Take it easy
  Sonoma
MAP

38.436978, -119.104522

VISITED 5/15/2004
Our Dinner: Scrambled eggs, and sausages!
DIRECTIONS From Fallon: West on Highway US 50 for 27.9 miles to Silver Springs; South on US 95A for 30.8 miles; south on SR 339 for 12 miles; generally West on SR 208 for 10.1 miles; South on SR 338 for 28.3 miles; east on National Forest Development Road 028 to 4.3 miles.
WHAT WAS

Sonoma has been in three Nevada counties. It was originally in Esmeralda county. When Mineral County was formed out of Esmeralda in 1911, it found itself there. Finally, when Lyon County was enlarged and given a piece of Mineral County in 1933, it ended up there.

Sonoma came into being during Nevada's early 20th century mining boom.

Masonic is about to have a rival, or rather a sister city in Sonoma, a new town site contiguous to the rustling camp of Sunny Jim. It is situated on the ranch of P. J. Conway, at the mouth of the canyon leading to the camp, and has a most desirable location for a fine up to date town.
-Record Courier, January 17, 1908


It was strategically located on an established freight route with supporting mines nearby.

SONOMA A NEW ESMERALDA CAMP
A mining district that is just now beginning to attract considerable attention and has every earmark of making a producing camp is located in northwestern Esmeralda county, and known as Sunny Jim. The district is well within the Nevada state line and Masonic, which has been attracting considerable attention on account of some rich strikes there and the great Pittsburg-Liberty property, is only four miles from the new camp. The name of the district is derived from the claim where the first strike was made, Sunny Jim, and this claim along with others is now making good. Most of the new camps and districts were closed down during the last several months on account of the stringency in the money market in the east but sufficient funds have always been available to develop the properties at Sunny Jim and the work is steadily progressing. Five of the principal properties In the camp are now being thoroughly prospected and on one of the properties, the Sunny Jim claim, high grade ore has been caught. On the others the work has not developed far enough to ascertain just what the district does contain; before many days pass, however., the world will know and Carson City people will likely see a job lot of high grade ore coming through here from that direction. At the present time there are about forty men working in the camp and as soon as the weather begins to settle a rush is expected to the new district which promises so much. A townsite has already been laid out a short distance this side of the present working properties but well within the district and the town is named after one of the most promising properties of the district, Sonoma. The town is located just above the Walker river on the Conway ranch patented land, and the enterprise is being backed by Judge George P. Costigan, P. J. Conway and F. M. Duncan, all three well known throughout this section of the state. The townsite is located at the junction of the roads which lead to Hawthorne, Bridgeport, Aurora, Bodie, Masonic and other points. Owing to this fact and also that the Sunny Jim mines are less than a mile away there is little question but that the position will prove to be a winner from the start. The point where the townsite is located is well supplied with water, wood, etc. Yesterday Judge Costigan and F. M. Duncan were in the city from the camp and while here made an application with Congressman Bartlett for the establishment of a post office. A number of lots have already been sold n the new town of Sonoma and there is little question but that the lots will now be disposed of quickly. At the present time the people in the district are using Sweetwater as their mail address.
-Goldfield News and Weekly Tribune, February 8, 1908



SONOMA A NEW ESMERALDA CAMP
The new camp of Sonoma is located three miles from Sweetwater. The district is quite extensive, being a continuation of that known as Masonic over the line in California. T. J. Conway and Judge George P. Costigan are
interested in the development of this part of Esmeralda county. The district is about five miles in length by three miles in width. In close proximity to the Sonoma townsite and upon the banks of the Walker river at Sonoma, a very fine mill site has been selected and within the next 65 days a 10-stamp mill and cyanide plant will be built upon it. A few miles up Walker river T. J. Conway owns three miles of a valuable water right with a fall of several hundred feet. The intention is, eventually, to utilize this water power by the construction of an electric power plant to furnish electric power for mines and mills in all directions. In the same district is the Sunny Jim mine, having a reputation under the name of the Old Tyler. It is expected that important changes are to take place in ownership and that Sunny Jim will be developed.
-Goldfield News an Weekly Tribune, July 18, 1908


Don't know if this mill was ever actually built.

In close proximity to the Sonoma townsite and upon the banks of Walker River at Sonora, a very fine mill site has been selected and within the next 60 days a 10-stamp mill and cyaniding plant will be built upon it. A few miles up Walker river T. J. Conway owns three miles of valuable water right with a fall of several hundred feet. The intention is eventually to utilize this water power by the construction of an electric power plant to furnish electric power for the mines and mills in all directions. In this district is the Sunny Jim mine, having a reputation under the name of the Old Tyler. It is expected that important changes are to take place in ownership and that Sunny Jim will be developed.
-The Mining World, June 27, 1908

Sonoma is now officially in Mineral County, for a while anyway.

The division of Esmeralda county, which at the opening of the session promised to be the big fight of the present legislature, proved to be more of a love feast when it came up in both branches and when the vote was taken, there was practically no opposition to increasing the number of counties in the state. When the governor affixes his signature to the bill, Mineral county will be born and the old court-house at Hawthorn, that was the county seat of Esmeralda county for a great number of years, will again be put in use for the purpose that it was originally built.
-White Pine News & Weekly Mining Review, February 12, 1911

Then in 1933, the border was moved again, and Sonoma found itself in Lyon county.

NRS 243.250 Portion of Mineral County detached and attached to Lyon County—1933. All that portion of the County of Mineral, as now constituted, bounded and described as follows: Beginning at a point where the western most part of Mineral County intersects the Nevada-California boundary line; thence along the Nevada-California boundary line in a southeasterly direction until the Nevada-California boundary line intersects the south boundary line of T. 7 N., R. 25 E., M.D.B. & M.; thence easterly along the south boundary of T. 7 N., Ranges 25, 26 and 27 E., M.D.B. & M., to the southeast corner of T. 7 N., R. 27 E., M.D.B. & M.; thence northerly along range line on the east boundary of Townships 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 N., R. 27 E., M.D.B. & M., to the northeast corner of T. 11 N., R. 27 E., M.D.B. & M.; thence westerly along the north boundary of T. 11 N., R. 27 E., to the northwest corner of that township and range; thence northerly on line between Ranges 26 and 27 E., M.D.B. & M., to a point where the line intersects the present Mineral-Lyon County boundary line; thence along the present Lyon-Mineral County boundary line in a southwesterly direction to the point of beginning, is and the same is hereby severed and withdrawn from the County of Mineral, as now constituted, and the same is hereby added and annexed to the County of Lyon, as the same is now constituted.

POST OFFICE None
NEWSPAPER None
WHAT IS

You'd never know Sonoma was here unless you were looking for it- not much remains except for some flattened cans, crockery, and a small, sad abandoned cemetery.

Was Sonoma actually Sunny Jim? We investigate here, and fail to come up with an answer.

 
Photographs | Return to Previous Document | HOME