SCAMP
One of my favorite little NV towns. GENOA, originally MORMON STATION. Has one of the best small town museums I've ever been to. It's the big, two story brick building at the far end of the street on the left. Across the street from where the photo was taken is the oldest, continually operating saloon in NV. It's a favorite watering hole for bikers, as the town sits at the bottom of the Kingsbury Grade, a beautifully scenic ride on a winding mountain pass road that goes from Genoa to South Shore, Lake Tahoe.
Another claim to fame for the town is in it's cemetery. It's the resting place of John "Snowshoe" Thompson, a Norwegian immigrant. From 1856-'76 Snowshoe was contracted as a mail carrier to carry the mail from Placerville, CA, up and over the Sierra Nevada Mountains, to Genoa.....in the WINTER time! He did this on cross-country skis, called "snowshoes" back then. It's not uncommon for the Sierras to get 30+ feet of snow, effectively cutting off the California goldfields from the rest of the country back then. Snowshoe Thompson was the link. A TOUGH Norwegian.
So, if you ever find yourself in the Carson Valley, make the small side trip to Genoa. You won't be disappointed. If the saloon isn't a big draw for you, get an ice cream cone at the Country Store and take a stroll through the cemetery and look up Snowshoe.
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Tom
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