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Genoa, Nevada
Genoa, Nevada.jpg
Genoa, Nevada is located in Nevada
Genoa, Nevada
Genoa, Nevada
Location in Nevada
Country United States
State Nevada
County Douglas
Area
 • Total 9.187 sq mi (23.79 km2)
 • Land 9.187 sq mi (23.79 km2)
 • Water 0 sq mi (0 km2)
Elevation
4,806 ft (1,465 m)
Population
 (2010)
 • Total 939
 • Density 102.21/sq mi (39.463/km2)
Time zone UTC-8 (Pacific (PST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-7 (PDT)
Area code(s) 775
GNIS feature ID 859807

Genoa is an unincorporated town in Douglas County, Nevada, United States. Founded in 1851, 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. The population was 939 at the 2010 census. It is home to the oldest bar in the state of Nevada which opened in 1853.

History

Genoa, East Foot of Sierra Nevada - NARA - 305641
Simpson expedition, Genoa, Nevada, 1859

Located within the Utah Territory before the Nevada Territory was created in 1861, Genoa was first settled by Mormon pioneers. The settlement originated as a trading post called Mormon Station, which served as a respite for travelers on the California Trail.

The first white child born in Mormon Station (Genoa, NV) was Jesse R. Hillbun.

Orson Hyde changed the name of the community to Genoa, after the Italian city. 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.

The community was the home to Nevada's first hotel, newspaper and court. 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.

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.

Unlike that of its namesake, the Nevada community's name is pronounced with the accent on the second syllable rather than.

Genoa Historic District

Genoa Historic District
Genoa Courthouse Museum.jpg
Genoa Courthouse Museum
Nearest city Minden, Nevada
Area 129.5 acres (52.4 ha)
Architectural style Late Victorian
NRHP reference No. 75001108
Added to NRHP April 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.

Genoa is significant as the first settlement in what is now the State of Nevada, having started in 1850 as a trading post on the Emigrant Trail to California, and developed as the community of Mormon Station by Mormons from the State of Deseret. Significant buildings in the historic district include a replica of the Mormon Station (1947?), the Masonic Hall (1868), the Genoa Bar (1855), a firehouse (1971), a store and gas pump (1971), and a courthouse (1865).

Geography

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.

Climate

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

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

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Genoa (Nevada) para niños

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