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Proposed Markers

The Landmarks That Could Be!

Despite all the great places that our State Marker System represents we've come away feeling that there's tons more to be desired.

So what do you do when you've conquered them all?

The State Marker System showcases a remarkable push in our state's heritage. At the beginning of 1990, the Nevada State Historical Marker System was enacted by the State Historical Preservation Office (SHPO) in Carson City, a program slated to honor selected sites around the State of Nevada with "roadside heritage plaques."

It wasn't but two months later that this new program hit a roadblock and sparked

some debate among state lobbyists regarding already limited state funds and

the need for precious man hours. To much surprise, a zealous appeal by the

general public and a fully-funded ten-year contract won enough ground to

re-launch the State Marker System and with it - the construction of Nevada's first state-funded historical marker!

The Markers That Could be

The State Marker System has done a fantastic job overall by honoring hundreds of notable ideas with overall positive and memorable impacts on our state.

Truly, the markers that we've conquered were well deserving of the Historic Marker designation.

Throughout our travels and research process, we've encountered a great number of places, tales, and new concepts that we feel need to be recognized by the State Marker System.

You'll find the following criteria for each proposed place of interest.

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Name
This is the proposed name of the marker. If it is long, or short, there is a reason for that.

County
This is the proposed location (county) within Nevada. For organizational purposes, we're listing these proposals by county in our blog below.

GPS & Pin Locations
The GPS and directions we provide are exact as of 2025. Where applicable, we're also providing secondary or even tertiary alternatives for a proposed marker's placement.

Plaque Description
This is the proposed description based on what you'll read below. There is a stringent system we've adopted for our proposed material.

Reason
Lastly, why it should be a historic marker.

So, how do we do this?

As simpletons, not in charge of a state-run agency such as the SHPO, how do we bring these amazing concepts to life? How can our ideas evolve into physical roadside plaques and markers?

By doing exactly what we've done here! We've taken years out of our time to compile what you're about to see. As such, it's our hope that anything we've compiled below is a chance for an addition to the State Marker System.

The SHPO has been very consistent in their choice of historical markers, but at the same time, limiting themselves (and us) to distinct and extremely diversified choices. We think of them as incredible missed opportunities.

We've determined that the SHPO stuck with the following categories for all 274 entries in the system:

- Historic Buildings

- A group of people or individual persons

- Historic Stations

- Historic Trails & Transportation

- Mining Towns & Communities

- "Other"

Weirdly, only 11% (29 out of 274) of the markers represent anything else! I' labeled this category as "Other."

This "other" category included all of the "valley" markers (that discussed a myriad of things), caves, hot springs, boxing events, and random things like a fish hatchery and the cattle industry. With such a tiny amount, the majority of the markers came off as a little tiresome and redundant because it was essentially the same things over and over.

That leaves a lot of untouched material virtually lifeless to the public. of the markers represent anything else!

For example:

The SHPO thought it was pertinent to designate eight entries to the Old Spanish Trail, with four of them being identical in nature (31-34). Yet, they finally designated one for the entire Pony Express Trail.

Example 2:
As for Nevada's Oldest Settlement ...

Why was Dayton given a historic marker but not Genoa?

What I'm proposing here is a more broader spectrum: a giant swath of possible markers: invaluable, yet insightful chapters and subject matter in state history that I feel was completely ignored in the State Marker System. In other words, these are the holes that were never filled.

Our choices of subject matter kept in line with the traditional regular topics of the SHPO while simultaneously adding our broad spectrum of new materials. We believe that our entries are not only significant, but crucial for not only understanding the legacy, but also setting Nevada up for success on the American stage.

I've created a pie chart that breaks down all 274 markers by category here

In other words ...

Our Proposed List includes

Four distinct "series" of markers similar to the current Old Spanish Trail markers
Emigrant trails and stations
Historical buildings and their owners
Notable Nevadans and uncontroversial figures in state history
Progressive movements
Mining Towns (that lasted longer than a year)
Historical Events
Accidents and tragedies
Historical feats and breakthrough technology
Cultural advances

And my personal favorites-

Geologic history, such as Lake Lahontan
Ecologic breakthroughs in state history, such as the movement for Desert Conservation

As you can see this is a huge spectrum where virtually anything goes ... so long as it holds significant state impact.

And that is the keyword. Significant.

On the other side of the coin, we've also adopted some limits on proposed ideas. A proposed marker cannot be divisive, irrelevant, redundant, or a fleeting event in Nevada's history.

Therefore, the following things will not be included as proposed markers.

Short-lived mining camps (that lasted less than one year)
Individual casino-hotel complexes

(unless significantly rooted, or changed the history of a location)

Single and/or private businesses or companies
Controversial figures with a one-sided bias
Divisive events

Only the Strong Survive!

So, with so much material, where's the limit?

The Birth of a Marker

Well, the dedication of a State Historic Marker is a very stringent process! Once a perpetual idea has been approved, the next process requires valuable state funding (which is almost always in short supply). This has always been the make and/or break in terms of a future marker.

This funding is used to ...

Materials for construction of the marker and plaque
Hiring people to actually build the marker
Acquire land rights (either leasing or permission) to place the marker
Hiring certified contractors to install the marker

Got that?

In this entire process from beginning to end (conception to actually installing the marker), the average cost of a new State Marker ranges from $1,100 to $2,500. The material is the easy part. Markers built out of stone (such as Markers 1-20, 261, or 265), are the costliest while individual plaques (such as 71, 75 or 87) sit on the low end of this range. The Standard big blue markers fall in the middle, but they are the quickest to build. This is important because most of the state funding comes in spurts meaning that markers need to be installed quickly before the allotted funds are taken back.

Makes sense?

Occasionally, some markers (such as 270 and 271), are funded by joint efforts, such as non-profits and coalitions who split costs, volunteer to install the marker, or somehow contribute to help out the SHPO's funding dilemma -- all in the effort to bring a marker's concept and vision to reality!

So, as you can see with all the costs and red tape involved, we had to be very picky with our choices!

As such, every one of our marker ideas and proposals had to undergo a decisive four-stage vetting process! At any time, if the idea couldn't pass one of the stages in the process, we eliminated it all together.

STAGE

01 Concept

Everything begins with these two questions:

Does this marker concept already exist?
How significantly important is the concept?

This is arguably the easiest stage.

Remember: we're trying to eliminate divisiveness, duplicates, and redundancy within the State Marker System and this stage trims the fat.

For example:

Marker 204 represents Jackrabbit, a relatively obscure sister camp to the much more profitable mining camp of Bristol Wells. However, there is no marker representing Bristol Wells, nor its intrinsic charcoal ovens! Therefore, we feel Bristol Wells deserves a marker

Example 2:

Marker 12 represents Nevada's Birthplace, yet there is no marker for Genoa or Mormon Station itself! This is further illustrated by Marker 7 which outright represents Dayton, one of the contenders for Nevada's first community. So, why didn't Genoa get one?

Therefore, the proposals I have for Genoa were added to the list.

This vetting is also taken retrospectively by eliminating concepts.

Example 3:

Marker 14, Goldfield, exists yet there is no marker representing its courthouse. That's probably for a good reason.

We shot this concept down since Marker 14 is located at the courthouse, so although it would be interesting, a proposed marker would be redundant in this case.

STAGE

02 Necessity

This is similar to the first one, but a little deeper. Essentially,

Why should it be a historic marker?

Each proposal was carefully spawned with a need in mind. What do we mean? The need for such a marker is broken down by:

How relatable is the concept?
Is the concept beneficial to the public?
Will the public respond favorably to the concept?

These three questions determine whether the marker is worth the state funding.

For example:

The obscure stage station of Alpha in Eureka County lasted less than a year. It didn't amount to much and hasn't made a tremendously historic impact on the area. Therefore, the cost and time involved in erecting a marker for Alpha just isn't worth it.

Example 2:

We've proposed a marker honoring Clara Crowell, the first female sheriff in Nevada. Why? The election of a female authority figure was a turning point for 19th-century Nevada. When we translate that today, people will respond positively to this concept because such a marker adds tremendous impact to the public and its ever-changing demographic. In short, this marker would be incredibly relatable and beneficial.

Therefore, the proposals I have for Genoa were added to the list.

Plaque Description

03 STAGE

Essentially, we asked ...

Could the concept be written and brought to life?

Even though a concept might work, the story is the substance. Anybody can come up with an idea, but writing the story is an altogether different execution.

Simply, the words on a plaque can sometimes be all there is to remember a forgotten chapter in history. Therefore, if an idea cannot be articulated in full spirit, the marker's concept or idea is scrapped.

Basically ...

Can the writing do the story justice?

Each proposal was carefully thought out in terms of plaque description. The SHPO has run into trouble in this department, mainly due to short-sighted and offensive text. The times have changed, and many of the descriptions haven't aged well.

For example:

Example 2:

Therefore, the proposals I have for Genoa were added to the list.

Welcome to the 2020s

This vetting process has also refined how we interpret history.

A prime example is the SHPO's consistency of using the tired and derogatory term "Indian" for virtually all of the markers that mention Native Americans. The plaques that attempt to represent Native American stories were written hastily without much thought in the way of cultural bearing, historical accuracy, and/or future impact. As a result, at least six of these markers even had to be removed altogether because people found the plaque to be offensive!

Simply ...
If we were unable to articulate a culturally impactful and historically accurate description of a proposed marker, the idea was cut. All of the plaque descriptions that we've articulated were carefully crafted to cultivate thought and inclusion with a changing demographic in mind.

STAGE

04 GPS & Location

This final step in making our proposed list is deciding on the right location. We've vetted our locations with two goals in mind:

How historically accurate is this location?
Does the marker run the risk of intentional vandalism (removal)?

The first question is easy. We've tried to locate our ideas as accurately as possible to a said piece of history. For example, if the marker is a building or residence, we tried to place the marker on or near the building. Pretty obvious, right?

The same can't be said for the second question.

The MIA Dilemma

The State Marker System has suffered many losses throughout the decades. These reasons vary from simpletons crashing cars to throwbacks intentionally removing markers And this removal is where the issue stems from.

Plaque descriptions can be changed, but land issues are almost always costly, lengthy, and sometimes, impossible to remedy.

In the West, land ownership changes at the stroke of a pen. In Nevada, particularly, the fine line between what is public and what is private land can sometimes be left in smoke. Unfortunately, many private landowners are not too keen to share. While anything can happen out there (and it often does!), dozens of markers have been purposely removed or vandalized.

Intentional removal occurs when somebody purposely vandalizes the plaque, or in the most extreme of cases, completely removes the marker because they are unhappy with the marker's content or location.

The greatest example of this is Marker 24 in Olinghouse.

Some rural landowners don't like the idea of people stopping to read the marker because the SHPO had placed the marker along their fence line or next to their driveway. Other times, a marker's initial location was public, but along the way, fell under private land ownership prompting the removal of the marker.

Simply put, not enough thought or proper land research went into the marker's initial placement.

Throughout our campaign, we've been on speed dial with the Nevada State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) in an attempt to keep the number of MIAs fresh. The Office has a difficult time recording which markers go missing, especially in our state's more sparsely populated areas. In most cases, the only way they found out is through those of us who have been out in the field. In my investigations, finding any information on the missing markers in terms of their whereabouts or what happened to them is a real hit-and-miss. The real determiner is why the marker went missing in the first place.

Well, having conquered all 274 in the system, we've been taken to school with this. In most scenarios, it seems like not enough thought or proper land research went into the marker's initial placement. Doing so would've at least put the Office in a better position, and most importantly, from financial loss ($1,100-2,500 per marker!)

Of course, we can't stop throwbacks from being throwbacks. If somebody well-intended enough wants to destroy a historic marker, there's not much we can do except catch them in the act. However, we can prevent this as much as possible beforehand with the questions above, right?

How historically accurate is this location?
Does the marker run the risk of intentional vandalism (removal)?

Let's look at some examples.

This person didn't like people stopping in front of their house to view the marker. They did the only thing that would solve the problem, 2009.

For example:

If we were able to plot a marker at an actual ghost town site, that's what we've done because it satisfies the first question. The SHPO has done this inconsistently throughout the system! Sometimes they placed them in ghost towns or former mining camps (such as 52, 138, and 159), but missed the opportunity on so many more (such as 97, 98, and 145), instead choosing to just place them along a highway.

For us, we strategically thought this through.

If the ghost town (or site) has been purchased by a private mining company and runs the risk of restricting public access, we located it somewhere else because it doesn't satisfy the second goal.

Example 2:

We have a proposed marker for the Lake Shore House in Glenbrook.

Glenbrook is a private community on the shore of Lake Tahoe and entry into Glenbrook is restricted to residents only (of whom have a gate code). Although it's a private community, the public is allowed to visit, so aside from the gate code, there's nothing to stop you from visiting the marker. This marker satisfies both goals in being a historically accurate location (the building itself) and having a low risk of vandalism since the marker is located within a private and well-guarded community. The only people who could vandalize the marker would be a Glenbook resident, but the risk of that is extremely low.

Because Accuracy is Cool!

Because the second goal, is such an issue, we buckled down and strictly cross-referenced BLM maps, made extensive phone calls, and even inquired with county recorders to personally verify private and public land ownership! We also researched mining claims and companies that could potentially block a former mining district or ghost town. For urban markers, we verified potential parking issues and called businesses, casinos, and resorts to verify public free-roam.

Everywhere Is Fair Game!

We also expanded our reach as well to accomplish these goals! We've located some of these markers on national parks, inside of buildings, and some even cross state lines ... all to maintain our two goals: as close to historical accuracy as possible and to safeguard against intentional vandalism.

For example, Marker 188 is the only marker in the system that sits outside of Nevada. It is located 1 mile south of the state line in California for that exact purpose, so clearly, the SHPO knows about this tactic. Why it hasn't been enacted consistently is another story. 188 was combined with California's version of the Von Schmidt Monument (#894) for historical accuracy and with the presence of both markers, vandalism protection.

California borrowed this tactic with its CHL #728 essentially creating a tiny exclave of the California Historical Landmarks system on Nevada soil! Yep, you'll find a Pony Express Trail statue in front of Harrah's Casino in Stateline. Although the statue belongs to Nevada (Harrah's Casino), they dedicated and included the status/plaque into their state historical marker system.

Sneaky, but an easy and cost-effective way to obtain another entry into the system without much effort!

We've taken such ideas to another level.

For example:

We have a proposed marker for the Von Schmidt Boundary Monument in Verdi. This monument already exists and sits exactly on the CA/NV state line! Implementing that strategy of California's #CHL 728 above, this no-brainer is a tremendously easy addition to the State Marker System! In 2016, Sierra County, California built a county park here and both Washoe and Sierra Counties already tag-team the maintenance of the monument.

In other words, simply use what's already there! There would no additional cost in building a separate marker here. Just an addition on paper.

Example 2:

We have a proposed marker for the Nevada State Constitution.

We'll admit that this is a bit unique, but we think, it's historically necessary for people to visually see the craziness that occurred at the time of statehood! Because this one directly talks about the state's constitution, we've located it inside the Nevada State Capitol within the Battle Born Room, the very same room that has the constitution in a display case. Yes, placing the marker inside limits marker viewing access, but satisfies both goals of being as close to the location as possible while ensuring protection against intentional vandalism.

Other states have interior markers. Why not Nevada?

How Did We Do?

Got an idea for a new State Marker?

Send us your ideas and we'll relay the information to the SHPO, and pin it to our map of Proposed Markers will full credit given to you!

We're hopeful that with the help of this proposed list, visitors and residents alike across the state will grow heightened awareness regarding our heritage and the importance of our State Marker System. A dash of passion and a kindred respect for Nevada and its history will go a long way to the future.

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