Palisade, Nevada
Encyclopedia
Palisade is located in Eureka County
in the northeastern section of the state of Nevada
, in the western United States
. It is about 10 miles (16 km) south of Carlin
, and about 27 miles (43 km) southwest of Elko
. Although now a virtual ghost town
, it had a rich history following construction of the Transcontinental Railroad
. Palisade Canyon (also called 12-Mile and 10-Mile Canyon), an important obstacle to the construction and operation of the railroad, lies just to the west.
Palisade was the site of an elaborate hoax
during the early 1870s, probably to boost tourism. Whenever a train arrived, the residents were said to stage rampant gunfights and bank robberies. Nobody was privy to knowledge of the hoax except the residents, and the showmanship died off after several years.
Eureka County, Nevada
Eureka County is a county located in the U.S. state of Nevada. As of the 2000 census, the population was 1,651. Its county seat is Eureka.Eureka County is part of the Elko Micropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
in the northeastern section of the state 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...
, in the western United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is about 10 miles (16 km) south of Carlin
Carlin, Nevada
Carlin is a city located near the western border of Elko County in northeast Nevada, west of the city of Elko. It is part of the Elko Micropolitan Statistical Area. Carlin sits along Interstate 80 at an elevation of approximately . As of the 2000 census, its population was 2,161...
, and about 27 miles (43 km) southwest of Elko
Elko, Nevada
Elko is a city in Elko County, Nevada, United States. The population was 18,297 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Elko County. The city straddles the Humboldt River....
. Although now a virtual ghost town
Ghost town
A ghost town is an abandoned town or city. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it has failed, or due to natural or human-caused disasters such as floods, government actions, uncontrolled lawlessness, war, or nuclear disasters...
, it had a rich history following construction of the 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...
. Palisade Canyon (also called 12-Mile and 10-Mile Canyon), an important obstacle to the construction and operation of the railroad, lies just to the west.
Hoax
A hoax is a deliberately fabricated falsehood made to masquerade as truth. It is distinguishable from errors in observation or judgment, or rumors, urban legends, pseudosciences or April Fools' Day events that are passed along in good faith by believers or as jokes.-Definition:The British...
during the early 1870s, probably to boost tourism. Whenever a train arrived, the residents were said to stage rampant gunfights and bank robberies. Nobody was privy to knowledge of the hoax except the residents, and the showmanship died off after several years.