Sheepshead: Difference between revisions

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Sheepshead is the site of a former town that is located west of the [[Smoke Creek Desert]]. [[Laird Spring]] is to the south, the [[Parker Ranch]] is located to the north.
Sheepshead is the site of a former town that is located west of the [[Smoke Creek Desert]]. [[Laird Spring]] is to the south, the [[Parker Ranch]] is located to the north.
Thompson and West (1881) state "South of this is Murphy's Salt Marsh, where B. F. Murphy has been preparing salt for the market for the past ten years. His salt works are located at Reno."
"Eight miles south of Murphy's is Sheep Head, a
station in the desert on the stage road. A spring of
water is found here, the only good water in the desert.
This stretch of inhospitable land is in some
places forty miles wide, and is surrounded by a scant
growth of sage-brush and grease wood, while for
miles there is no vegetation whatever. Alkali, salt,
borax and gypsum are the leading components of the
soil, rendering a trip across its arid waste extremely
unpleasant. Six miles south of Sheep Head is a
spring called Buck, or Bull, Spring, and six miles
farther south is [[Rotten Egg Spring]], a name peculiarly
appropriate, so extremely disagreeable is the
water both to the smell and taste. [[Round Hole]], or
Deep Hole, Spring lies six miles more to the south,
and the water, although not very pleasant is used for
drinking purposes. It is on the above route that
the stage road runs, and sixteen miles southeast of
Round Hole is [[Pyramid Lake]], on the road now followed
by the stage, passing through [[Pyramid|Pyramid City]],
and [[Jonesville]], which lie on the line between Washoe
and Roop Counties."<ref>Myron Angel, David F. Myrick, "[http://hdl.handle.net/2027/uc1.32106000657830 Reproduction of Thompson and West's History of Nevada, 1881,]" p. 565, (1881, 1958).</ref>
Burchard (1883) conveys a report by Mr. BF Murphy of "Sheephead" concerning the [[Cottonwood Mining District]].<ref name="Burchard">Horatio C. Burchard, "[https://books.google.com/books?id=DWwwAAAAYAAJ&vq=cottonwood&dq=Burchard%20Director%20of%20the%20mint%201882&pg=PP5#v=onepage&q&f=false Report of the Director of the Mint Upon the Statistics of the Production of the Precious Metals in the United States]," p. 166, 1883.</ref>
A 1884 Gazetteer states that Murphy & Lingus had a salt works in [[Sheepshead]]: "SHEEPHEAD A post village in Washoe county 141 miles northwest of Virginia City and 89 northwest of Reno the county seat nearest railroad station and banking point Salt is shipped Population 100 Mail daily Bonham JT general store and saloon Murphy & Lunigus salt works."<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=2CIzAQAAIAAJ&lpg=PA513&ots=nnU2YnXvOV&dq=Murphy's%20salt%20works%20nevada&pg=PA513#v=onepage&q=Murphy's%20salt%20works%20nevada&f=falseColorado, New Mexico, Utah, Nevada, Wyoming and Arizona Gazetteer and Business Directory]," p. 513, 1884.</ref>
A 1911 Nevada Historical Society report states: "Sheephead is a small village located on Smoke Creek near Pyramid Lake. It popularly goes by the name Round Hole so called from a big round spring located there (Footnote b: Authority of Mr JH Smith Buffalo Meadows Nevada) Sheephead took its name from Sheephead Springs which is about twelve miles from the present location of Sheepshead. Sheepshead Springs was so named from finding near the spring the head of a mountain sheep which was nailed to a tree and remained there for several years.(Footnote c:Ibid)"<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=HshYAAAAMAAJ&lpg=PA92&ots=ABYH-8e1q5&dq=Sheephead%20Spring%20nevada&pg=PA92#v=onepage&q=Sheephead%20Spring%20nevada&f=false Biennial Report of the Nevada Historical Society,"] Issue 2, p, 92, 1911.</ref>
The 1920-21 "[[Polk's Reno city, Washoe County and Carson City directory (1921)]]" lists the following residents of Sheepshead (population 50):
* "A postoffice on Smoke Creek, 20 miles north of Sand pass, the shipping point on Vv P Ry, 36 miles northeast of Amdee Cal, and 71 miles north of Reno, the county seat and banking point. Stockraising is the principal occupation."
* Bailey Ed, stage (''Also listed at [[Buffalo Meadows]]'')
* [[Bonham Ranch | Bonham Bros]], cattle dlrs
* Bonham Maud, milliner
* Christensen & Nelson, salt mfrs (''Also listed in [[1936 Tax List]] and [[1925 Washoe County Directory]]'')
* Cornell, Eaton, farmer (''Also listed in [[1936 Tax List]] and [[Buffalo Salt Works]]'')
* Hager Chas, rancher
* Heller Bros, salt mfrs (''Also listed in [[1936 Tax List]]'')
* Heller Margaret, dresmkr
* Horn Arthur, cigars and tobacco
* [[Laird Spring | Laird Ed]], horse dlr  (''Died in 1917, though still listed in the 1920-21 Polk's'')
* Mott Roy, farmer  (''Also listed in [[Mott Ranch]]'')
* Norton H L, notary public (''Also listed in [[1936 Tax List]] and [[Shootout at Hualipi Flats]]
* Parker W T, farmer (''Also listed in [[Parker Ranch]], [[1936 Tax List]]'')
* Rogers Chas, horse dlr
* Ross Martha, postmaster, hotel and stock raising (''Also listed in [[1936 Tax List]], [[Bonham Ranch]]
* Ross Wm, farmer
Rolland Bonham (d. 1952) operated stage stops in the area: [[Twenty Mile House]], [[Sheepshead | Sheep's Head Station]], [[Round Hole | Round Hole Station]].  <ref name="NevadaTheSilverState">[https://books.google.com/books?ei=ydt0VaaMKpeKoQS7l4E4&id=f9gjAQAAIAAJ&dq=nevada%2C+the+silver+state+-+volume+2&focus=searchwithinvolume&q=Bonham Nevada: The Silver State]," vol. 2, p. 859, Western States Historical Publishers, 1970.</ref>
== Other Sheep Head Springs ==
Note that there is also a Sheep Head Spring, located in the Black Rock Range near [[Pinto Hot Springs]] in Humboldt County.  The Nevada location appears [http://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~1260~110042:DeGroot-s-Map-Of-Nevada-Territory-E Degroot's Map of Nevada(1863)].<ref>[https://edits.nationalmap.gov/apps/gaz-domestic/public/summary/846031 GNIS for Sheep Head Spring, Humboldt County]</ref>
There is also a Sheep Head Spring located in the [[Lava Beds]] in Pershing County.<ref>[https://edits.nationalmap.gov/apps/gaz-domestic/public/summary/850285 GNIS for Sheep Head Spring, Pershing County]</ref>


== References ==
== References ==
* [http://geonames.usgs.gov/apex/f?p=gnispq:3:::NO::P3_FID:846159 GNIS]
<references/>
* [https://edits.nationalmap.gov/apps/gaz-domestic/public/summary/846159 GNIS]
** Citation: "Carlson, Helen S., 'Nevada Place Names, A Geographical Dictionary,' Reno, Nevada: University of Nevada Press, 1974, 282 pp. Reference work giving historical background on place names in Nevada. p114"
** Citation: "Carlson, Helen S., 'Nevada Place Names, A Geographical Dictionary,' Reno, Nevada: University of Nevada Press, 1974, 282 pp. Reference work giving historical background on place names in Nevada. p114"
*** p. 20 of Carlson says that Sheepshead Ranch was named for Sheepshead Springs, "which got its name from the head of a mountain sheep nailed to a tree at the site"
*** p. 20 of Carlson says that Sheepshead Ranch was named for Sheepshead Springs, "which got its name from the head of a mountain sheep nailed to a tree at the site"
Line 13: Line 71:
* [http://blackrockdesert.org/wiki/index.php?title=File:1895_U.S._Atlas_-_Washoe_County.jpg 1895 U.S. Atlas - Washoe County] shows "Sheephead"
* [http://blackrockdesert.org/wiki/index.php?title=File:1895_U.S._Atlas_-_Washoe_County.jpg 1895 U.S. Atlas - Washoe County] shows "Sheephead"
* [[1896 Post Route Map]] shows "Sheephead" 2 miles north of "Pyramide (n.o)" and 26? miles south of [[Salt Marsh | Salt Marsh (n.o.)]]
* [[1896 Post Route Map]] shows "Sheephead" 2 miles north of "Pyramide (n.o)" and 26? miles south of [[Salt Marsh | Salt Marsh (n.o.)]]
* [http://distantcousin.com/Directories/NV/Reno/1920/Pages.asp?Page=234 Reno, Washoe Cty, Nevada 1920-21 City Directory Page 234] Lists Bonham Bros. and Bonham, Maud (milliner) along with others.
* "[http://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~215434~5505341:Nevada-And-The-Southeastern-Of-Cali Nevada And The Southeastern Portion Of California]," Third Edition, The Clason Map Company, Denver, Colorado, 1907. Shows Sheepshead.
**"SHEEPSHEAD. A postoffice on Smoke Creek, 20 miles north of [[Sand Pass |Sand pass]], the shipping point on Vv P Ry, 36 miles north·
east of Amdee Cal, and 71 miles north of Reno, the county seat and banking point. Stockraising is the principal occupation.
** Population 50. Martha Ross, Postmaster.
** Bailey Ed, stage
** Bonham Bros, cattle dlrs
** Bonbam Maud, milliner
** Christensen & Nelson, salt mfrs
** Cornell Eaton, farmer - Overton (1947) reports that Mr. Cornell, living at Sheepshead Station, knows where [[Buffalo Salt Works]] is located.
** Hager Chas, rancher
** Heller Bros, salt mfrs
** Heller Margaret, dresmkr
** Hom Arthur, cigars and tobacco
** Laird Ed, horse dlr
** Mott Roy, farmer
** Norton H L, notary public
** Parker W T, farmer
** Rogers Chas, horse dlr
** Ross Martha, postmaster, hotel and stock raising
** Ross Wm, Farmer
* [http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=105583811 Find-a-grave] Ross Francis Bonham b.1888, Sheepshead, d. 1966
* [http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=105583811 Find-a-grave] Ross Francis Bonham b.1888, Sheepshead, d. 1966
*[http://digital.library.unlv.edu/objects/LV_Maps/975 Sketch map of Nevada and the southeastern portion of California]," Clason's, 1906.


[[Category:Smoke Creek Desert]] [[Category:Ghost towns]]
[[Category:Smoke Creek Desert]] [[Category:Ghost towns]]

Latest revision as of 13:32, 17 October 2022

Sheepshead is the site of a former town that is located west of the Smoke Creek Desert. Laird Spring is to the south, the Parker Ranch is located to the north.

Thompson and West (1881) state "South of this is Murphy's Salt Marsh, where B. F. Murphy has been preparing salt for the market for the past ten years. His salt works are located at Reno."

"Eight miles south of Murphy's is Sheep Head, a station in the desert on the stage road. A spring of water is found here, the only good water in the desert. This stretch of inhospitable land is in some places forty miles wide, and is surrounded by a scant growth of sage-brush and grease wood, while for miles there is no vegetation whatever. Alkali, salt, borax and gypsum are the leading components of the soil, rendering a trip across its arid waste extremely unpleasant. Six miles south of Sheep Head is a spring called Buck, or Bull, Spring, and six miles farther south is Rotten Egg Spring, a name peculiarly appropriate, so extremely disagreeable is the water both to the smell and taste. Round Hole, or Deep Hole, Spring lies six miles more to the south, and the water, although not very pleasant is used for drinking purposes. It is on the above route that the stage road runs, and sixteen miles southeast of Round Hole is Pyramid Lake, on the road now followed by the stage, passing through Pyramid City, and Jonesville, which lie on the line between Washoe and Roop Counties."[1]

Burchard (1883) conveys a report by Mr. BF Murphy of "Sheephead" concerning the Cottonwood Mining District.[2]

A 1884 Gazetteer states that Murphy & Lingus had a salt works in Sheepshead: "SHEEPHEAD A post village in Washoe county 141 miles northwest of Virginia City and 89 northwest of Reno the county seat nearest railroad station and banking point Salt is shipped Population 100 Mail daily Bonham JT general store and saloon Murphy & Lunigus salt works."[3]

A 1911 Nevada Historical Society report states: "Sheephead is a small village located on Smoke Creek near Pyramid Lake. It popularly goes by the name Round Hole so called from a big round spring located there (Footnote b: Authority of Mr JH Smith Buffalo Meadows Nevada) Sheephead took its name from Sheephead Springs which is about twelve miles from the present location of Sheepshead. Sheepshead Springs was so named from finding near the spring the head of a mountain sheep which was nailed to a tree and remained there for several years.(Footnote c:Ibid)"[4]

The 1920-21 "Polk's Reno city, Washoe County and Carson City directory (1921)" lists the following residents of Sheepshead (population 50):

Rolland Bonham (d. 1952) operated stage stops in the area: Twenty Mile House, Sheep's Head Station, Round Hole Station. [5]

Other Sheep Head Springs

Note that there is also a Sheep Head Spring, located in the Black Rock Range near Pinto Hot Springs in Humboldt County. The Nevada location appears Degroot's Map of Nevada(1863).[6]

There is also a Sheep Head Spring located in the Lava Beds in Pershing County.[7]

References