Deep Hole, Nevada facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Deep Hole, Nevada
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 Deep Hole, Nevada
Location in Nevada
Deep Hole, Nevada
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Nevada |
| Founded by | Ladue Vary |
| Named for | Deep Hole Spring |
| Elevation | 3,927 ft (1,197 m) |
Deep Hole is a ghost town in Washoe County, Nevada. It's a historic place located in the Black Rock Desert, near the Granite Range. A man named Ladue Vary started this settlement in 1856. Deep Hole is found at the north end of the Smoke Creek Desert.
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History of Deep Hole
Deep Hole has a long and interesting history. It was a place where important meetings happened and where people lived and worked for many years.
Peace Talks at Deep Hole Spring
In 1860, an important meeting happened at Deep Hole Spring. Frederick W. Lander, a U.S. official, met with Numaga, a leader of the Paiute tribe. They talked about making peace during a time of conflict called the Paiute War.
Lander's team had captured some Paiute people. They released two of them, hoping they would bring their leader, Naanah, for a discussion. On August 12, Lander met with Naanah. They agreed that Numaga would come to Deep Hole Springs for a bigger meeting.
On August 21, 1860, Numaga and Lander finally met. They shared a meal and talked about the problems. Lander said he could share Numaga's concerns with the U.S. government, but couldn't make promises. Numaga replied that he was glad Lander made no promises, because past promises had not been kept.
Numaga explained that he could not always stop all Paiute groups from fighting. He said this was similar to how the U.S. government couldn't stop white settlers from harming Native Americans. He felt that the fighting was caused by the unfriendly actions of some white settlers. He mentioned that some settlers had hurt Paiute women and men without reason.
Numaga also said he was not responsible for a specific attack called the Williams Station massacre. He blamed a group of Bannocks for it, over whom he had no control. He believed that if the white settlers had talked to him afterward, as they had agreed to in a treaty, there would have been no need for fighting.
Lander asked Numaga to try to keep the Paiutes from fighting for one year. In return, Lander would try to arrange a treaty. This treaty would let the Paiutes keep their lands or get paid for lands that had been taken. Numaga agreed to this plan. He said he would try to bring another leader, Poito, to meet with the Indian agent, Frederick Dodge. Their goal would be to arrange a formal truce, which is a temporary stop to fighting.
Deep Hole in the 1860s
Deep Hole was a busy place in the late 1800s. It even had its own post office! The post office was open from July 1866 to August 1867. It then reopened from February 1894 until October 1911.
In July 1869, a sad event happened at Deep Hole. Two men were killed there. In response, four Paiute people were also killed. To remember this event, a nearby ridge was named Bloody Point in 1965.
The Gerlach Family and Deep Hole
A man named Louis Gerlach bought the Deep Hole ranch. He also bought the Granite Creek and Clear Creek ranches. This happened either in 1884 or the 1890s.
In 1906, a new town was started nearby. It was named Gerlach, Nevada, after Louis Gerlach. In 1920, Louis Gerlach sold all his 22,000 cattle. He then started a sheep farming business instead. The Gerlach Livestock Company owned the Deep Hole property for many years, at least until 1936. The property was finally sold to new owners in the 1940s.
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