Palisade, Nevada facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Palisade, Nevada
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 Palisade, Nevada
Location in Nevada
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| Country | United States |
| State | Nevada |
| County | Eureka |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific (PST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| Reference #: | 65 |
Palisade (originally called Palisades) is a small, mostly empty place (often called a ghost town) in Eureka County, Nevada, in the western United States. It is about 10 miles (16 km) south of Carlin. It is also about 33 miles (53 km) southwest of Elko.
Even though it is now almost a ghost town, Palisade has a rich past. Its history began after the Transcontinental Railroad was built. The town got its name from Palisade Canyon. This canyon was a big challenge for building and running the railroad.
Contents
History of Palisade
Early Days and Railroad Hub
The community of Palisade started in 1868. It was a station on the Central Pacific Railroad. Soon, it became a very important place for transportation. It connected to mining towns like Mineral Hill, Hamilton, and Eureka in eastern Nevada.
A post office opened in Palisade in May 1870. The town grew a lot after the Eureka and Palisade Railroad started operating there in 1874.
Growth and Daily Life
By the late 1870s, Palisade had many buildings. There were houses, stores, hotels, and saloons. The town also had a school and two churches. About 600 people lived there.
Palisade was known for a funny hoax in the early 1870s. When a train arrived, the people in town would pretend to have gunfights and bank robberies. This was probably done to attract visitors. Only the residents knew it was a trick. The show stopped after a few years. In real life, Palisade had very little crime and no sheriff.
Decline and New Railroads
By 1882, Palisade had a new train station and a telegraph office. Both railroads used this new station. After 1885, the mines in Eureka started to produce less. This meant less train activity. As railroad jobs disappeared, people began to leave Palisade.
In 1908, a third railroad, the Western Pacific Railroad, built its line through the town. This line helped transport people and goods to northern Nevada.
Flooding and Later Years
In 1910, a big flood destroyed most of Palisade. It also damaged all three railroad lines. The town never fully recovered after this flood.
The Palisade post office closed in 1961.
Since the 1920s, the town was owned by the family of a businessman named John Sexton. On April 26, 2005, John Sexton sold the entire town at an auction in San Francisco. An unknown buyer bought the town for $150,000. Sexton said he sold the town to help pay for his daughter's college education.
Gallery
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Palisade Canyon, during construction of the Transcontinental Railroad in 1868 (LOC) -
The same site, located just northeast of Palisade, 140 years later -
View from Palisade, Nevada, looking southeast towards Pine Mountain -
Palisade, 1870s
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Palisade, 1880s
See also
In Spanish: Palisade (Nevada) para niños
