Lyon County, Nevada
Encyclopedia
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
. As of the 2010 census, the population was 51,980. Its county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
is Yerington
Yerington, Nevada
Yerington is a city in Lyon County, located in western Nevada, USA. The population was 2,883 at the 2000 census. It is named after Henry M. Yerington, Superintendent of the Virginia and Truckee Railroad from 1868 to 1910. It is the county seat of Lyon County....
.
History
Lyon County was one of the nine original counties created in 1861. It was named after Nathaniel LyonNathaniel Lyon
Nathaniel Lyon was the first Union general to be killed in the American Civil War and is noted for his actions in the state of Missouri at the beginning of the conflict....
, the first Union General to be killed in the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. Its first County Seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
was Dayton
Dayton, Nevada
Dayton is a census-designated place in Lyon County, Nevada, United States. The population was 5,907 at the 2000 census.-History:Dayton is at the western end of the Twenty-Six Mile Desert at a bend in the Carson River. Immigrants stopping there for water would consider whether to follow the river...
, which had just changed its name from Nevada City
Nevada City, Nevada
Nevada City is a ghost town in Churchill County, Nevada, United States....
in 1862, which had been called Chinatown before that. After the Dayton Court House burned down in 1909, the seat was moved to Yerington
Yerington, Nevada
Yerington is a city in Lyon County, located in western Nevada, USA. The population was 2,883 at the 2000 census. It is named after Henry M. Yerington, Superintendent of the Virginia and Truckee Railroad from 1868 to 1910. It is the county seat of Lyon County....
in 1911. There were stories that it was named for Captain Robert Lyon
Robert Lyon
Robert Lyon may refer to:* Robert Menli Lyon , early settler in Western Australia*Robert Lyon , Canadian politician in Ontario* Robert Adam Lyon , Canadian businessman and politician...
, a survivor of the Pyramid Lake War
Paiute War
The Paiute War, also known as the Pyramid Lake War, Washoe Indian War and the Pah Ute War, was an armed conflict between Northern Paiutes allied with the Shoshone and the Bannock against the United States. It took place in 1860 in the vicinity of Pyramid Lake in the Utah Territory, now within...
in 1860, but Nevada State Archives staff discovered a county seal with the picture of the Civil War general and settled the conflict.
Railroads
The Central PacificCentral Pacific Railroad
The Central Pacific Railroad is the former name of the railroad network built between California and Utah, USA that formed part of the "First Transcontinental Railroad" in North America. It is now part of the Union Pacific Railroad. Many 19th century national proposals to build a transcontinental...
(the first transcontinental railroad
First Transcontinental Railroad
The First Transcontinental Railroad was a railroad line built in the United States of America between 1863 and 1869 by the Central Pacific Railroad of California and the Union Pacific Railroad that connected its statutory Eastern terminus at Council Bluffs, Iowa/Omaha, Nebraska The First...
) 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
Southern Pacific Railroad
The Southern Pacific Transportation Company , earlier Southern Pacific Railroad and Southern Pacific Company, and usually simply called the Southern Pacific or Espee, was an American railroad....
which was merged into Union Pacific in 1996.
The Virginia and Truckee Railroad
Virginia and Truckee Railroad
The Virginia and Truckee Railroad was built to serve the Comstock Lode mining communities of northwestern Nevada. At its height, the railroad's route ran from Reno south to Carson City, Nevada. In Carson City, the...
runs through Mound House in western Lyon County, on its way from Carson City
Carson City, Nevada
The Consolidated Municipality of Carson City is the capital of the state of Nevada. The words Consolidated Municipality refer to a series of changes in 1969 which abolished Ormsby County and merged all the settlements contained within its borders into Carson City. Since that time Carson City has...
to Virginia City
Virginia City, Nevada
Virginia City is a census-designated place that is the county seat of Storey County, Nevada. It is part of the Reno–Sparks Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 855 at the 2010 Census.- History :...
.
The narrow-gauge Carson and Colorado Railroad
Carson and Colorado Railroad
The Carson and Colorado Railway was a U.S. narrow gauge railroad that ran from Mound House, Nevada, to Keeler, California below the Cerro Gordo Mines. It was incorporated on May 10, 1880 as the Carson and Colorado Railroad, and construction on the railroad began on May 31, 1880. A track gauge of ...
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
Hazen, Nevada
Hazen is an unincorporated community in Churchill County, Nevada, United States, about 12 miles southeast of Fernley and 16 miles northwest of Fallon, on U.S. Route 50....
.
The Eagle Salt Works Railroad
Eagle Salt Works Railroad
The Eagle Salt Works Railroad was a 13.5 mile shortline railroad that ran northeast from a connection with the Southern Pacific Company at Luva to Leete, Nevada. The line then branched from the old Central Pacific grade and went southeast for about 2 miles to the Eagle Salt Works.The railroad was...
ran for 13.5 miles, primarily on the original Central Pacific grade from Luva (2 miles east of Fernley) to Eagle Salt Works.
The Nevada Copper Belt Railroad ran on the west side of the Mason Valley.
Transportation
Amtrak's passenger train, the California Zephyr goes through Lyon County. The nearest Amtrak passenger stations are Reno and Winnemucca, NevadaWinnemucca, Nevada
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 7,174 people, 2,736 households, and 1,824 families residing in the city. The population density was 867.5 people per square mile . There were 3,280 housing units at an average density of 396.6 per square mile...
. The California Zephyr runs from the San Francisco Bay Area
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
to Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
via Salt Lake City, Denver and Omaha
Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
. There are three known airports in Lyon County, The Yerington Airport, The Silver Springs Airport with 7200 feet long runway capable of accepting 737's, its runway lights are visible when driving down on Fir Street from Ramsey Weeks cut-off to 95A; and The Tiger Field on 95A from Fernley with a dirt runway of 2,750 feet and a paved runway of 5,600 feet.
Interstate 80
Interstate 80
Interstate 80 is the second-longest Interstate Highway in the United States, following Interstate 90. It is a transcontinental artery running from downtown San Francisco, California to Teaneck, New Jersey in the New York City Metropolitan Area...
also passes through Lyon county.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the county has a total area of 2016 square miles (5,221.4 km²), of which 1994 square miles (5,164.4 km²) is land and 23 square miles (59.6 km²) (1.13%) is water.
Adjacent counties
- Washoe County, NevadaWashoe County, NevadaWashoe County is a county located in the U.S. state of Nevada. The population was 421,407 at the 2010 census. Its county seat is Reno. Washoe County includes the Reno-Sparks metropolitan area.-History:...
- north - Storey County, NevadaStorey County, NevadaStorey County is a county located in the U.S. state of Nevada. As of the 2000 census, the population was 3,399, which was estimated to have risen to 4,110 in 2006...
- northwest - Churchill County, NevadaChurchill County, NevadaChurchill County is a county located in the western U.S. state of Nevada. As of the 2000 census, the population was 23,982. As of July 1, 2007, the population of Churchill County was estimated at 27,190. The county, named after Mexican-American War hero brevet Brigadier General Sylvester Churchill,...
- east - Douglas County, NevadaDouglas County, NevadaDouglas County is a county located in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. As of 2000, the population was 41,259. As of 2010, the population was estimated to be 46,997.- History :...
- west - Carson City, NevadaCarson City, NevadaThe Consolidated Municipality of Carson City is the capital of the state of Nevada. The words Consolidated Municipality refer to a series of changes in 1969 which abolished Ormsby County and merged all the settlements contained within its borders into Carson City. Since that time Carson City has...
- west - Mineral County, NevadaMineral County, NevadaMineral County is a county located in the U.S. state of Nevada. As of the 2000 census, the population was 5,071. In 2009, it was estimated to have dropped to 4,662. Its county seat is Hawthorne.-History:...
- southeast - Mono County, CaliforniaMono County, CaliforniaMono County is a county located in the east central portion of the U.S. state of California, to the east of the Sierra Nevada between Yosemite National Park and Nevada. As of the 2010 census, the population was 14,202, up from 12,853 at the 2000 census...
- southwest
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 34,501 people, 13,007 households, and 9,443 families residing in the county. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 17 people per square mile (7/km²). There were 14,279 housing units at an average density of 7 per square mile (3/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 88.62% White
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.65% Black
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 2.45% Native American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.61% Asian
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.14% Pacific Islander
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 4.59% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 2.94% from two or more races. 10.97% of the population were Hispanic
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or Latino
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
of any race (this figure likely doesn't reflect the significant illegal alien population).
There were 13,007 households out of which 33.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.40% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 9.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.40% were non-families. 21.40% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 3.02.
In the county the population was spread out with 27.10% under the age of 18, 6.60% from 18 to 24, 27.30% from 25 to 44, 25.20% from 45 to 64, and 13.70% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 102.50 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.00 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $40,699, and the median income for a family was $44,887. Males had a median income of $34,034 versus $25,914 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the county was $18,543. About 7.20% of families and 10.40% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.10% of those under age 18 and 7.10% of those age 65 or over.
From 2000 until 2008, Lyon County was one of the fastest growing counties in the United States.http://money.cnn.com/2006/03/15/real_estate/fastest_growing_US_counties/ However, its growth rate collapsed during 2008.http://www.census.gov/popest/counties/tables/CO-EST2008-03-32.xls
Cities and towns
- DaytonDayton, NevadaDayton is a census-designated place in Lyon County, Nevada, United States. The population was 5,907 at the 2000 census.-History:Dayton is at the western end of the Twenty-Six Mile Desert at a bend in the Carson River. Immigrants stopping there for water would consider whether to follow the river...
- FernleyFernley, NevadaFernley is a city in Lyon County, Nevada, United States, within Reno-Sparks-Lake Tahoe metropolitan. The city incorporated in 2001, including land in Washoe County; prior to that it was a census-designated place . The population of the CDP was 8,543 at the 2000 census; the city itself had an...
- Mound House
- Silver CitySilver City, NevadaSilver City is a town in Lyon County, Nevada, USA, near the Lyon/Carson border. The population as of the 2000 census was 170....
- Silver SpringsSilver Springs, NevadaSilver Springs is a census-designated place in Lyon County, Nevada, United States at the intersection of U.S. 50 and U.S. 95A. The population was 4,708 at the 2000 census. Lahontan Reservoir, Lahontan State Recreation Area and historic Fort Churchill State Historic Park are all located nearby...
- Simpson
- SmithSmith Valley, NevadaSmith Valley is a census-designated place in Lyon County, Nevada, United States. The population was 1,425 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Smith Valley is located at ....
- StagecoachStagecoach, NevadaStagecoach is an unincorporated community in Lyon County, Nevada, United States, located east of Reno. Its name is likely derived from its place as the Overland Stagecoach station at Desert Well. Typically, the mail that was heading towards California was delivered on a steamship through Panama...
- WellingtonWellington, NevadaWellington is an unincorporated town in southwestern Lyon County, Nevada, United States. It lies along State Route 208 and southwest of the city of Yerington, the county seat of Lyon County. Its elevation is 4,836 feet , and it is located at about...
- YeringtonYerington, NevadaYerington is a city in Lyon County, located in western Nevada, USA. The population was 2,883 at the 2000 census. It is named after Henry M. Yerington, Superintendent of the Virginia and Truckee Railroad from 1868 to 1910. It is the county seat of Lyon County....
Entertainment
ProstitutionProstitution
Prostitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute and the person who receives such services is known by a multitude of terms, including a "john". Prostitution is one of...
is licensed and legalized in Lyon county. Open ranches
Ranch (brothel)
Ranch is a common name used to describe a brothel, especially in western areas of the United States.-Origin:This usage dates back to the original Chicken Ranch near the town of LaGrange, Texas, an old brothel that is no longer open which accepted chickens as payment during the Great Depression...
include:
- Moonlite Bunny RanchMoonlite Bunny RanchThe Moonlite BunnyRanch is a legal, licensed brothel in Mound House, Nevada, United States, east of Carson City. The ranch is owned and operated by Dennis Hof...
(which is located near the Lyon/Carson border) - Sagebrush RanchSagebrush RanchThe Sagebrush Ranch is a legal, licensed brothel located about 7 miles east of Carson City, Nevada in the unincorporated town of Mound House, in Lyon County, at 50 Kit Kat Drive....
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Lyon County, Nevada