Directions: 59 miles east of Fallon on Highway 50. Freight Station and Telegraph repeater are on the north side of the highway, Pony Express Station is 1.5 miles to the south over well-marked walking trail.
From Fallon: 59 miles
What Was
Cold Springs consists of three separate sites: Cold Springs Station, Cold Springs Pony Express Station, and the Cold Springs Telegraph Repeater.
Even though an occasional vehicle passes by on Highway 50, once you've walked a few hundred yards into the sage you begin to realize the isolation of the Cold Springs sites. Plenty of available rock and good water from Cold Springs coming down Cold Springs Canyon made this an acceptable place for building.
The Pony Express Stations consisted of four "rooms," the living quarters, blacksmith and livery, stable and supplies storage, and hay storage. Probably only the living quarters had a roof, and not for very long. The number of gun ports makes it obvious that defense was a main consideration. From Invention History at the Lemelson Center: Western Union Collection -
"In 1860 Congress passed, and President James Buchanan signed, the Pacific Telegraph Act, which authorized the Secretary of the Treasury to seek bids for a project to contruct a transcontinental line. When two bidders dropped out, Hiram Sibley, representing Western Union, was the only bidder left. By default Sibley won the contract. The Pacific Telegraph Company was organized for the purpose of building the eastern section of the line. Sibley sent Wade to California, where he consolidated the small local companies into the California State Telegraph Company. This entity then organized the Overland Telegraph Company, which handled construction eastward from Carson City, Nevada, joining the existing California lines, to Salt Lake City, Utah. Sibley's Pacific Telegraph Company built westward from Omaha, Nebraska. Sibley put most of his resources into the venture. The line was completed in October 1861. Both companies were soon merged into Western Union. This accomplishment made Hiram Sibley leader of the telegraph industry."
Post
Office: none
Newspaper:
none
What is
Cold Springs Station (also known as Rock Creek for reasons which will become obvious when you arrive there) is one of the most impressive set of ruins in Churchill County. Because they now rest behind a barb-wire fence, their condition is good, and the number of buildings and the size of the site is probably one of the largest- if not the largest- in the county. Unfortunately, you can only circle around the site and peer through the fence to view them. Fortunately, there is a fence to protect them so there is something left to view. North of the site and outside the fence is what appears to be the remains of a long wall. About a mile to the north is the telegraph repeater station.
About a mile and a half to the east- on the opposite side of the highway- is the Cold Springs Pony Express Station. It's an easy walk over a Youth Conservation Corps trail cut through the desert. There is no motor vehicle access. There is a certain amount of faith involved, since you can't see it from the road and, in fact, it's pretty much invisible until you're right on top of it, seeing how it's made from the same rocks that are everywhere around you. Trust me, it's there. Just keep going. My six year old assistant and I took the hike on a snowy January day, and aside from the hard, crusty patches of snow we didn't have much a problem reaching the site. Perfect for mountain biking or horseback riding.
