Austin Historic District - Austin, Nevada
Posted by: 
Volcanoguy
N 39° 29.519 W 117° 04.233
11S E 493933 N 4371377
The Austin Historic District covers much of the town of Austin.
Waymark Code: WMVF5V
Location: Nevada, United States
Date Posted: 04/10/2017
Views: 1
Austin Historic District was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 23, 1971. The coordinates for this waymark are at the old Lander County Courthouse. The following information comes from National Register of Historic Places Registration Form (
visit link)
Austin is located almost in the geographical center of Nevada, on U.S. Highway 50, 179 miles east of Reno. After rich silver ore was discovered in Pony Canyon in May, 1862, a rush to the site occurred and resulted in the formation of two towns - Clifton, at the mouth of Pony Canyon, and Austin in the canyon itself. Clifton had the advantage of a level townsite but Austin was closer to the mines. After a road was built eastward into Austin, constructed by men willing to obtain a free lot in Austin in exchange for their work, it absorbed Clifton. Later, Clifton became the terminus of the Nevada Central Railroad, and a three-mile separate line was run into Austin.
In 2003, the City Hall, Masonic and Odd Fellows Hall, Methodist Church, Gridley Store, County Courthouse, High School, St. Augustine’s Catholic Church, St. George’s Episcopal Church, and Stokes Castle which are in the Historic District were also individually listed on the National Register. Other sites in the Historic District include the Emma Nevada home, Reese River Reveille building, Nevada’s oldest bank building, and the International Hotel.