EasterSunday, 2014 near Fernley, Nevada

What a beautiful day we had on Easter Sunday 2014.  We are staying in a little town just East of Reno, Nevada called Fernley.  We went to church in town and the music, message and lessons were all Christ centered.  I came away from church with a resolve to live my life with more gratitude.



 After church we packed a picnic lunch and headed out to Lahontan Recreation Area.  We were the only people in the entire picnic area!

After lunch we took a ride to the historic Fort Churchill.  Captain Joseph Stewart and his Carson River Expedition were ordered to establish a post on the Carson River.  Starting Iin July, 1860, tens of thousands of dollars were spent to construct Fort Churchill, the desert outpost that guarded the Pony Express run and other mail routes.  Hundreds of soldiers were based here between expeditions against the Indians.  

The fort was named in honor of Sylvester Churchill, the Inspector General of the US Army.  It was built as a permanent installation.  Adobe buildings were erected on stone foundations in the form of a square, facing a central parade ground.  The Civil War made the fort an important supply depot for the Nevada Military District and as a base for troops patrolling the overland routes.

The Fort was abandoned in 1869, and the adobe buildings were auctioned for only $750.  In 1884 the remains of soldiers buried in the post cemetery were moved to Carson City.  The remaining graves are those of the Buckland family, pioneer ranchers who sold supplies to the fort.  They lost several children who only lived very short lives.