A station roughly half-way on the 47 mile road between Eureka and Duckwater. Supposedly, there is $200,000 hidden somewhere at or near the site. That would be about $6,306,290.42 in 2024 dollars in case you're interested.
The station originated from the needs of Pritchard's Freight lines in 1872.
DAILY LINE
W. L. Pritchard has now in the process of building, in Sacramento, twenty wagons, which is the early Spring are to be put on a daily line from the railroad to Pioche. From Eureka via Duckwater, Kern Creek, Blue Eagle and Troy, through Cherry Creek Pass to Pioche, the distance is 175 miles. It is 155 miles to the same place in Hamilton. From Eureka to Duckwater some little work is needed at Fish Creek and beyond there to Duckwater. Three hundred dollars will cover the entire expense. Now. W. L. Pritchard is undecided whether to run his line from Elko by Hamilton, or from Palisade by Eureka. With the road built to Duckwater the line would certainly come this way.
-Daily Appeal, January 28, 1872
William Pogue, who kept the Pogue Station on the road between Eureka and Duckwater, died in Eureka last Wednesday, following a stroke of paralysis. Pogue was found helpless in his cabin several days before his death by a traveler, and later was taken to Eureka for treatment. He was well known to all who used the road between Duckwater and Eureka.
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In the Little Smokey Valley back in 1870’s there was man known as the “Miser” who was none other than William Pogue. William Pogue saw an opportunity to build a station near a spring on the main road into Nye County. Along with the station, be built a horse barn, corrals, and a few other buildings. He made his living selling water, foods, and a place for weary travelers to sleep. Before long, he got a contract to supply water and feed to the stage and even talked the Nye County officials into paying him a salary for keeping up the road in the area.
He also did a bit of prospecting when he could find the time. He told everyone that he had found a mine in the hills, which were close to the station. Pogue was as close to King Midas as anyone could imagine. It is estimated that Pogue was making around $25,000 per year.
William Pogue was quite the thrifty man; he never took a vacation, never put his money in a bank, and in fact only left the station in order to buy supplies. Everyone from the area believed that William Pogue hid the money somewhere close to his station.
On May 15, 1915, a traveler found Pogue lying on the floor of his cabin. The traveler went for help and the next morning a man by the name of Ralph Irwin took Pogue to the County Hospital at Eureka. Pogue had had a stroke and did not recover. He passed away three days later and with him went the whereabouts of the mine and an estimated $200,000.
-https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/181684641/william-faucett-pogue
Sometime around 1895, Mr. Pogue began managing (or owning) this station. By 1902, Pogue was already a "famous" inkeeper.
William Pogue, the famous hotel keeper of Nye county, spent several days in Eureka this week. On account of the increased travel to Tonopah he intends making extensive improvements at his place for the accommodation of the traveling public. Up to the time of his departure for home Mr. Pogue was undecided whether he would conduct his newly arranged hostelry on the European or American plan.
-Eureka Sentinel, July 5, 1902
Just in case you were wondering, in hotel-speak, The European Plan consists of a room only, while the American Plan consists of a room and three meals provided by the hotel. Many AMerican htoels offer what is referred to as the Continental Plan, which is the room and breakfast.
If you're heading to Goldreed, you'll pass Pogue's Station.
Route to Goldreed.
John Wedekind, who has just returned from a trip to Nye County, informs the Sentinel that the shortest and best route from Eureka to the Kawich is as follows: Eureka to Pogue's, 30 miles; Pogue's to Duckwater, 25 miles; Duckwater to Locke's, 25 miles; Locke's to Reveille, 40 miles; Reveille to Goldreed, 35 miles. Mr. Wedekind says this is a good road all the way except beyond Locke's where there is a three-mile sand pitch. Water, hay and grain may be had at any of the stations.
-Eureka Sentinel, March 11, 1905
Poor Mr. Pogue passed away in 1915.
DEATH OF WILLIAM POGUE
Well Known Station Keeper Passes Away Wednesday Following a Stroke of Paralysis while returning from his ranch at White River, White Pine County, last Saturday, Ed Berryman of Prospect upon reaching the Pogue Station, about 25 miles south of Eureka, found William Pogue lying on the floor of his house in a helpless condition caused from a paralytic stroke. He had evidently lain in this condition for several days and was badly in need of assistance. Mr. Berryman made him as comfortable as possible and prepared him something to eat. He then came on to Peter Schaefer's ranch and informed him of Mr. Pogue's condition. Mr. Schaefer immediately went down to the Pogue place and was able to send word to Duckwater for further assistance. Sunday morning Ralph Irwin. Charles Irving and Ed Halstead came up in the former's auto and brought Mr. Pogue to Eureka and placed him in the County Hospital. An examination showed that he was paralyzed from the waist down and in a serious condition. He never rallied from the stroke and passed away Wednesday morning. The deceased was well known to those who traveled between Eureka and the Duckwater country, having kept what is known as the Pogue Station for the past 20 years, which was the only watering place between Fish Creek and Duckwater. He is not known to have had any living relatives with the exception of a sister living in Illinois. He was a native of Greenville, Tenn., and 75 years of age. The funeral was held Thursday from P. H. Hjul's undertaking parlors in Eureka, and the interment was in the city cemetery.
-Eureka Sentinel, May 22, 1915
By 1920, the tation was owned by someone else, who apprently did not staff it.
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN
We desire to inform any person or persons that may stop or camp at Pogue's Station, Soda, or Butte Springs, our properties, where there is water, cabins, and corrals, that any destruction in the future to these premises must be made good or paid for in full. We have no objection to anyone stopping or camping, provided they will not molest or destroy the property. BIDART & FLORIA Eureka, Nevada, November 20, 1920
-Eureka Sentinel, November 20, 1920
WIth nobody there, it wasn't a good idea to leave your stuff laying about.
EUREKA
Truck load of supplies, stolen from Pogue Station from a disabled truck, is trailed and located, the owner recovering a barrel of gasoline, seven sacks of corn, and other commodities. The owner got his supplies and decide not to prosecute.
-Nevada State Journal, April 4, 1932
Somewhere nearby, meteors liked to land.
Eureka. Nev. Oct. 25.—(Special)—Three men from Ely are carrying on an odd sort of mining, a combination of metallurgy and meteorology. A rancher who passes Pogue's station, in Warm Springs canyon. some twenty-five miles southeast of Eureka related what he observed. He expressed himself as puzzled. but wishes the miners good luck. He, too, earns living delving into the ground. but prefers digging out vegetables to meteors. The story is that some sixty or seventy years ago a meteor fell near Pogue's. It fell so fast and so far that it burrowed sixty-five feet through the soft capping of the hillside and fifteen feet more into the hardpan of the slope. The three miners followed the natural or meteoric shaft clown and then started mining into the hardpan to catch up with the meteor. The ground began to look dangerous so now they are tunneling under from the lower side. It is believed. according to the story, that the meteor will have commercial value. Meteors are said sometimes to contain nickel and tungsten, besides which there are meteor collectors who pay for finds. A few miles further south there is another meteor that is estimated to have fallen 120 years ago. The estimate is arrived at by the fact that an Indian now seventy says that his grandmother, when a girl, saw it fall, and remembered that for four or five nights the sky above the big hole glowed with fire. A rancher from that vicinity described the hole as of vast proportions and deep.
-Reno Evening Gazette, October 25, 1932
Some day maybe we'll pass by and see if anything is left. Probably not, though.