Nevada: The beautiful desert of buried hopes

Mining had given rise to Nevada in the early years. But many mines had gone from boom to bust in the time before WWI. When the U.S. declared war on the German Empire, Nevada's future brightened.

Quintus Hopper of Nevada, published in January 2022, is a historical novel that follows the epic and peculiar life of a frontier newspaper typesetter. As part of my research I made extensive use of newspaper archives and, in this series, I’ll share some of my often surprising findings. Here are history, commentaries and contemporary newspaper articles as they relate to the novel. This time a glimpse into the year of 1917, in that faraway mining camp south of Las Vegas, Eldorado, the 4th of July was celebrated - as the whole of the country ramped up to go to war.

When the war began in Europe, life in the south of Nevada continued for another while just as it always had, with mines booming and busting – more busting than booming – and with Searchlight continuing to fade as Las Vegas continued to prosper and grow. And in Nelson, the little town in between, at Eldorado Canyon, the men continued to work the mines. Nobody was concerned about the war. After all, President Woodrow Wilson had narrowly won re-election in 1916 for that very reason, reminding voters that he was the man who would keep them out of war.

"Wilson’s campaign used the popular slogans “He kept us out of war” and “America First” to appeal to those voters who wanted to avoid a war in Europe or with Mexico.” (from Wikipedia)

Before long, however, circumstances in the shape of German submarines forced Wilson to change his mind. The U.S. Congress declared war against the German Empire in April of 1917 and suddenly the drums of patriotism rallied men and mobilized women – even in the remotest corners of Nevada.

Mind you, there was another reason for the U.S. to be pretty upset with the Germans - it was the Zimmermann Telegram. Nothing but a footnote in history books today, the idea behind that secret communication could have led to monumentally different outcomes. You see, Germany got in touch with Mexico in early 1917, enticing them to join the war effort on the side of the Germans. If agreeing to such a military alliance, Germany promised Mexico that they would help them take back Texas, Arizona and Mexico.

Imagine the consequences, if that had happened. Luckily, the British intercepted the cable. It escalated tensions between the U.S. and Germany - and the attacks by German subs were then the final straw - war against Germany had become inevitable.

Before the war, matters had been rough for Nevada, the so-called battle born state (because it had been given statehood during the Civil War). In the years before the war, the mining towns reported more busts than booms; ranching and farming operations were struggling and the population was shrinking. Some began calling Nevada ‘a beautiful desert of buried hopes.’ With the announcement of the war, the mining industry began to grow again, copper production tripled, and prices for meat, vegetables and fruit rose and rose. Nevada benefited in another curious way: Since the wealthy couldn’t travel to Europe, many vacationers chose California instead, and also discovered Nevada on its newly built roads.

But the little town of Nelson was still far from Las Vegas, far from the war that has just been declared, far from everything. Below’s a small article from that time that gives you a glimpse into life and community at the time. People traveled from near and far to join the festivities - must have been special. And if you’ve ever been to Eldorado Canyon, you’ll know that this remote and barren place can’t have been generally high on anyone’s list of must-see places. The Las Vegas Age tells of a 4th of July celebration at Eldorado Canyon.

In the novel, it is the moment when Quintus finds out that a Linotype machine has been installed at the Vegas paper. It means that the manual typesetting that has been a large part of Quintus’ life, has become obsolete once and for all. The article mentions both Helen Stewart and Ike Alcock, both important characters in the novel and in Quintus Hopper’s life.

July 07, 1917

Las Vegas Age, Las Vegas, Nevada

ELDORADO CELEBRATES WITH GREAT SUCCESS

Several Hundred Visitors Present

Enjoy Patriotic Exercises and Sports

Eldorado Canyon acquitted itself proudly on the Fourth, when 300 or 500 people from Searchlight, Las Vegas, Needles and other nearby points gathered in Nelson and enjoyed the hospitality of the camp. The weather was perfect for the occasion, the sky being slightly cloudy during the afternoon.

The exercises were opened with the reading of the Declaration of Independence by Joseph Magee, after which a patriotic oration was splendidly delivered by Hon. Harley A. Harmon of Las Vegas. Rev. B. J. Darnielle of Needles spoke with eloquence and feeling on the subject “Freedom.” A letter written by Mrs. Helen J. Stewart of Las Vegas was read by Ike Alcock and made a hit with the people.

The baseball game between the nines of Searchlight and Nelson was won handily by the home team. Foot races, free for all, men’s race, sack races for boys and girls and other small sports served to entertain the crowd during the day and in the evening the happy occasion received its climax in the dance which lasted until the wee small hours.

An especially pleasant feature of the celebration was the patriotic music furnished by the Las Vegas orchestra led by Mr. Kelly.

Everybody reported a pleasant time, thanks to the pleasant hospitality extended by the canyon folks.