For as long as I’ve bumped about Nevada, I’ve never heard of the town Pickhandle Gulch, which is pictured above in all its glory. This week while lost in an Internet rabbit hole, I found a side tunnel on the Candelaria silver strike. That led me to read about the ephemeral mining camp of Pickhandle Gulch and then, finally, to one James E. Casey, pictured below.
Mr. Casey has gotta be the most famous resident of Pickhandle Gulch. I would think he would also rank prominently among all born in Nevada..
He was born in that silver mining camp in 1888 to fresh-off-the-boat Irish immigrants, who later migrated to Seattle. At the age of 19, using $100 seed money and kids on bikes, he founded the American Messenger Company. Today you know the company as UPS.
The town of Pickhandle Gulch didn’t last long. It sprung up as part of the Candaleria silver boom. But, when the Mount Diablo silver mine played out, the town disappeared in the 1890s and returned to the desert terrain around the current town of Hawthorne, Nevada.
I now have another interesting factoid to associate with Hawthorne — UPS. Hawthorne is a damn fine town. My partner Tim Dahlberg and I continue to own and operate the newspaper there, which makes us heirs to the rich history of newspaper men who cared for the town’s newspaper — the Mineral County Independent-News.
Next time I’m up that way, I’ll make it a point to find Pickhandle Gulch, or what’s left of it, and .post a picture of it here.
Wild Horse Roundup
My Eastern friends with little concept of how vast federal lands are in the West will be interested to know that in the Ely BLM District — just one of many districts in Nevada — there are about a million acres of land containing about 1,000 wild mustangs. The BLM just completed a round up using food and water as bait. They captured about 300 wild horses, which will now be adopted out.
Gotta Love Nevada
A scorpion hunt will begin at 8:30 a.m. at the south end of the Upper Pahranagat Lake Campground tomorrow (July 11) and Aug. 5. This will be your chance, according to rangers, “to look around the refuge in the evening to see how many scorpions you can find! UV lights will be provided.”'
In the summer of 2016, a Great Basin National Park archaeologist found a Winchester Model 1873 repeating rifle leaning against a tree while conducting a routine archaeological survey. It was manufactured in 1882 and is believed to have been abandoned between 1900 an 1930. Efforts to trace ownership has been unsuccessful and is now on display at the park.
In Case You Missed It
Dr. Tim Pitts, a specialist in Parkinson’s disease, told NBC News that President Joe Biden shows “hallmark” symptoms of having the illness. Pitts, a lifelong Democrat, said Biden’s slow movement, lack of movement in his arm swing and “small, monotone voice” are evident indications of Parkinson’s disease, a movement disorder caused by damage to the central nervous system. “It’s one of the easier movement disorders to diagnose.”
The train wreck that is the White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre hit another parked car yesterday. At the morning press briefing she denied that a January meeting between Biden's physician and a renown Parkinson's expert was related to Biden's care. Later, ‘Ka-ringe’ issued a correction admitting it was, in fact, related to Biden's health. — RNC press release
"The powers that be in the Democratic Party know Biden can’t beat Trump—but they are stuck and it will take a trenching tool to dig him out" — Steve Bannon from prison
Nancy Pelosi, former Speaker of the House, says it is up to President Joe Biden to decide whether he will run for president again. While she has not endorsed Biden, she has stated that she will support whatever decision he makes. — X
Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet expressed concerns about President Biden's ability to win the 2024 election against Donald Trump, suggesting that Trump could potentially win by a landslide and also secure the Senate and House. Bennet's comments mark the first public acknowledgment from a Senate Democrat about Biden's electoral challenges, sparking discussions and concerns among Democrats about the potential loss of control in both the Senate and House. — X
Thanks for reading. Remember to laugh a little, avoid soreheads and always question authority. You can follow me on Facebook and X and reach me directly via email at shermfrederick@gmail.com.
One More Thing
