39°05'15.9"N 116°38'29.0"W

Originally Anderson's Empire Ranch, William Potts purchased the ranch in the late 1870's or early 1880's. Besides being one of the largest sheep (and later cattle) ranches in the Monitor Valley, the Potts Ranch is known for being a landmark on the road to Belmont, and its involvement in the border squabble between Lander County and Nye County.

This appeared in the New Zealand issue of "War Cry" in 1891, confirming the Potts family was living at the ranch at that time. The War Cry is the official publication of The Salvation Army, featuring spiritual articles, news, and reports on their charitable work.

POTTS, MARY, last heard from September 14th, 1883, in Empire Ranch, Nevada, Nye County, America. Her brother wishes to hear from her. Canadian and American "Crys" please copy.

During this period, calls to improve the road from Eureka to Belmont grew increasingly loud. Potts Ranch-- then referred to at the Empire Ranch-- was a landmark on that route.

THE ROAD TO BELMONT.
We have frequently of late called the attention of our people to the urgent necessity for a good wagon road to the southward. We are assured that a good lively daily stage line would be put on immediately between here and Belmont if the road was only passable. This is a matter of very great importance to the business interests of Eureka, and should receive the early attention of our people. The following letter from a prominent citizen of Belmont to Mr. Cooper, agent of Wells, Fargo & Co., at this place, is directly to the point, as showing the feeling of our Nye county neighbors on the subject:
BELMONT, NEV., Sept. 18, 1875.
FRIEND COOPER: Since writing you yesterday in reference to a route between Belmont and Eureka, I have consulted with several parties here who are familiar with the country between the points in question, and the following is given by our Sheriff, Caldwell, and others, as the nearest practicable route, viz.: From Eureka to the Hay Ranch, thence down Antelope valley and through the canyon to Empire Ranch, thence up Monitor valley to Belmont. Distances—Eureka to Empire Ranch, 45 miles; Empire Ranch to Belmont, 45 miles; total distance to Belmont, 90 miles. Mr. Caldwell says he will guarantee that the distance given here is not a mile further than represented. He states that it may cost from $2,500 to $3,000 to complete a road through to the canyon and make it practicable for all purposes, freighting, staging, etc. This your people can well afford to do in order to secure the trade and travel from this section of the country. If it can not be done otherwise, say by contributions from your citizens, or opened and maintained as a County Road, let some one do the work and charge a toll by authority of your County Commissioners.
-Eureka Daily Sentine, September 25, 1875

During this time, Potts was mainly concerned with sheep. News articles of the day sometimes left out the decimal point.

William Potts of Monitor is offering his flock of 6,000 head of sheep at $3 50 per head.
-The Daily Appeal, March 16, 1898

Apparently not having enough to do, Mr. Potts decided becoming a postmaster might be a nice diversion.

Wm. Potts of Monitor Valley, Nye county, has received the appointment of postmaster at Potts, a new postoffice recently established at Mr. Potts' ranch in Monitor Valley.
-The Eureka Sentinel, September 3, 1898

Mr. Pott's new responsibility-- sheep inspector.

The County Commissioners of Nye county have appointed Wm. Potts of Monitor Valley, sheep inspector of that county.
-The Eureka Sentinel, April 15, 1899

We told you smoking was bad for you.

A Peculiar Accident.
Wm. Potts of Monitor Valley in forms us, says the Belmont Courier, that when his sheep camp was burned at Morgan Creek it was on his pack mule, as he was moving camp. It was a windy day and as he was smoking, and leading the mule, a spark from his pipe caught in a quilt that was on the animal. It set fire to the pack and before he could get it off some cartridges that were in the pack exploded. Mr. Potts ran away, as he was afraid of being shot, and as a consequence the mule and pack outfit were both burned.
-The Eureka Sentinel, September 23, 1899

Potts adds to his holdings.

The Little Empire Ranch Sold.
The Austin Reveille says William Potts has purchased the Little Empire ranch in Monitor Valley, Nye County, from James L. Butler, the home of the latter before his discovery of Tonopah.
- The Eureka Sentinel, June 11, 1904

Little Empire is not to be confused with the Pott's ranch, aka Empire Ranch. Maps show "Butler Ranch," presumably the Little Empire, about 8 miles east of Potts Ranch.

"...his father gave Belle this little ranch in Monitor Valley, the
Little Empire Ranch, for a wedding present when they were married."
An Interview With Millie Cornell,An Oral History produced by Robert D. McCracken, Nye County Town History Project, 2013

Millie: But the Butlers were so poor when they were at Little Empire Ranch that there were times when Jim walked to Belmont. He would walk from Little Empire to Mosquito Creek, over to Pine Creek and stay all night, and then walk on into Belmont the next day.
RM: How far would that be?
Millie: It’s quite a way. Let’s see, Pine Creek must be 30 miles from Belmont, and it’s another 10 miles or so to Little Empire.
RM: Whatever happened to the Little Empire Ranch?
Millie: After they moved to Tonopah, I believe the Potts family bought it. When we were up there 10 or 15 years ago it had been taken up by a big ranch outfit, like all the little ranches.
-An Interview With Millie Cornell, An Oral History produced by Robert D. McCracken, Nye County Town History Project, 2013

Nevada weather can sometimes cause problems.

Cloudburst at William Potts' Ranch
Last Saturday the ranch of William Potts, the sheepman of Monitor Valley, Nye County, was visited by a cloudburst. It is stated that no such flood had occurred in that vicinity in 10 years. Considering the volume of water that was concentrated on one spot the damage done was slight. During the precipitation it appeared as a solid sheet of water. Within 10 minutes after the flood struck the ranch the surrounding land was completely submerged and the water running in all directions. One dwelling house was carried a distance of 30 feet. Scores of chickens were drowned, and a few pigs failed to make their escape. The rain continued uninterruptedly for more than three-quarters of an hour.
-The Eureka Sentinel, September 4, 1909

By this time, the family patriarch was feeling poorly. His son John had taken over operations at the ranch.

William Potts Seriously Ill
Austin Reveille: William Potts, the well-known rancher and stockman of Monitor valley, was taken quite ill with heart trouble Tuesday and that night a message came in for Dr. Belanger. Wednesday, Mr. Potts, accompanied by Mrs. Potts and daughter, Mrs. A. Daniels, was brought to Austin. The next morning he continued on to Reno where he will remain several days and then to the Coast, where after a short sojourn it is believed he will be fully restored to health.
-The Eureka Sentinel, July 3, 1915

Unfortunately, Wiliam never made it back to the ranch. You don't see "drops dead" in contemporary headlines.

DEATH OF WILLIAM POTTS
Pioneer Ranchman and Stockman Drops Dead at Battle Mountain While En Route Home
Austin Reveille, July 19: Returning from San Francisco, where he had spent a month to regain health and arriving at Battle Mountain with his wife and two daughters, jolly and glad with the prospect of soon being home again on his ranch in Monitor valley, William Potts, one of Nevada’s prosperous stockmen, suddenly became silent in conversing with friends, fell over and died without a word. He had gotten off the train Thursday evening and was walking toward the depot platform with Mrs. Potts and two daughters, Mrs. A. H. Daniels and Miss Maud Potts, and was in the finest spirits. He met W. C. Hancock, shook hands and was engaged in a cheerful chat when the stroke fell that closed his lips forever. A special train was ordered to bring his body to Austin over the Nevada Central, which arrived here at 2 o'clock Friday morning. On the train with the prostrated widow and daughters were Judge Peter Breen and Mrs. Geo. Henzel of San Francisco, mother of Mrs. Ida B. H. Miller. By telegraph and telephone the ranch home in Monitor valley was notified of the tragedy that had overtaken its head. Three sons, William, George and John came in at once, also Mrs. Wm. Steiner, a daughter, and were here to meet the train. The deceased has been a resident of this part of Nevada for over 40 years, was the owner of large interests and was the head of a large family. He was about 70 years of age and a native of Scotland. All flags in Austin are at half-mast in his honor.
-Nevada State Journal, July 19, 1915

POTTS ESTATE VALUED AT OVER $112,000
Funds And Property Will Be Divided To Widow And Children
Tonopah Bonanza: Final distribution of the estate of the late Wm. Potts of Monitor Valley has been ordered by Judge Averill. W. J. Potts is administrator, and A. J. Maestretti attorney for the estate. Its value was placed by the Inheritance Tax Commission at $108,623, consisting largely of money in the bank. The estate will be distributed among the widow and nine children, the former receiving one-third and the others one-ninth each of the remainder. This estate was settled quickly and with perfect unanimity. The widow's share of the estate is $36,207.48. Under the law she is entitled to an exemption of $20,000 leaving $16,207 liable to the inheritance tax amounting to $324.15 which was paid on the spot. None of the other heirs have to pay this tax as they have $10,000 exempted and their shares of the estate only amounts to $9,000 each. The inheritance tax provides that 20 per cent goes to the county and 80 per cent to the State. The tax and all other charges have been paid and the estate closed up. A remarkable feature of the settlement is that there were ten heirs of the first rank and all over their majority making the division a clean cut affair in ten portions. Those of the children who are married are without issue and thus saving the estate from complications, as there are no grandchildren involved.
-The Eureka Sentinel, May 13, 1916

Based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Consumer Price Index (CPI) data, $112,000 in 1916 is equivalent in purchasing power to approximately $3,442,000 in 2026.

This not exactly accurate headline illustrates the problems ranchers dealt with back in the day. The William in this story obviously refers to the son.

MOUNTAIN LION KILLED WITH SNOWBALLS
The largest mountain lion ever seen in Nye county was snowballed to death by William Potts and Ross A. Parker, near the Potts ranch in the Monitor Range. Parker arrived Monday in Tonopah with the pelt, says the Tonopah Times, which he displayed at the police station to satisfy expert deep hunters that one of the chief despoilers of the range had done his last work in ravaging herds of deer and fawns. The pelt measured nine feet from tip to tip, and the tail almost three feet long and as thick and powerful as a man's arm. Park specializes in lion hunting in the service of the United State biological survey. Recently reports from the Monitor range complained that since the slaughter of wild horses the lions were invading ranches and carrying off young stock Parker has a pack of trained hounds that never et up when they strike the trail of one of the big cats The atter are feroccious and not afraid of human contacts but they have a wholesome fear of a dog. Like an elephant the smaller the dog, the more they fear it. The cat at the Potts ranch was seen hiding up in the rocks on the side of a lofty bare hill. Parker and Potts did not have their dogs, and while Parker went off to get the string of hounds, Potts kept pelting the lion with snowballs, which volleyed in so rapidly that the brute never thought of escaping until the last avenue was cut ff by the arrival of the dogs, which made short work of him. If the lion had not been distracted by the barrage of snowballs he would have saved his hide by simply walking away. Five other cats are said to be luking in the same vicinity and Parker says he wil get them before he gets through cleaning up that section.
-Mason Valley News, February 11, 1928

Although both counties demanded it, Potts paid his taxes to Lander county, assuming that this was the county his ranch was located.
But a new survey showed that wasn't the case.

New Survey Places Potts' Ranch 1,100 Feet Into Nye Co.
Special to The Journal. TONOPAH, Aug. 13.—(AP) resurvey of Nye county's boundary line to determine in which county the John Potts ranch is located has been completed. It results in favor of Nye county, said C. F. Wittenberg, County Commissioner, today. The location of this property has been in dispute since the Ernest Taylor survey of 1882. The new survey places this valuable ranch 1,100 feet over the line in Nye county. The ranch is assessed at $22,000.
-Nevada,State Journal, August 14, 1929

As early as 1933 a school was located at the ranch.

Mrs. George A. Potts from Monitor Valley, accompanied by Miss Thelma Flavin, teacher at the Potts school, attended the Parent-Teachers Association meeting with Mrs. Buol, regarding the continuation of the "Keep Growing" work at the Potts school.
-Reno Evening Gazette, November 27, 1933

Nye sued Lander county in a long drawn out court battle which eventually wound up in the Nevada Supreme Court, LANDER CO. v. NYE CO, 59 Nev. 114 (Nev. 1938)

Nye County Wins 7-Year Fight Over John Potts Ranch
TONOPAH, Nov. 26. (U.P.) — A seven-year legal battle between Nye and Lander counties ended today when District Judge Clark Guild ruled that the John Potts ranch is located in Nye county, giving the Nye county assessor the right to collect taxes from the owners. District Attorney Lowell Daniels announced that Guild had decided the case in favor of Nye county, ordering Lander county to pay the former county a total of $2065.08 in taxes collected since the case was first filed in 1930. Guild ruled that the Nye county assessor also is to collect the 1936 and 1937 taxes on the property, approximately $1000. Nye county contended that a written agreement reached between the Nye and Lander county boards in 1929 had ordered a new survey of the property in 1929. The survey placed the ranch in Nye county. Lander county's chief defense was that the statute of limitations had outlawed the Nye county claim. The decision will add approximately $16,000 to Nye county assessment rolls.
- Nevada State Journal,November 27, 1937

The ranch gets sold.

Nye County Ranch Property Bought By Sewell-Bates
Harvey Sewell of Reno and O. G. Bates of Ely will take possession shortly of one of the oldest and largest ranch properties in Nye county, it was announced yesterday by members of the Potts family in Tonopah, owners of the ranches since they were acquired over 65 years ago by the late William Potts. Price of the properties or the date Sewell and Bates will take possession has not been announced. The new owners are prominent Nevada business men. Sewell is president of Sewell's United Stores and Bates is interested in banking and ranching in eastern Nevada. Mrs. William Potts, widow of Mr. Potts, who came to Nevada from Scotland as a young man and developed his ranches into a large enterprise, makes her home in Sparks at the present time with a daughter. In recent years the ranches have been operated by J. C. Potts and Anna L. Potts.
-Nevada State Journal, September 7, 1944

William's wife Mary passed away.

Mrs. Mary Potts Dies on Coast
Funeral services for Mrs. Mary Potts, long-time Nevada resident who died Sunday at a rest home in Los Gatos, Calif., will be held at 2 p.m. today at the Ross-Burke Co. chapel conducted by the Rev. Basil Daugherty of the St. Paul's Episcopal Church of Sparks. Burial rites will be held tomorrow at 1 p.m. at Austin where Mrs. Potts lived for many years with her late husband, William Potts. For many years they lived on the Potts ranch in Monitor Valley. Mrs. Potts was born in Scotland February 19, 1851 and came to this country 71 years ago. She had been in Los Gatos a week before she died.
-Nevada State Journal, September 28, 1948

The ranch gets sold again and again.

Robisons Acquire Ranch Near Austin
ELY, Dec. 6.—Melvin and Leonard Robison have begun operation of the large stock ranch known as the Potts ranch located near Austin which they have purchased together with their father, Doyle Robinson. The holdings were bought from Harvey Sewell, O. G. Bates, and Fred Cox by the Robisons. Known as one of the larger ranches in the state it is located in Monitor Valley east of Austin in Lander and Nye counties. The property is a dual stock ranch and recently about 4,500 head of sheep were trucked from White Pine county to augment the cattle bought with the ranch.
-Nevada State Journal, December 7, 1948

Sale of Potts Ranch Reported To Reno Buyers
Sale of the well-known Potts ranch in central Nevada by the Robison brothers to William D. Holmes and Paul E. Dorman was announced this week when deeds were recorded. The ranch was sold completely stocked for a price of in the neighborhood of $850,000. The deal was handled by Wayne McLeod, Reno real estate man. The new buyers took possession April 1 and the ranch is being managed by Mr. Dorman, who for several years has been associated with a Reno bank. The Potts ranch is 210 miles east of Reno with the northern part touching highway 50. There are about 3400 acres of deeded land, and patent is pending for an additional 640 acres. About 700 acres are under irrigation and the balance is scattered, controlling all live water in the entire range. Sole user of all water in a cattle range embracing an area 36 miles long and 16 miles wide, the ranch has numerous live streams and springs in addition to several wells, all equipped with watering facilities. Crops consist of wild hay, alfalfa and grain, and during a normal year 750 tons of hay and enough grain for the ranch is cut. The main headquarters of the ranch is situated in the center of the cattle operation with the winter range joining the main ranch. Livestock on the ranch include 1200 head of cattle and 4300 head of sheep. There are three dwellings in addition to barns, bunkhouse, granary, office and commissary, school house and teachers' house, garages and other buildings.
-Reno Evening Gazette, April 11, 1952

Historic Nye Ranch Holding Sold Again
Monitor Valley Spread Bought By West-Holiday
Monitor Valley ranch, 37 miles southeast of Austin, has been sold to West-Holiday Company, Inc., national publishers' representatives.
The ranch sold for in excess of $350,000. It was the fifth time in less than 10 years that the ranch has been sold. The West-Holiday firm represents the Reno Evening Gazette nationally. The company also has cattle holdings in Hollister, Calif.
VAST ACREAGE
Purchase includes 3500 acres of deeded land and control of 500,000 acres of grazing rights on timber and range lands. The new owner plans to continue the present cow-calf operation, shipping weaner calves to California each Fall. The present owner, Earl Foor, will continue to operate the ranch until December. Sale was handled by C. W. (Chuck) Moore of Reno.
SETTLED EARLY
The ranch is part of the old Potts ranch holdings settled in the early days of Nevada ranching and sale includes the Potts home ranch. The ranch remained in the Potts family until 1944 when John Potts sold his holdings to Herbert and Harvey Sewell and O. G. Bates. They kept it for four years, selling to Reno realtors Mel and Len Robison in 1948. Since then the ranch has sold three times. Diana's Punchbowl, reputed home of Paiute evil spirits, is on the ranch and remnants of old Indian dwellings are still found on the ranch.
-Reno Evening Gazette, November 11, 1957
A marvelous collection of photographs from the ranch can be found on the Monitor Valley Cooperative Extension Collection web site.

There was a "No Tresspass" sign but we, um, sent in the drone to snap a few photos.