On July 5, 1862, Brigadier General George Wright ordered Colonel Patrick Edward Connor to establish a military post in Ruby Valley, along the Overland route. Connor's force reached the area in 1862, and Fort Ruby was established that year. The post was positioned approximately halfway between Salt Lake City and Carson City, making it a strategic location for protecting mail, freight, emigrants, and travelers. Fort Ruby is the reason Connors Pass, and subsequently the former Connors Station near present-day Major's Place, bear his name. The connection is geographical and military: Connor established the fort in Ruby Valley, and the pass was named in recognition of him.
Major's Place began as a stage station named Rosebud station, according to Management Plan for the
Great Basin National Heritage Area, 2013. Eventually, the station took on the name of Connor's Station.
DIED.
At Rosebud Station, White Pine county, Nevada, January 19, 1901, Patrick Keelan, a native of Ireland, aged 83 years.
-Eureka Sentinel, January 26, 1901
Mrs. Ellen Connors was living-- and assumingly running-- the station at least by 1905. She was born in 1838 in Ireland. I can find no evidence of a Mister Connors, although there must have been one somewhere. The 1880 census listed her as divorced.
Misfortunes Never come Singly.
Mrs. Ellen Connors of Rosebud station suffers more than her share of trouble of late. Two months ago she was kicked by one of the stage horses at her home and her arm broken. She has been stopping in Ely while the bone was mending. The day before she expected to go home, she made a call on Mrs. B. Luchessi, and on descending the front steps she took hold of a picket of the railing to steady herself. The picket gave away and she received a fall, which resulted in a sprained knee, which will confine her to her bed for a week or more.
-White Pine News, February 2, 1905
In addition to running the station, she apparently also raised cattle.
Shoshone Cattle Man Visits Ely
Geo. W. Swallow, a prominent sheep and cattle man of Shoshone, drove into Ely last Thursday for the purpose of attending to his numerous business interests. He stated that the crops in that vicinity were not affected by the recent hot weather and that the prospects for an average crop of alfalfa were excellent. He said that the long drouth has dried up the mountain springs and that the feed for cattle and sheep was poor on the mountains. He recently secured the cattle of Mrs. Ellen Connors of Rosebud station on shares.
-White Pine News, August 24, 1905
If this article is accurate, Ellen Connors ran the station since 1881!
Mrs. Connors of Rosebud Succumbs to Old Age.
Mrs. Ellen Connors, who for twenty-five years had kept the stage station at Rosebud, half way between Ely and Osceola, was brought to town on Friday by Lew Carpenter and died that evening at the house of Mrs. L. S. Scott. Her death was due to old age. She was about 76 years old. Mrs. Connors was well-known in White Pine county and, although she had many warm friends, lived at Rosebud without any female companions. Mrs. Connors was born in Ireland and came to this country when quite young. Her husband was a pioneer of Virginia City and Pioche. Her brother, Hiram Connors, of Berkeley, Alameda county, California, will arrive in Ely to-day to attend the funeral.
The White Pine News. May 22, 1906
Now another name pops up, a William Wiley who "ran Rosebud Station."
Many at Funeral of Pioneer
As they had honored him in life, a large cortege of friends followed the remains of William Wiley to their last resting place in the Ely cemetery last Tuesday afternoon. The deceased was in charge of the Rosebud station between Ely and Osceola for many years, and had been in poor health for some time before his death.
White Pine News Weekly Mining Review, November 19, 1916
By the 1920's, the site was being referred to as Connor's Station.
Brave Severe Storm to Secure Medical Aid
J. S. Ward of Atlanta and Frank H. Crampton of Pioche arrived in Ely Sunday night with Mrs. Dave Empey and her little daughter from Atlanta to receive medical treatment for the little girl, who had received an injury to her ear by driving a hairpin through the ear drum. The party experienced considerable difficulty in making the trip owing to the heavy snowstorms and the extremely cold weather. The trip was made by way of Bullwhack summit and through Connors pass. The party was unable to make the Connors summit and they were forced to send one of the men to Connors station to secure a team to haul them to the station. Upon their arrival in Ely the child was taken to the office of Dr. W. W. Cook, where medical aid was given her.
White Pine News Weekly Mining Review, February 19, 1922
Adams-McGill Buys Connors Pass Ranch
Return of sale with petition for confirmation has been filed in the matter of the estate of Ellen Connors, deceased, with the clerk of the district court by A. J. Proctor, administrator for the estate, who was authorized by the court January 23 to sell certain real estate and property belonging to the estate. The property sold is known as "Rosebud" or Connors station, situated in Connors canyon, on the Osceola road, and has been in charge of William Mulvihill for the last several years. The property was bought February 20 by William Y. McGill and the consideration named was $2,600.
White Pine News Weekly Mining Review, February 26, 1922
EIGHT-HORSE DRAG IS SNOWED IN AT CONNOR'S
Drifts too deep for the eight-horse county drag have piled up in the road between Ely and Connor's summit and the team, drag and drivers are snowed in at Connor's station. This word was telephoned into the county commissioners, who have given up expecting the return of the drag until something can be done to release it from its predicament. The outfit went to Connor's to break the road for automobiles as far as the summit, two miles beyond the station. This accomplished it returned to the station for the night, or at least the men and teams did, but where the drag is stalled has not been made clear.
-White Pine News Weekly Mining Review, February 11, 1923
John Walter "Major" Woods, age 70, is listed in 1940 United States Federal Census as living in "rural White Pine county" with a occupation as "proprietor." I couldn't find any information as to when he become involved in Major's Place, but one assumes it's sometime in the 1930's.
Death Takes Ely Man, 86
ELY, May 24.—James Walter (Major) Woods, 86, a resident of this section nearly 50 years, died at a local hospital yesterday. He had been ill for the past two years and had been in the hospital for two weeks. He was born Jan. 30, 1868, in Pine Woods, Tenn., and received his education in the schools of that state. He served in the Spanish-American war, with three years of foreign service. He married Ella Mae Port in 1903 in Nashville, Tenn., and the couple came to White Pine county in 1906. He was a carpenter by trade. For several years he ran the Major Woods station, and since his retirement 11 years ago, he and Mrs. Woods again made their home in East Ely.
-Nevada State Journal, May 25, 1954
From 1944 until 1962, Lester Pierce owned and operated Major's Place.
Lester L. Pierce
ELY — A rosary will be recited at 7 p.m. today at the Wilson-Bates Mortuary for Lester L. "Buzz" Pierce, 87, who died Monday in a White Pine care center. A Cherry Creek native, he was born Oct. 8, 1898, to Franklin and Margaret Borchert Pierce. Pierce was educated in Cherry Creek and was involved in ranching and mining in White Pine County. He also owned and operat ed Majors Place from 1944 to 1962, when he retired. Surviving are one son-in-law; three grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. Friday at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church, with burial at the Cherry Creek Cemetery.
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Reno Gazette-Journal Thu, Oct 24, 1985
Off the beaten path, Great Basin National Park is well worth the trip
It's recommended you get supplies and fill up on gas in Ely, since there are no services along the way aside from Major's Place, which is on the east side of Connors Pass. And even when you get to Major's Place, there are only snacks and drinks.
-Elko Daily Free Press, August 25, 2007
The National Park Service's Goods and Serices Page for Great Basin National Park has this current listing:
Major's Station RV Park
(775) 591-0347
Open year round
Location: About 40 miles west, towards Ely, on US Hwy 6 & 50.
Services: Offering tent camping and RV camping with hook-ups available. A bar, showers, and laundry services on-site.
Passing by today, it looks like it could be open if it wanted to, but it appears unoccupied and closed. But the Park Service says it's open, so.....