



--- Jed