Historic 'C' Street - Virginia City, Nevada
Impossible Odds
 

      
 Perched
      high on the shoulder of Mt. Davidson in Nevada's Washoe Mountains
      (above), Virginia City is a town that has survived for nearly
      150 years against all odds. The mere existence of the town was
      determined by a phenomenal mining strike that was as big as it
      was short - just 20 years. When the Comstock Lode began to play
      out in the late 1800s, Virginia City began to die a slow death
      from the heyday of the 1860s and 70s, when 30,000 residents came
      here to claim their fortune.

      


      
 Today,
      a broad sample of Virginia City's rich history not only survives,
      but is now being restored to its original glory. The punishing
      weather here ranges from searing summer heat and drought to bitter
      winter cold and frequent snowfall. Yet the charm and history
      of nineteenth century architecture (Fourth Precinct School, above,
      historic 'C' Street, below) in this unique setting have attracted
      a new wave of hearty souls who are gradually restoring the remaining
      structures.

      


      
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 All images
      are ©Tom Kloster, 1999, and may only be used by permission