C hurchill county was created by the legislature of 1861, with the county seat at Buckland, and was
attached to Lyon county for judicial purposes. Before it was organized it had already lost a portion
of it's area to the county of Lander, only to become independent in 1864. Later in 1869 it again lost more
area, but this time to Nye county. What remained was largely desert, marsh lands, and alkaline lakes,
but there was some 25,000 acres of excellent hay land and 20,000 of arable land. At that time there
was perhaps some 5000 acres under cultivation on the Carson slough.
T he first flour mill in the county was erected in 1881 by J. T. Walker & Co. The first farm was said to
be started by Asa L. Kenyon in 1854, who settled on the Carson at Ragtown. Resources were salt,
soda, sulphur, and stock raising. Churchill County assessable property was reported as less than
any other county in the state, being only $486,432 in 1883.
L a Plata, a mining town on the eastern side of the county was the first county seat after organization.
But it only lasted a few years and was deserted by its inhabitants in 1866. In 1868 the county seat was
moved again but this time to Stillwater in a farming region. J. C. Scott was the founder of Stillwater who
settled there in 1862.
T he central shipping point for the counties agricultural region of Carson slough was Wadsworth located
on the Central Pacific railroad. The wood supply came from the Silver Hill range at twelve to twenty miles
distant.
G old and Silver mining was done in the mountains on the eastern part of the county, but soon were
abandoned due to the discoveries in White Pine.
S ettlements in Churchill County were Alan, Clan Alpine Mill, Coates Wells, Cold Spring, Desert,
Desert Well, Eagle Slat Works, East Gate, Hill's Station, Hot Springs, La Plata, Mirage, Mountain Well,
Murphy Station, Ragtown, Salinas, Shoshones Spring, Sink Station, Soda Lake, Soldiers Spring, St Clair,
West Gate, White Plains, and White Rock House.
