#334 Humboldt Gate, taken by Mike Green in 2004; see Page-89 in Mr. Hersh’s book. If you like trains, buy this book!  The dirt road is the original railbed 1868.

Below: #335 taken by Mike Green in 2004;  see Page-91 in Mr. Hersh’s book and you'll see it's nearly the same photo..

After taking some Railroad photos we went searching for Palisade, and found the cemetery first. After some walking  and reading headstones we realized this was once a booming little town. Palisade must have been quite a place. Not only did it have the CPRR  passing through, there was  also a rail-line to/from Eureka in central Nevada. Later still the WP would have a line through here. It must be noted that all the towns along Interstate-80 in Nevada are there solely because of the Trans Continental railroad, each town being a watering stop for the steam engines.

Palisade: Palisade first named Palisades - Surveyed and laid out by the C.P.R.R. in February 1870. During the 1870's it rivaled Elko and Carlin as departure point on the C.P. for wagon freight and Stage Lines to Mineral Hill, Eureka and Hamliton.  In October 1875, with completion of Eureka &  Palisade Railroad, Palisade became the northern terminus and operating HQ  for the little ninety-mile narrow gage line. Between 1875 and 1930, the town was the principal transfer and shipping point on the C.P. (and S.P.), and on the Western Pacific Railroad after its 1910 completion....  marker #65.

Below: Union Pacific heading east to Carlin, NV.

Above: The Eureka & Palisade Railroad marker found on a rock in Palisade.

   Above: Fred Morey’s grave marker ( February 1910) in Palisade, NV.

Above: Ruins from Palisade.        

Palisade must have been a neat town in its heyday, but being it is located in a canyon, I sure wouldn't have wanted to been there when the flash flood roared through. After looping in and out of Palisade we headed for Carlin and I-80 once again, our next stop was to find the infamous Gravelly Ford – where James Reed  (1846 Donner Party)  killed the Teamster driver (this was on private land). Also of interest is the famous grave known as "Maidens Grave", the one the railroad had taken care of since 1867. We lucked out when we met a DOT tractor driver, as he pointed the way to both! I had read about this famed grave in a number of books, and it made our day to find it.

Below: UP heading westbound near Gerald Siding. Note the old railbed in the lower portion of the photo. This is where the City of San Francisco wrecked in 1939.

Below: Since 1868 trains have passed by Maiden's Grave, though she wasn't a maiden. The Railroad has cared for her ever since.