Carolyn, There were all kinds of territorial organizations for western Nevada in the 1850s. Everything changed quickly with discovery of Comstock and Virginia City. Thus in 1861, the Nevada Territory was formed by Congress, which due to its wealth financed the Union during the Civil War. Nevada's state motto is "Battle Born." As to Utah's delayed statehood, it was the issue of polygamy that hinder it. Once polygamy was banned, then Utah was finally accepted as a State. Tim ---------- > From: Carolyn Feroben <[email protected]> > To: [email protected] > Subject: [CA-GOLDRUSH-L] Pautah County, 1852-1859 > Date: Wednesday, August 19, 1998 9:02 AM > > Hi folks, > I was surprised to see an entry in Coys_California County > Boundaries_,for a "Pautah County, 1852-1859"! > > It seems that the California legislators were hoping to form this county > from land that lay within the Utah Territory and completely beyond the > CA state boundaries. > > Many settlers _from_ California and others _bound for_ California were > settling in the valleys of the Truckee, Carson and Walker rivers on the > eastern boundary of California. Estimates are that 22,500 settlers > passed through the Truckee Meadows in 1849, then 45,000 in 1850 and up > to 52,000 in 1852. This land was near the mining region of California > (see the proposed boundaries below) and on the route of the overland > trails. > > In 1852 California enacted a law to gain this land as a California > County. > > The boundaries of Pautah County were defined as follows: > "Commencing at the northeast corner of Sierra County, thence in a > southeasterly direction to the northeast extremity of Pyramid Lake; > thence in a southeast line to the northwestern boudary of Carson Lake; > thence running south to the eastern border of Walker Lake, following > said border to the southern limit of said Lake;thence in a southwesterly > direction to the southeast corner of Calaveras County; thence following > the eastern boundary of Calaveras, El Dorado, Placer, Nevada and Sierra > counties to the place of begining". (Basically if you were looking at a > map of today you would see the area as the Carson, Reno, Sparks area and > the land from Pyramid Lake down to Walker Lake.) > > The act declared that "Carsonville" be the county seat and that the act > should take effect WHEN the Congress of the United States had ceded to > California the territory as described! > > Nice try California, but the law was repealled in 1859. I wonder why as > Nevada didn't became a state until 1864, and in Jan of 1896 (after 50 > years of trying) Utah finally became a state. > > There are always more questions than answers it seems and that makes it > fun! > > Carolyn > > > ==== CA-GOLDRUSH Mailing List ==== > Automatic Administrative Reminder: > Your Support Keeps RootsWeb Free! > http://www.rootsweb.com/rootsweb/how-to-subscribe.html > > > > > > > >