The History of Lyon County
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History
Lyon County was one of the nine original counties created on November 25, 1861. It was named after Nathaniel Lyon, the first Union General to be killed in the Civil War. Its first county seat was established at Dayton on November 29, 1861, which had just changed its name from Nevada City in 1862, and which had been called Chinatown before that. After the Dayton Court House burned down in 1909, the seat was moved to Yerington in 1911. There were stories that it was named for Captain Robert Lyon, a survivor of the Pyramid Lake War in 1860, but Nevada State Archives staff discovered a county seal with the picture of the Civil War general.
Early Settlements and Gold Discovery
Nevada’s First Gold: The state’s first gold discovery occurred in Lyon County in 1849 at the mouth of Gold Canyon. This find led to the establishment of Johntown, the state's first mining camp, and eventually paved the way for the Comstock Lode discovery ten years later.
Dayton: Originally known as "Chinatown" and "Nevada City," Dayton is the second-oldest settlement in Nevada (after Genoa). It served as the original county seat from 1861 until a courthouse fire in 1909.
County Seat and Governance
Seat Relocation: Following the 1909 fire that destroyed the Dayton courthouse, the county seat was moved to Yerington in 1911. The current Lyon County Courthouse in Yerington was built in 1912 and is still in use today.
Fort Churchill:
Built in 1860 to protect settlers and mail routes during the Pyramid Lake War, Fort Churchill was the state's largest military post before being abandoned in 1869. It is now a State Historic Park.
Industrial History
Mining and Agriculture: While early history was dominated by gold and silver, the 20th century saw a shift toward copper mining (notably at the Anaconda Copper Company plant in Yerington during WWII) and agriculture.
The "Onion Capital": Mason Valley, located within the county, earned the nickname "Onion Capital of the West" for its massive production of the crop.
Camels in the Desert: In a unique historical footnote, military-imported camels were once used to haul salt and mining materials through the county; Mark Twain famously wrote about the Desert Well Station where these camels were watered.
Modern Growth
In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, Lyon County transformed from a primarily rural area into one of the fastest-growing counties in the U.S.. This growth was driven by its location along major transportation routes like US-50 ("The Loneliest Road in America") and the expansion of the Northern Nevada industrial region, including the nearby Tahoe-Reno Industrial Center
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2,024 square miles (5,240 km2), of which 2,001 square miles (5,180 km2) is land and 23 square miles (60 km2) (1.1%) is water. It is the fourth-smallest county in Nevada by area. The highest point is approximately 10,565 feet (3,220 m) on the northeast ridge of Middle Sister, the peak of which is located in adjacent Mono County, California, while the highest independent mountain completely within Lyon County is the nearby East Sister. The most topographically prominent peak in Lyon County is Bald Mountain.
Part of the Toiyabe National Forest is located within Lyon County.
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 59,235. The median age was 43.0 years, 22.1% of residents were under the age of 18, and 21.8% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 103.1 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 102.1 males age 18 and over. 55.4% of residents lived in urban areas, while 44.6% lived in rural areas.
The racial makeup of the county was 75.7% White, 0.9% Black or African American, 2.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.7% Asian, 0.3% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 7.2% from some other race, and 12.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 17.5% of the population.
There were 22,704 households in the county, of which 30.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 20.0% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 23.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
There were 24,401 housing units, of which 7.0% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 74.7% were owner-occupied and 25.3% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.2% and the rental vacancy rate was 6.3%.
From 2000 until 2008, Lyon County was one of the fastest-growing counties in the United States.[20] However, its growth rate collapsed during 2008.[21]
Communities
Fernley
Yerington (county seat)
Census-designated places
Dayton
Silver City
Silver Springs
Smith Valley
Stagecoach
Other unincorporated places
Argo
Artesia
Bucklands Station
Cambridge
Churchhill
Como
Davis Station
Greenville
Hoye
Hudson
Johntown
Ludwig
Lux
Marshland
Mason
Mound House
Nordyke
Palmyra
Pine Grove
Ramsey
Rapids City
Rockland
Simpson
Stone Cabin
Sutro
Sweetwater
Thompson
Tippecanoe
Twin Flat
Wabuska
Walker River
Weeks
Wellington
Willington Springs
Wichman
Politics
Lyon is a powerfully Republican county. The last Democrat to carry the county was Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1940 – the county was one of three in Nevada to vote for Barry Goldwater in 1964 – and Jimmy Carter in 1976 is the last Democrat to pass forty percent of Lyon County's vote.
Education
Lyon County has sixteen schools provided by the Lyon County School District.
Railroads
The Central Pacific (the first transcontinental railroad) ran through the county, although a portion of the original route has been shifted for a new route south of Wadsworth in favor of Fernley. The Central Pacific later became the Southern Pacific Railroad which was merged into Union Pacific in 1996.
The Virginia and Truckee Railroad runs through Mound House in western Lyon County, on its way from Carson City to Virginia City.
The narrow-gauge Carson and Colorado Railroad had its terminus in Mound House, where it intersected with the V&T. It traveled east through Dayton, then turned south to the Mason Valley, and east again on its way to Walker Lake. Later a branch line connected the C&C to the Southern Pacific at Hazen. While the line west of Silver Springs was removed, the line from Hazen to Walker Lake (now standard gauge) is still in place, and used several times each week by the Union Pacific to service the NV Energy Fort Churchill Generating Station, near Yerington.
The Eagle Salt Works Railroad ran for 13.5 miles, primarily on the original Central Pacific grade from Luva (two miles east of Fernley) to Eagle Salt Works Railroad.
The Nevada Copper Belt Railroad ran on the west side of the Mason Valley.
Entertainment
Prostitution is licensed and legalized in Lyon county. There are several open ranches, including:
Moonlite Bunny Ranch (the most famous Lyon Country brothel)
Sagebrush Ranch
All are located in Mound House, which is on US Highway 50 adjacent to the line dividing Lyon and Carson City counties.
Several gambling casinos are located in various parts of Lyon County, as are numerous restaurants, clubs, saloons, etc.
