Emigrants traveling west through the deserts of the Utah Territory was not a new concept by the 1850’s. . What was needed however, was the safest route possible through much of which in now Nevada. Such a course could secure a central overland trail for stages, the Pony Express, the safer passage of wagon trains, and eventually the telegraph line. The problem was the terrain. Nevada has more mountain ranges of any state in the country. So, this was to be no easy task.
Captain James Simpson
Captain James Simpson of the Army’s Department of Topographical Engineers was sent in 1859 to map the best route from Salt Lake City to Genoa, located at the base of the Sierra’s, in what is now Nevada. He took several dozen men with him including artists and photographers.
It would literally take volumes to accurately describe the entire route. Therefore, I will focus on one small section; the three gates, or narrow passages through the mountains in central Nevada. This would be Eastgate, Middlegate, and Westgate, all of which are within about a 12-mile stretch, and all of which became stations on the Overland Trail.
Eastgate
The Eastgate
Located at the mouth of a picturesque canyon, Eastgate overflows with beauty, history and wildlife. Just above the old station is the gate itself, where the road winds down from Carrol Summit in the Desatoya Mountains. When Simpson arrived here he named it Gibraltar Gate, so named after the large rock formations there which resembled its namesake. Later on, it became known as Eastgate to coincide with Middlegate and Westgate.
With grassy areas and a stream running through from the canyon, this became a popular camping spot for the westward wagons. There was a station here as early as the 1860’s with a cookhouse and even a vegetable garden. Eventually, white stone buildings were erected from locally quarried rock, the remains of which still stand. A large white block house was built in 1908.
Much of Simpson’s route became The Lincoln Highway in 1913. Eastgate remained just as popular in the early 1900’s, becoming a filling station, restaurant and bar along the central artery through the state. But it was not to last.
In the 1960’s, Easgate’s one hundred plus year run as a critical station came to an abrupt end. The new Highway 50 bypassed Eastgate and this section of the old road. Suddenly, Eastgate was remote and soon irrelevant. Although a ranch has survived, the station has not pumped gas or sold a beer since.
Some of the old buildings are but crumbling remains. The station house itself is still intact though missing doors and the Americana charm it once had. Carved into the white stone walls are etchings from a bygone era: names and dates stretching back to the 1800’s. Back then, it was not a quaint place to merely visit, but a key location for survival on the trail west.
Middlegate
Middlegate station today
Not even ten miles from Eastgate, Simpson came upon the place he would name Middlegate. This cut through the mountains is not as dramatic as the steep descent into Eastgate, but was still a necessary passage when traveling west. Less than a year after Simpson had passed through, the Pony Express set up a station here for its brief year and a half duration. Afterward, it became a significant station for emigrants and travelers of all kinds. In this tiny oasis people would stop over for camping, food and drink, and supplies for the trail. It was an essential stop for anyone crossing the desert. It still is!
On this part of the road, the Lincoln Highway and Highway 50 are the same, so Middlegate was not bypassed like Eastgate was. People emerging from the desert today are mostly in SUV’s instead of wagons or on Harley Davidsons instead of horses, but the services of this location remain the same. Food, drink, camping, supplies, and the only fuel for fifty miles east or west.
Did I say food? Middlegate is famous for its hamburgers. The fun environment matches the food and there is no better place to belly up for a beer and a burger. The ceiling is chock full of pinned dollar bills. Legend has it that when miners would leave here to go out and prospect, they would leave a dollar on the ceiling. This way if they came back penniless, they would still have a dollar to live on.
Interior of Middlegate Station
Outside are numerous relics of the past. A wagon, a carriage, and old chunks of long rusted cars. Two roads intersect here. The road south, route 361, leads out into the Gabbs Valley. If you continue west on 50, you will shortly arrive at the next gate.
For more about Middlegate visit https://middlegatestation.webs.com/
Westgate
Westgate is so close to Middlegate, Simpson was probably in both places the same day, even with a cumbersome wagon creaking along with an overburdened load. Westgate may pale in comparison to the other gates, or even seem boring. There are no fun bars or crumbling stations and the cut through the hills is less inspiring. But there is a windmill!
Westgate
Before we write this off as the least important gate, it’s important to realize this was the final gate before the trail west spilled out into Dixie Valley, Frenchman’s Flat and lands thereafter. There was indeed a station here, though its exact location is lost to history. The best guess is it sat where the windmill and concrete water container are today.
Being so close to Middlegate, it may not have been as much of a relieving site, however there was water and that can never be found in enough places in Nevada. Later on, water from here was hauled up to the nearby town of Fairview, now a ghost town. There was also a silver mill on the hillside, the foundations of which can be seen from the road.
In the 1930’s it became a camp for the Civilian Conservation Corp. A few stone walls remain of their efforts, along with the disintegrating shell of a swimming pool. Being the final pause of water and relief before heading out in to the harsh arid deserts and salt flats beyond made Westgate crucial indeed!
Today, people drive through these gates without realizing what they are or how important they were to westward resettlement. Captain James Simpson is a forgotten name from a high school history book for most, as are other names and places that were critical to survival of the settlers as they struggled on.
Too many people don’t seem to take history as anything important, after all, it’s the past and it’s over. They don’t take into account it is history that made us what we are now. Furthermore, it is the history we make now that will help to make the future generations.
Visit https://outerrealmz.com/trail-of-death-t…e-40-mile-desert/ to see other emigrant passages through Nevada in the 1800’s.
Sources
NevadaGram. Three Nevada Gates. https://nevadagram.com/three-nevada-gates/
Forgotten Nevada. https://forgottennevada.org/sites/index.html
Leave a Reply