Samuel Clemens, a reporter for the then local newspaper in 1863, first used his now famous name Mark Twain when he lived in the city. Along with the history of Mark Twain, some of the original buildings still exist to this day. Among them are the Bucket of Blood Saloon, the Silver Queen and the Suicide Table.
Having visited this interesting city twice, we have seen many of these old buildings. Among them are the Fourth Ward School which is now a museum, the Storey County Court House built in 1875 after The Big Fire, The Castle, Piper's Opera House, as well as historic churches, museums, 19th century restored houses, the old steam engine train and the jail. There are also mine tours that can be taken, stagecoaches to ride as in years gone by, boardwalks to stroll while you explore the small city and the opportunity to partake of the many delectable items at many of the eateries along the way.
Also exceedingly interesting are the cemeteries. There are nine in all and although we have not explored all of them, the ones we have seen were of interest because for each tombstone there is a story to be told and the sad reminder that that life no longer exists. Most of the headstones are very old with dates going back to the 1800's. Some are enclosed in fenced-off areas and many have their own statuary. On a large portion of the headstones, the dates have been nearly obliterated with time and the elements. However, the city is slowly refurbishing many of these cemeteries as they receive funding for the project.
There are various events held throughout the year. On one of our visits we saw their Outhouse Race held on the main street with the participants rigged out in old-time dress. Held in the Fall of each year, I believe the contestants enjoyed it as much as the observers did. Everyone working in the shops, saloons and, I suspect, even the general population dress in old-time costumes for the enjoyment of the tourists. It seems to be a happy town with a lot of smiling faces and much laughter.
On our first visit to Virginia City we came across the Shoe Tree with hundreds of shoes hanging from its branches. The story goes that a young couple driving through town were having an argument and stopped beneath the tree. Angry with his wife, the husband threw a pair of her shoes into the tree. After they had settled their argument, he couldn't get her shoes down from the high branch where he had tossed them, and so there they stayed. Others seeing the shoes danging from the branches decided to throw their own up into the tree as well. And that was the beginning of the Shoe Tree seen as you drive from Reno into Virginia City. Since we weren't having an argument, and because we didn't want to sacrifice a pair of shoes, we refrained from adding ours to the growing collection.
Virginia City is south of Reno and was once considered the most important city in all of Nevada. The shops are interesting to look through with an eclectic mix of offerings for interested buyers. On our second visit with grandchildren, we spent more time doing things around the city. One grandchild in particular was interested in the cemeteries, or perhaps it was the enjoyment of trying to catch the little lizards that seemed to proliferate the area as they basked on the sun-warmed rocks and fallen tombstones.
Either way, with children or without, Virginia City is a very enjoyable place to visit for its historic value as well as for the fun and laughter.
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