Genoa, Nevada

Genoa /dʒəˈnoʊ.ə/[lower-alpha 1] is an unincorporated town in Douglas County, Nevada, United States.[5] Founded in 1851,[6] it was the first settlement in what became the Nevada Territory. It is situated within Carson River Valley and is approximately 42 miles (68 km) south of Reno.[7] The population was 939 at the 2010 census.[8] It is home to the oldest bar in the state of Nevada which opened in 1853.[9]

Genoa, Nevada
Unincorporated town
Genoa, Nevada is located in Nevada
Genoa, Nevada
Genoa, Nevada
Coordinates: 39°00′16″N 119°50′50″W
CountryUnited States
StateNevada
CountyDouglas
Area
[1]
 • Total9.19 sq mi (23.79 km2)
 • Land9.19 sq mi (23.79 km2)
 • Water0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation
[2]
4,807 ft (1,465 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total1,343
 • Density146.18/sq mi (56.44/km2)
Time zoneUTC-8 (Pacific (PST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-7 (PDT)
ZIP code
89411[3]
Area code775
GNIS feature ID859807[2]

History
Simpson expedition, Genoa, Nevada, 1859

Genoa was first settled by Mormon pioneers in what was then the Mexican territory of Alta California. The settlement originated as a trading post called Mormon Station, which served as a respite for travelers on the Carson Route of the California Trail. In June 1850, following the Mexican Cession, H.S. Beatie and fellow Mormons built a roofless log enclosure and corral as a trading post near a small stream. Migrants could obtain clothing, tobacco, meat, canned goods, coffee, beans, sugar, flour and bacon. The post was abandoned later that year. In 1851, John Reese arrived in the area with horses, cattle and a dozen wagons loaded with supplies to establish a permanent trading post. By 1852, migrant traffic through the area was heavy and the settlement expanded. A post office opened, a blacksmith shop was built, and sawmills were built.[10] In 1856, Orson Hyde changed the name of the community to Genoa, after the Italian city.[11] The original Mormon settlers withdrew in 1857 when they were recalled by Brigham Young due to the Utah War. Genoa served as the first capital of the Nevada Territory in 1861, until it was moved that year to Carson City. [12]

Nevada's first permanent building, Genoa trading post, established 1850

Nevada's first newspaper, the Territorial Enterprise, was founded in Genoa in 1858, but moved to Virginia City in 1860. It was the site of the first ranch in Nevada.[13]

Much of Genoa, including the original fort, station, and hotel, was destroyed in a fire in 1910, but a replica of the fort was built in 1947. Every year since 1919, Genoa has held a festival called the Candy Dance, where candy, food, and crafts are sold to support its town government. The Candy Dance is usually held during the final weekend of September. Many pioneers rest in the Genoa graveyard, including Snowshoe Thompson, his wife and his son.

A mile south of Genoa is David Walley's Resort, a famous natural hot springs and spa. It was first built in 1862 and known as Walley's Hot Springs. On October 1, 1934, Baby Face Nelson and members of his gang arrived at Walley's Hot Springs, hiding out for a month before returning to Chicago, where Nelson was shot by FBI agents.[14]

Scenes from the 1973 movie Charley Varrick were filmed in Genoa, and the village was the set for the 1990 movie Misery, starring Kathy Bates, when the village doubled in size with buildings added and then removed after the filming. Food writer M. F. K. Fisher wrote a series of cookbook reviews for The New Yorker from her sister's home in Genoa during the 1960s.

Genoa Historic District
Genoa Historic District
Genoa Courthouse Museum
Nearest cityMinden, Nevada
Coordinates39°0′N 119°51′W
Area129.5 acres (52.4 ha)
Architectural styleLate Victorian
NRHP reference No.75001108[15]
Added to NRHPApril 16, 1975

The Genoa Historic District, seven miles north of Minden, Nevada, is a portion of the community of Genoa which, as a 129.5-acre (52.4 ha) historic district was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1975. Historically known as Mormon Station, the historic area includes Late Victorian architecture; it includes a courthouse and city hall among 29 contributing buildings.[15][16]

Geography
Road Marker on the main road in Genoa, Nevada

Genoa is located on the western edge of the Carson Valley, 7 miles (11 km) northwest of Minden, the Douglas County seat. Nevada State Route 206 enters Genoa from the south as Foothill Road, then turns east in the center of town onto Genoa Lane. According to the United States Census Bureau, the census-designated place of Genoa has a total area of 9.2 square miles (23.8 km2), all land.[8]

Climate

The area has a Köppen Climate Classification of Csb, which is a dry-summer subtropical climate often referred to as "Mediterranean".[17]

Climate data for Genoa, Nevada
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °F (°C) 37
(3)		 38
(3)		 44
(7)		 49
(9)		 58
(14)		 67
(19)		 76
(24)		 75
(24)		 68
(20)		 57
(14)		 45
(7)		 37
(3)		 54
(12)
Average low °F (°C) 21
(−6)		 21
(−6)		 24
(−4)		 28
(−2)		 34
(1)		 41
(5)		 48
(9)		 47
(8)		 42
(6)		 35
(2)		 26
(−3)		 21
(−6)		 32
(0)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 3.6
(91)		 3.4
(86)		 2.9
(74)		 1.4
(36)		 1
(25)		 0.7
(18)		 0.2
(5.1)		 0.6
(15)		 0.6
(15)		 1.2
(30)		 1.6
(41)		 3.5
(89)		 20.8
(530)
Source: Weatherbase[18]

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
20201,343—
U.S. Decennial Census[19]

See also

Notes
  1. Unlike that of its namesake, the Nevada community's name is pronounced with the accent on the second syllable, /dʒəˈnoʊ.ə/ jə-NOH-ə rather than /ˈdʒɛnoʊ.ə/ JEN-oh-ə.[4]

References
  1. "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 19, 2022.
  2. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Genoa, Nevada
  3. "Genoa ZIP Code". zipdatamaps.com. 2023. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
  4. Stanley W. Paher (1970). "Ch. 4 Douglas County". Nevada Ghost Towns & Mining Camps. Nevada Publications. p. 55. ISBN 0-913814-04-0.
  5. "Douglas County Code – Section 18.02.010 – Creation". Douglas County District Attorney. Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved January 30, 2017.
  6. Read, Laura (May–June 2013). "Genoa, Nevada". Via: 18.
  7. Community website
  8. "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Genoa CDP, Nevada". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved January 24, 2013.
  9. "About the Bar". Genoa Bar and Saloon. Retrieved 18 June 2020.
  10. Paher, Stanley W (1970). Nevada Ghost Towns and Mining Camps. Howell North. p. 56.
  11. Federal Writers' Project (1941). Origin of Place Names: Nevada (PDF). W.P.A. p. 19.
  12. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-05-21. Retrieved 2009-03-24.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  13. "Cowboy Festival returns to Genoa". March 2016.
  14. Bryan Burrough (2009). Public Enemies: America's Greatest Crime Wave and the Birth of the FBI, 1933–34. Penguin. p. 453. ISBN 978-0-14-311586-1. Retrieved 2 January 2013.
  15. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  16. Henry H. Haight III (March 22, 1973). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Genoa Historic District". National Park Service. and accompanying eight photos from 1973–74
  17. Climate Summary for Genoa, Nevada
  18. "Weatherbase.com". Weatherbase. 2013. Retrieved on August 21, 2013.
  19. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
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