Welcome to Virginia City
Virginia City Convention and Tourism Authority invites us to step back in time. Here, guests can walk on authentic board sidewalks, see historic churches, dozens of 19th century homes, public buildings and quaint cemeteries. People can visit Old West saloons, shops, museums and restaurants for free or nominal fees, ride in a stagecoach, horse-drawn carriage, trolley or the historic steam-engine Virginia and Truckee Railroad which crosses scenic desert and landscape sprinkled with old mines. It’s a living historic monument to the by-gone days of gold- and silver-mining towns, the real old West, and, as such, is a mecca for tourists, amateur pan-handlers and historical researchers. But there is little mention of their long-time paranormal residents!
The History of Virginia City
The boom came suddenly to this young city, with the discovery of silver and gold. Paupers became princes, so to speak, as they foraged for gold in “them thar hills,” building mansions with the profits. The railroad came through town, connecting Virginia City to Carson City and the rest of the country. With the sudden influx of miners, the town grew to a boisterous, wild-west city. But life wasn’t easy here in Virginia City. Shoot-‘em-ups were commonplace, as they were throughout the real old West, and wherever there is violence or chaos, that’s where spirits are said to dwell.
Is it any wonder that this is one of the most purportedly haunted cities in Nevada?
Virginia City: Spectres and Phantoms Galore
The ladies especially find it difficult to leave this town! At the Bonanza Saloon, local folklore tells us that a lady waves from a balcony. Fourth Ward School is home to the spirit of Miss Suzette, who has been spotted wandering the grounds. At the Long Branch Saloon, a mother has been heard crying for her child and St. Paul’s Episcopal School is supposedly home to a ghostly woman who appears in a window.
So what other tales does Virginia City have to tell, and which other phantoms call her home?
Delta Saloon: here, the ghost of Black Jake, the notorious gambler who owned the saloon in the
1860’s, haunts the Suicide Table. One evening, he lost a huge amount of money at this Faro Table, where he committed suicide by shooting himself. Afterwards, players at the table reported seeing his ghost putting a gun to his head. Soon, no one would sit at the table and it was retired from use The Suicide Table is on display at the casino – Delta Saloon and Casino, 18 South C Street, Virginia City, NV, 702-847-0788.
MacKay Mansion: The apparition of a woman dressed in Victorian clothing has been spotted sitting in a high-backed chair in the living room here. She has also been seen floating around on the third floor. Another upstairs room is haunted by the presence of child who likes to lie down on freshly-made bed. A former servant keeps herself busy, traipsing up and down the staircase, trying to finish her chores. A former Army Colonel, who lived in the house after his retirement, sits passing the time in the kitchen. The mansion was built in 1860 and housed both the living quarters of entrepreneur John MacKay and the offices of the Gould and Curry Mine. The mansion is located between South D and Washington streets in south-central Virginia City. The address is MacKay Museum, 129 South D Street, Virginia City, NV 89440. Phone: 702-847-0173.
Ophir Mine: The ghost of Henry Comstock haunts the site where he discovered the "Comstock Lode" in January 1859. He lost millions of dollars when developers took over his claim and dug a mine nearly 1,500 feet deep. In the winter of 1874, an eerie light shot out from the mouth of mine and rose sixty feet into the air. Townspeople arrived to put out what they thought was a fire, but no smoke or flame could be detected. All they could see was the weird light coming from halfway down the shaft. The next morning, strange things were reported at the long-deserted 700-foot level. The cage would be summoned when no one was there, and odd sounds could be heard coming from that level. Investigators discovered the glowing ghost of Henry Comstock, who identified himself and said he was reclaiming his gold. "Chunks of skin were hanging from his decomposing skeleton and his eyes were an orange-yellow color with pupils that danced as if filled with blue flames." The ghoulish phantom continued to harass the miners, blowing out their candles one at a time in a row, calling the cage when no one was around, and filling the tunnels with his howling, insane laughter. The mine is south of D Street, between Six Mile Canyon Road and Carson Street, in north Virginia City. It is just south of the Virginia City cemeteries. The mountain of tailings from the Ophir Mine is easily visible.
St. Mary’s Art Center: the ghost of a White Nun stays in the upstairs rooms here, and her face is frequently spotted in an upstairs window. The two-story brick building used to be a Catholic hospital. One night in 1878, a patient in the psychiatric ward started a fire in which he and the nun on duty burned to death. The nun’s spirit has forever more been tied to this place, where she selflessly served. The former hospital is in east Virginia City at 55 North R Street. Phone: 702-847-9973.
St. Mary’s In-the-Mountains: The distinctive footsteps of Father Meinecke are still heard coming from an upstairs alcove in the church. The deceased priest walks with a cane. Parishioners and visitors have all heard inexplicable sounds. The church was built in 1868, burned down in 1875 and rebuilt in 1876. Local mine owners donated money to rebuild the church and cast a pure silver bell for the steeple. The Catholic church is on the corner of South E and Taylor streets at 111 South E Street, Virginia City. Phone: 702-847-9694.
Six Mile Canyon: The ghost of outlaw Jack Davis still haunts the secluded canyon where he buried his loot. Davis led a double life. He arrived in the area in 1859 and set up a livery stable in Gold Hill, while in his spare time, he robbed stagecoaches, trains, and bullion wagons on the Geiger Grade. He built a small bullion mill in Six Mile Canyon and melted down his stolen gold. Then, he sold it as legitimate gold bars and buried his proceeds so people would not catch on how rich he was. Finally, in 1870 he was caught trying to rob the Verdi train. In 1875, he was paroled but two years later was shot in the back during an attempt to rob a stagecoach south of Eureka. It is thought that the outlaws’ cache of buried gold coins is still in the canyon, but treasure seekers have been frightened away by the white, screaming specter of Jack Davis. It's said that, sometimes, his ghost sprouts wings and rises into the air. Six Mile Canyon is just east of Virginia City.
Wild West Museum: this is one of the eeriest places in Virginia City. Hundreds of authentic artifacts are on display, as well as recreations of murder scenes and a Spook Room upstairs. The collection of skulls includes several from outlaws, such as the Apache Kid and a Zuni ceremonial skull adorned with turquoise. The museum is at 66 North C Street, Virginia City, NV 89440. Phone: 702-847-0400.
For more ghostly tales and fantastic stories, please refer to The Haunting of Southern Nevada, an article published in October, 2010.
Sources:
- Dennis William Hauck, Reno's Most Haunted Directory, no longer in publication or available online.
- ghostvillage.com.
- Orderling, Janice Haunted Nevada.
- Unearthly Realms.
- virginiacity-nv, Virginia City Convention and Tourism Authority.
Sharon Damon - Writing is my passion. I have published poetry and write for Examiner and other publications. I love my fascinating home, Las Vegas!
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