The Courier. (Genoa, Nev.) 1899-1904, 1903-03-13
PASSING OF 4 PIONEER.
Death Of Stephen Z. Kinsey il &C.
noa Sunday Morning,

pioneers OF nevada, died sunday morn
ing at his home IN Genoa, the little
town nesting beneath the Sierras,
which he founded in 1851. lie had
been ailing for some time bat was able
to be up about the house almost up to
the hour of his death.
Deceased was 4 native of New York,
aged "A years, 5 months and 7 Gays.
With his death another of Nevada's
pioneer citizens has gone to join the
; silent ranks of the dead. Another
man who crossed the plains when life
in the far west was uncertain, and who,
by his strong viii and perseverance,
fought and oYercane obstacles, en-
dured hardships and privations, that
the present generation might live in
peace in a land of plenty and sunshine.
For the following facts concerning
Mr.. Kinsey's arrival in Nevada and
the founding OF the town OF Genoa, we
are indebted to the History OF Nevada,
published by Thompson & West in 1881:
I'm the spring OF 1851, John Reese,
with ten wagons loaded with flour,
butter, eggs, etc, left Salt Lake for
the purpose of establishing. a trading
post somewhere on the overland road
east of the Sierra. He was accompanied
by Stephen A. Kinsey, some teamsters
and few passengers for California,
making sixteen persons in all The
train arrived at Ragtown, on the Car
son River, in May, where it stopped
for a while, until hearing Of a more
favorable locality in Carson Valley,
through parties arriving from Galifor-
MIA to meet friends or ira le with emf
grants, Mr.. Kinsey started on horse
back to Spy out the land" in advance
of the Reese expedition. He visited
the head of that valley, and then re
turned along the base of the Sierra,
until arriving at the place known in
1850 as Mormon station" he con-
cluded that it was the most favorable
point for a trading-post in that section
of country; and, camping, remained
there until Mir. Reese arrived with the
train. At this time there was no one
living there, no house, no ruins of a
house, or the vestige of one TO be found.
Those who had occupied the place in
1si9-50 had folded their tents ike the
Arab, in the fall of the last year, and
silently stolen away, leaving the torch
Of the n ian to effaee any indication
OF their ever having been there. On
the fourth of July, 'ls5i, Mr.. Kinsey
selected and took possession of the
/ ground known as Mormon station,
that name being retained until 1889,
when the site being surveyed, "Genoa"
was substituted. When the Reese
party reached western Utah, not over
six miners we're at work in Gold anon;
bat some twelve of those accompanying
him joined the six, among whom were
two of the teamsters, named Joseph
Webb and James Fenimore, the latter
known as "Old Virginia. During
that summer the Gold Canon settle
ment was increased to about one humid
red miners.
Immediately upon their arrival at
Mormon Station the building Of a log
cabin was commenced that, when
completed, was the only house in what
is now Nevada. That pioneer Of the
numberless structures crested through
the Silver State in the years that fol-
lowed still stands where it was built
IA, - -
almost forgotten past. \ stoekale
corral was also put up at a cost OF two
thousand dollars, that en- 10 sc
something over an acre of ground. It
was made strong as a protection
against indians in case OF need. being
built of fifteen-foot logs, set or end
three feet in the ground, touching each
other so rs to make solid wall. Thus
manent settlement in western Utah.o
Thus it viii be seen that Mr.. Kinsey
resided in Genoa for considerable over
half a century. When he came here
he was only p years Of age. He own
ed and operated a sawmill ut the
mouth of Genoa canyon aud manu-
factured the lumber used in the con-
struetion of the first buildings erected
in this section. He was one of the
first Territorial officers when Genoa
was The capital, served two or three
terms as clerk of Douglas county aud
was prominent in business and politi-
cal affairs all his life. He was a pleas
ant, companionable man, and a few
years ago he and his good wife We're
fond of having their fine home filed
with guests. The Kinsey grounds,
covered with trees and shrubbery, are
known far and wide and thousands Of
, people have spent many delightful
hours there at picnies, etc. The de-
= voted wife, who shared all the vieissi-